Company South Seas
The South Sea company was a plan of the Kriegsmarine in World War II to maintain a trade connection with cargo ships from Germany around Siberia to Japan .
history
On the route Germany- Atlantic - Indian Ocean - Pacific- Japan cargo ships were used as blockade breakers during World War II . The very difficult northeastern passage around Siberia offered itself as a second route for trade between Germany and Japan .
In the summer of 1940, the German auxiliary cruiser Komet, with Soviet support, succeeded in conquering the Northeast Passage and entering the Pacific. The tanker Esso was also supposed to serve as a supply ship for the Komet on the Siberian sea route. On the way back, the Esso was supposed to travel around Siberia again and transport whale oil from Japan to Germany. However, the Esso already suffered a leak during the outward voyage in Norwegian waters due to grounding and had to stay behind.
In 1941, plans were made to establish a second sea connection between Germany and Japan during the war with the Südsee company. For this purpose, two Arado Ar 196 float planes were made available as on-board aircraft for air reconnaissance and for exploring the ice layer for the ships on their journey through the Arctic Ocean and the conversion of freighters for the company began. Japan also agreed to provide cargo ships for the South Seas company. Due to the state of war with the Soviet Union that had existed since June 1941, the passage through the Northeast Passage, which was already difficult in terms of peace, worsened again.
For June 22, 1942, there is an entry in the war diary of the naval war command of the Navy:
"According to the announcement, company 'Südsee' has been postponed until further notice. The conversion of the intended steamers can therefore be discontinued. "
On June 28, 1942, the war diary of the Naval War Command noted that the Special Staff for Trade War and Economic Combat Measures (HWK) of the High Command of the Wehrmacht had decided to postpone the preparatory work for the South Sea company until a new order for resumption was given, should " the company will become necessary ”. The naval war command therefore ordered "that all preparatory work is to be suspended until further notice, with the statement that a resumption of planning in 1943 is not possible due to the given conditions, a possible order for resumption can only be valid for 1944."
This ended the Südsee company. Obviously, at that time, the journeys of the blockade breakers on the Atlantic-Indic-Pacific route were sufficient to handle trade between Japan and Germany. When the Allies later and further prevented the blockade trips, the company Südsee was not used, but merchant submarines were used for sea trade between Germany and Japan on the same route as the blockade breakers.
Individual evidence
- ^ War diary of the Naval War Command 1939-1945. Entry from July 4, 1940. page 43.
- ^ War diary of the General of the Air Force at the Commander in Chief of the Navy. Entry from March 12, 1942.
- ↑ Files on German Foreign Policy, 1918–1945. Series E Volume 1. Verlag Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1969. P. 126
- ^ War diary of the Naval War Command 1939–1945. Volume June 1942. Verlag Mittler & Sohn, Herford 1993, ISBN 3-8132-0637-8 . P. 409
- ^ War diary of the Naval War Command 1939–1945. Volume June 1942. Verlag Mittler & Sohn, Herford 1993, ISBN 3-8132-0637-8 . P. 516