Franz Machon
Encyclopedia
Matrosengefreiter
Franz Machon (polish Franciszek Machoń) (born March 18, 1918) was the only survivor of the sunken German
submarine U-512, and one of few World War II
U-Boat survivors. His story strikes remarkable similarities with Klaus Bargsten
of U-521. After his capture, Franz agreed to help the United States Navy
observe behaviour characteristics of fellow German P.O.W.
s.
to John and Anna Machon, two Polish
commoners. In his early years he worked as a streetcar conductor while attending school. He married a woman named Mary Munik (Maria Munik) who gave birth to a son (his son was 15 months when he was captured).
After the Nazi
invasion of Poland
, Machon found himself drafted into the Pioneer Corp. He later requested to be transferred to the Kriegsmarine
in Hamburg
for submarine
training.
(in position 06.50N, 52.25W) U-512 was intercepted by depth charges from an American B-18 A aircraft (US Army Bomb. Sqdn. 99). The German submarine
quickly filled with water, and left the entire crew panicking in fear. Soon, the entire cabin was filled with chlorine gas and the crewmen began to cough. (It was guessed that the chlorine
gas was produced from the batteries of electric torpedoes.) A short time previously it had been discovered that the escape lungs had been improperly stowed and that the majority of them had become wet from a buildup of condensation in the boat. Soon, air pressure in the compartment began to mount and speech became very difficult. Men were beginning to collapse rapidly from the combined effects of chlorine
and high pressure. Others were starting to bleed from their mouth and from their ears in agony.
In the next several minutes, tragedy would claim all 51 crewmen except for one, Machon. He and a boatswain's mate decided to attempt to open the torpedo loading hatch rather than die from the gas. Because his crewmate had no snorkel, he let him go first and quickly followed. After exiting the boat, his crewmate got confused with the direction to the surface and swam horizontally, only to lose himself between the hull and the superstructure. Upon reaching the surface, Machon swam around for roughly 1.5 hours unsuccessfully looking for his partner until an inflated life-jacket was dropped to him from a circling airplane from the 99th bombing squadron. This was soon followed by a drop of a thermos outfitted with water, a signal pistol, paddles and about 200 feet of rope.
provided by the aircraft was his only form of shelter for the next 10 days. Several times, Franz unsuccessfully attempted to attract the attention of various tankers
and passing aircraft by firing his signal pistol. In order to escape the heat he would usually swim in the water during midday.
On the ninth day at sea, on his raft he was attacked by seabirds which pecked him on the shoulders so violently that it left him permanent scars. He managed to capture two of the birds, which he split and dried them in the sun. Because of his provisions has been running low, he later decided to eat them, complaining slightly of their fishy taste to his interrogator.
Machon, now helpless and facing the verge of death, etched his name into the paddle so that his body could be identified.
The day following he was rescued by the United States destroyer, USS Ellis
(DD-154) at position 07.50 N - 56.05 W on October 12, 1942.
On October 19, 1942 he was formally interrogated. At first he was very nervous giving details to the Navy officials, but then opened up after realizing Nazi propaganda about Allied torture was false in P.O.W. interrogation methods. During his stay he helped Navy officials gather intelligence data on other prisoners, and was extremely co-operative to his captors. After being relieved from his duties, he stayed at Fort Hunt until his release.
, Poland
. Today, not much is known about Machon except for his miraculous story detailed in his interrogation on the Ellis. Since his release in 1945, no word from him or his family has surfaced as of yet. If he is still alive today, then his whereabouts are unknown.
Gefreiter
Gefreiter is the German, Swiss and Austrian equivalent for the military rank Private . Gefreiter was the lowest rank to which an ordinary soldier could be promoted. As a military rank it has existed since at least the 16th century...
Franz Machon (polish Franciszek Machoń) (born March 18, 1918) was the only survivor of the sunken German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarine U-512, and one of few World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
U-Boat survivors. His story strikes remarkable similarities with Klaus Bargsten
Klaus Bargsten
Klaus Bargsten was the captain and sole survivor of sunken U-521. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.-Early life:Bargsten was born on October...
of U-521. After his capture, Franz agreed to help the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
observe behaviour characteristics of fellow German P.O.W.
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s.
Early life
Machon was born in Kattowitz (Katowice)Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
to John and Anna Machon, two Polish
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
commoners. In his early years he worked as a streetcar conductor while attending school. He married a woman named Mary Munik (Maria Munik) who gave birth to a son (his son was 15 months when he was captured).
After the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, Machon found himself drafted into the Pioneer Corp. He later requested to be transferred to the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
for submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
training.
Sinking
On October 2, 1942 several hundred kilometers north of CayenneCayenne
Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"...
(in position 06.50N, 52.25W) U-512 was intercepted by depth charges from an American B-18 A aircraft (US Army Bomb. Sqdn. 99). The German submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
quickly filled with water, and left the entire crew panicking in fear. Soon, the entire cabin was filled with chlorine gas and the crewmen began to cough. (It was guessed that the chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
gas was produced from the batteries of electric torpedoes.) A short time previously it had been discovered that the escape lungs had been improperly stowed and that the majority of them had become wet from a buildup of condensation in the boat. Soon, air pressure in the compartment began to mount and speech became very difficult. Men were beginning to collapse rapidly from the combined effects of chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
and high pressure. Others were starting to bleed from their mouth and from their ears in agony.
In the next several minutes, tragedy would claim all 51 crewmen except for one, Machon. He and a boatswain's mate decided to attempt to open the torpedo loading hatch rather than die from the gas. Because his crewmate had no snorkel, he let him go first and quickly followed. After exiting the boat, his crewmate got confused with the direction to the surface and swam horizontally, only to lose himself between the hull and the superstructure. Upon reaching the surface, Machon swam around for roughly 1.5 hours unsuccessfully looking for his partner until an inflated life-jacket was dropped to him from a circling airplane from the 99th bombing squadron. This was soon followed by a drop of a thermos outfitted with water, a signal pistol, paddles and about 200 feet of rope.
The Raft
The raftRaft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
provided by the aircraft was his only form of shelter for the next 10 days. Several times, Franz unsuccessfully attempted to attract the attention of various tankers
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
and passing aircraft by firing his signal pistol. In order to escape the heat he would usually swim in the water during midday.
On the ninth day at sea, on his raft he was attacked by seabirds which pecked him on the shoulders so violently that it left him permanent scars. He managed to capture two of the birds, which he split and dried them in the sun. Because of his provisions has been running low, he later decided to eat them, complaining slightly of their fishy taste to his interrogator.
Machon, now helpless and facing the verge of death, etched his name into the paddle so that his body could be identified.
The day following he was rescued by the United States destroyer, USS Ellis
USS Ellis (DD-154)
USS Ellis was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War II. She was reclassified AG-115 on 30 June 1945. She was the second ship named for Chief Yeoman George Henry Ellis....
(DD-154) at position 07.50 N - 56.05 W on October 12, 1942.
Interrogation
When Machon was rescued, the interrogators gave some time for him to recover his health. When he was found, he was severely sunburned and had food deprivation.On October 19, 1942 he was formally interrogated. At first he was very nervous giving details to the Navy officials, but then opened up after realizing Nazi propaganda about Allied torture was false in P.O.W. interrogation methods. During his stay he helped Navy officials gather intelligence data on other prisoners, and was extremely co-operative to his captors. After being relieved from his duties, he stayed at Fort Hunt until his release.
Release
On April 16, 1945 he was handed to the Polish authorities. He then settled with his wife and child in WirekWirek
Wirek is a district of the southern Polish city of Ruda Śląska.Originally, it was a part of a village called Nowa Wieś, but separated in 1828. Wirek has been an industrial center since early nineteenth century; its first factory - Antonienhütte ironworks, was opened in 1805. In the second half of...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Today, not much is known about Machon except for his miraculous story detailed in his interrogation on the Ellis. Since his release in 1945, no word from him or his family has surfaced as of yet. If he is still alive today, then his whereabouts are unknown.