Karl Neitzel

Kapitän zur See (Crew 23)

Successes
3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,128 GRT
7 ships damaged, total tonnage 49,587 GRT
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 14,368 GRT

Born	30 Jan 1901		Kolberg, Pomerania
Died	13 Nov 1966	(65)	Kiel, Germany

Karl Neitzel

Ranks

1 Apr 1924		Seekadett
1 Apr 1925		Fähnrich zur See
1 May 1927		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1927		Leutnant zur See
1 Jul 1929		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1935		Kapitänleutnant
1 Apr 1939		Korvettenkapitän
1 Apr 1943		Fregattenkapitän
1 Dec 1943		Kapitän zur See

Decorations

WWI		Iron Cross 2nd Class
23 Mar 1940		Iron Cross 1st Class
1940		Minesweeper War Badge
Dec, 1942		U-boat War Badge 1939
27 Mar 1943		Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-510	25 Nov 1941	21 May 1943	3 patrols (220 days)

Karl Neitzel began his naval career in the Kaiserliche Marine in 1917 on torpedo boats. After the war he left the navy, but in April 1923 rejoined what was now called the Reichsmarine and served on minesweepers for a few years. He was flotilla commander of the 1st minesweeper flotilla before joining the U-boat force in February 1941.

He commissioned the type IXC U-boat U-510 in November 1941 and operated in the Caribbean on his first and third patrols. On his third patrol he executed an outstanding attack against convoy BT 6, in which he sank three ships and damaged another five with a total of 54,130 tons (18,240 tons sunk) in only three hours. He was awarded the Knights Cross shortly afterwards.

He left the boat in May 1943 to become deputy commander of the 25th (Training) Flotilla, and in January 1944 took command of the 2nd ULD (Unterseeboots-Lehrdivision, training division). For the last three months of the war he served as the commander of Marine-Grenadier-Regiment 7 (Naval infantry regiment). After the surrender he spent more than seven months in Allied captivity.

One of the oldest Commanders
KrvKpt. Karl Neitzel was one of the oldest U-boat commanders of WWII to depart on patrol when he took U-510 out from Kiel, Germany on 7 July 1942. He was 41 years old. U-510 arrived at Lorient 69 days later, having sunk two ships totalling over 10,000 GRT and damaging two more.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Karl Neitzel

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-510	7 Jul 1942	Kiel	13 Sep 1942	Lorient	Patrol 1,	69 days
2.	U-510	14 Oct 1942	Lorient	12 Dec 1942	Lorient	Patrol 2,	60 days
3.	U-510	16 Jan 1943	Lorient	16 Apr 1943	Lorient	Patrol 3,	91 days
3 patrols, 220 days at sea

Ships hit by Karl Neitzel

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
2 Aug 1942	U-510	Maldonado	5,285	ur
10 Aug 1942	U-510	Alexia (d.)	8,016	br
19 Aug 1942	U-510	Cressington Court	4,971	br	TRIN-1
31 Oct 1942	U-510	Alaska (d.)	5,681	nw	SL-125

9 Mar 1943	U-510	George G. Meade (d.)	7,176	am	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	Kelvinbank	3,872	br	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	Joseph Rodman Drake (d.)	7,181	am	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	Tabitha Brown (d.)	7,176	am	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	Mark Hanna (d.)	7,176	am	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	James Smith (d.)	7,181	am	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	Thomas Ruffin (t.)	7,191	am	BT-6
9 Mar 1943	U-510	James K. Polk (t.)	7,177	am	BT-6
			78,083
5 ships sunk (28,496 tons) and 7 ships damaged (49,587 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged. (t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).