August Maus | |
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File:File:August Maus.jpg | |
Born | 7 February 1915 |
Died | 28 September 1996 | (aged 81)
Place of birth | Wuppertal |
Place of death | Hamburg |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Kriegsmarine |
Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
Unit |
SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Emden U-68 |
Commands held | U-185 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
August Maus (7 February 1915 – 28 September 1996) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Prior to taking command of U-185 he served as I. Wachoffizier (1st watch officer) on U-68 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl-Friedrich Merten.
Maus was captured following the sinking of U-185 and was sent as a prisoner of war to the United States. He was involved in the escape tunnel which enabled 25 POWs to escape from Camp Papago Park, Arizona, during the night of 23–24 December 1944. Due to an injury, he himself did not attempt to escape.
Summary of career[]
As a U-boat commander of U-185 August Maus is credited with the sinking of nine ships for a total of 62,761 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one ship of 6,840 GRT.
Ships attacked[]
Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|
7 December 1942 | Peter Mærsk | Great Britain | 5,476 | Sunk |
10 March 1943 | Virginia Sinclair | USA | 6,151 | Sunk |
10 March 1943 | James Sprunt | USA | 7,177 | Sunk |
6 April 1943 | John Sevier | USA | 7,176 | Sunk |
9 April 1943 | James Robertson | USA | 7,176 | Sunk |
7 July 1943 | Thomas Sinnickson | USA | 7,176 | Sunk |
7 July 1943 | William Boyce Thompson | USA | 7,061 | Sunk |
7 July 1943 | S.B. Hunt | USA | 6,840 | Sunk |
1 August 1943 | Bagé | Brazil | 8,235 | Sunk |
6 August 1943 | Fort Halkett | Great Britain | 7,133 | Sunk |
Awards[]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (1 April 1938)[2]
- Spanish Cross (5 June 1940)[2]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (6 October 1939)[2]
- 1st Class (5 May 1943)
- High Seas Fleet Badge (9 November 1942)[3]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (26 December 1942)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 September 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-185[4]
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ "Ships hit by U-185 - U-boat Successes - German U-boats". uboat.net. www.uboat.net. http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u185.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Busch and Röll 2003, p. 386.
- ↑ Busch and Röll 2003, p. 387.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 531.
- Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer & Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 3-8132-0515-0.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Moore, John Hammond (2006). The Faustball Tunnel: German POWs in America and Their Great Escape. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-526-4.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links[]
- "August Maus". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/maus.htm. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- "August Maus" (in German). Lexikon der Wehrmacht. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/M/MausA.htm. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
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The original article can be found at August Maus and the edit history here.