Having lived with stories of German U-boats and Jap subs as a Government
archaeologist I share Bob's scepticism. I can remember being told of a
Japanese spy base in the mountains to the West of Sydney. When we put it on
the map it was so isolated that it would have served no military purpose.
But people were prepared to swear it was a Japanese spy base.
There are also innumerable stories of the U-boat lost in Bass Strait which
occasionally metamorphoses into a Japanese submarine or event the Chinese
submarine that captured our Prime Minister (who drowned off the coast in
1966 while swimming).
I recall having read that the counter-espionage effort was so successful
that there was no effective German spy rings in the UK or the USA. Most of
the German intelligence was got through radio interception and direct
observation through U-boats.
Dr Iain Stuart
Principal, Archaeology and Heritage Management
HLA-Envirosciences Pty. Ltd.
P.O. Box 726
Pymble, NSW 2073
Australia
Ph. 61 2 99884422
Fax 61 2 99884441