Karl Jäckel

Obersteuermann (Navy since 1937)


Born 20 December, 1912 Gladbeck/ Westfalen
Died 7 December, 1984 Gladbeck/ Westfalen


Karl Jäckel after his decoration

Decorations

                   : Iron Cross 2nd class (EK II)
                   : Ubootskriegsabzeichen 1939
                   : Iron Cross 1st class (EK I)
28/10/1944 : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (-444-)
                   : U-Bootsfrontspange
08/05/1945 : Knights Cross (-144-)

U-boat Career
U-29 VIIA Steuermann, 4 patrols, 129 days 04.40 - 10.41
U-160 IXC Steuermann, 4 patrol, 321 days 10.41 - 06.43(?)
U-907 VIIC Steuermann, 2 patrol, 86 days 05.44 - 05.45

Karl Jäckel joined the Navy in April 1937 at the age of 23. Since April 1940 he rode on U-29 under the command of Kptlt. Schuhart. When the first watch officer Georg Lassen left the U-29 and commissioned U-160 he requested that Karl Jäckel would follow him which he did. He was then for 4 patrols on board and luckily left the U-boat along with Georg Lassen, before U-160 was sunk a month later. Georg Lassen called him his "number one man".

In 1944 he became the Obersteuermann on the type VIIC U-boat U-907. After the surrender Karl Jäckel was one of the crew members that had to bring the U-boat to Loch Ryan, Scotland for Operation Deadlight.

Source


Dörr, Manfred
Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Bootwaffe
Band 1. A - J
Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1988
ISBN 3-7648-1153-6