Years of service 1935–45, 1956–61 Died 2012 | Name Karl-Heinz Wiebe | |
Born 10 April 1916
Kiel ( 1916-04-10 ) Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
West Germany Service/branch Kriegsmarine
German Navy Rank Korvettenkapitan of the Reserves Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Unit German submarine U-9, German submarine U-67, German submarine U-178 | ||
Karl-Heinz Wiebe (10 April 1916 – 1 October 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: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
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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. He was transferred to a U-boat training course for chief engineers (Leitender Ingenieur - LI) on 10 October 1939. Following this training on 9 December 1939 he was made chief engineer on U-9. Shortly later Wolfgang Luth 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.