Kaptlt. Max Bork

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

I need to know about Max Bork,commander of U-275 who claims that he sunk four destroyers including the USS Leary. His decorations and his postwar life also please.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Dieter Zinke]

DD Leary was only damaged by U 275 (Bork), 24.12.1943. The victory was for U 382 (Zorn) the same day who sunk am. DD Leary (1090 ts).
No other victories for Bork.
Decorations unknown

DZ

[FAlmeida]

Bork, Helmut not Max
Date of birth (Geburtsdatum) 29-05-1910
Place of birth (Geburtsort) Danzig, Westpreußen
Branch (Zweig) Reserve Seeoffizier
Class Year (Crew Jahrgang) Jahrgang VIII/1939
Medals and Decorations (Orden und Ehrenzeichen)
24-04-1940 Eisernes Kreuz II Klasse (when serving in Minenschiff Hansestadt Danzig 08/39-09/40)
11-1940 Kriegsabzeichen für Minensuch,Ubootsjagd und Sichrungsverbande (when serving in Minenschiff Hansestadt Danzig 10/40-01/41)
02-1942 U-Boots Kriegsabzeichen 1939 (when serving as II WO in U 134 07/41-09/42)
04-09-1942 Eisernes Kreuz I Klasse (when serving as II WO in U 134 07/41-09/42)
21-01-1944 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (when serving as Komdt. in U 275 11/42-07/44)
04-10-1944 U-Boots Frontspange in Bronze (when serving as Komdt. in U 275 11/42-07/44)

Cheers, Fernando

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Hello Fellows,

I guess it right that Kaptlt. Bork won the German Cross in Gold for his command of U-275. His first name Helmut was the one that I what to type in but because I was pretty tired,I type in Max by mistake. According to the book "Axis Submarine Successes,'' Bork had made a complete kill over the USS Leary. Zorn's torpedo had exploded after a miss of that destroyer.
That same book mentioned that Bork claimed to have sunk three other destroyers during his command of the U-275 but they were all unconfirmed. Do you know any other U-Boat commanders that had won the German Cross in Gold? Not counting the ones that won both the Knight's Cross and the German Cross in Gold. Just the DKiG please!

Sincerely,

Edward

[FAlmeida]

U-Boat commanders that had won the German Cross in Gold
18-06-1942 Abel, Dr. Ulrich
08-09-1944 Ambrosius, Wilhelm
07-01-1944 Auffermann, Hans-Jürgen
14-01-1944 Baberg, Kurt
15-01-1944 Bahr, Rudolf
29-12-1944 Balke, Diethelm
28-08-1942 Bartels, Robert
14-02-1944 Becker, Richard
31-12-1943 Benker, Hans
31-12-1943 Bielfeld, Heinz
26-01-1944 Boddenberg, Karl
21-01-1944 Borke, Helmut
28-03-1944 Brauel, Wilhelm
07-01-1944 Bruns, Heinrich
19-07-1943 Budzyn, Sigmund
11-07-1944 Christophersen, Erwin
19-07-1944 Cordes, Ernst
13-11-1943 Dauter, Helmut
19-11-1943 Deckert, Horst
05-01-1944 Deecke, Joachim
07-01-1944 Dierksen, Reiner
18-06-1942 Drewitz, Hans-Joachim
06-08-1942 Driver, Heinrich
16-03-1944 Eick, Alfred
09-11-1943 Engel, Herbert
15-12-1943 Esch, Dietrich von der
19-02-1945 Falke, Hans
14-02-1944 Feiler, Gerhard
23-04-1942 Fehler, Johann-Heinrich
08-10-1943 Fleige, Karl
12-09-1944 Förster, Hans-Joachim
24-07-1944 Fraatz, Georg-Werner
06-02-1945 Franze, Joachim
14-02-1944 Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen, Walter Fehr. von
20-03-1943 Glaser, Wolfgang
10-02-1942 Godt, Eberhard
14-07-1944 Grafen, Karl
31-12-1943 Grau, Peter-Ottmar
11-07-1944 Harpe, Richard von
02-02-1942 Hartenstein, Werner
28-08-1943 Hartmann, Götz von
07-07-1943 Hasenschar, Heinrich
06-08-1942 Heilmann, Udo
22-09-1944 Henning, Fritz
09-02-1944 Hepp, Horst
11-05-1944 Herrle, Friedrich-Georg
09-11-1944 Hessler, Günter
26-03-1945 Hinz, Rudolf
06-11-1943 Höltring, Horst
05-01-1944 Hopmann, Rolf-Heinrich
21-01-1944 Janssen, Gustav-Adolf
19-09-1944 Jebsen, Johann
19-04-1944 Junker, Ottoheinrich
24-06-1943 Jürs, Ralf
03-05-1944 Just, Paul
06-09-1943 Kaeding, Walter
28-05-1942 Kasch, Lorenz
19-11-1943 Koitschka, Siegfried
06-06-1942 Krankenhagen, Detlev
19-11-1943 Krieg, Johann-Otto
02-02-1942 Kronenbitter, Willy
26-04-1944 Kruschka, Max
11-04-1944 Lamby, Hermann
11-05-1944 Lange, Hans-Günther
25-08-1944 Lange, Karl-Heinz
10-11-1944 Lange, Kurt
20-09-1944 Lauterbach-Emden, Hans-Jürgen
21-01-1944 Lauzemis, Albert
28-12-1944 Lehmann, Hans
29-03-1944 Looks, Hartwig
04-08-1944 Mahrholz, Hans-Gert
10-10-1944 Mangold, Ernst
14-02-1944 Manke, Rolf
07-03-1944 Mannesmann, Gert
14-02-1944 Manseck, Helmut
12-09-1944 Matuschka,Graf von, Hartmut Frhr.von Toppolczan und Spaetgen
19-11-1943 Mehl, Waldemar
07-02-1945 Meyer, Gerhard
07-02-1945 Meyer, Rudolf
06-02-1945 Mohs, Hans-Dieter
15-12-1944 Morstein, Hans-Joachim von
09-11-1943 Mürl, Heinrich
04-04-1944 Neide, Kurt
20-08-1944 Niemeyer, Heinrich
24-05-1944 Nonn, Victor-Wilhelm
14-02-1944 Oelrich, Adolf
06-11-1943 Offermann, Hans-Werner
19-04-1944 Otto, Paul-Friedrich
14-07-1944 Petersen, Klaus
14-01-1944 Petersen, Kurt
12-03-1943 Petersen, Theodor
31-08-1944 Pietsch, Ulrich
17-12-1943 Poel, Gustav
11-03-1944 Purkhold, Hubertus
22-07-1944 Queck, Horst-Thilo
11-04-1944 Radermacher, Alfred
29-06-1943 Reeder, Günther
17-11-1942 Reschke, Franz-Georg
22-03-1945 Riecken, Werner
24-02-1944 Robbert, Heinz
06-09-1944 Rodler von Roithberg, Hardo
19-11-1943 Röther, Joseph
09-12-1941 Salman, Otto
14-02-1944 Schaar, Paul Heinrich-Gerhard
11-01-1945 Schneewind, Fritz
19-04-1945 Schneidewind, Karl-Hermann
19-07-1943 Schnoor, Ebe
22-05-1942 Schreiber, Gerd
31-05-1944 Schrobach, Kurt
10-11-1944 Schroeteler, Heinrich Andreas
12-12-1943 Schroeter, Horst von
08-05-1942 Schultz, Herbert-Emil
18-02-1945 Schumann-Hindenberg, Friedrich-Wilhelm
20-05-1944 Posthum Seehausen, Gerhard
04-10-1944 Siegmann, Paul
03-08-1944 Sommer, Helmut
07-01-1944 Spahr, Wilhelm
31-08-1944 Sthamer, Hans-Jürgen
18-08-1944 Stock, Rupprecht
17-12-1943 Struckmeier, Rolf
16-03-1944 Tillessen, Hans-Rutger
14-10-1943 Thomsen, Rolf
12-02-1942 Timm, Heinrich
05-01-1944 Posthum Trotha, Claus von
17-02-1943 Ufermann, Fritz
05-01-1944 Posthum Uphoff, Horst
28-12-1943 Wächter, Karl-Jürg
14-07-1944 Wahlen, Rolf-Birger
07-01-1944 Weber, Karl-Otto
05-11-1944 Wedemeyer, Heimar
12-06-1943 Weidner, Friedrich
18-02-1945 Westphalen, Otto
20-07-1943 Wilamowitz-Moellendorf, Georg von
07-01-1944 Posthum Witte, Werner
23-07-1944 Zetzsche, Hans-Jürgen
27-02-1943 Zurmühlen, Bernhard

Cheers, Fernando

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Dear Sir,

I am surprised that three other U-boat captains were not awarded either the Knight's Cross or the German Cross in Gold. They were:

Kaptlt. Johannes(Hans)Oestermann of U-754. Sank 13 ships of 55,659 tons.

Oberlt. zu See Juergen von Rosenstiel of U-502. Sank 14 ships of 78,843 tons.

Kapt. zu See Juergen Wattenberg of U-162. Sank 14 ships of 82,027 tons.

I believed they were recommanded for either the Ritterkreuz or the DKiG. Whatever happened to their recommandations is not known. Oestermann and von Rosenstiel were killed when their U-Boats were sunk. Wattenberg was a POW and survived WWII. Whoever can shed some light about this unknown reason of why they weren't awarded the RK or DKiG can contribute an answer to me.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Dear Sir,

I believed that Kaptlt. Gerhard Thater of U-566 had won the German Cross in Gold. He passed away not long ago in 2004.

Edward

[FAlmeida]

Hi Edward
I do not know the reason because Johannes Oestermann , Jürgen von Rosenstiel and Jürgen Wattenberg had not received the DKiG.
About Gerard Thäter also did not receive the DKiG and did not command U 566 , command U 466.
Cheers, Fernando
PS my source "Die Inhaber des DKiG der Kriegsmarine by Bernd Gericke"

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Hi Fellows,

Sigh! I guess we will never know if these three accomplished U-boat captains that I mentioned who were already holders of the Iron Cross Second and First Classes were recommended for a higher decoration. Some of their personnal navy records may be missing. Oh Well!

Sincerely,

Edward