Singapore Arado
Posted By: Grant Elliott <guzzi@space.net.au>
Date: Saturday, 15 July 2000, at 9:28 a.m.
Hello all,
I lurk your excellent site on a weekly basis to catch up on kits, walkarounds and enjoy the message boards. I am reading a book by David Stevens titled 'U-boat far from home' which relates the voyage of U862 into the Indian Ocean (my swimming hole) and around Australia & New Zealand. The most interesting chapters, to me, deal with port facilities in Singapore and Penang. If you can locate the book you will be rewarded with a shot of an Arado 96 on twin floats sporting a suite of sun-discs with crisp white outlines. Wouldn't that look smart! But is it a qualifier for j-aircraft? Your thoughts please.
Guzzi
 
Posted By: James F. Lansdale <LRAJIM@aol.com>
Date: Tuesday, 18 July 2000, at 5:18 p.m.
In Response To: Singapore Arado (Grant Elliott)
Grant
You state: "If you can locate the book you will be rewarded with a shot of an Arado 96 on twin floats sporting a suite of sun-discs with crisp white outlines." I have not been able to locate this book. Would it be possible for you or any of our members to scan this photo and post it for us all to see? Your report is absolutely amazing! Thank you for the thread you started!
Jim Lansdale
 
Posted By: Peter Starkings <stkngs@globalnet.co.uk>
Date: Friday, 21 July 2000, at 2:04 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (James F. Lansdale)
Hi All,
Regarding James' request, I know the photo is the key item, but for those who want the actual book it is available from "Pacific Book House" in Australia, price 24 Australian Dollars plus postage. Their email address is: mcgrath@pacificbookhouse.com.au
Peter
 
Posted By: Grant Elliott <guzzi@space.net.au>
Date: Wednesday, 19 July 2000, at 7:50 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (James F. Lansdale)
I have scanned the picture as requested and sent to info@j-aircraft.com The Arado(s) was known to serve at Djakarta as late as May 1945, as it was surrendered with the submarines to the Japanese navy upon Germany's capitulation. U-181 became I-501 and U-862 became I-502. The = crews were interned in an open prison and were supplied by the Indonesian traders with whom the Germans had been trading. This is fun.
Guzzi
 
Posted By: Graham Boak <graham@boak98.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Sunday, 23 July 2000, at 10:51 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado *No Text* (Graham Boak)
Sorry - I was trying to say that the latest issue of Jet and Prop magazine has artwork for an all-blue Ar.196 with no markings. I didn't have time to attempt a translation....
 
Posted By: Peter Starkings < stkngs@globalnet.co.uk>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 4:38 a.m.
In Response To: Singapore Arado (Grant Elliott)
Hi Grant!
Surely this subject must qualify for inclusion on j-aircraft as it opens up an associated Pacific war aviation topic on which little seems to have been written! Possibly the only example of German/Japanese WWII actual combat co-operation was in respect of U-Boat operations in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The Germans established their own facilities at Japanese naval bases in Penang, Singapore and Surabaya to help maintain these operations. They also had some support ships in the area which is thought carried a small number of Arados for general reconnaissance purposes. The Arados had German crews, but carried Japanese national markings for obvious recognition reasons. Can anyone else contribute some detail to this brief outline? For example: How many Arados? What colour were they painted? What other markings did they carry? What liaison was there with the JNAF?
Yours, a very interested Peter!
 
Posted By:Tim Hortman <thortman@epix.net>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 7:13 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Peter Starkings)
Hey Gang,
Does anyone have a photo of one of these? I am very interested to see what everyone is talking about! I think that would make for an attractive looking model on the table of the next show...
Tim
 
Posted By: Grant Elliott <guzzi@space.net.au>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 7:04 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Peter Starkings)
Thanks Peter,
A little further reading on the matter reveals the A/C was an Arado 196 used for sweeping the access lanes into the ports you mentioned. New spanner in the works. In Oct '44sub-borne Bachstelzen, (gyro-glider) was exchanged for 'Reishiki' (?) floatplanes for area reconnaissance. Is that A/C the Glen? Did the E14Y fly with German pilots? Wow. Still keen
Grant
 
Posted By: Greg Springer <gspring@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 9:13 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Grant Elliott)
Hello Grant,
Reishiki means 'Zero type'. The Yokosuka E14Y sub-carried float plane is a Zero type as is the Mitsubishi F1M float biplane and the Aichi E13A. All were accepted by the IJN in the same year as the Zero fighter. It must be the E14Y given the context. Although a small aircraft it was much bigger than those rotary-wing towed gliders. The Germans must have constructed some water-tight containers and mounted them on their larger U-boats. What an interesting thread you have started!
Cheers!
Greg
 
Posted By: Andreas Voigt <a.voigt@odn.de>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 6:58 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Peter Starkings)
Hello!
There was short article in a German magazine (Jet & Prop 2/00) about this topic. There were on the one hand the Ar 196 flying reconnaissance sorties from German ships (the so-called "Hilfskreuzer") operating in this area. The exact number of these aircraft is not known [as] many ships carried crated aircraft as replacement. These aircraft were frequently repainted and carried sometimes no markings at all, Japanese markings or even French markings. On the other hand there were two Ar 196 stationed at Penang. The task of these aircraft was to protect German u-boats while entering the base. The aircraft were at Penang from March 1944.One of these aircraft attacked a British sub with bombs on 17.5.44. According to one of the flyers these Ar 196 were light-blue overall with no markings. I hope this helps.
Andreas Voigt
 
Posted By: Peter Starkings <stkngs@globalnet.co.uk>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 11:08 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Andreas Voigt)
Hi All!
This thread is becoming very intriguing! Greg's theory on the E14Y might well be correct, but I should think simply mounting a watertight (and pressure tight!) container for it on a U-Boat is easier said than done! There is also the matter of a platform on which to assemble the aircraft out of its container and a crane to drop it in the water. I won't even mention a catapult!! I rather favour the alternative E13A suggestion, perhaps to supplement the Arados instead of having to waste extremely valuable cargo/stores/ordnance space transporting more of them all the way from Europe. And what about the traded Fa330 Bachstelze? Has anyone come across a report of the Japanese trying that out (wearing mini hinomaru of course!)
The plot thickens! Peter
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000, at 9:09 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Peter Starkings)
Hi, gentlemen.
This is indeed a very intriguing subject. I recall in a passage taken from one of IJN veterans' autobiography and translated by Hiroyuki-san, an Ar 196 used and evaluated by the Japanese was mentioned. The Japanese were impressed by the German ingenuity. I'm not as sure, but I think they also mentioned an E13A used by the Germans. Can you confirm this, Hiroyuki-san?
 
Tennessee
 
Posted By: Hiroyuki Takeuchi
Date: Tuesday, 18 July 2000, at 5:04 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Tennessee Katsuta)
Tennesee
I have talked to a former Japanese submariner based = in Penang and have confirmed Ar196s. Seems most likely that the Zero-Shiki is the Glenn instead of the Jake, though.
 
Posted By: John Acosta <xmdjna@cs.com>
Date: Monday, 17 July 2000, at 2:26 a.m.
In Response To: = Re: = Singapore Arado (Tennessee Katsuta)
This is the link you are looking for.
Regards,
John Acosta
Story of Ar-196
 
Posted By: Graham Boak <graham@boak98.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Monday, 17 July 2000, at 2:03 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Tennessee Katsuta)
I am sure that I have recently read postings about the use of a Japanese floatplane by one of the German surface raiders, and the suggested aircraft was a "Dave". I haven't been able to find this posting - perhaps someone else remembers it?
 
Posted By: Tennessee Katsuta <kinson-garments@on.aibn.com>
Date: Monday, 17 July 2000, at 10:43 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Graham Boak)

Hi, Graham.
There is a photo of a Dave (the caption says Nakajima 90 float plane, but it looks like a Dave to me) aboard the German auxiliary cruiser Orion. It has a British roundel painted on the fuselage (can't see if it's painted on the wings), and a serial number L 5196 painted behind the roundel. I'm sorry to say that I don't remember which book I found this photo in.
 
Tennessee
 
Posted By: Clint Muse <clint@musec.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Monday, 17 July 2000, at 12:27 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Singapore Arado (Tennessee Katsuta)
The book is German Raiders-A History of Auxiliary Cruisers of the German Navy 1895-1945, by Paul Schmalenbach ISBN 0.85059.3514.
Clint

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