Karl Neitzel

Karl Neitzel
Born	30 January 1901 Kolberg
Died	Kiel
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1924–45
Rank	Kapitän zur See
Unit	Minesweeper M 126 Berlin Elsaß
Commands held	Minesweeper M 75 U-510
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl Neitzel (30 January 1901 – 13 November 1966) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of U-510, Neitzel is credited with the sinking of three merchant ships totalling 14,128 gross register tons (GRT), damaging another two ships of 14,368 GRT that it had to be considered a total loss and damaging seven further ships of 49,587 GRT.

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate
2 August 1942	Maldonado	Uruguay	5,285	Sunk
10 August 1942	Alexia	United Kingdom	8,016	Damaged
19 August 1942	Cressington Court	United Kingdom	4,971	Sunk
31 October 1942	Alaska	Norway	5,681	Damaged
9 March 1943	George C. Meade	United States	7,176	Damaged
9 March 1943	James K. Polk	United States	7,177	Total loss
9 March 1943	James Smith	United States	7,181	Damaged
9 March 1943	James Rodman Drake	United States	7,181	Damaged
9 March 1943	Kelvinbank	United Kingdom	3,872	Sunk
9 March 1943	Mark Hanna	United States	7,176	Damaged
9 March 1943	Tabitha Brown	United States	7,176	Sunk
9 March 1943	Thomas Ruffin	United States	7,191	Total loss

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 2nd Class (2 October 1936)
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (10 January 1940)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 1st Class (23 March 1940)
• Minesweeper War Badge (1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (September 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 March 1943 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-510

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Korvettenkapitän Karl Weniger	Commander of the 1st Minesweeper Flotilla December 1939 – March 1941	Succeeded by Fregattenkapitän Karl Bergelt
Preceded by Korvettenkapitän Karl Jasper	Commander of the 25th U-boat Flotilla August 1943 – December 1943	Succeeded by Korvettenkapitän Robert Gysae