JURGEN OESTEN (1681-LIFE-1990) sent more details about his near-disaster off Penang, and the actual loss of U-859 at the hands of a Royal Navy submarine. Here is what he wrote:

"Both boats U-859 and U-861 got wireless instructions to meet a Japanese E-Boat at a point just South of Lankawai Island at a certain date and a certain time. At this morning there was a heavy tropical rain and the visibility was next to zero.

U-861 found the Japanese boat at the spot and in time. We got special charts for the shallow coastal area and a German merchant naval officer, acting as a pilot. I have been waiting for U-859 for more than 2 hours until we received a wireless message from U-859 that they could not find the meeting point and that they would proceed to Penang on the peace-time way. This was their own decision and if their navigation would have been better, Jebsen, the commander and the other officers might be alive still. U-861 could proceed, with the information received, close inshore to Penang, avoiding the British submarine waiting for them."

JURGEN - many thanks for this information. It is only by the information from the veterans that we are able to tell your story.