Rolf Mützelburg
Rolf Mützelburg | |
---|---|
Born | Kiel | 23 June 1913
Died | 11 September 1942 U-203, Atlantic Ocean, off Azores 36°14′N 31°21′W / 36.233°N 31.350°W | (aged 29)
Allegiance | Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
Service/ | Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1931–42 |
Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
Unit | 21st U-boat Flotilla 1st U-boat Flotilla |
Commands held | U-10 U-203 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Rolf Mützelburg (23 June 1913 – 11 September 1942) was a German U-boat commander during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Mützelburg died on active service on 11 September 1942 following an accident at sea.
Career[]
Mützelburg joined the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic on 1 April 1932 as member of "Crew 32" (the incoming class of 1932). After spending two years on minesweepers, in October 1939 he joined the U-boat arm.[1] He spent five months commanding the school boat U-10 from June to November 1940 as part of 21st U-boat Flotilla,[2] receiving his first combat experience aboard U-100 under Joachim Schepke. He commissioned U-203 into 1st U-boat Flotilla in February 1941. On his eight patrols in the Atlantic, the US east coast, and the Caribbean Sea, he sank 19 ships for a total of 81,961 gross register tons (GRT), and damaged three more (17,052 GRT).[1]
Mützelburg died on 11 September 1942 in a freak accident. He was swimming in the Atlantic south-west of the Azores, and dived from the conning tower, but struck the deck head-first when the U-boat suddenly lurched in the swell. The supply U-boat U-462 arrived the next day with a doctor on board, but too late, and Mützelburg was buried at sea on 12 September 1942.[1]
Summary of career[]
Ships attacked[]
Date | Ship | Nationality | GRT | Convoy | Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 June 1941 | Kinross | United Kingdom | 4,956 | OB-336 | Sunk |
24 June 1941 | Soløy | Norway | 4,402 | HX-133 | Sunk |
27 July 1941 | Hawkinge | United Kingdom | 2,475 | OG-69 | Sunk |
28 July 1941 | Lapland | United Kingdom | 1,330 | OG-69 | Sunk |
28 July 1941 | Norita | Sweden | 1,516 | OG-69 | Sunk |
26 September 1941 | Avoceta | United Kingdom | 3,442 | HG-73 | Sunk |
26 September 1941 | Lapwing | United Kingdom | 1,348 | HG-73 | Sunk |
26 September 1941 | Varangberg | Norway | 2,842 | HG-73 | Sunk |
3 November 1941 | Empire Gemsbuck | United Kingdom | 5,626 | SC-52 | Sunk |
3 November 1941 | Everoja | United Kingdom | 4,830 | SC-52 | Sunk |
15 January 1942 | Catalina | Portugal | 632 | Sunk | |
17 January 1942 | Octavian | Norway | 1,345 | Sunk | |
21 January 1942 | North Gaspe | Canada | 888 | Damaged | |
10 April 1942 | San Delfino | United Kingdom | 8,072 | Sunk | |
11 April 1942 | Harry F. Sinclair, Jr. | United States | 6,151 | Damaged | |
12 April 1942 | Stanvac Melbourne | Panama | 10,013 | Damaged | |
14 April 1942 | Empire Thrush | United Kingdom | 6,160 | Sunk | |
26 June 1942 | Pedrinhas | Brazil | 3,666 | Sunk | |
26 June 1942 | Putney Hill | United Kingdom | 5,216 | Sunk | |
28 June 1942 | Sam Houston | United States | 7,176 | Sunk | |
9 July 1942 | Cape Verde | United Kingdom | 6,914 | Sunk | |
11 July 1942 | Stanvac Palembang | Panama | 10,013 | Sunk |
Awards[]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (15 August 1936)[4]
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 July 1941) & 1st Class (1 July 1941)[5]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (1 July 1941)[5]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 17 November 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-203[6]
- Oak Leaves on 15 July 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-203[7]
References[]
Notes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIB U-boat U-10". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ^ A list of the commander's successes can be found in the work by Jürgen Rohwer.
- ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 156.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Busch & Röll 2003, p. 157.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 319.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 60.
Bibliography[]
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (1999). Axis submarine successes of World War Two: German, Italian, and Japanese submarine successes, 1939-1945. Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1557500298.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- 1913 births
- 1942 deaths
- Military personnel from Kiel
- German military personnel killed in World War II
- U-boat commanders (Kriegsmarine)
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Reichsmarine personnel
- People who died at sea
- People from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein