by Mike Bennett
U-boats also adopted several types of “pattern-running” torpedoes which ran straight out to a pre-set distance, then travelled in either a circular or ladder-like pattern. When fired at a convoy, this increased the probability of a hit if the weapon missed its primary target.
During World War II, the Kriegsmarine produced many different types of U-boats as technology evolved. Most notable was the Type VII, known as the workhorse of the fleet, which was by far the most produced type. Type IX boats were larger and specifically designed for long-range patrols, some travelling as far as Japan and the east coast of the United States. With the Type XXI “Elektroboot”, German designers realised the U-boat depended on submerged ability both for combat effectiveness and survival. This was the first submarine whose design favoured submerged performance. The Type XXI featured a revolutionary streamlined hull design, which was used as the basis for the later USS Nautilus nuclear submarine.
Its propulsion system featured a large battery capacity, which allowed it to cruise submerged for long periods and reach unprecedented submerged speeds. A larger battery was possible because the space it occupied was originally intended to store hydrogen peroxide for a Walther turbine, which was unsuccessful on the Type XVII. The type XXI U-boat developed the basic hydrodynamic design which almost all modern submarines have adopted.
Throughout the war an arms race evolved between the Allies and the Kriegsmarine, especially in the area of detection and counter-detection. Advancements in British radar were countered by U-boats being fitted with radar warning receivers, to give them some time to dive before the enemy closed in. However, soon the Allies switched to centimetric radar which rendered the radar detectors ineffective. U-boat radar systems were also developed, but many captains chose not to utilise them for fear of broadcasting their position to enemy patrols.
The Germans took the idea of the Schnorchel (snorkel) from captured Dutch submarines, though they did not begin to implement it on their own boats until rather late in the war. The Schnorchel was a retractable pipe which supplied air to the diesel engines while submerged at periscope depth, allowing the boats to cruise and recharge their batteries while maintaining a degree of stealth. It was far from a perfect solution, however.
There were problems with the device’s valve sticking shut or closing as it dunked in rough weather. Since the system used the entire pressure hull as a buffer, the diesels would instantaneously suck huge volumes of air from the boat’s compartments, and the crew often suffered painful ear injuries. Waste disposal was a problem when the U-boats spent extended periods without surfacing. Speed was limited to 8 knots (15 km/h), lest the device snap from stress. The Schnorchel also had the effect of making the boat essentially noisy and deaf in sonar terms. Finally, Allied radar eventually became sufficiently advanced that the Schnorchel mast itself could be detected beyond visual range.
The later U-boats were covered in a sound-absorbent rubber coating to make them less of an ASDIC target. They also had the facility to release a chemical bubble-making decoy, known as Bold, after the mythical kobold.
The British had a major advantage in their ability to read the German naval Enigma codes. An understanding of the German coding methods had been brought to Britain via France from Polish code breakers. Thereafter, code books and equipment were captured by raids on German weather ships and from captured U-boats. A team at Bletchley Park worked constantly to break new German codes as they were introduced. The speedy decoding of messages was vital in directing convoys away from wolf packs, and allowing interception and destruction of U-boats. This was demonstrated when the Naval Enigma machines were altered in February 1942, and wolf pack effectiveness greatly increased until the new code was broken.
The German submarine U-110, a Type IXB, was captured in 1941 by the Royal Navy, and its Enigma machine and documents were removed. U-559 was also captured by the British in October 1942. Three British sailors boarded her as she was sinking, and desperately threw all the code books out of the submarine. Two of them, Able Seaman Colin Grazier and Lieutenant Francis Anthony Blair Fasson, continued to throw code books out of the ship as it went underwater, and went down with it. Further code books were captured by raids on weather ships. U-744 was boarded by crew from the Canadian ship HMCS Chilliwack on 6th March 1944, and codes were taken from her, but by this time in the war most of the information was known. The U-505, a Type IXC, was captured by the United States Navy in June 1944. It is presently a museum ship at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Two other events in the battle took place in 1942, when German U-boats attacked four Allied ore carriers at Bell Island, Newfoundland. The carriers SS Saganaga and SS Lord Strathcona were sunk by U-513 on 5th September 1942, while the SS Rosecastle and PLM 27 were sunk by U-518 on 2nd November, with the loss of sixty-nine lives. When the submarine launched a torpedo at the loading pier, Bell Island was to become the only location in North America to be subject to direct attack by German forces in World War II.
Operation Deadlight was the code name for the scuttling of U-boats surrendered to the Allies after the defeat of Germany near the end of the war. Of the 154 U-boats that surrendered, 121 were scuttled in deep water off Lisahally, Northern Ireland or Loch Ryan, Scotland in late 1945 and early 1946.
From 1955, the West German Bundesmarine was allowed to have a small navy. Initially two sunken Type XXIIIs and a Type XXI were raised and repaired. In the 1960s, West Germany re-entered the submarine business. Because Germany was initially restricted to a 450-tonne displacement limit, the Bundesmarine focused on small coastal submarines to protect against the Soviet threat in the Baltic Sea. The Germans sought to use advanced technologies to offset the small displacement, such as non-magnetic steel to protect against naval mines and magnetic anomaly detectors.
The initial Type 201 was a failure because of hull-cracking problems. The subsequent Type 205, first commissioned in 1967, was a success, and twelve were built for the German Navy. To continue the U-boat tradition, the new boats received the classic “U” designation starting with the U-1.
With the Danish government’s purchase of two Type 205 boats, the German government realised the potential for the submarine as an export. Three of the improved Type 206 boats were sold to the Israeli Navy, becoming the Gal-class. The German Type 209 diesel-electric submarine was the most popular export sales submarine in the world from the late 1960s into the first years of the 21st century. With a larger 1,000-1,500 tonne displacement, the class was very customisable and has seen service with fourteen navies, with fifty-one examples being built as of 2006.
Germany has brought the U-boat name into the 21st century with the new Type 212. The 212 features an air-independent propulsion system using hydrogen fuel cells. This system is safer than previous closed-cycle diesel engines and steam turbines, cheaper than a nuclear reactor, and quieter than either. While the Type 212 is also being purchased by Italy, the Type 214 has been designed as the follow-on export model, and has so far been sold to Greece, South Korea and Turkey.
CHAPTER 11
Following our discussion of the advances in U-boat technology, we will now turn our attention to the wartime developments that produced arguably the greatest advance in science during the last century – the development of gravity drive propulsion systems.
While researching this book, the author has read many articles by various people giving many pages of information on the subject of the Nazi development of flying discs. However, each article seems to be a rehash of another article or book previously compiled by someone else. During this research, I have not found any proper scientific analysis of the principles that have the capacity to make this type of propulsion system a reality.
I have seen no credible independent analysis of advances made in this area in the second half of the 20th century, and in particular no scrutiny or analysis of patents that have already been filed to cover developments in this area. I think that this is probably because the authors of the various pieces
had very little knowledge of classical physics, let alone quantum field physics or string theory.
They probably thought that the cost of employing an eminent physics professor to evaluate such data would be prohibitive. In addition, they were probably attempting to write articles and books that were more sensational rather than investigative or factual. The only exception in my experience has been the work performed by the British investigative journalist and author Nick Cook. We will discuss our initial meeting, subsequent communications and his research in a later section.
For completeness, I will now briefly recap both the facts and rumours of the 1940s developments in this field. However, I know that the principle of the reported work is factual. I have seen what others apart from myself have achieved using rotating superconductors and other devices. These developments have mostly been achieved with a six-figure budget and just a few technicians. The Kammler group, the first to develop this technology, had an almost unlimited budget, and many of the best brains in the world.
By the end of 1943, Kammler was in sole control of all of the advanced Nazi scientific research, engineering and manufacturing in the Third Reich. His group, known as the Kammler stab, was probably the most secretive organisation within the entire Nazi regime. On several occasions, Hitler boasted about his wonder weapons, soon to be introduced, although at the time people assumed these to be the V2 rockets, Me 262 jet fighters and similar projects that were visible. There were far greater technical advances under development.
During the Allied advance through France and into Germany during 1944 and 1945, the Allies, and in particular the Americans, sent Secret Service and technical investigation personnel, who arrived directly behind the front line troops, in order to interrogate anyone of interest in the recently-liberated areas. It was not until this time that the Western Allies had any idea of the pending technical capabilities of the Nazis, or of the secret structure of the research and development programmes themselves.
The author believes that the disappearance of Kammler and the bulk of his new technology was orchestrated following the information stumbled upon by these intelligence units early in 1945. Although there is no definitive proof, and rumours of Kammler’s death were circulated at the time, the circumstantial evidence that has been documented makes the case for his final assisted exit from Germany compelling.
Firstly, on 15th April 1945, the US Third Army under the command of General George Patton met up with the Soviet Red Army at the River Elbe. This effectively cut Germany in half, and everyone at the time expected that the US and Soviet forces would jointly move north in order to capture Berlin, and share the glory of taking the capital of the Third Reich. What actually happened was rather different.
The Americans generously informed the Soviets that they could head north alone, and have the glory of taking Berlin. General Patton was instructed to start a “mop-up operation” in Southern Germany. The Russians gratefully accepted, and Patton took several armoured divisions in a headlong rush south. His target was the Skoda works at Pilsen in Czechoslovakia. US intelligence had learnt that this was where much of Kammler’s research was performed.
Time was of the essence for the Americans. The Third Reich was on the brink of collapse, and very soon this area would fall into the agreed Soviet area of control. When the first division of Patton’s Third Army arrived at Pilsen, they surrounded and looted everything in the Pilsen Skoda works. This reportedly ran to sixteen trucks full of documents and other material. Further information and equipment was recovered from nearby abandoned mines, after the staff at the Skoda works were interrogated by US forces.
When the Soviets learned of Patton’s escapades, a major diplomatic storm erupted. The Americans withdrew from Pilsen with their prize, but by this time the Soviets already suspected what the US Third Army had been doing there. Eight days later, after a profound apology from the US, the Americans handed over “all” (I think not) of the materials that they had seized. Although this did defuse the situation, the Soviets had no way of knowing what was in the Skoda works in the first place, so could not accuse the Americans of cherry-picking this technology before the remainder of the spoils were returned.
Despite extensive research, the author knows of no strategic reason why Patton was directed south to make a beeline for Pilsen, and then withdraw again, thereby achieving no strategic advantage at all. The only credible reason was to loot the technology of the Kammler Group.
The second compelling piece of circumstantial evidence is the fact that Kammler, despite holding the third most senior position within the SS, was only ever mentioned twice at the Nuremberg Trials. The trials were controlled by the US, and although many SS officers holding far lower ranks were tried and sentenced to death, Kammler was barely mentioned. Even some low-ranking officers who had evaded capture were tried in absentia and the death sentence was handed out.
It is also a matter of historical record that in April 1945, intercepted Enigma transmissions from Himmler instructed Kammler to send a Junkers JU-390 to Berlin. The Junkers JU-390 was a six-engine long-range transport aircraft, and it is believed that only three were ever produced. Incredibly, Kammler then told Himmler (who was still the top commander in the SS) that no plane was available at the moment. This plane had the range to fly directly from Germany to anywhere in the Americas, and also to half of Asia should the pilots be instructed to do so. The next day, two Junkers JU-390s and Kammler disappeared off the radar forever.
For the author, the most compelling piece of circumstantial evidence was the window-dressing and deception surrounding the arrival of Wernher von Braun in the US. His image had now been polished to be Dr von Braun, a very talented engineer from Germany, as opposed to SS Major von Braun. Using a skilful piece of PR, the Americans got away with this. However, Kammler was a completely different kettle of fish.
He was a cornerstone in the development of the final solution and the Nazi death camps. He personally oversaw the design of many of these camps, and also improved the efficiency of the body disposal in the camp’s crematoria. Kammler was implicated up to his neck in the final solution, and admitting to the American public that he was now in the United States was just not an option. When Kammler evacuated “the Bell” (the major component of his gravity drive development) from the secret SS research facility in Wenceslas Mine in 1945, the entire team of over sixty scientists who had been working on the project were reportedly murdered by the SS.
On examining all of the evidence that is available today, many people, the author included, believe that Kammler managed to bargain with American intelligence, in order that his war crimes would be swept under the carpet in return for his vast horde of advanced technology. Kammler would almost certainly have died from old age by now, but I think that it is a racing certainty that his remains lie in an unmarked grave somewhere in the United States.
There was a remarkable explosion in technological advances in the US over the following decades. However, one of the most prized and secretive developments was the B-2 bomber. The design of this flying wing stealth plane is an almost exact copy of the airframe of the Horten brothers’ Ho-229 stealth bomber that was designed almost half a century earlier.
The Horten Ho-229 and Northrup Grumman B-2 stealth bombers are about as similar as the Anglo-French Concorde airliner and the Russian copy dubbed “Concordeski”. Do the Russians have anything similar? No – they should have gone to Pilsen first.
We will look at the other known developments of the Kammler group later in this section, but will now return to the Bell, which was allegedly the jewel in the crown of the Kammler group’s achievements.
In “UFOlogy”, conspiracy theory, science fiction and comic book stories, claims or stories have circulated linking UFOs to Nazi Germany. The German UFO theories describe supposedly successful attempts to develop advanced aircraft or spacecraft prior to and during World War II, and further assert the post-war survival of these craft in secret underground bases in Antarctica or
South America.
According to the limited available information on the UFOs, various classifications of Nazi UFO craft such as Rundflugzeug, Feuerball, Diskus, Haunebu, Heuneburg Geate and Vril-Kugelblitz (not related to the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of the same name) have all been referenced. Accounts appear as early as 1950, likely inspired by historical German development of specialised engines such as Viktor Schauberger’s “Repulsine” around the time of World War II. Elements of these claims have been widely incorporated into various works of fiction. German UFO literature very often conforms largely to documented history on the following points:
The Third Reich claimed the territory of New Swabia in Antarctica, sent an expedition there in 1938, and planned others.
The Third Reich conducted research into advanced propulsion technology, including rocketry, Viktor Schauberger’s engine research, flying wing aircraft and the Arthur Sack AS-6 experimental circular winged aircraft.
Some UFO sightings during World War II, particularly those known as foo fighters, were thought by the allies to be prototype enemy aircraft designed to harass Allied aircraft through electromagnetic disruption, a technology similar to today’s electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons.
In World War II, the so-called foo fighters and a variety of other unusual and anomalous aerial phenomena were witnessed by both Axis and Allied personnel. While some foo fighter reports were dismissed as the misperceptions of troops in the heat of combat, others were taken seriously, and leading scientists such as Luis Alvarez began to investigate them. In at least some cases, Allied intelligence and commanders suspected that foo fighters reported in the European theatre represented advanced German aircraft or weapons. This seemed credible, given that the Germans had already developed such technological innovations as V-1 and V-2, and the first jet engine fighter plane.