Allegiance Nazi Germany Rank Kapitanleutnant Service/branch Kriegsmarine | Years of service 1934–45 Name Gerd Kelbling Commands held German submarine U-593 | |
Born 12 June 1912
Salzbrunn, Silesia ( 1912-06-12 ) Unit SSS Gorch Fock
cruiser Karlsruhe
steamer Hecht
Panzerschiff Deutschland
Minesweeper M-132
U-557 Battles/wars World War II
Battle of the Atlantic
Mediterranean U-boat Campaign Died June 9, 2005, Diesen am Ammersee, Germany Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Battles and wars Battle of the Atlantic, Mediterranean U-boat Campaign, World War II | ||
Gerd Kelbling (12 June 1912 – 9 June 2005) 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. As a U-boat commander he is credited with the sinkinking of nine merchant vessels for a total of 38,290 gross register tons (GRT) and three warships for a total of 2,902 tons, including the USS Skill and HMS Tynedale. He further damaged one ship of 4,853 GRT and one warship of 1,625 tons. A further vessel of 8,426 GRT and one warship 1,625 tons were so heavily damaged that they were a total loss. U-593 was sunk on 13 December 1943 in the western Mediterranean by depth charges from the US destroyer Wainwright and the British escort destroyer Calpe. The entire crew, without loss of life, was taken prisoner of war.