Axis naval activity in New Zealand waters

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The Japanese submarine I-25
The Japanese submarine I-25

A small number of Axis surface raiders and submarines operated in New Zealand Waters during World War II.

Contents

[edit] Surface raiders

The following German surface raiders operated in New Zealand waters:

  • HSK Orion (13-19 June 1940, late August 1940, late September 1940, November 1940, March 1941)
  • Komet (November 1940, June 1941)
  • Small auxiliary raider Adjutant (June 1941)
  • Tanker Ole Jacob (March 1941)

The Orion and Komet sank four ships in New Zealand waters during these operations.[1]

[edit] Submarines

Imperial Japanese Navy submarines submarines operated in New Zealand waters in 1942 and 1943:

  • The I-25 operated off New Zealand in early March 1942. Nobuo Fujita from the I-25 in a Yokosuka E14Y floatplane conducted reconnaissance flights over Wellington on 8 March and Auckland on 13 March before departing for Fiji.[2]
  • The I-21 briefly operated off the northern tip of New Zealand in May 1942. The I-21's floatplane conducted a reconnaissance flight over Auckland on 24 May.[3]
  • An unknown Japanese submarine operated off New Zealand in February 1943 [4]

Neither the I-21 or I-25 attacked any ships during their brief periods in New Zealand waters.[5]

[edit] U-862

The German submarine U-862 sailed down the east coast of New Zealand in January 1945. U-862, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Heinrich Timm, entered New Zealand waters on 1 January 1945 after operating off Australia. The boat rounded the tip of North Island on 7 January and proceeded down the east coast.[6] She encountered a merchant ship off Cape Brett on 10 January but was not able to intercept it. The U-boat continued south and failed to reach firing position on another merchant ship off East Cape on 13 January.[7]

On 15 January U-862's Timm took his submarine very close to Gisborne in search of viable targets. While the submarine was not detected, Timm did not find any worthwhile ships to attack.[8] Timm also sailed close to the shore of Napier on 16 January and attempted to torpedo a small merchant ship off the city. This attack was not successful, with the torpedo missing its target. Timm believed that U-862 had been sighted during this attack and left the area. This belief was not correct, however, and the New Zealand government remained unaware of the submarine's presence.[9]

Shortly after the attack off Napier U-862 received orders to return to her home base at Batavia. Timm immediately ceased his patrol and proceeded along the east coast of the South Island. U-862 rounded Stewart Island on 21 January and the submarine left New Zealand waters shortly thereafter.[10] Claims that members of the submarine's crew landed in New Zealand are not correct, and this story appears to have been started by Timm as a joke.[11]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Sydney David Waters 'German Raiders in the Pacific' in Episodes & Studies Volume 1. Historical Publications Branch, Wellington. Page 31.
  2. ^ Sydney David Waters (1956), The Royal New Zealand Navy. Historical Publications Branch, Wellington. Pages 214-215.
  3. ^ Waters (1956). Page 215.
  4. ^ Waters (1956). Page 219.
  5. ^ Waters (1956). Page 217.
  6. ^ David Stevens (1997), U-Boat Far from Home. Allen & Unwin, Sydney. Page 179.
  7. ^ Stevens (1997). Page 180.
  8. ^ Stevens (1997). Page 181.
  9. ^ Stevens (1997). Pages 182-183.
  10. ^ Stevens (1997). Page 183.
  11. ^ Stevens (1997). Page 221.

[edit] References

[edit] See also