Klaus Bargsten (31 October 1911 – 25 October 2000) was the captain and sole survivor of the sunken U-521. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Klaus Bargsten | |
|---|---|
 Klaus Bargsten | |
| Born | 31 October 1911 Bad Oldesloe, German Empire |
| Died | 25 October 2000 (aged 88) Bremen, Germany |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service |  Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1936–45 |
| Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
| Unit | 1st U-boat Flotilla 2nd U-boat Flotilla 4th U-boat Flotilla |
| Commands | U-563, 27 March 1941 – 15 March 1942 U-521, 3 June 1942 – 2 June 1943 |
| Awards | U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross |
Career
editU-521 under Bargsten's command was sunk on 2 June 1943 by the United States submarine chaser PC-565 east of Cape Hatteras. Bargsten was the sole survivor.
Bargsten was interrogated and held as a prisoner of war until his release in 1946. The Kriegsmarine falsely reported the entire crew of U-521 as MIA (Missing in Action).[1]
Ranks and military decorations
editRanks
editThe following is a list of dates for Kptlt. Bargsten's promotions during World War II.
| Date | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1 July 1936 | Fähnrich zur See[2] |
| 1 January 1938 | Oberfähnrich zur See[2] |
| 1 April 1938 | Leutnant zur See[2] |
| 1 October 1939 | Oberleutnant zur See[3] |
| 1 August 1942 | Kapitänleutnant[3] |
Decorations
editThe following is a list of Kptlt. Bargsten's awards and decorations.
| Date | Decoration |
|---|---|
| 23 July 1940 | Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class[3] |
| 10 August 1940 | U-boat War Badge (1939)[3] |
| 25 September 1940 | Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class[3] |
| 30 April 1943 | Knight's Cross as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-521[4][5] |
References
editCitations
edit- ^ needs ref
- ^ a b c Busch & Röll 2003, p. 354.
- ^ a b c d e Busch & Röll 2003, p. 355.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 122.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 202.
Bibliography
edit- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Gentile, Gary (1989). Track of the Gray Wolf. Avon Books. ISBN 0-380-75685-4.
- Römer, Felix (2012). Kameraden. Die Wehrmacht von innen [Comrades. An Inner View of the Wehrmacht] (in German). Munich, Germany: Piper. ISBN 978-3-492-05540-6.
- 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
