Prior to WWII, a Japanese delegation was in England and was shown through the Short Bros. factories....this did eventually lead to the 'Mavis' seaplane, in fact they also went through Supermarine too, because the 'Emily' was also a product of Japanese observation of other country's manufacturing prowess and products...- I don't have the book on hand now, it was a library one, but I have read about this, LG....
They have an adept ability, do the Japanese, to observe, even acquire, and copy, virtually anything....- As I've posted before, they learned the American tactics to attack Pearl Harbour, from US Naval exercises in 1933, and that also gave them the naval Aircraft-Carrier, which they used to such great effect, something Germany never really cottoned-on to...
Their Industrial strength and savvy was again illustrated in the post-war era, when they were allowed to re-generate their Business and Industry, and take-on manufacturing giants like the US, particuarly with their cars and motorcycles, and in virtually all industries, especially electronics....
Anyway......
Further to my post on the first page, the U-boat that apparently landed here in New Zealand in 1944, was carrying a Nazi War Criminal, his wife and 3 children...Also, they allegedly had, plundered Nazi gold, jewellery and paintings...this was endorsed on the TV program, by a Leo Orphan, who was with British Intelligence...
I haven't as yet discovered the U-boat's serial No., there are apparently 55 U-boats still unaccounted for, but there may be a connection here to U-862, which is noted for action in the Indian Ocean, and for shooting-down a P-38 in Singapore Harbour during the War.- U-862 was known to have been re-fuelled by a mothership in Antartic waters, was sighted in Napier Harbour [a city on the East coast of NZ's North Island,] and then again in Aussie's Sydney Harbour...- Since the U-boats tended to operate in groups, this may have been a Southern Hemisphere Group, operating against the Allies in the Pacific area, as it is well known they had some successes in Australasian waters...- This one that landed in NZ is apparently in 5-6 fathoms deep, parallel to the shore, but just out off the breakwater line, and quite a difficult spot to get-to. The chap whose hunting it, his father was originally into or aware of the whole business, but the TV Channel covering-it has indicated we'll all be kept posted about developments....this is all I've been able to find-out since my first post........Can anyone gain any leads from this ????......