E
elsalvador
Guest
Extracted from "War Treasure II" available from SevenSeasPublishing.com
1944: June 24
On March 10th the undersea cargo transport submarine I-52 left the island of Japan bound for Europe on a top secret mission for the Japanese Imperial Navy. Eleven days later the sub arrived in Singapore and remained until resuming the voyage again on April 23rd. It was then the German code name for the mission was changed from Tanne to Forhre. Meanwhile the Japanese code name Momi prevailed throughout the voyage and until the destruction of the submarine on June 24th. After that, the missing sub was referred to as the Ginmatsu.
The essence of the ill-fated mission called for rendezvousing in the South Atlantic Ocean with the German submarine U-530 to receive aboard a Kapitanleutant Schafer and two unidentified radio technicians. Afterwards the sub was to continue steering for a submarine base located on the coast of France.
The passengers and crew traveling in the I-52 included the following people:
Rank Name and Occupation
Commanding Officer Commander Uno Kameo
Navigator Lieutenant Ootama Saharu
Navigator Lieutenant Hakoyama Tokutaroo
Chief Lieutenant Commander Matsuura Shinichi
Seven unidentified Warrant Officers
Eighty-four unidentified crewmen Enlisted men
Technician Maeda Toshi (ordnance engineer)
Ships Clerk Sunagata Eamasa
First Class petty officer Okoyama Ryooitsu
First Class petty officer Okada Hidetaka
First Class petty officer Kiyota Kichitaro
First Class petty officer Kumamoto Masatoshi
Mizuno Ichiroo Engineer of the Japan Optical Works
Ukei Yasuji Business machine expert of the Aichi Clock Company
Okada Seiichi Expert on the Fuji Communications Machine
Nagao Seijitsu Radar expert
Hagino Ichitaroo A director of the Tokyo Gauge Company and a gyro expert
Waraya Takeshi Ordnance Engineer and expert of the Toyko Mitsubishi Company
Gamoo Satonobu Ordnance Engineer and expert of the Toyko Mitsubishi Company.
Moriwaki Fujio German language typist and translator
As for the cargo transported in the submarine, intercepted radio messages, indicate the following items were aboard at the time of loss:
(a) Number of gold bars: 146 (Packed in 49 metal boxes)
(b) Total weight of bullion: 2,000,299 gram?s.
(c) Purity of bullion: 2,000,003 gram?s.
(d) Fineness: over 995% fine
(e) Inherent value in then current Japanese money: 7,700,128 yen.
(f) Tin, molybdenum and tungsten: total of 288 metric tons
(g) Opium: 2.88 metric tons
(h) Quinine: 3 metric tons
(i) Raw rubber: metric 54 tons
The purpose of the gold shipment, according to radio messages sent from the Foreign Exchange Department of the Ministry of Finance, to Financial Commissioner Yumoto, was for ?replenishing the Special Gold Fund Account in Germany?. Meanwhile another secret cablegram stated the gold was sent to Germany ?to defray the costs of purchases made in Europe by Japan?. Both messages were intercepted and decoded by American intelligence which quickly evolved into a plan by U.S. Navy forces to destroy the submarine at the rendezvous point with the German submarine. While the Americans were busy perfecting their attack strategy, the Japanese Naval Attach? in Berlin sent following message to the I-52 on June 9th or 10th.
?Anglo-American armies have been landing on the coast of France between La Harve and Cherbourg since June 6th and present time both sides are engaged in fierce fighting. Your port of destination is still Lorient, but depending on the situation, it may have to be changed to Norway. Rendezvous point is 15 00' and 40 00' west; time of rendezvous is June 22nd at 2115, at dusk (Greenwich mean time or G.M.T). Your ship will surface and proceed back and forth along the parallel of latitude with the rendezvous point as center and await the German submarine. In case the rendezvous is unsuccessful, you will carry out the above operation at high speed during the first ten minutes of every hour from 0000 to dawn on June 23rd.
?The German submarine will be submerged during this time and will pick you up with its hydrophone and attempt a rendezvous. If the rendezvous is unsuccessful the first day, it will be attempted in the same manner until dawn of the second day. If it is still unsuccessful, report by radio. Route after rendezvous: You will proceed north along longitude 40 west, and then from position 38 00' north and 40 00' west, you will head for 43 00' north and 30 00' west. From there on you will proceed to the coast of Spain, following the instructions of the Liaison Officer. The German submarine is of the Satsuki class, but has no main battery. A 3.7 centimeter gun and two twin-mount 2-centimeter guns are on the bridge. If necessary, recognition signals will be exchanged in accordance with the prescribed recognition signal table.
?Aboard the German ship is a Liaison Officer and the latest type radar search receiver with two operators. Its approximate position on June 6th was 35 00' north and 23 00' west. Take special precaution against enemy planes. Always travel submerged during the day. Recently an enemy aircraft carrier appeared in the vicinity of position 15 00 north and 30 00 west and was sunk by two German submarines. In the event that you do not make the trip to Norway and should run short of fuel, it would be very difficult for Germany to supply you, so they hope you will avoid this unless it becomes necessary?.
On June 11th responding to this information, the captain of the I-52, radioed the Naval Attach? informing that the sub?s location was latitude 10 00' north and longitude 31 00' west; and was proceeding as scheduled to the rendezvous point. The captain added the sub had enough fuel remaining to travel another 12,000 miles if a speed of 11 knots was maintained; and also had sufficient provisions for three months. In the end the American warships Swenning, Willis, Robinson, Haverfield, Janssen were waiting near the meeting point and at 0043 hours catapulted aircraft from the Haverfield which sighted the I-52 bearing 240? and about 55 miles from the carrier. After the first bombing sortie a large oil slick was seen on the water in latitude 15? 12' north and longitude 40? 00' west, indicating the ambush was indeed successful.
1944: June 24
On March 10th the undersea cargo transport submarine I-52 left the island of Japan bound for Europe on a top secret mission for the Japanese Imperial Navy. Eleven days later the sub arrived in Singapore and remained until resuming the voyage again on April 23rd. It was then the German code name for the mission was changed from Tanne to Forhre. Meanwhile the Japanese code name Momi prevailed throughout the voyage and until the destruction of the submarine on June 24th. After that, the missing sub was referred to as the Ginmatsu.
The essence of the ill-fated mission called for rendezvousing in the South Atlantic Ocean with the German submarine U-530 to receive aboard a Kapitanleutant Schafer and two unidentified radio technicians. Afterwards the sub was to continue steering for a submarine base located on the coast of France.
The passengers and crew traveling in the I-52 included the following people:
Rank Name and Occupation
Commanding Officer Commander Uno Kameo
Navigator Lieutenant Ootama Saharu
Navigator Lieutenant Hakoyama Tokutaroo
Chief Lieutenant Commander Matsuura Shinichi
Seven unidentified Warrant Officers
Eighty-four unidentified crewmen Enlisted men
Technician Maeda Toshi (ordnance engineer)
Ships Clerk Sunagata Eamasa
First Class petty officer Okoyama Ryooitsu
First Class petty officer Okada Hidetaka
First Class petty officer Kiyota Kichitaro
First Class petty officer Kumamoto Masatoshi
Mizuno Ichiroo Engineer of the Japan Optical Works
Ukei Yasuji Business machine expert of the Aichi Clock Company
Okada Seiichi Expert on the Fuji Communications Machine
Nagao Seijitsu Radar expert
Hagino Ichitaroo A director of the Tokyo Gauge Company and a gyro expert
Waraya Takeshi Ordnance Engineer and expert of the Toyko Mitsubishi Company
Gamoo Satonobu Ordnance Engineer and expert of the Toyko Mitsubishi Company.
Moriwaki Fujio German language typist and translator
As for the cargo transported in the submarine, intercepted radio messages, indicate the following items were aboard at the time of loss:
(a) Number of gold bars: 146 (Packed in 49 metal boxes)
(b) Total weight of bullion: 2,000,299 gram?s.
(c) Purity of bullion: 2,000,003 gram?s.
(d) Fineness: over 995% fine
(e) Inherent value in then current Japanese money: 7,700,128 yen.
(f) Tin, molybdenum and tungsten: total of 288 metric tons
(g) Opium: 2.88 metric tons
(h) Quinine: 3 metric tons
(i) Raw rubber: metric 54 tons
The purpose of the gold shipment, according to radio messages sent from the Foreign Exchange Department of the Ministry of Finance, to Financial Commissioner Yumoto, was for ?replenishing the Special Gold Fund Account in Germany?. Meanwhile another secret cablegram stated the gold was sent to Germany ?to defray the costs of purchases made in Europe by Japan?. Both messages were intercepted and decoded by American intelligence which quickly evolved into a plan by U.S. Navy forces to destroy the submarine at the rendezvous point with the German submarine. While the Americans were busy perfecting their attack strategy, the Japanese Naval Attach? in Berlin sent following message to the I-52 on June 9th or 10th.
?Anglo-American armies have been landing on the coast of France between La Harve and Cherbourg since June 6th and present time both sides are engaged in fierce fighting. Your port of destination is still Lorient, but depending on the situation, it may have to be changed to Norway. Rendezvous point is 15 00' and 40 00' west; time of rendezvous is June 22nd at 2115, at dusk (Greenwich mean time or G.M.T). Your ship will surface and proceed back and forth along the parallel of latitude with the rendezvous point as center and await the German submarine. In case the rendezvous is unsuccessful, you will carry out the above operation at high speed during the first ten minutes of every hour from 0000 to dawn on June 23rd.
?The German submarine will be submerged during this time and will pick you up with its hydrophone and attempt a rendezvous. If the rendezvous is unsuccessful the first day, it will be attempted in the same manner until dawn of the second day. If it is still unsuccessful, report by radio. Route after rendezvous: You will proceed north along longitude 40 west, and then from position 38 00' north and 40 00' west, you will head for 43 00' north and 30 00' west. From there on you will proceed to the coast of Spain, following the instructions of the Liaison Officer. The German submarine is of the Satsuki class, but has no main battery. A 3.7 centimeter gun and two twin-mount 2-centimeter guns are on the bridge. If necessary, recognition signals will be exchanged in accordance with the prescribed recognition signal table.
?Aboard the German ship is a Liaison Officer and the latest type radar search receiver with two operators. Its approximate position on June 6th was 35 00' north and 23 00' west. Take special precaution against enemy planes. Always travel submerged during the day. Recently an enemy aircraft carrier appeared in the vicinity of position 15 00 north and 30 00 west and was sunk by two German submarines. In the event that you do not make the trip to Norway and should run short of fuel, it would be very difficult for Germany to supply you, so they hope you will avoid this unless it becomes necessary?.
On June 11th responding to this information, the captain of the I-52, radioed the Naval Attach? informing that the sub?s location was latitude 10 00' north and longitude 31 00' west; and was proceeding as scheduled to the rendezvous point. The captain added the sub had enough fuel remaining to travel another 12,000 miles if a speed of 11 knots was maintained; and also had sufficient provisions for three months. In the end the American warships Swenning, Willis, Robinson, Haverfield, Janssen were waiting near the meeting point and at 0043 hours catapulted aircraft from the Haverfield which sighted the I-52 bearing 240? and about 55 miles from the carrier. After the first bombing sortie a large oil slick was seen on the water in latitude 15? 12' north and longitude 40? 00' west, indicating the ambush was indeed successful.
