Karl Thurmann

Karl Thurmann (4 September 1909&mdash;20 January 1943) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Life and career
Thurmann was born in Mühlheim, Ruhr. He joined the Reichsmarine in April 1928, serving aboard the light cruisers GERMAN CRUISER Emden and GERMAN CRUISER Köln.

After training, and sailing on a patrol as Kommandantenschüler (Commander-in-Training") aboard GS U-29 (1936) under Otto Schuhart, Thurmann commissioned the Type VIIC U-boat GS U-553 on 23 December 1940. Thurmann took U-553 out on nine patrols in 1941 and 1942, and sank 12 merchant ships totalling one warship, and damaged two more.

On 16 January 1943, Thurmann left La Pallice, France, on his tenth patrol. On 20 January, he sent the radio message: Seerohr unklar ("Periscope not clear"). U-553 was never heard from again and her fate remains a mystery.

Ships attacked
As a U-boat commander of GS U-553 Karl Thurmann is credited with the sinking of 12 ships for a total of, further damaging two ships of and sinking one warship, the HMS Gladiolus, of 925 MT.

Awards

 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (2 October 1936)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (21 July 1941)
 * 1st Class (23 October 1941)
 * U-boat War Badge (1939) (23 October 1941)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 August 1942 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-553
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 22 May 1942