Some of these operations, especially the later ones, had to be carried out under extreme
conditions and with the permanent threat of contact with the enemy. Besides, on their way to the south pole,
researchers discovered somewhat like a straight deep submarine trench fitting pretty well for the necessary transportations.
The "HANNEBU" series has left the stadium of prototypes and brought up to 19-25 ships in 2 (or even 3) sizes. "HANEBU I" is
a small vessel, "HANNEBU II" a more sophisticated, larger one. Some reports even hint at "HANNEBU III", which was designed
as a mother ship. If this third type has become reality, there existed only one single ship. So, the overall transport
capacities are still very limited, due to a quite small diameter of the disks. Additionally production of ships gets more
and more difficult, because the Allied manage to cut of Germany's raw materials more and more. Yet "HANNEBUs" manage to disturb some allied bomber raids over Germany.
Note. Every allied bomber pilot in the recent years of the war knows the mysterious threat of the so called "foo-fighters"
appearing and vanishing with incredible speed and causing bright-orange light phenomenon's and paroxysmal instrumentation
failures on all electric and magnetic parts of the bombers. In no source a direct attack by these "foe-fighters" is mentioned,
they seem to play a completely defensive role on the late air war over Germany.
Although the overall effect is minimal and has
no more influence on the proceed of the war.
A last convoy of submarine vessels leaves German Harbors with direction Antarctica and Andean areas. It is the overall successful
attempt to escape the Allied′s clutches. Among this last convoy there are the U 530 (Captain Otte Wehrmut) and the U977m (Captain Heinz Schäffer).
In the same way, leading NS-Officials and technical are evacuated from Berlin/Potsdam with the HANEBU fleet heading to the meanwhile completed
(?) base 211. The overall transport capacities are quite limited.
Until today more than 100 submarines of the German fleet are missing. Among those are many of the highly technological XXII class equipped
with the so-called " Walterschnorchel" a special designed and coated schnorkel enabling submarines in combination with their new developed
engines to dive for many thousand miles. A "trip" to the base without recognition becomes pretty possible with this technology.
The US Navy tries to destroy the German base which did not surrender at the end of war. The operation is a disaster. The base remains functional at least is parts.
More than one year after the surrending of U977 the US NAVY launches the biggest military operation in the Antarctic ice under the command of
Admiral Richard E. Byrd. This is the operation "HIGHJUMP", including 13 ships, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 seaplane tenders, 6 two-engined R4D
transports and 4000 men stuff. The only official statement on the purpose of such a task force is the need for testing "new material under
the extreme Antarctic conditions." The force starts up at the established US bases in the "ROSS SEA", then it moves up the western Antarctic
coast heading toward the Northern Antarctic coast, "NEUSCHWABENLAND" and building up a bridgehead on January 27th 1947 somewhere west of it
Officially the expedition is a big success because it delivers many new facts of the use of military equipment under extreme conditions