"The German submarine U-234, which surrendered to US forces in May 1945, was found to be carrying 560 kilograms of Uranium oxide destined for Japan's own atomic program."

It makes sense. The Japanese physicists were trying to explain why Hiroshima couldn't duplicated by the Americans even after Nagasaki. Perhaps they believed nobody could be farther along in development of an atom bomb than the Germans.

Whatever, it is one of the things that buttressed the Japanese Generals and Admirals in their stubborn resistance to immediate acceptance of the allies surrender terms.

The allies sunk a sub or more but they missed the most important one. I believe the Japanese were confused with the surrender and they took the Germans as POW's while on the sub.

Its the other way round. The German crew took the Japanese passengers prisoner, they then surrendered their sub to US forces

Originally Posted by Whispering Death

"The German submarine U-234, which surrendered to US forces in May 1945, was found to be carrying 560 kilograms of Uranium oxide destined for Japan's own atomic program."

No.

Its yet another WW2 myth

The Uranium Oxide wasn't sent to help Japan's atomic program, but Japan's synthetic fuel production.
The uranium oxide was to be used by the Japanese as a catalyst for the production of synthetic methanol used for aviation fuel, not a bomb.

Let's not forget, the Germans had themselves given up any attempt to make an atom bomb by 1943

ps, of the German scientists on board U-234 none were nuclear scientists, but aviation and electronic experts.

I believe there were three Japanese liaison officers aboard the German sub which rendevoused with a large Japanese sub to unload the supplies when an American torpedo plane hit the Japanese sub and sunk it. The Germans escaped for a while but the Japanese wanted to be put ashore in friendly territory but the sub commander refused and decided to surrender to the Americans. They later found the Japanese officers had committed suicide rather than surrender.