Otto Maus  
  Otto Maus

Ordinary Seaman, 1st Class

Otto Maus

Secondary artillery 15 cm starboard III

* 26.9.1919 in Schönebeck (Province of Saxony) - † 22.4.1986

Ordinary Seaman, 1st Class  
Otto Maus Germany (1919)

Germany (1919)

Source:

Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv Koblenz

1 It is astonishing that Otto Maus, suffering from this contagious disease, was not transferred to a hospital on land, perhaps due to a lack of time and a lack of replacement personnel.

Otto Maus from the Prussian-Saxon town of Schönebeck on the Elbe was born on September 26, 1919. After completing his schooling and apprenticeship, he volunteered for service in the Navy and joined the Navy on April 1, 1940. After basic training with the 11th Schiffsstammabteilung in Stralsund, he was assigned to the crew of the new battleship Bismarck. He spent his first time in the new command on the barge New York until he finally boarded the Bismarck in Hamburg in August 1940. Otto Maus was assigned to a combat station in the 15 cm turret StB III, where he worked as a command transmitter. For him, the "Rheinübung" operation was his first combat mission and it was only a matter of time before he would not have gone on the ship at all, because Otto Maus had contracted scarlet fever and was in the ship's hospital when the Bismarck set sail.1 With a lot of luck he survived the sinking of his ship a few days later. According to his own account, he was washed overboard during the battle and was able to save himself together with several comrades on a raft. On the evening of May 28th, after a day and a half in the cold Atlantic, Otto Maus was rescued by the German weather observation ship Sachsenwald together with the Stoker 2nd class Walter Lorenzen. Back on solid ground, they and three other crew members rescued by the German submarine U 74 were questioned about the operation and the sinking of their ship. Otto Maus stated:



2 The hospital was in section XV on the upper deck, and in section XVI in the tween deck there was a sleeping quarters for seaman's petty officers on the port and starboard sides, which was also used as a storage room for the wounded. Otto Maus probably meant the hospital on the upper deck.

"Friday, 23.5.41:

I was recovering from scarlet fever in the steerage, Section XVI, in the hospital2. In the afternoon, it was announced over the loudspeaker system that two enemy cruisers had come into sight and had opened fire. I did not hear any firing from my own ship. After about two hours, I learned from my comrades that the enemy ships had disappeared from sight again and that we were sailing by 29 nautical miles. Nothing else happened after that, the night remained quiet.

Saturday, 24.5.41:

On Saturday, around 0500, I woke up when the loudspeaker system announced that two battleships and two cruisers were coming into view. At the same time, the alarm was sounded. After a few minutes, the enemy opened fire. Shortly afterwards, Bismarck also began to return fire. A few minutes later, the loudspeaker system announced: 'An English battleship, probably Hood, has just been destroyed by an explosion. The other battleship has been hit twice and is turning away.' I heard nothing more about what had happened until midnight, and I didn't notice any change in the ship's course.

3 The forward dressing station was located in Division XVII.

4 Kurt Kirchberg was not an officer on watch but the Schmarting.

At around 11:30 noon, I was taken to the forward dressing station, Section XVI, tween deck3, with five other comrades who were in the hospital with me. When I got there, Sick Berth Attendant Wagner told me that we had been hit twice. One hit in Section XXI, which had filled with water. The second hit had penetrated the traffic boat on the starboard side without causing any further damage. We had one seriously injured and four slightly injured. During the visit by Surgeon Lieutenant Krueger, he said to me: 'Maus, you can go back to your combat station, you'll have more fun there than here.’ I then took my things, brought them to my accommodation deck – Section X on the port side – and after stowing everything away, went to my combat station, medium artillery, starboard side turret 3, at around 2 p.m. At combat station our job was to keep a sharp lookout for submarines and aircraft, changing the telescope every half hour. The weather was clear, but it became hazy towards evening. I heard that we were traveling at 27 nautical miles. From 4 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. we were relieved to eat and sleep in the wartime off-watch sleeping quarters, Section X, on the starboard side of the battery deck. At 6:20 p.m. I was back at my combat station. At around 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. the alarm was sounded again. The forward artillery direction center reported that several torpedo planes were attacking on the port side. We then prepared zone ammunition as ordered. Our turret fired at a 75-degree angle. I observed a single-deck and double-deck aircraft sinking. All anti-aircraft guns then fired at a 90-degree angle. I observed the aircraft dropping a torpedo. I noticed a slight vibration near us that this torpedo had hit the ship. The battle with the aircraft continued until after midnight. I did not observe anything else. After the battle was over, I heard on the leader's telephone that the attack had been carried out by around 18 aircraft and that 18 torpedoes had been fired at us. One of these hit the armour, compartment VIII, and exploded on the starboard side of compartment X. Due to the air pressure, the Officer of the watch, Chief Boatswain Kirchberg4 was thrown against the aircraft's catapult and killed. The anti-aircraft gun on the superstructure deck was completely submerged by a column of water.

Sunday, 25.5.41:

Nothing happened during the rest of the night. Immediately after the battle, the commander's telephone announced: 'The entire crew congratulates the fleet commander on his birthday.' I was then relieved and slept at battle station until about 7 a.m. Sunday morning was fine weather: we all went out of the turret to get some air. We had very high seas. On Sunday morning, the fleet commander spoke to the crew. As I had just run an errand, when I returned I only heard the last words: 'We win or we die.' My comrades seemed dejected and said that the fleet commander had spoken well, but that they had gathered from his words that we were already lost. On Sunday afternoon a second funnel was built on the aircraft deck. I watched as they tried to pump out compartment XXI. An engineer told us that we still had enough oil to travel to the coast, but that the oil was being pumped from forward to aft to restore the balance. I heard from a comrade that we had also thrown away the two bow anchors. I did not experience anything else on Sunday. Nothing unusual happened on the night of Monday either.




















5 With Starboard 3, Maus describes the rear 15 cm turret on the starboard side – his battle station.











6 The attack was carried out only by destroyers. They were not sunk or set on fire, even though this was reported.

Monday, 26.5.41:

Monday morning we received the order to paint the turret roof yellow. After a short time the breakers washed the paint off again, so another coat was abandoned. The paint only remained on the roofs of the heavy turrets. I went out into the air for a moment on the port bulwark. There I saw an enemy flying boat coming from astern, but was immediately forced to turn away by the fire of our anti-aircraft guns. Nothing special happened in the afternoon. In the evening, around 9 p.m., an air raid warning was given, warning of an attack by torpedo planes. The anti-aircraft guns fired and then stopped firing after a while. A new attack followed shortly afterwards. About an hour later we felt two violent tremors in quick succession. The telephone reported that a torpedo had hit Section II. A short time later, a second torpedo had hit Section VIII and the aft artillery calculation center had failed. We received the order over the telephone: 'Starboard 35, occupy the hand rudder room!' We went from our combat station to Section II and opened the tank hatch. We could not get in because there was about 50 cm of oil in the section. We closed the hatch again and returned to our combat station. We reported to the forward conning tower and artillery calculation center that the hand rudder could not be occupied due to an oil leak. I took over the telephone and lookout post again. The order was then given that Starboard 2 and 3 aft in Section II should put up a leak sail on the bulwark. The high seas made it impossible to carry out the order and we were sent back to our battle station. At about midnight it was announced that an enemy cruiser and a destroyer were attacking. There was a battle on the port side: I heard through the telephone that a cruiser and a destroyer had been sunk and another destroyer had been set on fire.6 The battle dragged on until morning. We were informed through the telephone that 51 Ju 88s would be there at dawn to support us, as well as four submarines, a tanker and a tug for towing. Great joy: there was singing. Our turret leader promised us that he would make sure that we were given leave after we arrived; he would be happy to write leave certificates day and night.

Tuesday, May 27, 1941:

At 0700 hours, the telephone reported that an English battleship and a cruiser were in sight. I heard that the ship had traveled 19 nautical miles that morning. A short time later, the battle began. We had the battleship on the port side and a cruiser with three funnels on the starboard side. I didn't notice any hits; after a while there was a small shock, the hatch opened and I saw a 10.5 cm anti-aircraft gun standing at an angle. We now noticed that the ship was listing considerably to port. At about 9 o'clock, a fireworks mate came into our turret and reported to the turret commander that our ammunition chamber was on fire and had to be flooded. The ammunition men came up to the gun platform. The turret commander then ordered the ammunition men to leave the turret and go on deck. On the turret commander's orders we stopped firing for a short time and put on our life jackets. We fired the last two rounds and went on deck on the turret commander's orders.

There the water was 20 cm deep; I noticed a large number of dead and wounded near our turret. The ship was still making slow speed, the enemy continued to fire, the hits were mostly in the middle of the ship. I ran to the bulwark, but had to take cover very quickly with my comrades, as all of our heavy turrets, with the exception of Turret Dora, were still firing. We were on the upper deck at the level of the officers' quarters. The officers' quarters themselves were burning. Five minutes later we ran onto the rampart and went to turret Dora, which was already standing still at that time. There were around several hundred comrades there, including the only officer, Sub-Lieutenant Kühn, the turret commander of turret Dora. Many were injured, including a number of casualties. We stayed there for around one to one and a half hours. In between, several comrades, whom Sub-Lieutenant Kühn tried in vain to hold back, jumped into the water from the starboard side in a rubber dinghy. At around 1100 o'clock, every time the ship turned to port, a large number of comrades were washed overboard, including me. At this time the ship was already standing still, but was still firing.

I was quickly driven astern. After a short time I reached a raft occupied or held by about 40-50 comrades and hung on to it. There was a lot of oil floating on the water. I met the fireworks mate from our turret there. We talked and could also see the ship, which was still firing. After about an hour we could no longer see the ship. When I last saw it, I estimated the distance between the cruiser and our ship to be three to four kilometers. As a result of swallowing oil water, many comrades fainted and let go of the raft, including my fireworks mate from my turret. I drifted with five men for about another two hours. The air and water seemed warm to us.

According to my estimate, the raft capsized at about 5 p.m. I and two of my comrades, Stoker 2nd Class Lorenzen and one guy from the prize command, managed to reach the raft again, while the other two, a ordinary mechanic and a ordinary seaman from the staff, drowned. At a distance of 200 - 300 m we discovered a second raft, occupied by five men. We did not manage to get to this raft. At dusk I saw it for the last time, occupied by only two men. When I woke up in the night from a short sleep, I noticed that the ordinary seaman from the prize command was lying far behind and had drowned. We took off his life jacket and removed the body from the raft. We drifted through the night and the following day. Towards evening I noticed a cloud of smoke and fired flares. I had already done this now and again during the previous night, but to no avail. The steamer immediately turned towards us and picked us up. It was the steamer Sachsenwald. When we were picked up, we were told that it was 10:45 p.m. I drew the captain's attention to the second raft, which was also found the following evening. The raft, however, was empty."

The weather observation ship Sachsenwald was already on its way back from a 50-day sea voyage when it sailed to the Bismarck's location on the night of May 27, 1941. The next morning, the Sachsenwald reached the sea area and began the search for survivors of the battleship, which had since sunk. Sub-Lieutenant (S) Wilhelm Schütte, the commander of the Sachsenwald, later wrote in his report: "We steamed in large turns of 90 and 270 degrees to the right. At 1300 hours we sighted thin streaks of oil and we headed north along this streak. After 10 minutes we spotted the metal bag of a German gas mask, after another 3-4 nautical miles we spotted numerous bodies with life jackets, wreckage and empty life jackets. At the same time we spotted 2 submarines. We drove back and forth through the debris field, but there were no survivors to be seen." After the unsuccessful search, the weather observation ship continued its search further south. Here too, the crew occasionally came across bodies, life jackets and wreckage. Then they were successful: "When it got dark at 2225, we spotted three red luminous stars very close to us, 2-3 nautical miles away, just on the port side. We immediately turned towards the spot," wrote Sub-Lieutenant (S) Wilhelm Schütte and continued: "I could now see through a night glass that it was a raft with two men. After we came within range, the first question was, where are you Germans? When the answer was yes, both shouted hurrah as much as their strength allowed. At 2245 we had the raft alongside. The two men were very exhausted. My crew lifted them on board using two Jacob's ladders. (Two of my men had stood on the Jacob's ladder up to the waterline.) On board, the survivors were given dry, warm clothing, the salt water was washed from their faces and they were laid in a bunk."

Walter Lorenzen and Otto Maus together with their rescuer, Sub-Lieutenant (S) Ernst Wilhelm Schütte (middle), Captain of the weather observation ship Sachsenwald, in Paris

Walter Lorenzen and Otto Maus together with their rescuer, Sub-Lieutenant (S) Ernst Wilhelm Schütte (middle), Captain of the weather observation ship Sachsenwald, in Paris

As Otto Maus and Walter Lorenzen had observed another raft the day before, the Sachsenwald stayed overnight despite a lack of provisions and continued the search the next day. In the evening they came across an empty raft, which was taken on board. Otto Maus, who had recovered somewhat in the meantime, was able to identify it as a raft from the Bismarck. This dashed any hope of finding any more survivors. During the night the Sachsenwald encountered the Spanish cruiser Canarias, which had also rushed to rescue shipwreck survivors, and then began the return journey itself. The dwindling provisions were replenished the following day by outpost boats. Without further incident, they reached the Gironde estuary on June 1, 1941. The two rescued people were taken to a motorboat and brought to Royan, while the Sachsenwald headed for Bordeaux.


















7 His hometown of Schönebeck on the Elbe was in the GDR after the war.

Otto Maus and Walter Lorenzen were driven to Paris, where they met the three other crew members of the Bismarck who had been rescued by a submarine. They had already been in the city for two days. The two new arrivals fell ill, which delayed their interrogation by the Naval Group Command West. After this was finally completed, the five were awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class by General Admiral Alfred Saalwächter. They stayed in Paris for around ten days — a time that Otto Maus would never forget, as he wrote in a letter shortly afterwards. The five were flown to Berlin in a Ju 52, where they were to be introduced to Hitler, but this never happened. This was followed by a three-week special leave at home. Afterwards the four of them (Walter Lorenzen was assigned to another position as a machinist) met again in the transit company in Kiel-Friedrichsort. For them the war continued. Otto Maus reported for the submarine force. Unfortunately, it is not known what happened next in his service. In any case, he survived the war and found a new home in the Federal Republic of Germany in Pullheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, near Cologne7. Otto Maus died on April 22, 1986 at the age of 66.

 

You can read the story of ordinary seaman, 1st class Otto Maus on page 62 in Volume 1.3 of our book Battleship Bismarck – the True Face of a Warship.

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Battleship Bismarck - The True Face of a warship Volume 1.3
 
 

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