German submarine U-862 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, U-862 put into Singapore and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name I-502. This has given birth to an urban legend in New Zealand, where it is said that the captain of U-862 sent sailors ashore at night to steal fresh milk from a farm. This may arise from a joke made by Captain Timm to Air Vice Marshal Sir Rochford Hughes in the late 1950s. U-862s voyage to New Zealand was portrayed in a stage comedy U Boat Down Under which was written and directed by Peter Tait and performed at Downstage Theatre, Wellington from 27 July to 5 August 2006.
U-862 then returned to the Indian Ocean. On 6 February 1945, about 1,520 km (820 nm) south-west of Fremantle, U-862 sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship, , which was loaded with mules bound for Burma.
U-862 was also a trial boat for the FuMo 65 Hohentwiel radar system. This was cranked out of a casing on the port side of the conning tower and rose on a mast. The aerial was hand trained onto targets whilst the U-boat was on the surface. The radar had a range up to and was very effective where there was little risk from air attack on the U-boat.
Transfer to Japan
When Germany surrendered in May 1945, she put into Singapore and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 15 July 1945 she became the IJN submarine I-502. The I-502 surrendered at Singapore in August 1945 and was scuttled in the Strait of Malacca at on 15 February 1946.
|-
|align="right"|25 July 1944
|align="left" |Robin Goodfellow
|align="left" |
|align="right"|6,885
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|13 August 1944
|align="left" |Radbury
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,614
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|16 August 1944
|align="left" |Empire Lancer
|align="left" |
|align="right"|7,037
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|18 August 1944
|align="left" |Nairung
|align="left" |
|align="right"|5,414
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|19 August 1944
|align="left" |Wayfarer
|align="left" |
|align="right"|5,068
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|24 December 1944
|align="left" |Robert J. Walker
|align="left" |
|align="right"|7,180
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|6 February 1945
|align="left" |Peter Silvester
|align="left" |
|align="right"|7,176
|align="left" |Sunk
|}
See also
- Axis naval activity in Australian waters
- Axis naval activity in New Zealand waters