Karl Eibl

Karl Eibl
Born	23 July 1891 Bad Goisern, Upper Austria, Austria-Hungary
Died	21 January 1943 (aged 51) near Nowy-Georgijewskija, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Austria-Hungary (to 1918) First Austrian Republic (to 1938)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–43
Rank	General der Infanterie (posthumously promoted)
Commands held	385. Infanterie Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Karl Franz Eibl (23 July 1891 – 21 January 1943) was a German general during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Eibel was killed on 21 January 1943 at Nowy-Georgijewskija, northwest of Stalingrad, when some Italian soldiers mistook his command vehicle for a Russian armored car and blew it up with hand grenades.^[1]

Awards

Austro-Hungarian Empire and Austrian Republic

• Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Military Merit Medals in Silver and Bronze
• Karl Troop Cross
• Wound Medal (Austria-Hungary)
• Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords

German Third Reich

• Sudetenland Medal
• Eastern Front Medal
• Infantry Assault Badge^[2]
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black^[2]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (23 September 1939)^[3]
  • 1st Class (5 November 1939)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 15 August 1940 as Oberstleutnant and commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 131^{[4][5][Note 1]}
  • 50th Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 132^[4][7][8]
  • 21st Swords on 19 December 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of 385. Infanterie-Division^[4][9][10]

Notes

1. According to Von Seemen as commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 131 (later commander of Infanterie-Regiment 132).^[6]

References

Citations

1. Mitcham 2007, p. 89.
2. Berger 1999, p. 68.
3. Thomas 1997, p. 148.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 290.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 170, 489.
6. Von Seemen 1976, p. 118.
7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 56.
8. Von Seemen 1976, p. 27.
9. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 40.
10. Von Seemen 1976, p. 14.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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.
• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). Rommel's Desert Commanders — The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941–42. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3510-9.
• 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4.
• Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross, Oak-Leaves and Swords Recipients 1941–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-643-0.
• Frey, Gerhard; Herrmann, Hajo: Helden der Wehrmacht III - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2007. ISBN 978-3-924309-82-4.

External links

• "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern". Karl Eibl. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
• "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945". Karl Eibl. Retrieved 5 March 2008.