Rolf Mützelburg

Rolf Mützelburg
Nickname(s)	Rolfy
Born	23 June 1913 Kiel
Died	11 September 1942 (aged 29) Atlantic Ocean 36°14′N 31°21′W / 36.233°N 31.350°W
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	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 Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

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 (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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. 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 1932" (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 dove 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)^[5][6]
  • 1st Class (1 July 1941)^[5][6]
• 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^[7]
  • 104th Oak Leaves on 15 July 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-203^[8]
• Mentioned three times in the Wehrmachtbericht on 30 July 1941, 20 April 1942 and 15 September 1942

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Wednesday, 30 July 1941	In der Atlantikschlacht haben sich die Unterseeboote unter Führung von Kapitänleutnant Mützelburg, Kapitänleutnant Bauer und Oberleutnant zur See Schüler besonders ausgezeichnet.[9]	The submarines under the command of Captain Lieutenant Mützelburg, Captain Lieutenant Bauer and First Lieutenant at Sea Schüler have particularly distinguished themselves in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Monday, 20 April 1942	Bei den Erfolgen deutscher Unterseeboote vor der USA-Küste zeichnete sich das Unterseeboot unter der Führung von Kapitänleutnant Mützelburg besonders aus.[10]	In the success of German submarines off the U.S. coast, the submarine under the leadership of Captain Lieutenant Mützelburg distinguished itself from the rest.
15 September 1942	Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg, Kommandant eines Unterseebootes, Träger des Eichenlaubes zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, ließ auf der Fahrt gegen den Feind sein Leben. In ihm verliert die Unterseebootwaffe einen hervorragender Kommandanten und erfolgreichen Kämpfer. Das Boot setzt unter dem Kommando des ältesten Wachoffiziers die Unternehmung fort.[11]	Captain Lieutenant Rolf Mützelburg, U-boat commander, recipient of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, lost his life on patrol. The U-boat arm has lost an outstanding commander and a successful fighter. The boat continues her patrol under the command of the senior watch officer.

References

Notes

1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIB U-boat U-10". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
3. http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u.203/html|access date 2 February 2013
4. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 156.
5. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 157.
6. Thomas 1998, p. 109.
7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 319.
8. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 60.
9. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 628.
10. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 91.
11. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 288.

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.
• 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.
• Huß, Jürgen; Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939–1945 [The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Bearers of the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein and the Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck 1939–1945] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-79-9.
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
• Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
• 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 (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 2, 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1943] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "Rolf Mützelburg". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2015.