Kriegsmarine Officers on Japanese Aircraft Carriers?

[JSlavick]

Hello fellow collectors and researchers:

I have been going through the war diaries of SKL's Operations Division. They are logs grouped by month. I've gone through about 9 month's worth so far and have secured just a CRAZY amount of information about the auxiliary cruisers. What an absolute coup for my database!

Here is an interesting passage that I found (Source: War Diary of the German Naval Staff Operations Division, 13 March 1943, Section I. War In Foreign Waters, Paragraph 2. Own Situation, Page 158): “The Naval Attaché, Tokyo reports that his proposal to assign German officers from Ship “10” to Japanese aircraft carriers has been welcomed by the Japanese.”

Does anyone have any further information or knowledge of any German Navy Officers serving aboard Japanese aircraft carriers?

Thanks!

Joe

[army historian]

Well if they did - they died. Cheers Captain Albert

[JSlavick]

I am not familiar with the IJN at all, so even that is news to me. Still it would be interesting to find out if any men went to ships and if they did to what ships. Knowing that would provide some data points to their fates.

Thanks!

Joe

[JSlavick]

Wow! Update:

With the help of another researcher, this mention of Kriegsmarine men serving aboard a aircraft carrier in the logs is confirmed. He referenced and pointed me to material that confirms three Germans did board an IJN Carrier! In late May 1943 Kapitänleutnant Hoppe, Oberleutnant zur See Schrein and Matrosengefreiter Rudolf (interpreter) did spend two weeks aboard the Japanese aircraft carrier ZUIKAKU to gather information about carrier operations. They were planning on sailing with the carrier but, the Japanese plans got all thrown out of whack by the American ambush of Admiral Yamamoto. The Germans watched the training regime and a large naval air exercise and then returned to shore duties in Japan.

Edited October 10, 2010 by JSlavick