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{{Infobox person | {{Infobox military person|image=August Sorko 2.jpg|birth_place=[[Klagenfurt]], [[Duchy of Carinthia (976–1918)|Carinthia]], [[Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867–1918)|Austria-Hungary]]|death_place=[[Makhnivka, Khmilnyk Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast|Komsomolske]], [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991)|Ukrainian SSR]], [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)|Soviet Union]]|birth_date=8 August 1891|death_date=19 July 1941 (age 49)|rank=''[[Oberstleutnant]]''|commands=2nd "Sorko" Battalion, 137th Mountain Jäger Regiment|name=August Sorko|allegiance=Austria Hungary (1912–1918)<br>[[Republic of German-Austria (1918–1919)|German-Austria]] (1918–1919)<br>[[Republic of Austria (1919–1934)|First Austrian Republic]] (1919–1934)<br>[[Federal State of Austria (1934–1938)|Federal State of Austria]] (1934–1938)<br>[[German Reich (1933–1945)|Nazi Germany]] (1938–1945)|serviceyears=1912–1941|unit=[[Alpine Jäger Regiment No. 11]]<br>[[137th Mountain Jäger Regiment]]|battles=* [[First World War|World War I]] | ||
** [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]] | |||
*** [[Battle of Galicia]] | |||
** [[Italian front (World War I)]] | |||
* [[Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia]] | |||
* [[July Putsch]] | |||
* [[Second World War|World War II]] | |||
** [[Invasion of Poland]] | |||
*** [[Battle of Lwów (1939)|Battle of Lwów]] | |||
** [[Operation Weserübung|Invasion of Norway]] | |||
*** [[Battles of Narvik]] | |||
** [[Invasion of Yugoslavia]] | |||
** [[Operation Barbarossa]]|branch=[[Imperial-Royal Landwehr]] (1912–1918)<br>''[[Volkswehr]]'' (1919)<br>''[[Bundesheer (1920–1938|Bundesheer]]'' (1920–1938)<br>''[[Wehrmacht]]'' (1938–1941)|awards=[[Carinthian Cross]]<br>[[Imperial Order of the Iron Crown]]<br>[[Iron Cross]] (2)<br>[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]<br>[[Medal for Bravery (Austria)|Silver Medal for Bravery]]|nickname=The Victor of [[Hellemobotn]] (''Der Sieger von Helemoboten'')}} | |||
'''Franz August Sorko''' (8 August 1891 – 19 July 1941) was an [[Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867–1918)|Austrian]] | '''Franz August Sorko''' (8 August 1891 – 19 July 1941) was an [[Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867–1918)|Austrian]] soldier and composer who served in both [[World War|World Wars]]. He participated in the [[German invasion of Poland|German invasions of Poland]] (1939), [[Operation Weserübung|Norway]] (1940), [[Invasion of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] (1941), and the [[Operation Barbarossa|Soviet Union]] (1941) as the commander of the 2nd Battalion (nicknamed the "Sorko Group" or the "Sorko Battalion" after him) of the [[137th Mountain Jäger Regiment]].<ref>https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Gebirgsjagerregimenter/GJR137-R.htm</ref> Sorko died on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] on 19 July 1941, almost a month into Operation Barbarossa.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=|newspaper=[[Völkischer Beobachter]]|title=Gau Kärnten|date=1941-08-01|url=https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=vob&datum=19410801&seite=5&zoom=33|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201054250/https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=vob&datum=19410801&seite=5&zoom=33|archive-date=2023-02-01|retrieved=2023-02-01}}</ref> Afterwards his death was used by the [[National Socialist German Workers' Party|Nazis]] for propaganda purposes.<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|newspaper=Völkischer Beobachter|title=August Sorko, der Sieger von Helemoboten|date=1941-07-30|url=https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=vob&datum=19410730&seite=5&zoom=33|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407150056/https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=vob&datum=19410730&seite=5&zoom=33|archive-date=2024-04-07|retrieved=2024-04-07}}</ref> | ||
== Life == | == Life == | ||
Franz August Sorko was born on 8 August 1891 in Klagenfurt, Austria-Hungary. He was the son of a merchant.<ref name=":1" /> | Franz August Sorko was born on 8 August 1891 in [[Klagenfurt]], Austria-Hungary. He was the son of a merchant.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
Sorko joined the [[ | Sorko joined the [[Imperial-Royal Landwehr|Austrian ''Landwehr'']] on 10 October 1912 at the age of 21, being assigned to the [[4th Landwehr Infantry Regiment (Carinthia)|4th Landwehr Infantry Regiment]], later renamed the [[Mountain Rifle Regiment No. 1]]. During [[First World War|World War I]], he fought in [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]] and later on the [[Italian front (World War I)|Italian front]], where he was injured by a shot to the lung. In 1915 he was promoted to ''Leutnant'' and in 1916 ''Oberleutnant''. He won several awards for bravery and leadership during the war, including the [[Medal for Bravery (Austria)|Silver Medal for Bravery (1st class)]] and the [[Imperial Order of the Iron Crown|Order of the Iron Crown (3rd class with war decoration and swords)]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Kärntner Tagblatt|title=Kriegsauszeichnung|date=1918-02-27|url=https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=knz&datum=19180227&seite=4&zoom=33}}</ref> | ||
After the war, Sorko | After the war, Sorko participated in the [[Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia]] on the side of the Austrian government, leading his men to victory in [[Ferlach]], [[Sankt Margareten im Rosental]], and [[Eisenkappel]]. For this he was awarded the [[Carinthian Cross|Carinthian Cross for Bravery]]. In 1921 he was promoted to ''Hauptmann'' and later he was promoted to ''Major''. After the [[Anschluss|German occupation of Austria in 1938]], Sorko joined the ''[[Wehrmacht]]'', commanding the 2nd Battalion of the newly-formed 137th Mountain Jäger Regiment. That same year, Sorko, now an ''Oberstleutnant'', took part in the [[Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|German occupation of the Sudetenland]].<ref name=":1" /> | ||
During the Polish Campaign, Sorko fought at the [[Battle of Lwów (1939)|Battle of Lwów]], where he distinguished himself, earning the [[Iron Cross]], 1st and 2nd class. Sorko proved himself once again | During the Polish Campaign, Sorko fought at the [[Battle of Lwów (1939)|Battle of Lwów]], where he distinguished himself, earning the [[Iron Cross]], 1st and 2nd class. Sorko proved himself once again during the [[Norwegian campaign]], for which he was awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]. In 1941 he was promoted to ''Oberst''. He participated in the [[Invasion of Yugoslavia|Axis invasion of Yugoslavia]], invading the country from [[Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)|Bulgaria]].<ref name=":1" /> He was later promoted to ''Oberstleutnant''. | ||
Sorko took part in Operation Barbarossa. He died in [[Makhnivka, Khmilnyk Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast|Komsomolske]] on 19 July 1941. | Sorko took part in [[Operation Barbarossa]]. He died in [[Makhnivka, Khmilnyk Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast|Komsomolske]] in [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991)|Ukraine]] on 19 July 1941. A street in [[Spittal an der Drau]] was named ''August-Sorko-Straße'' in his honour.<ref>"[https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=vob&datum=19411209&seite=4&zoom=33 August Sorko in Spittal an der Drau]" (1941-12-09). ''Völkischer Beobachter''. Retrieved 2024-09-22.</ref> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | |||
File:August Sorko 1.png|Photo of Sorko published in the ''Völkischer Beobachter'' | |||
File:August Sorko 3.jpg | |||
</gallery> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 22: | Line 36: | ||
[[Category:1891 births]] | [[Category:1891 births]] | ||
[[Category:1941 deaths]] | [[Category:1941 deaths]] | ||
[[Category:Austrian military personnel]] | |||
[[Category:Austrian military personnel of the Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia]] | |||
[[Category:Austrian military personnel of World War II]] | |||
[[Category:Austro-Hungarian military personnel]] | |||
[[Category:Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I]] | |||
[[Category:Hauptleute]] | |||
[[Category:People from Klagenfurt]] | [[Category:People from Klagenfurt]] | ||
[[Category:Recipients of the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown (3rd Class)]] | [[Category:Recipients of the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown (3rd Class) with war decoration and swords]] | ||
[[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 1st class]] | [[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 1st class]] | ||
[[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 2nd class]] | [[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 2nd class]] | ||
[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] | [[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] | ||
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Medal for Bravery (Austria), 1st class]] | [[Category:Recipients of the Silver Medal for Bravery (Austria), 1st class]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:44, 23 September 2024
August Sorko | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | The Victor of Hellemobotn (Der Sieger von Helemoboten) |
| Born | 8 August 1891 Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 19 July 1941 (age 49) Komsomolske, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | Austria Hungary (1912–1918) German-Austria (1918–1919) First Austrian Republic (1919–1934) Federal State of Austria (1934–1938) Nazi Germany (1938–1945) |
| Service/ | Imperial-Royal Landwehr (1912–1918) Volkswehr (1919) Bundesheer (1920–1938) Wehrmacht (1938–1941) |
| Years of service | 1912–1941 |
| Rank | Oberstleutnant |
| Unit | Alpine Jäger Regiment No. 11 137th Mountain Jäger Regiment |
| Commands held | 2nd "Sorko" Battalion, 137th Mountain Jäger Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Carinthian Cross Imperial Order of the Iron Crown Iron Cross (2) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Silver Medal for Bravery |
Franz August Sorko (8 August 1891 – 19 July 1941) was an Austrian soldier and composer who served in both World Wars. He participated in the German invasions of Poland (1939), Norway (1940), Yugoslavia (1941), and the Soviet Union (1941) as the commander of the 2nd Battalion (nicknamed the "Sorko Group" or the "Sorko Battalion" after him) of the 137th Mountain Jäger Regiment.[1] Sorko died on the Eastern Front on 19 July 1941, almost a month into Operation Barbarossa.[2] Afterwards his death was used by the Nazis for propaganda purposes.[3]
Life[edit | edit source]
Franz August Sorko was born on 8 August 1891 in Klagenfurt, Austria-Hungary. He was the son of a merchant.[3]
Sorko joined the Austrian Landwehr on 10 October 1912 at the age of 21, being assigned to the 4th Landwehr Infantry Regiment, later renamed the Mountain Rifle Regiment No. 1. During World War I, he fought in Galicia and later on the Italian front, where he was injured by a shot to the lung. In 1915 he was promoted to Leutnant and in 1916 Oberleutnant. He won several awards for bravery and leadership during the war, including the Silver Medal for Bravery (1st class) and the Order of the Iron Crown (3rd class with war decoration and swords).[3][4]
After the war, Sorko participated in the Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia on the side of the Austrian government, leading his men to victory in Ferlach, Sankt Margareten im Rosental, and Eisenkappel. For this he was awarded the Carinthian Cross for Bravery. In 1921 he was promoted to Hauptmann and later he was promoted to Major. After the German occupation of Austria in 1938, Sorko joined the Wehrmacht, commanding the 2nd Battalion of the newly-formed 137th Mountain Jäger Regiment. That same year, Sorko, now an Oberstleutnant, took part in the German occupation of the Sudetenland.[3]
During the Polish Campaign, Sorko fought at the Battle of Lwów, where he distinguished himself, earning the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class. Sorko proved himself once again during the Norwegian campaign, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In 1941 he was promoted to Oberst. He participated in the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, invading the country from Bulgaria.[3] He was later promoted to Oberstleutnant.
Sorko took part in Operation Barbarossa. He died in Komsomolske in Ukraine on 19 July 1941. A street in Spittal an der Drau was named August-Sorko-Straße in his honour.[5]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Photo of Sorko published in the Völkischer Beobachter
-
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Gebirgsjagerregimenter/GJR137-R.htm
- ↑ "Gau Kärnten" (1941-08-01). Völkischer Beobachter. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "August Sorko, der Sieger von Helemoboten" (1941-07-30). Völkischer Beobachter. Archived from the original on 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ↑ "Kriegsauszeichnung" (1918-02-27). Kärntner Tagblatt.
- ↑ "August Sorko in Spittal an der Drau" (1941-12-09). Völkischer Beobachter. Retrieved 2024-09-22.