|
Germany (1915)
Sources:
Johann Hellwig †
Marinekameradschaft Bad Hersfeld
Georg Deisenroth (Head of MK Bad Hersfeld)
|
Paul Bube was born in the early hours of January 2, 1915 in Wilhelmshof, an estate near the Hesse-Nassau town of Hersfeld. His parents Heinrich and Anna Margarethe Bube worked on the estate and lived in a remote house up on the mountain. Paul Bube spent his childhood and youth here. After school and apprenticeship, he volunteered for the Reichsmarine in 1934. Unfortunately, it is not known what led him, coming from the Hessian province, to the navy. Maybe it was the prospect of a secure job in times of economic hardship. However, since the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles severely limited the military structure of the Reichswehr in terms of both material and personnel, there was a surplus of applicants. This made it all the more difficult to get into one of the coveted positions. However, Paul Bube met all the recruitment requirements and was able to begin his service in the Reichsmarine in 1934.
A seven-year career followed in which Paul Bube was promoted from sailor to sergeant. Having a career as a seaman, he later specialized in the field of artillery and came on board the Bismarck in 1940 as gun commander of the 15 cm turret port III. Here he was in command of the 30-40 man tower crew. Paul Bube went on patrol with the Bismarck on May 19, 1941. His gun took part in the battle with HMS Hood and a few days later in the last stand of Bismarck. Paul Bube shot as long as possible. Then he received the order to abandon ship. He ordered his men to comply and left the tower himself.
|
|
|
1 Hermann Budich certainly meant from the superstructure deck to the upper deck, because the battery deck was below deck.
|
Stoker 2nd Class Hermann Budich met Paul Bube shortly before disembarking. In the meantime, the scuttling measures deep in the ship's belly had long since sealed the fate of the now defenseless Bismarck. Hermann Budich reports on his last minutes on board: "The turret of the center artillery starboard III was full of dead comrades up to the lower edge of the turret. I held on to the shrouds of the companionway and slipped from the upper deck onto the battery deck1. Comrade Janzen welcomed me here. He handed me a piece of chocolate and I slowly came to. When Boatswain Bube shouted: 'Turret Dora is blowing up', we jumped into the water. My comrade helped me with this. Hurrays rang out. The Deutschlandlied died in the roar of the sea..." This was the last time that Paul Bube was seen. He did not make it onto one of the rescue British ships and died in the water. Paul Bube was 26 years old.
|
|
