Karl Thurmann

Karl Thurmann
Born 4 September 1909(1909-09-04)
Mühlheim, Ruhr
Died 20 January 1943(1943-01-20) (aged 33)
North Atlantic
Allegiance  Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1928–1943
Rank Korvettenkapitän
Unit 7th U-boat Flotilla
3rd U-boat Flotilla
Commands held U-553
(23 December 1940–20 January 1943)
Battles/wars

World War II
Awards Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class
U-boat War Badge
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl Thurmann (4 September 1909 in Mühlheim, Ruhr—20 January 1943 in the North Atlantic) 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.[1]

Contents

Career

Thurmann joined the Reichsmarine in April 1928, serving aboard the light cruisers Emden and Köln, and also spending 18 months in a coastal artillery unit. In April 1940 he transferred to the U-boat force.[1]

After training, and sailing on a patrol as Kommandantenschüler (Commander-in-Training") aboard U-29 under Otto Schuhart, Thurmann commissioned the Type VIIC U-boat U-553 on 23 December 1940. Thurmann took U-553 out on nine patrols in 1941 and 1942, mostly in the North Atlantic, but also on the US east coast and in the Caribbean, and sank 13 merchant ships totalling 64,612 tons, and damaged two more (15,273 tons).[1]

On 16 January 1943 Thurmann left La Pallice, France, on his tenth patrol. On 20 January he sent the radio message: Seerohr unklar ("Periscope not clear"). U-553 was never heard from again and her fate remains a mystery.[1]

Awards

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
Friday, 22 May 1942 Bei den Erfolgen in amerikanischen Gewässern haben sich Boote unter Führung der Kapitänleutnante Thurmann, Würdemann und Folkers besonders ausgezeichnet.[5] Boats under the commands of the Kapitänleutnants Thurmann, Würdemann und Folkers distinguished themselves in the success in the American Waters.

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d "Korvettenkapitän Karl Thurmann". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/thurmann.htm. Retrieved 7 May 2010. 
  2. ^ Busch and Röll 2003, p. 250.
  3. ^ a b c Busch and Röll 2003, p. 251.
  4. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 744.
  5. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, p. 138.
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 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 3-8132-0515-0.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Kurowski, Franz. Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1995. ISBN 0-88740-748-X.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

External links