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{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
|name=August Maus
| name = August Maus
|birth_date={{birth date|1915|2|7|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|2|7|df=y}}
|death_date={{death date and age|1996|9|28|1915|2|7|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1996|9|28|1915|2|7|df=y}}
|birth_place=[[Wuppertal]]
| birth_place = [[Wuppertal]], [[German Empire]]
|death_place=[[Hamburg]]
| death_place = [[Hamburg, Germany]]
|image=File:80-G-77199 (32086668082).jpg
| image = File:80-G-77199 (32086668082).jpg
|caption= August Maus as POW onboard ''USS Core'' (CVE 13), 24 August 1943.
| caption = August Maus as POW on board {{USS|Core|CVE-13|6}}, 24 August 1943.
|nickname=
| nickname =
|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| allegiance = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|serviceyears=
| serviceyears =
|rank=[[Kapitänleutnant]]
| rank = ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]''
|branch={{navy|Nazi Germany}}
| branch = {{navy|Nazi Germany}}
|commands={{GS|U-185||2}}
| commands = {{GS|U-185||2}}
|unit=[[Gorch Fock (1933)|SSS ''Gorch Fock'']]<br />[[German cruiser Emden|cruiser ''Emden'']]<br />{{GS|U-68|1940|2}}
| unit = {{ship||Gorch Fock|1933|2}}<br />{{ship|German cruiser|Emden||2}}<br />{{GS|U-68|1940|2}}
|battles=[[World War II]]
| battles = [[World War II]]
*[[Battle of the Atlantic]]
* [[Battle of the Atlantic]]
*[[Great Papago Escape]]
* [[Great Papago Escape]]
|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
| awards = [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
|relations=
| relations =
|laterwork=
| laterwork =
}}
}}
[[File:80-G-77200 (32086668562).jpg|thumb|August Maus being questioned by Captain M.R. Greer onboard ''USS Core'', 24 August 1943]]
[[File:80-G-77200 (32086668562).jpg|thumb|August Maus being questioned by Captain M.R. Greer on board USS ''Core'', 24 August 1943]]
[[File:U-185.jpg|thumb|right|200px|{{GS|U-185||2}} sunk on 24 August 1943]]
[[File:U-185.jpg|thumb|right|{{GS|U-185||2}} sunk on 24 August 1943]]
'''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]] of [[Nazi Germany]]. Prior to taking command of {{GS|U-185||2}} he served as an officer on {{GS|U-68|1940|2}} under the command of Captain [[Karl-Friedrich Merten]]. Maus was taken [[German prisoners of war in the United States|prisoner]] following the sinking of {{GS|U-185||2}} and in 1944 participated in an escape attempt from the prisoner-of-war camp [[Camp Papago Park|Papago Park]] in the United States.
'''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]] of [[Nazi Germany]]. Prior to taking command of {{GS|U-185||2}}, he served as an officer on {{GS|U-68|1940|2}} under the command of Captain [[Karl-Friedrich Merten]]. Maus was taken [[German prisoners of war in the United States|prisoner]] after the sinking of {{GS|U-185||2}} and in 1944 participated in an escape attempt from the prisoner-of-war camp [[Camp Papago Park|Papago Park]] in the United States.


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
August Maus joined the German Navy ([[Reichsmarine]], after 1 June 1935 [[Kriegsmarine]]) on 8 April 1934 at the age of 19 as officer aspirant and was sent to [[Stralsund]] to do his basic training. Then he was assigned to the training ship ''[[Gorch Fock (1933)|Gorch Fock]]''. On 26 September 1934, he was appointed [[Seekadett]], and one day later, he was assigned to the light cruiser ''[[German cruiser Emden|Emden]]''. On 27 June 1935 he started his training at [[Marineschule Mürwik]] and completed his infantry training on 29 July 1936. In August 1936 he was transferred to the light cruiser ''[[German cruiser Nürnberg|Nürnberg]]'', on which he sailed to take part in the [[Non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War|non-intervention patrols]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]] without encountering any belligerent forces.<ref name="busch-roell">{{Cite book
August Maus joined the German Navy ([[Reichsmarine]], after 1 June 1935 [[Kriegsmarine]]) on 8 April 1934 at the age of 19 as officer aspirant and was sent to [[Stralsund]] to do his basic training. Then he was assigned to the training ship {{ship||Gorch Fock|1933|2}}. On 26 September 1934, he was appointed ''[[Seekadett]]'', and one day later, he was assigned to the light cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Emden||2}}. On 27 June 1935 he started his training at [[Marineschule Mürwik]] and completed his infantry training on 29 July 1936. In August 1936 he was transferred to the light cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Nürnberg||2}}, on which he sailed to take part in the [[Non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War|non-intervention patrols]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]] without encountering any belligerent forces.{{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|pp=100, 385–387}}

On 1 January 1937 he was appointed ''[[Oberfähnrich zur See]]''. After returning to Germany in February 1937, Maus took several technical courses. On 1 April 1937 he was promoted to ''[[Leutnant zur See]]'' and returned to the cruiser ''Nürnberg'', where he served as [[adjutant]] from 3 March 1939 to 14 June 1939 and was promoted to ''[[Oberleutnant zur See]]'' on 1 April 1939. He was transferred to the [[battleship]] {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein||2}} on 15 June 1939 and was present on the attacking battleship at the [[Battle of Westerplatte]] at the beginning of [[World War II]]. On 29 April 1940 he was transferred to the ''[[U-boat|U-Boot-Waffe]]'', and on 22 December 1940 he was assigned to {{GS|U-68|1940|2}}, serving under the command of [[Karl-Friedrich Merten]] and participating in two missions of the U-boat. On 1 November 1941 he was promoted to ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' and assigned to the [[24th U-boat Flotilla]]. After completing a training for U-boat commanders beginning on 20 April 1942 he was assigned to {{GS|U-185||2}} on 5 May 1942 and became her commander on 12 June 1942.{{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|pp=100, 385–387}}

As the commander of ''U-185'', Maus led three missions in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], where he managed to sink 9 ships with {{GRT|62,761}}, killing altogether 172 men, damaging one ship with 6,840 GRT and shooting down two [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] aircraft.{{sfn|Smith|Kindell|Bertke|2012|pp=37, 177}}{{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|pp=100, 385–387}}

On 11 August 1943 the German submarine {{GS|U-604||2}} was attacked and heavily damaged by a [[US Navy]] [[Lockheed Ventura]] aircraft flown by [[Thomas D. Davies]]. ''U-604'' was prepared for [[scuttling]] and its commander, [[Horst Höltring]], called for help. ''U-185'' under the command of August Maus and {{GS|U-172||2}} under the command of [[Carl Emmermann]] were the only two surviving German submarines in the area. On 11 August 1943 they met with ''U-604'' to rescue her crew. ''U-172'' took 22 of them, whereas 25 went with Maus's ''U-185'', including commander Höltring. During the rescue and scuttling action, a US [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] bomber attacked, killing one member of ''U-172''{{'}}s crew. Emmermann's ''U-172'' submerged, whereas Maus of ''U-185'' ordered to open fire on the aircraft, which was shot down, killing ten men. However, on 24 August 1943, ''U-185'' was detected and attacked by a [[Grumman F4F Wildcat]] and a [[Grumman TBF Avenger]] from the [[escort carrier]] {{USS|Core}}. One officer was shot dead by the Wildcat, and ''U-185'' was heavily damaged by the [[depth charge]]s from the Avenger, so sea water streamed into the submarine and [[chlorine]] gas developed, killing many of the crew. Höltring killed two badly wounded men who had asked for it, and then himself. August Maus gave the order to abandon ship and scuttle. 36 men from ''U-185'' and ''U-604'' were rescued by the destroyer {{USS|Barker}}, but four of them died from their wounds shortly after. Altogether, 32 survivors – 23 from ''U-185'' and 9 from ''U-604'' – were taken prisoner and transferred to USS ''Core'', among them August Maus. Later, Maus and his men were interrogated. On 21 September 1943, Maus was awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] for his successful raids, but it is unknown whether the ''[[Oberkommando der Marine]]'' (High Command of the German Navy) knew about the loss of ''U-185'' at the time.{{sfn|Wynn|1997|pp=138–139}}{{sfn|Nesbit|1997|p=165}}{{sfn|Prag|2009|pp=141–144}}

Maus was interned in [[Crossville, Tennessee)|Crossville]], [[Tennessee]], and was transferred to [[Camp Papago Park]] in [[Arizona]] on 27 January 1944. Shortly after, on 12 February 1944, he managed to escape together with four other former U-boat commanders, but he was recaptured in [[Tucson]] together with the former commander of ''U-513'', [[Friedrich Guggenberger]]. Maus helped his companions to dig a tunnel in the so-called [[Great Papago Escape]]. In the evening of 23 December 1944, 25 prisoners escaped through the tunnel, but August Maus could not take part because he was injured. Within the next two weeks, they were all recaptured, including Friedrich Guggenberger and [[Hans-Werner Kraus]].{{sfn|Lloyd|2019|pp=57, 87, 92, 101, 122}}

In 1946, Maus was released from captivity. After the war, he lived as a businessman in Hamburg.{{sfn|Wiberg|2017|p=40}}

== Awards ==
* [[Wehrmacht Long Service Award]] 4th Class (1 April 1938){{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|p=386}}
* [[Spanish Cross]] (5 June 1940){{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|p=386}}
* [[Iron Cross]] (1939)
** 2nd Class (6 October 1939){{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|p=386}}
** 1st Class (5 May 1943)
* [[High Seas Fleet Badge]] (9 November 1942){{sfn|Busch|Röll|2003|p=387}}
* [[U-boat War Badge]] (1939) (26 December 1942)
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 21 September 1943 as ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' and commander of {{GS|U-185||2}}{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=531}}{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=305}}

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|25em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Blair
|first=Clay
|year=1998
|title=Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945
|language=English
|location=London
|publisher=Phoenix
|pages=
|isbn=978-0-6794-5742-8
}}
* {{Cite book
|last1=Busch
|last1=Busch
|first1=Rainer
|first1=Rainer
Line 33: Line 73:
|year=2003
|year=2003
|title=Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945
|title=Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945
|language=German
|language=de
|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany
|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany
|publisher=Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn
|publisher=Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn
|pages=100, 385–387
|isbn=978-3-8132-0515-2
|isbn=978-3-8132-0515-2
}}
|ref=harv
* {{Cite book
}}</ref>
|last=Fellgiebel

|first=Walther-Peer
On 1 January 1937 he was appointed ''[[Oberfähnrich zur See]]''. After returning to Germany in February 1937 Maus several technical courses. On 1 April 1937 he was promoted to ''[[Leutnant zur See]]'' and returned to the cruiser ''Nürnberg'', where he served as [[adjutant]] from 3 March 1939 to 14 June 1939 and was promoted to [[Oberleutnant zur See]] on 1 April 1939. He was transferred to the [[battleship]] ''[[SMS Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein]]'' on 15 June 1939 and was present on the attacking battleship at the [[Battle of Westerplatte]] at the beginning of [[World War II]]. On 29 April 1940 he was transferred the ''[[U-boat|U-Boot-Waffe]]'', and on 22 December 1940 he was assigned to ''[[U 68 (Kriegsmarine)|U 68]]'', serving under the command of [[Karl-Friedrich Merten]] and participating in two missions of the u-boat. On 1 November 1941 he was promoted to ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' and assigned to the [[24th U-boat Flotilla]]. After completing a training for u-boat commanders beginning on 20 April 1942 he was assigned to ''[[U 185]]'' on 5 May 1942 and became her commander on 12 June 1942.<ref name="busch-roell" />
|author-link=:de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

|year=2000
As the commander of ''U 185'', Maus led three missions in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], where he managed to sink 9 ships with 62,761 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]] killing altogether 172 men, damage one ship with 6,840 GRT and shoot down two allied aircraft.<ref>{{Cite book
|last1=Smith
|orig-year=1986
|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile
|first1=Gordon
|last2=Kindell
|language=de
|location=Friedberg, Germany
|first2=‎Don
|publisher=Podzun-Pallas
|last3=Bertke
|pages=305
|first3=‎Donald A.
|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
|year=2012
}}
|title=World War II Sea War, Vol 9: Wolfpacks Muzzled
* {{Cite book
|last=Lloyd
|first=Keith Warren
|year=2019
|title=The Great Desert Escape: How the Flight of 25 German Prisoners of War Sparked One of the Largest Manhunts in American History
|language=English
|language=English
|location=Dayton, Ohio
|location=Lanham, MD
|publisher=Bertke Publications
|publisher= Rowman & Littlefield
|isbn=978-1-4930-3891-6
|pages=37, 177
}}
|isbn=978-1-9374-7016-6
* {{Cite book
|ref=harv
|last=Moore
}}</ref><ref name="busch-roell" />
|first=John Hammond

|year=2006
On 11 August 1943 the German submarine ''[[German submarine U-604|U 604]]'' was attacked and heavily damaged by a US Navy ''[[Lockheed Ventura]]'' flown by [[Thomas D. Davies]]. ''U 604'' was prepared for [[scuttling]] and its commander [[Horst Höltring]] called for help. ''U 185'' under the command of August Maus and ''[[U 172]]'' under the command of [[Carl Emmermann]] were the only two surviving German submarines in the area. On 11 August 1943 they met with ''U 604'' to rescue her crew. ''U 172'' took 22 of them, whereas 25 went with Maus's ''U 185'', including commander Höltring. During the rescue and scuttling action, a US bomber [[Consolidated B-24]] attacked, killing one member of ''U 172'' 's crew. Emmermann's ''U 172'' submerged, whereas Maus of ''U 185'' ordered to open fire on the aircraft, which was shot down, killing ten men. However, on 24 August 1943, ''U 185'' was detected and attacked by a [[Grumman F4F|''Grumman F4F Wildcat'']] and a [[Grumman TBF|''Grumman TBF Avenger'']] from the [[escort aircraft carrier]] ''[[USS Core]]'' attackiert. One officer was shot dead by the ''Wildcat'' and ''U-185'' was heavily damaged by the [[depth charge]]s from the ''Avenger'' so sea water streamed into the submarine and [[chlorine]] gas developed, killing many of the crew. Höltring killed two badly wounded men who had asked for it, and then himself. August Maus gave the order to abandon ship and scuttle. 36 men from ''U-185'' and ''U-606'' were rescued by the destroyer ''USS Barker'', but four of them died from their wounds shortly after. Altogether, 32 survivors – 23 from ''U-185'' and 9 from ''U-606'' – were taken prisoner and transferred to ''USS Core'', among them August Maus. Later, Maus and his men were interrogated. On 21 September 1943, Maus was awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] for his successful raids, but it is unknown whether the [[Oberkommando der Marine|OKN]] (High Command of the German Navy) knew about the loss of ''U 185'' at the time.<ref>{{Cite book
|title=The Faustball Tunnel: German POWs in America and Their Great Escape
|last=Wynn
|first=Kenneth G.
|year=1997
|title=U-boat Operations of the Second World War: Career histories, U1-U510
|language=English
|language=English
|location=Annapolis, Maryland
|location=Annapolis, Maryland
|publisher=Chatham Publishing / Naval Institute Press
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|isbn=978-1-5911-4526-4
|pages=138–139
}}
|isbn=978-1-5575-0860-7
* {{Cite book
|ref=harv
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
|last=Nesbit
|last=Nesbit
|first=Roy Conyers
|first=Roy Conyers
Line 79: Line 119:
|location=Barnsley
|location=Barnsley
|publisher=Pen and Sword Military
|publisher=Pen and Sword Military
|pages=165
|isbn=978-1-8441-5874-4
|isbn=978-1-8441-5874-4
}}
|ref=harv
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
* {{Cite book
|last=Prag
|last=Prag
|first=Christian
|first=Christian
Line 90: Line 129:
|location=Annapolis, Maryland
|location=Annapolis, Maryland
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|pages=141–144
|isbn=978-1-5575-0860-7
|isbn=978-1-5575-0860-7
}}
|ref=harv
* {{Cite book
}}</ref>

Maus was interned in [[Crossville, Tennessee)|Crossville]] in [[Tennessee]] and was transferred to [[Camp Papago Park]] in [[Arizona]] on 27 January 1944. Shortly after, on 12 February 1944, he managed to escape together with four other former u-boat commandes, but he was recaptured in [[Tucson]] together with the former commander of ''U-513'' [[Friedrich Guggenberger]]. Maus helped his companions to dig a tunnel in the so-called [[Great Papago Escape]]. In the evening of 23 December 1944, 25 prisoners escaped through the tunnel, but August Maus could not take part because he was injured. Within the next two weeks, they were all recaptured, including Friedrich Guggenberger and [[Hans-Werner Kraus]].<ref>{{Cite book
|last= Lloyd
|first=Keith Warren
|year=2019
|title=The Great Desert Escape: How the Flight of 25 German Prisoners of War Sparked One of the Largest Manhunts in American History
|language=English
|location=Lanham, MD
|publisher= Rowman & Littlefield
|pages=57, 87, 92, 101, 122
|isbn=978-1-4930-3891-6
|ref=harv
}}</ref>

In 1946, Maus was released from captivity. After the war, he lived as a businessman in Hamburg.<ref>{{Cite book
|last=Wiberg
|first=Eric
|year=2017
|title=U-Boats off Bermuda: Patrol Summaries and Merchant Ship Survivors Landed in Bermuda 1940-1944
|language=English
|location=London
|publisher=Fonthill Media
|pages=40
|isbn=978-0-6794-5742-8
|ref=harv
}}</ref>

== Ships attacked ==
As commander of {{GS|U-185||2}} August Maus is credited with the sinking of nine ships for a total of {{GRT|62,761|disp=long}} and damaging one ship of {{GRT|6,840}}.

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:right; margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|-
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Name of ship
!scope="col"|Flag
!scope="col"|Tonnage
!scope="col"|Fate<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u185.html|title=Ships hit by U-185 - U-boat Successes - German U-boats|work=uboat.net|publisher=www.uboat.net}}</ref>
|-
|align="right"|7 December 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in December 1942#7 December|''Peter Mærsk'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|5,476
|align="left" |Sunk (loss of all 62 crew)
|-
|align="right"|10 March 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#10 March|''Virginia Sinclair'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|6,151
|align="left" |Sunk (7 dead, 37 survivors)
|-
|align="right"|10 March 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#10 March|''James Sprunt'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|7,177
|align="left" |Sunk (loss of all 69 crew)
|-
|align="right"|6 April 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1943#6 April|''John Sevier'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|7,176
|align="left" |Sunk (all 57 crew rescued)
|-
|align="right"|9 April 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1943#9 April|''James Robertson'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|7,176
|align="left" |Sunk (1 dead, 68 survivors)
|-
|align="right"|7 July 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1943#7 July|''Thomas Sinnickson'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|7,176
|align="left" |Sunk (1 dead, 69 survivors)
|-
|align="right"|7 July 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1943#7 July|''William Boyce Thompson'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|7,061
|align="left" |Sunk (4 dead, 53 survivors)
|-
|align="right"|7 July 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1943#7 July|''S.B. Hunt'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|6,840
|align="left" |Damaged (no casualties)
|-
|align="right"|1 August 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in August 1943#1 August|''Bagé'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Brazil}}
|align="right"|8,235
|align="left" |Sunk (28 dead, 126 survivors)
|-
|align="right"|6 August 1943
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in August 1943#6 August|''Fort Halkett'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|7,133
|align="left" |Sunk (all 59 crew rescued)
|}

== Awards ==
* [[Wehrmacht Long Service Award]] 4th Class (1 April 1938)<ref name="busch-roell" />
* [[Spanish Cross]] (5 June 1940)<ref name="busch-roell" />
* [[Iron Cross]] (1939)
** 2nd Class (6 October 1939)<ref name="busch-roell" />
** 1st Class (5 May 1943)
* [[High Seas Fleet Badge]] (9 November 1942)<ref name="busch-roell" />
* [[U-boat War Badge]] (1939) (26 December 1942)
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 21 September 1943 as ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' and commander of {{GS|U-185||2}}<ref>{{Cite book
|last=Scherzer
|last=Scherzer
|first=Veit
|first=Veit
|year=2007
|year=2007
|title=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
|title=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
|language=German
|language=de
|location=Jena, Germany
|location=Jena, Germany
|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag
|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag
|pages=531
|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2
|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2
}}
|ref=harv
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
|last=Fellgiebel
|first=Walther-Peer
|authorlink=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
|year=2000
|origyear=1986
|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile
|language=German
|location=Friedberg, Germany
|publisher=Podzun-Pallas
|pages=305
|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
|ref=harv
}}</ref>

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|25em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
|last=Blair
|last1=Smith
|first=Clay
|first1=Gordon
|year=1998
|last2=Kindell
|first2=Don
|title=Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945
|last3=Bertke
|first3=Donald A.
|year=2012
|title=World War II Sea War, Vol 9: Wolfpacks Muzzled
|language=English
|language=English
|location=London
|location=Dayton, Ohio
|publisher=Phoenix
|publisher=Bertke Publications
|pages=
|pages=37, 177
|isbn=978-0-6794-5742-8
|isbn=978-1-9374-7016-6
}}
|ref=harv
}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
|last=Wiberg
|last=Wiberg
Line 256: Line 166:
|pages=40
|pages=40
|isbn=978-0-6794-5742-8
|isbn=978-0-6794-5742-8
}}
|ref=harv
}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
|last=Moore
|last=Wynn
|first=John Hammond
|first=Kenneth G.
|year=2006
|year=1997
|title=U-boat Operations of the Second World War: Career histories, U1-U510
|title=The Faustball Tunnel: German POWs in America and Their Great Escape
|language=English
|language=English
|location=Annapolis, Maryland
|location=Annapolis, Maryland
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|publisher=Chatham Publishing / Naval Institute Press
|pages=
|pages=138–139
|isbn=978-1-5911-4526-4
|isbn=978-1-5575-0860-7
}}
|ref=harv
}}
* {{Cite book
|last= Lloyd
|first=Keith Warren
|year=2019
|title=The Great Desert Escape: How the Flight of 25 German Prisoners of War Sparked One of the Largest Manhunts in American History
|language=English
|location=Lanham, MD
|publisher= Rowman & Littlefield
|pages=57, 87, 92, 101, 122
|isbn=978-1-4930-3891-6
|ref=harv
}}
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[[Category:Escapees from United States military detention]]
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{{germany-navy-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 08:17, 13 February 2024

August Maus
August Maus as POW on board USS Core, 24 August 1943.
Born(1915-02-07)7 February 1915
Wuppertal, German Empire
Died28 September 1996(1996-09-28) (aged 81)
Hamburg, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branch Kriegsmarine
RankKapitänleutnant
UnitGorch Fock
Emden
U-68
CommandsU-185
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross
August Maus being questioned by Captain M.R. Greer on board USS Core, 24 August 1943
U-185 sunk on 24 August 1943

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 of Nazi Germany. Prior to taking command of U-185, he served as an officer on U-68 under the command of Captain Karl-Friedrich Merten. Maus was taken prisoner after the sinking of U-185 and in 1944 participated in an escape attempt from the prisoner-of-war camp Papago Park in the United States.

Biography

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August Maus joined the German Navy (Reichsmarine, after 1 June 1935 Kriegsmarine) on 8 April 1934 at the age of 19 as officer aspirant and was sent to Stralsund to do his basic training. Then he was assigned to the training ship Gorch Fock. On 26 September 1934, he was appointed Seekadett, and one day later, he was assigned to the light cruiser Emden. On 27 June 1935 he started his training at Marineschule Mürwik and completed his infantry training on 29 July 1936. In August 1936 he was transferred to the light cruiser Nürnberg, on which he sailed to take part in the non-intervention patrols during the Spanish Civil War without encountering any belligerent forces.[1]

On 1 January 1937 he was appointed Oberfähnrich zur See. After returning to Germany in February 1937, Maus took several technical courses. On 1 April 1937 he was promoted to Leutnant zur See and returned to the cruiser Nürnberg, where he served as adjutant from 3 March 1939 to 14 June 1939 and was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See on 1 April 1939. He was transferred to the battleship Schleswig-Holstein on 15 June 1939 and was present on the attacking battleship at the Battle of Westerplatte at the beginning of World War II. On 29 April 1940 he was transferred to the U-Boot-Waffe, and on 22 December 1940 he was assigned to U-68, serving under the command of Karl-Friedrich Merten and participating in two missions of the U-boat. On 1 November 1941 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and assigned to the 24th U-boat Flotilla. After completing a training for U-boat commanders beginning on 20 April 1942 he was assigned to U-185 on 5 May 1942 and became her commander on 12 June 1942.[1]

As the commander of U-185, Maus led three missions in the Atlantic Ocean, where he managed to sink 9 ships with 62,761 GRT, killing altogether 172 men, damaging one ship with 6,840 GRT and shooting down two Allied aircraft.[2][1]

On 11 August 1943 the German submarine U-604 was attacked and heavily damaged by a US Navy Lockheed Ventura aircraft flown by Thomas D. Davies. U-604 was prepared for scuttling and its commander, Horst Höltring, called for help. U-185 under the command of August Maus and U-172 under the command of Carl Emmermann were the only two surviving German submarines in the area. On 11 August 1943 they met with U-604 to rescue her crew. U-172 took 22 of them, whereas 25 went with Maus's U-185, including commander Höltring. During the rescue and scuttling action, a US Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber attacked, killing one member of U-172's crew. Emmermann's U-172 submerged, whereas Maus of U-185 ordered to open fire on the aircraft, which was shot down, killing ten men. However, on 24 August 1943, U-185 was detected and attacked by a Grumman F4F Wildcat and a Grumman TBF Avenger from the escort carrier USS Core. One officer was shot dead by the Wildcat, and U-185 was heavily damaged by the depth charges from the Avenger, so sea water streamed into the submarine and chlorine gas developed, killing many of the crew. Höltring killed two badly wounded men who had asked for it, and then himself. August Maus gave the order to abandon ship and scuttle. 36 men from U-185 and U-604 were rescued by the destroyer USS Barker, but four of them died from their wounds shortly after. Altogether, 32 survivors – 23 from U-185 and 9 from U-604 – were taken prisoner and transferred to USS Core, among them August Maus. Later, Maus and his men were interrogated. On 21 September 1943, Maus was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his successful raids, but it is unknown whether the Oberkommando der Marine (High Command of the German Navy) knew about the loss of U-185 at the time.[3][4][5]

Maus was interned in Crossville, Tennessee, and was transferred to Camp Papago Park in Arizona on 27 January 1944. Shortly after, on 12 February 1944, he managed to escape together with four other former U-boat commanders, but he was recaptured in Tucson together with the former commander of U-513, Friedrich Guggenberger. Maus helped his companions to dig a tunnel in the so-called Great Papago Escape. In the evening of 23 December 1944, 25 prisoners escaped through the tunnel, but August Maus could not take part because he was injured. Within the next two weeks, they were all recaptured, including Friedrich Guggenberger and Hans-Werner Kraus.[6]

In 1946, Maus was released from captivity. After the war, he lived as a businessman in Hamburg.[7]

Awards

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Busch & Röll 2003, pp. 100, 385–387.
  2. ^ Smith, Kindell & Bertke 2012, pp. 37, 177.
  3. ^ Wynn 1997, pp. 138–139.
  4. ^ Nesbit 1997, p. 165.
  5. ^ Prag 2009, pp. 141–144.
  6. ^ Lloyd 2019, pp. 57, 87, 92, 101, 122.
  7. ^ Wiberg 2017, p. 40.
  8. ^ a b c Busch & Röll 2003, p. 386.
  9. ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 387.
  10. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 531.
  11. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 305.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Blair, Clay (1998). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. London: Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-6794-5742-8.
  • 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 978-3-8132-0515-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. p. 305. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Lloyd, Keith Warren (2019). The Great Desert Escape: How the Flight of 25 German Prisoners of War Sparked One of the Largest Manhunts in American History. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4930-3891-6.
  • Moore, John Hammond (2006). The Faustball Tunnel: German POWs in America and Their Great Escape. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-5911-4526-4.
  • Nesbit, Roy Conyers (1997). Ultra Versus U-Boats: Enigma Decrypts in the National Archives. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-8441-5874-4.
  • Prag, Christian (2009). No Ordinary War: The Eventful Career of U-604. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-5575-0860-7.
  • 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Smith, Gordon; Kindell, Don; Bertke, Donald A. (2012). World War II Sea War, Vol 9: Wolfpacks Muzzled. Dayton, Ohio: Bertke Publications. pp. 37, 177. ISBN 978-1-9374-7016-6.
  • Wiberg, Eric (2017). U-Boats off Bermuda: Patrol Summaries and Merchant Ship Survivors Landed in Bermuda 1940-1944. London: Fonthill Media. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-6794-5742-8.
  • Wynn, Kenneth G. (1997). U-boat Operations of the Second World War: Career histories, U1-U510. Annapolis, Maryland: Chatham Publishing / Naval Institute Press. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-1-5575-0860-7.
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