| Karl-Heinz Wiebe | |
|---|---|
| File:File:Karl-Heinz Wiebe.jpg | |
| Born | 10 April 1916 |
| Died | 1 December 2012 (aged 96) |
| Place of birth | Kiel |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service | 1935–1945, 1956–1961 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves |
| Unit |
cruiser Emden aviso Grille U-9 U-67 U-178 |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Karl-Heinz Wiebe (10 April 1916 – 1 December 2012) was a German chief engineer on a U-boat in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Career[]
Wiebe was born on 10 April 1916 in Kiel, at the time in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. He joined the Reichsmarine on 3 April 1935 as an engineering cadet and underwent basic military training in the 4th company, 2nd department (4. Kompanie/II. Abteilung) of the standing ship division (Schiffsstammdivision) of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund.[Note 1] He was transferred to a U-boat training course for chief engineers (Leitender Ingenieur abbreviated LI) on 10 October 1939. Following this training on 9 December 1939 he was made chief engineer on U-9. Shortly later Wolfgang Lüth took command of U-9 on 30 December 1939. Together they sailed on six war patrols, sinking eight ships, including the French submarine Doris for which Wiebe was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross.
Awards[]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (5 April 1939)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (21 March 1940)[1]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 May 1944 as Kapitänleutnant (Ing.) and chief engineer on U-178[2]
Notes[]
- ↑ The German Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine on 1 June 1935.
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Busch, Hans-Joachim; Röll (2003) (in German). 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]. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Huß, Jürgen; Viohl, Armin (2003) (in German). 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]. 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) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
