This doesn't seem right.
 

http://www.norwaypost.no/content/view/21562/26/


This article says the submarine contains 65 tons of mercury. 65 TONS!!! I don't mean to sound skeptical but that's a hell of a lot of mercury to have in one place. Why would a u-boat have 65 tons of mercury on board?

see this para from a Wiki skookum

According to decrypted intercepts of German naval communications with Japan, U-864's mission was to transport military equipment to Japan destined for the Japanese military industry, including approximately 67 tons of metallic mercury in 1,857 32kg steel flasks stored in her keel. That the mercury was contained in steel canisters was confirmed when one of the canisters containing mercury was located and brought to the surface during surveys on her wreck in 2005. Approximately 1,500 tons of mercury was purchased by the Japanese from Italy between 1942 and Italy's surrender in September 1943. This had the highest priority for submarine shipment to Japan and was used in the manufacture of explosives, most especially primers.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=144350

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147555

:up:

There was a thermometer shortage in japan in late ww2.

it was an urgent delivery.

unfortunately they were all rectal thermometers :O:

The U.S. sub fleet made do and provided the IJN with torpedoes to use in place of those rectal thermometers:salute:. :arrgh!:

The general confusement over how to exactly use those US-supplied rectal thermometors contributed to the Japanese surrender..

i like it!

You may feel a slight cramping..

now... your going to feel a little pinch followed by some slight pressure hahahaha

Remember too that mercury is 13.5 times more dense than water. So, whilst you need 67 cubic metres to store 67 tonnes of water, you only require 4 cubic metres to store 67 tonnes of mercury. Easy enough to find on a U-boat I imagine.

It was usually stored as ballast in the keel and kept in steel flasks or steel bottles if it needed to be transported or shipped via u-boat.

And if stored in the bow it sure helps your dive-time I imagine :hmm2:

That's alot of mercury. I am surprise it didn't bring that boat to bottom. It like 4x sloops of 15 tons each to fit into a U-boat. It probably had to use more fuel to carry all of that mercury. I think they better get all mercury out before the boat rust away cuz of pollution hazards. Mercury gets on seafoods, then people eat them, then they are going to have some kids with mental and health problems.