and struggling to the calm surface. Eleven of the survivors were picked up by HMS Trenchant immediately following the sinking, and the remaining nine were picked up by the Japanese after being adrift for 24 hours and were taken ashore to await repatriation. Salvage In 1972 a total of 12 tons of mercury were recovered from U-859 and brought into Singapore. The West German Embassy claimed ownership of the mercury. The Receiver of Wreck took possession of the mercury, and the High Court of Singapore ruled that "the German state has never ceased to exist despite Germany's unconditional surrender in 1945 and whatever was the property of the German State, unless it was captured and taken away by one of the Allied Powers, still remains the property of the German State..." Summary of raiding history References Bibliography External links World War II submarines of Germany German Type IX submarines U-boats sunk by British submarines U-boats commissioned in 1943 U-boats sunk in 1944 Indian Ocean U-Boats 1943 ships World War II shipwrecks in the Strait of Malacca Ships built in Bremen (state) Maritime incidents in September 1944