Bernd Klug

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Bernd Klug
BerndKlug.jpg
Born (1914-12-12)12 December 1914
Wuppertal
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Kiel
Allegiance  Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service/branch  Kriegsmarine
 German Navy
Years of service 1933–1945, 1956–1968
Rank Korvettenkapitän (Wehrmacht)
Flottillenadmiral (Bundeswehr)
Unit SSS Gorch Fock
Karlsruhe
Nürnberg
Köln
1. Schnellbootflottille
Commands held 5. Schnellbootflottille
Battles/wars Spanish Civil War
World War II
Awards Spanish Cross in Bronze
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Bernd Georg Wilhelm Klug (12 December 1914 – 15 June 1975) was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and later a Flottillenadmiral with the Bundesmarine. He is also a recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Korvettenkapitän Klug led E-boats (Schnellboote) on 28 April 1944 in an attack against Convoy T-4 consisting of LSTs during the Allied large-scale rehearsals for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, dubbed Exercise Tiger. During the attack, German E-boats sank USS LST-507 and 531, and damaged 289, resulting in the deaths of 749 American servicemen.

Career

Klug joined the Reichsmarine on 1 April 1933 as a member of "Crew 1933" (the incoming class of 1933) where he received his basic military infantry training with the II. Schiff-Stamm-Abteilung der Ostsee (2nd department of the standing ship division) of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund.[Note 1] He was transferred to the school ship SSS Gorch Fock on 30 June 1933 for his on board training.[1] Here he was promoted to Seekadett (Midshipman) on 23 September 1933.[2] He was then transferred to the light cruiser Karlsruhe on 24 September 1933.[1]

Klug sailed on Karlsruhe's third training cruise. Karlsruhe left Wilhelmshaven on 14 October 1933. The ship first sailed to the Mediterranean Sea and then to East Asia where they stopped at Kalkutta, Padang and Soerabaja. The journey went on to Brisbane and Apia, via Honolulu and Tacoma to San Diego in the United States, then through the Panama Canal to Boston and A Pobra do Caramiñal, Spain. Karlsruhe returned to Kiel on 16 June 1934.[3] While stationed on Karlsruhe, he advanced in rank to Gefreiter on 1 April 1934.[2]

He was then posted to the Naval Academy at Mürwik on 28 June 1934. Following a brief vacation, he started the main cadet course at the Naval Academy in Mürwik on 12 July 1934.[1][Tr 1] During his vacation he was promoted to Fähnrich zur See (officer cadet) on 1 July 1931.[2] The main cadet course lasted until 18 April 1935 and was interrupted by two navigational training cruises, the first on the tender Nordsee (10–16 October 1934) and the tender Saar (31 January – 6 February 1935).[1]

Battle of Lyme Bay

S-204 on 13 May 1945, similar to those led by Klug.

On 28 April 1944 Klug led six E-boats of the 5th Schnellbootflottille across the English Channel. The Germans had received signals of Allied naval operations in the Lyme Bay. Klug led the attack in groups of two, S-100 and S-143, S-140 and S-142, and S-136 and S-138. His force was augmented by additional three boats from the 5th Schnellbootflottille, S-130, S-145 and S-150, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Götz Freiherr von Mirbach.[4]

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
28 April 1944 Deutsche Schnellbootgruppen unter Führung von Korvettenkapitän Klug und Kapitänleutnant von Mirbach versenkten in den Morgenstunden des 28. April an der englischen Südküste aus einem von Zerstörern und zahlreichen Kleinkampfschiffen gesicherten Geleitzug drei Schiffe mit zusammen 9100 BRT und torpedierten ein weiteres von 200 BRT, mit dessen Sinken zu rechnen ist. Im Verlauf der harten Gefechte wurde ferner ein Zerstörer torpediert, dessen Untergang infolge der einsetzenden Abwehr nicht beobachtet werden konnte, jedoch mit Sicherheit anzunehmen ist. Die eigenen Verbände kehrten ohne Beschädigungen und Personalausfälle in ihre Stützpunkte zurück.[7] In the early morning hours of 28 April off the southern coast of England, German fast attack craft under the leadership of Korvettenkapitän Klug and Kapitänleutnant von Mirbach sank three ships totaling 9100 GRT from a convoy defended by destroyers and numerous smaller combat vessels; a further vessel of 200 GRT was torpedoed and assumed to have been sunk. During the course of the hard fought battle a destroyer was also torpedoed; its sinking could not be observed due to the resistance that had commenced, but can assumed with certainty. Our units returned to their bases without damage nor loss of personnel.

Translation notes

  1. main cadet course—Hauptlehrgang für Fähnriche

Notes

  1. The German Reichsmarine was renamed to Kriegsmarine on 1 June 1935.

References

Citation
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dörr 1995, p. 339.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Dörr 1995, p. 340.
  3. Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz 1993, v. 5., p. 89.
  4. Hoyt 1999, p. 97.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Thomas 1997, p. 377.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 451.
  7. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 90.
Bibliography
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External links

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Military offices
Preceded by
none
Commander of 5. Schnellbootflottille
15 July 1941 – 1 June 1944
Succeeded by
Kapitänleutnant Kurt Johannsen
Preceded by Commander of Kommando der Schnellboote
1962 – 1964
Succeeded by
Jens Matzen
Preceded by
Kapitän zur See Karl Schneider-Pungs
Commander of the Naval Academy Mürwik
1 October 1966 – 31 March 1968
Succeeded by
Kapitän zur See Reinhard Ostertag