uboat.net

Rolf Mützelburg

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 32)


Successes
19 ships sunk for a total of 81.987 GRT
3 ships damaged for a total of 17.052 GRT

Born  23 Jun, 1913Kiel
Died  11 Sep, 1942Northern Atlantic


Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg

Ranks

1 Jan, 1934Fähnrich zur See
1 Sep, 1935Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Jan, 1936Leutnant zur See
1 Oct, 1937Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jan, 1940Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

1 Jul, 1941Iron Cross 2nd Class
1 Jul, 1941Iron Cross 1st Class
1 Jul, 1941U-boat War Badge 1939
17 Nov, 1941Knights Cross
15 Jul, 1942Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

U-boat Commands

U-1010 Jun, 1940 - 29 Nov, 1940  No war patrols 
U-20318 Feb, 1941 - 11 Sep, 1942 (+)  7 patrols (226 days) 

Personal information

After two years on minesweepers, Oblt. z. S. Rolf Mützelburg joined the U-boat arm in October 1939. He spent five months on a school boat, but received his first combat experience on Schepke's U-100. He commissioned U-203 in February 1941. On his patrols in the Atlantic and off the US east coast, as well as in the Caribbean Sea, he sank more than 20 ships.

Muetzelburg
Kapitänleutnant Mützelburg on board with his chief engineer (LI)

Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg died on 11 September, 1942 in a freak accident. Taking the opportunity to go swimming in the Atlantic southwest of the Azores, he dived from the conning tower and struck the deck with his head and shoulder when the boat lurched suddenly in the swell. The doctor from the Milk Cow U-462 arrived the next day, but too late, and Rolf Mützelburg was buried at sea on 12 September, 1942 in position 36.14N, 31.21W.

On 15 September, 1942 the daily Wehrmachtsbericht announced :

Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg, Kommandant eines Unterseebootes, Träger des Eichenlaubes zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, ließ auf der Fahrt gegen den Feind sein Leben. In ihm verliert die Unterseebootwaffe einen hervorragender Kommandanten und erfolgreichen Kämpfer. Das Boot setzt unter dem Kommando des ältesten Wachoffiziers die Unternehmung fort.

(Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg, U-boat commander, recipient of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, lost his life on patrol. The U-boat arm has lost an outstanding commander and a successful fighter. The boat continues her patrol under the command of the senior watch officer.)


Patrol info


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-203 5 Jun, 1941  Kiel29 Jun, 1941  St. NazairePatrol25 days
2. U-203 10 Jul, 1941  St. Nazaire31 Jul, 1941  St. NazairePatrol22 days
3. U-203 20 Sep, 1941  St. Nazaire30 Sep, 1941  BrestPatrol11 days
4. U-203 18 Oct, 1941  Brest12 Nov, 1941  BrestPatrol26 days
5. U-203 25 Dec, 1941  Brest29 Jan, 1942  BrestPatrol36 days
6. U-203 12 Mar, 1942  Brest30 Apr, 1942  BrestPatrol50 days
7. U-203 3 Jun, 1942  Brest4 Jun, 1942  Lorient 2 days
8. U-203 4 Jun, 1942  Lorient29 Jul, 1942  BrestPatrol56 days
9. U-203 27 Aug, 1942  Brest18 Sep, 1942  BrestPatrol23 days

Ships hit by Rolf Mützelburg


DateBoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
24 Jun, 1941 U-203Kinross4.956 br OB-336 
24 Jun, 1941 U-203Soløy4.402 nw HX-133 
27 Jul, 1941 U-203Hawkinge2.475 br OG-69 
28 Jul, 1941 U-203Lapland1.330 br OG-69 
28 Jul, 1941 U-203Norita1.516 sw OG-69 
26 Sep, 1941 U-203Avoceta3.442 br HG-73 
26 Sep, 1941 U-203Cortes1.374 br HG-73 
26 Sep, 1941 U-203Varangberg2.842 nw HG-73 
3 Nov, 1941 U-203Empire Gemsbuck5.626 br SC-52 
3 Nov, 1941 U-203Everoja4.830 br SC-52 
 
15 Jan, 1942 U-203Catalina632 pt 
17 Jan, 1942 U-203Octavian1.345 nw 
21 Jan, 1942 U-203North Gaspe888 ca damaged
10 Apr, 1942 U-203San Delfino8.072 br 
11 Apr, 1942 U-203Harry F. Sinclair, Jr.6.151 am damaged
12 Apr, 1942 U-203Stanvac Melbourne10.013 pa damaged
14 Apr, 1942 U-203Empire Thrush6.160 br 
26 Jun, 1942 U-203Pedrinhas3.666 bz 
26 Jun, 1942 U-203Putney Hill5.216 br 
28 Jun, 1942 U-203Sam Houston7.176 am 
9 Jul, 1942 U-203Cape Verde6.914 br 
11 Jul, 1942 U-203Stanvac Palembang10.013 pa 
 99.039

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.


Decorations and ranks information is in many cases not complete. If you can help on any of those missing that would be great.

Men who sank over 50,000 tons

Listing of all U-boat commanders