Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Kolb on Scalia, _Germany's Last Mission to Japan_

["D. Blake" <dblake@bright.net>]

This is fascinating stuff.  The more I see this kind of information the more
astounded I'am at just how indebted our US military is to the German weapons
designers of the WW2 era.  I guess the same could be said for the former
Soviet Union although they were probably more a third-party recipient during
the Cold War years.  I enjoy watching the History channel on TV, and they
seem to always be a constant reminder of the fact that virtually everything
we have in our arsenal from small arms to nuclear subs are in some way
rooted in the military technological developments of Germany.
>From a psychological, sociological and economics standpoint perhaps Germany
was just more motivated to develop such technology.  I mention economics
because it seems apparent our two countries had developed vastly different
strategies for overcoming the problems associated with the Depression.  The
bulk of our resources went into social welfare programs and public works
projects to help mobilize the people, and to help overcome poverty.  Germany
chose the path of military expansion and obviously superior weapons design
was of prime concern.  In the end though it did take a great war on a
massive scale to finally put things back on solid ground, albeit at a
hellish price!
It seems ironic, but from a purely philosophical standpoint maybe Germany
was the most responsible for superior weapons design and at the same time
finally bringing us out of the depression.
Later,
Big Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan J. Rice <dan.j.rice@sherwin.com>
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Date: Thursday, June 01, 2000 10:31 AM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Kolb on Scalia, _Germany's Last Mission to Japan_


>
>
>This review should be of interest to the PSUBS group.
>
>Dan
>---------------------- Forwarded by Dan J. Rice/EST/Sherwin-Williams on
>06/01/2000 11:24 AM ---------------------------
>
>
>H-Net Reviews <books@h-net.msu.edu> on 05/31/2000 03:14:52 PM
>
>Please respond to H-Net Review Project Distribution List
>      <H-REVIEW@H-NET.MSU.EDU>
>
>To:   H-REVIEW@H-NET.MSU.EDU
>cc:    (bcc: Dan J. Rice/EST/Sherwin-Williams)
>
>Subject:  Kolb on Scalia, _Germany's Last Mission to Japan_
>
>
>
>H-NET BOOK REVIEW
>Published by H-War@h-net.msu.edu (May, 2000)
>
>Joseph M. Scalia. _Germany's Last Mission to Japan: The Failed
>Voyage of U-234_. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2000. xxiv + 296
>pp.  Photographs, appendix, notes, bibliography, index. $29.95
>(cloth), ISBN 1-55750-811-9.
>
>Fortuitous Failure -- The Mission of U-234 from Germany to Japan
>
>Untersee boot U-234 was built between 1 October 1941 and 2 March
>1944 at Kiel by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG.  Originally designed in
>1938, it was intended to be one of a total of eight Type XB
>ocean-going mine-layers.  It was instead refitted as a transport
>submarine and assigned to the perilous Germany-to-Japan run. This
>was the largest type of German U-boat ever constructed at 1763 tons
>displacement, 2710 tons submerged and fully loaded, and 89.9 meters
>in overall length.
>Among the three hundred ton cargo was three complete Messerschmitt
>aircraft, a Henschel HS-293 glider-bomb, extra Junkers jet engines,
>and ten canisters containing 560 kg (1,235 lbs.) of uranium oxide
>(U235).  The uranium oxide was to be used by the Japanese as a
>catalyst for the production of synthetic methanol used for aviation
>fuel.  Other cargo consisted of one ton of diplomatic mail and 6,615
>pounds of technical material including drawings of ME 163 and ME 262
>aircraft, plans for the building of aircraft factories, V-1 and V-2
>weapons, naval ships (destroyers of classes 36C and Z51, and M and S
>boats), and submarines (Types II, VII, IX, X, XI, XXI, and XXIII).
>German fire-control computers, Lorenz 7H2 bombsights, Lufte 7D
>bombsight computers, FUG 200 Hohehtweil airborne radars and bomb
>fuses were also included in the manifest along with other military
>equipment and personal luggage.
>The crates of
>"aeronautical marvels"  would prove to be indispensable to American
>military and space research in the post-war era, hence, a
>"fortuitous failure" had untold positive impacts and benefits to
>America and her allies during the incipient Cold War .