Possible disposal of CW with category C naval vessels post ww2. Jørgen Kamp

Operation Eclipse Planning started in August 1944 and final version finished February 1945 Content: Instrument of surrender Demands to German authorities after the defeat Total demilitarization Structure of allied disarmament control 2

Potsdam Conference1945 General rules for the division of the German Navy. Details left to TNC. General rules for the division of the German Merchant Navy. Details left to TMMC. 3

German Navy Categories of ships: A Serviceable B Repairable or able to finish building within 3 6 months C Ships that needed more time on a shipyard to be in useful condition U-boats 4

Category C ships Vessels afloat scrapped or scuttled in deep water before August 15th 1946 Vessels sunk in harbours and approach channels salvaged and scrapped or scuttled in deep water before May 15th 1947 Vessels in shallow waters destroyed in such a manner that salvage is prevented before May 15th 1946 5

Chemical Warfare ammunition Possible use for German bombs in the Pacific therefore with held until further orders. No use for shells, mines and rockets Loading started September 1945 at Emden, Kiel, Flensburg and Lubeck. 24 ships assigned for the programme. 6

CW 1945 3 convoys CW 1 CW 3 scuttled during 1945 Total: 59,831 long tons (60,788 metric tons) All shells, mines and rockets cleared from dumps Bombs cleared for dumping by end of year. 7

CW 4 Did not sail before March 1946 due to ice and weather. 5 ships including the Karl Leonhardt loaded with CW and the HMT Prospect in the escort Mission of HMT Prospect to film the scuttling of a CW convoys for the newsreels in the cinemas 8

Karl Leonhardt Loaded in Emden Bottom stowage: 2000 tons of HE shells. Top stowage: 5000 5500 tons of CW bombs Exploded 8 minutes after sinking HMT Prospect damaged to the extent it had to be towed back to Kiel. 9

C -convoys ex. Kiel No capacity for scrapping category C naval vessels before August 15 1946 Decision to sail these vessels in convoys to nearest deep water and scuttle them. Same escort and tugs used as in CW convoys. 10

C -Convoys May 1946 C 1 8 ships, all scuttled of Lysekil C 2 12 ships, 2 lost in transit, rest of Lysekil C 3 10 ships, all scuttled of Lysekil C 4 13 ships, 1 lost in transit rest of Lysekil Total 43 ships, 3 lost in transit (Danish waters) the rest scuttled outside Lysekil in a depth of 100 125 fathoms. 11

C -5 convoy August 1946 Destination the scuttling area for CW SE of Arendal Norway. 5 ships left Kiel 4 ships lost in transit due to bad weather. 1 ship scuttled in CW area Escort and tugs went on to Oslo and collected CW ship Schwabenland. 12

CW dumping 1946 CW 4 5 ships scuttled March 16th CW 5 2 - - July 13th CW 6 2 - - September 8th CW 7 3 - - October 12th CW 8 2 - - December 13

CW dumping 1947 CW 9 1 ship scuttled March CW 10 1 - - June Official end of CW scuttling program November 1947 2 small ships loaded with the rest of Dismal (nerve gas bombs) assumed scuttled. 14

Contra CW in C vessels of Swedish coast and in Danish waters Open about the use of T 63 and Schwabenland in the CW programme. Loading of C vessels not recorded in BAOR disarmament Progress reports March May 1946 301st EADCU working in NW Germany do not record loading of CW in C vessels scuttled in North Sea south of Norway. 15

CW in UK zone (long ton) Found in UK zone total 119,910 CW from US zone 10,436 Dismal from US zone 6,208 CW from French zone 2,436 Total handled 138,990 Dismal to UK 10,458 Burnt Raubkammer 3,155 Destroyed by other means 7,906-21,519 Max. German CW dumped ex. UK zone 118,807 16

CW loaded in UK zone (long ton) CW 1 3 59,831 CW 4 (estimate) 21,502 CW 5 (90 % of gross) 12,117 CW 6 7 13,507 CW 8-9 (75 % of gross) 7,526 CW 10 (75 % of total) 2,229 (CW 11) (75 % of gross) 225 Estimated total loaded 116,937 17

Pro CW in C vessels of Swedish coast and in Danish waters Desperate lack of hulks for loading C convoys sailed from Kiel in a period when loading of CW took place. Granbom 1996, found traces of mustard gas in the scuttling area. Paka and Spiridonov 2000, found indications on CW dumping in the area. 18

Granbom 1966 According to information from British sources there were no CW in the C vessels scuttled West of Lysekil. Mustard conc. 0.2 3.2 Maximum 190 ppt. Parts per trillion (0.000,000,000,001) Assumes 2 CW loaded ships scuttled near the area. Positions of Monte Pascoal and Schwabenland close to the area. 19

Comment VACBNG states in his disarmament report for December 1946 that Monte Pascoal and T 63 scuttled in approved area. (SE of Arendal) Remaining ships: Dessau and Schwabenland? Why deviate from the approved area? 20

Paka and Spiridonov 2000 Indications of CW Elevated Arsenic concentrations up to 200 ppm Background 25 ppm Low ph Sarine detected qualitatively 21

Alternative explanation Karl Leonhardt explodes at great depth 400 m CW agents dispersed in explosion Contamination limited to high saline deep water. Chemical fall-out of toxic agents. After 50 years of hydrolysis high Arsenic and low mustard gas concentration may be found in affected area. 22

Conclusion Historic data supports British statement: no CW dumped in C vessels. The quantity of CW dumped from British zone matches the amount loaded in known CW ships. Alternative explanation for measured mustard gas and elevated Arsenic levels in area. 23

Why rumour 1 May 1946 Danish fishermen observes scuttling of ships from convoy with same escort and tugs as in CW convoys and files a letter in protest to Danish naval ministry. The wrecks since then referred to as gasskibene The Gas ships. Spring 1949 reply from ministry: British denies presence of CW in these ships. 24

Why rumour 2 Norwegian authorities worried when learning the fate of the ships in the C 5 convoy. Formal enquiry to the Royal Navy in Germany regarding the last CW convoy. Send through formal canals. 25