Rolf Mützelburg
Encyclopedia
Kapitänleutnant 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
. 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.
. He commissioned into 1st U-boat Flotilla in February 1941. On his eight patrols in the Atlantic and off the US east coast, as well as in the Caribbean Sea, he sank 19 ships for a total of , and damaged three more (17,052 GRT).
Mützelburg died on 11 September 1942 in a freak accident. Taking the opportunity to go swimming in the Atlantic south-west of the Azores
, he dived from the conning tower
, but struck the deck head-first when the U-boat suddenly lurched in the swell
. The supply U-boat
arrived the next day with a doctor on board, but too late, and Mützelburg was buried at sea on 12 September 1942.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
commander during 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...
and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. 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.
Career
Mützelburg joined the Kriegsmarine on 1 April 1932. After spending two years on minesweepers, he joined the U-boat arm in October 1939. He spent five months commanding the school boat from June to November 1940 as part of 21st U-boat Flotilla, receiving his first combat experience aboard under Joachim SchepkeJoachim Schepke
Lieutenant-Commander Joachim Schepke was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the seventh recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme...
. He commissioned into 1st U-boat Flotilla in February 1941. On his eight patrols in the Atlantic and off the US east coast, as well as in the Caribbean Sea, he sank 19 ships for a total of , and damaged three more (17,052 GRT).
Mützelburg died on 11 September 1942 in a freak accident. Taking the opportunity to go swimming in the Atlantic south-west of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, he dived from the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
, but struck the deck head-first when the U-boat suddenly lurched in the swell
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...
. The supply U-boat
German Type XIV submarine
The Type XIV U-boat was a modification of the Type IXD, designed to resupply other U-boats. They were nicknamed "Milchkuh/Milchkühe " . They had no torpedo tubes or deck guns, only anti-aircraft guns. Due to its large size, the Type XIV could resupply other boats with 400 tons of fuel, four...
arrived the next day with a doctor on board, but too late, and Mützelburg was buried at sea on 12 September 1942.
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (1 July 1941)
- 1st Class (1 July 1941)
- U-boat War BadgeU-boat War BadgeThe U-Boat War Badge was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II.-History:The U-boat War Badge was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols...
(1939) (1 July 1941) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 17 November 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-203
- 104th Oak Leaves on 15 July 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-203
- Mentioned three times in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 30 July 1941, 20 April 1942 and 15 September 1942