Monsun Gruppe - Later Sailings From Europe

Later Sailings From Europe

Submarines attempting to reach Penang from Europe suffered heavy attrition, first from bombers in the Bay of Biscay, then from air patrols in the mid-Atlantic narrows and around the Cape of Good Hope, and finally from allied submarines lurking around Penang with the aid of decrypted arrival and departure information.

• Japanese submarine I-8 sailed 5 September 1943 with a cargo of anti-aircraft guns, torpedo and aircraft engines, and ten German technicians; and reached Singapore on 5 December 1943.
• U-177 sailed on 2 January 1944 and was sunk by a USN PB4Y Liberator in the South Atlantic on 6 February 1944.
• Bagnolini sailed in a cargo configuration as UIT-22 on 26 January 1944 and was sunk off the Cape of Good Hope by RAF 262 Squadron Catalinas on 11 March.
• U-801 sailed on 26 February 1944 and was sunk by aircraft from USS Block Island on 16 March.
• U-1059 sailed on 12 February 1944 with a cargo of torpedoes and was sunk by aircraft from USS Block Island on 19 March.
• U-851 sailed on 26 February 1944 with a cargo of mercury and 500 U-boat batteries, and disappeared in March 1944.
• U-852 sailed 18 January 1944 and sank the 4,700-ton Greek freighter Peleus and the 5,300-ton British freighter Dahomian before being sunk in the Arabian Sea by RAF Vickers Wellingtons on 3 April.
• U-1062 sailed on 3 January 1944 with a cargo of torpedoes and reached Penang on 19 April.
• U-1224 sailed as Japanese RO-501 in April 1944 and was sunk in the Atlantic by USS Francis M. Robinson on 13 May 1944.
• U-843 sailed ón 18 February 1944 and sank the 8,300-ton British freighter Nebraska before reaching Jakarta on 11 June.
• U-490 sailed in an oiler configuration on 6 May 1944 with a cargo of supplies, spare parts and electronics; she was sunk by aircraft from USS Croatan on 12 June 1944.
• U-860 sailed on 11 April 1944 and was sunk in the South Atlantic by aircraft from USS Solomons on 15 June.
• Japanese submarine I-29 sailed on 16 April 1944 with 10 Enigma machines and the latest German RADAR technology; she was torpedoed by USS Sawfish on 26 July 1944.
• U-537 sailed on 25 March 1944 and reached Jakarta on 2 August.
• U-181 sailed 16 March 1944 and sank the 7,100-ton British freighter Tanda, the 7,100-ton Dutch freighter Garoet and the 5,300-ton British freighters Janeta and King Frederick before reaching Penang on 8 August.
• U-196 sailed on 16 March 1944 and sank the 5,500-ton British freighter Shahzada before reaching Penang on 10 August.
• U-198 sailed 20 April 1944 and sank the 3,300-ton South African freighter Columbine, the 5,100-ton British freighter Director, the 7,300-ton British freighter Empire City and the 7,200-ton British freighter Empire Day before being sunk in the Indian Ocean on 12 August 1944 by a Royal Navy hunter-killer group built around Shah and Begum.
• U-180 sailed in an oiler configuration on 20 August 1944 and was sunk by mines leaving port.
• U-862 sailed on 3 June 1944 and sank five ships before reaching Penang on 9 September.
• U-861 sailed on 20 April 1944 and sank the 1,700-ton Brazilian troopship Vital de Oliveira, the 7,200-ton American Liberty ship William Gaston, the 7,500-ton British freighter Berwickshire and the 5,700-ton Greek freighter Toannis Fafalios before reaching Penang on 22 September.
• U-859 sailed on 4 April 1944 with a cargo of mercury and sank the 6,300-ton Panamanian freighter Colin, the 7,200-ton American Liberty ship John Berry and the 7,400-ton British freighter Troilus before being torpedoed off Penang by HMS Trenchant on 23 September.
• U-871 sailed on 31 August 1944 and was sunk by a RAF B-17 on 26 September 1944.
• U-863 sailed on 26 July 1944 and was sunk by USN PB4Ys on 29 September.
• U-219 sailed in a cargo configuration on 23 August 1944 and reached Jakarta on 11 December.
• U-195 sailed in an oiler configuration on 20 August 1944 and reached Jakarta on 28 December.
• U-864 sailed with a cargo of mercury and plans and parts for Messerschmitt Me 163 and Me 262 fighters on 5 February 1945 and was torpedoed by HMS Venturer on 9 February.
• U-234 sailed in a cargo configuration with 74 tons of lead, 26 tons of mercury, 12 tons of steel, seven tons of optical glass, 43 tons of aircraft plans and parts, 560 kg of uranium oxide and a disassembled Me 262 on 1 April 1945 and surrendered at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard when the war ended.