U-234 surrendering. Crewmen of USS Sutton in foreground.

A type XB minelayer U234 (Johann-Heinrich Fehler) sailed from Kiel on 25 March, 1945 for Kristiansand Norway and then for a voyage to Japan.

She carried: 500 kilos of uranium oxide ore, 43 tons of aircraft plans and instruments as well as many tons of strategic materials like optical glass, mercury etc. She also carried two complete, dismantled Me262 jet fighters!

Her passengers included Colonel Genzo Shosi (Imperial Japanese Army Air Force), Captain Hideo Tomonaga (IJN) as well as numerous German naval engineers, designers and planners. The Luftwaffe VIP on board was General Ulrich Kessler, a senior weapons specialist.

When Germany capitulated the boat was still in mid Atlantic and Fehler surrendered to an American destroyer (USS Sutton). The two Japanese officers chose suicide rather than surrender to U.S. forces.

The remainder of the crew and passengers were disembarked at Portsmouth naval yard and extensively debriefed by USN officers. The 500 kilos of uranium ore would have yielded about 3.5 kgs of U235 isotope after refining. The entire load of uranium ore “disappeared” after unloading.

This whole scenario is an interesting story about the last weeks of WWII and has spawned untold conspiracy and post WWII Nazi stories.