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Marbach, Karl-Heinz

Date of birth:
July 5th, 1917 (Kolberg/Pommerania, Germany)
Date of death:
September 27th, 1995 (Bonn, Germany)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Karl-Heinz Marbach started his naval career as Wachoffizier on the U 101 under the command of Frauenheim and Mengersen. With Mengersen the ship had its greated successes like the sinking of five ships in Convoy HX-90 between 20th November and 2nd December 1940.
On 17th December 1942 Marbach commissioned the U 953 as its commander. On 5th July 1944 he sunk a ship of 1.927 BRT, his only confirmed sinking. On 11th July he claimed the sinking of a steamer of app. 9000 BRT, but the claim was not confirmed. Another torpedo shot during the same action was delayed and exploded in a destroyer. It was never known wether the ship sunk, so also this claim was not confirmed.
On 17th December 1944 he commissioned the U 3014 as its commander. This ship was scuttled by its crew in Beustädter Bay on 3rd May 1945.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant zur See (1st Lieutenant at Sea)
Unit:
Kommandant "U 953"
Awarded on:
July 22nd, 1944
Awarded for his bravery as a U-Boat commander over the course of seven war patrols, over the course of which he claimed several ships hit but in fact did not sink or damage any ships during this time.

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
November 21st, 1943
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
April 14th, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
June 22nd, 1941
Flotten-Kriegsabzeichen
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
September 5th, 1941
U-boot Kriegsabzeichen (ohne Brillianten)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
November 26th, 1944
U-Boots-Frontspange in Bronze

Sources

  • Photo 1: Willi Schumacher
  • Photo: Willi Schumacher collection
  • - DIXON, JEREMY, The U-boat Commanders, Naval Institute Press, 2019.
    - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
    - Kurlowski F., Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd, 1995, ISBN 9780887407482

Photo