Gerd Kelbling

Gerd Kelbling
Born	(1912-06-12)12 June 1912 Salzbrunn, Silesia
Died	Dießen am Ammersee
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1934–45
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Unit	SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Karlsruhe steamer Hecht Panzerschiff Deutschland Minesweeper M-132 U-557
Commands held	U-593
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic Mediterranean U-boat Campaign
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

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.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

Date	Name of Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
14 May 1942	Stavros	4,853	Greece	Damaged
25 May 1942	Persephone	8,426	Panama	Damaged for total loss
5 August 1942	Spar	3,616	Netherlands	Sunk
12 November 1942	Browning	5,332	United Kingdom	Sunk
18 March 1943	Dafila	1,940	United Kingdom	Sunk
18 March 1943	Kaying	2,626	United Kingdom	Sunk
27 March 1943	City of Guildford	5,157	United Kingdom	Sunk
11 April 1943	Runo	1,858	United Kingdom	Sunk
22 June 1943	USS LST-333	1,625	United States Navy	Damaged for total loss
22 June 1943	USS LST-387	1,625	United States Navy	Damaged
5 July 1943	Devis	6,054	United Kingdom	Sunk
21 September 1943	William W. Gerhard	7,176	United States	Sunk
25 September 1943	USS Skill	815	United States Navy	Sunk
3 November 1943	Mont Viso	4,531	Free France	Sunk
12 December 1943	HMS Tynedale	1,000	Royal Navy	Sunk
12 December 1943	HMS Holcombe	1,087	Royal Navy	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (8 April 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (31 May 1940)
  • 1st Class (29 August 1940)
• Minesweeper War Badge (3 December 1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (30 March 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 August 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-593