We received a letter from CAPTAIN KEN BEYER (1156-1989), who is in the process of writing a book about the US Navy’s Project ‘LQ’ - the American “Q” Ship effort. Ken writes:

“In KTB #115 you included an interesting article entitled ‘IMPERIAL JAPAN and the THIRD REICH’. I would like to add a little to that work. Vice Admiral Paul H. Weneker was the German Naval Attaché in Japan throughout the war. He was interrogated by Rear Admiral R. A. Ofstie USN in Tokyo on 11 November, 1945. I believe this article provides more specific details of the Japanese-Third Reich relationship and could be of interest to our Members.”

HARRY’S NOTE this short piece will appear in KTB #118 next month, but here is a little more of interest from KEN:

“In a related interrogation of Vice Admiral Shigeyosh Miwa, IJN, Director Naval Submarines Department and later CinC Sixth (Submarine) Fleet, on 10 October, 1945 other interesting statements were made. The interrogator was LCDR J. A. Firld USN with CDR T. H. Moore USN (later to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) present. Admiral Miwa stated that initially the Japanese submarine force acted as ‘auxiliaries to the fleet’ with a mission to seek out and destroy the American carriers and battleships. But that mission was changed to attacking merchant shipping. Miwa was asked about this”:

Question: What brought about the change - the assignment of that mission to attack merchant shipping? Why was it done and at what time?

Answer: There were two reasons for it; the principal reason, your American fleet did not offer battle so our submarine had no targets to attack; another is that the Germans wanted it. I am not sure but I think the Germans wanted Japan to attack merchant shipping by our submarines.

Q. What period of the war do you mean when you speak of this change?

A. That new change is about after the Midway battle. As I said before, by the request of Germany our submarines attacked your transport ships in the Indian Ocean or near Australia until our loss of submarines increased in the Indian Ocean; and also we wanted to gather all our submarines to attack your battleships, to defeat your advance in the Pacific Ocean.

Q. What makes you believe that change was made at the request of the Germans?

A. As I was officer of submarines, I wanted to attack your fleet; but I received orders from our headquarters to attack merchant ships in the Indian Ocean near Australia; so I said headquarters has some reason for that order, and I thought it was by German request.

Q. In regard to the use of submarines as transports, the transport between Japan and Germany were many submarines employed in that route? What of cargo or personnel did they carry?

A. Some three or four submarines were used for this transport between Japan and Germany. These submarines went to Germany with gum (rubber) and tin, brought back mainly arms, plans and samples.

Q. In the transport to the South Sea Islands, I presume you took in ammunition and food; what did you bring back, if anything?

A. We came back with our wounded and sick soldiers.

Q. Did the Japanese get any information of value from the Germans, any useful information which came from Germany?

A. We got many good information concerning methods of using devices against radar.

More German Japanese Cooperation

American Q Ship (# 117)
Interrogation of Vice Adm. Weneker I (# 118)
Interrogation of Vice Adm. Weneker II (# 119)