Karl Mühleck

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Karl Mühleck
Karl Mühleck.jpg
Birth name Karl Gunther Mühleck
Birth date 27 July 1920
Place of birth Weinsberg, Kreis Heilbronn, Württemberg, German Reich
Death date ᛣ⚔ 26 December 1944 (aged 24)
Place of death St. Vith, Belgium
Allegiance  National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Flag Schutzstaffel.png Waffen SS
Years of service 1940–1944
Rank SS-Obersturmführer
Unit 2nd SS Panzer Division ''Das Reich''
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl Gunther Mühleck (27 July 1920 – 26 December 1944) was an officer of the Waffen SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Life

From left to right: Horst Gresiak, Hans Schmidt, Alfred Hargesheimer and Karl Mühleck
The SS-Untersturmführer Karl Mühleck (left) and Horst Gresiak (right) from the SS-Division Das Reich were close friends.
Die SS-Untersturmführer Karl Mühleck (links) und Horst Gresiak (rechts) von der SS-Division Reich waren enge Freunde II.jpg

After graduating from elementary and middle school, he completed a three-year apprenticeship as a autobody technician (Karosserietechniker) in a Heilbronn company. Since 5 May 1933, at the age of 12, Mühleck had been a member of the Deutsches Jungvolk (youth organization of the Hitler Youth), where he was ultimately served as a company leader (DJ-Fähnleinführer), a Fähnlein consisted of 120 to 180 boys. Because of this rank and task, he was not transferred to the HJ, but stayed on with the DJ. He became a member of the NSDAP in September 1938. In 1939, he completed his mandatory service with the Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst; RAD).

On 26 March 1940, Mühleck joined the Waffen-SS (SS-Nr.: 423 858). After basic training with the SS-Totenkopf-Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung 5 he was transferred to the 4th Company/SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 of the SS-Division Wiking. In 1941, SS-Rottenführer (corporal) Mühleck was commanded to a non-commissioned officer course, graduated successfully and was promoted to SS-Unterscharführer (NCO). He then returned to his regiment for Operation Barbarossa. After he had proven himself excellently, SS-Unterscharführer Mühleck, with 76 other young officer candidates (Lehrgruppe A), was commanded to the SS-Junkerschule in Braunschweig on 1 November 1941[1] and graduated on 31 March 1942. After the mandatory platoon leader course, he was commissioned and transferred to the 2. Kompanie/1st Battalion/SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 "Das Reich"/2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich" as Panzer commandant and was later appointed platoon leader.

Before and during the Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation, Das Reich had been transferred south to oppose the counterattack of the Soviet 1st Armored Army across the Mius River, and destroying 391 tanks and SUs (Samokhodnaya ustanovka [self propelled guns]) from 30 July to 21 August 1943. Das Reich then moved to the outskirts of Kharkov, where it was involved in even heavier fighting. Its Panther battalion first saw combat on 22 August, around Starja-Ljubotin and Kommuna, knocking out 53 Russian tanks. On the same day, 12 Kilometers west of Kharkov, the platoon of SS-Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) Karl Mühleck with only 4 Panzer IV broke up a Russian assault with a large superiority of tanks and infantry, supported by heavy artillery. The small platoon destroyed 23 tanks, 2 anti-tank guns and three trucks, also killing many of the attacking infantry soldiers. Mühleck alone destroyed seven enemy tanks with his own. On the 26 August 1943, Dieter Kesten's 6th Company, newly supplied with side-skirted Panzer IVs, battled 60 T-34s between Udy-Bogens and Orkan, south west of Kharkov, which had fallen to the Russians on the previous day. Kesten's panzers knocked out 29 of the 60 tanks. Mühleck and Kesten would later receive Knight's Crosses for these actions.

Mühleck was the given the command of the 1st Company/I. Battalion/2nd SS Panzer Regiment in November 1943. Mühleck and his men fought resolutely and heroically during more battles at the Eastern Front, against the Invasion of Normandy and during the Battle of the Bulge.

Knight's Cross

Mühleck’s Knight’s Cross recommendation by the battalion commander to SS-Sturmbannführer Wilhelm Kment, submitted on 5 January 1944, reads as follows:

“SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck has repeatedly distinguished himself as a very brave and committed SS officer during the campaign in the East. His boldness in attack and staying power in defense is exemplary and has become directly proverbial in the Abteilung. On the 22 August 1943, in particular, SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck demonstrated the highest personal bravery and prudent leadership, along with decisiveness and exemplary fighting spirit as a leader. On the 22 August 1943, SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck and his Panther-Zug (4 Panzers) were positioned near Komuna (hard east of Staraja Ljubotin) with the mission of preventing enemy armoured breakthroughs. During the entire day, the enemy attacked from the direction of Peressetschnaja with strong tank and infantry forces. Despite everything (including strong artillery fire, a Panther received a direct hit and burned out), SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck held his position and repelled all enemy tank/infantry attacks with repeated counterattacks of his own. Due to the limited numbers of Panzers available, SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck had been given express orders by his commander to not advance across the German frontline on account of the enemy superiority and the partially unfavourable terrain conditions, things which created the danger of heavy friendly losses which in turn could compromise the completion of his defensive mission. Nonetheless, during the course of the combat, Mühleck would recognize favourable opportunities and launch these repeated counterattacks on his initiative as he saw fit. Eventually 23 destroyed tanks, 2 Pak (anti-tank guns) and 3 trucks would lay burning before his position. A large number of enemy dead covered the battlefield. Mühleck personally accounted for 7 tank kills in this battle. SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck’s Panzer received an artillery hit on the muzzle brake that caused the main gun to be thrown back, and this broke Mühleck’s right forearm. Even so, Mühleck remained with his platoon until the onset of dusk. This singular act of valour can be exclusively attributed to the bravery and decisiveness of SS-Untersturmführer Mühleck. Through his actions he prevented the danger of an enemy breakthrough near Komuna.”

Death

Mühleck, like his friend Horst Gresiak, was severely wounded on 25 December 1944 during a bombing raid by the USAAF (vectored over Manhay to soften up the defenders) at an important road and railway junction near Lamormenil/Baraque de Fraiture, the highest point in the province of Luxembourg, Wallonia, Belgium. On the day before, the Americns had lost a battalion, 51 vehicles were destroyed by a German battalion of Das Reich, including 17 battle tanks and a great amount of enemy material. 100 Americans were taken prisoner.[2][3] Mühleck, Gresiak and other wounded were transported to the main dressing station (Hauptverbandsplatz) near/in St. Vith.[4] Gresiak survived, but spent the next two years in hospital, Mühleck did not and died on 26 December 1944.

Karl Mühleck rests in the German War Cemetery in Sandweiler (Luxembourg). During the reburial work in his original grave location, he could not be positively identified, so he was buried as an "unknown soldier" in the Sandweiler cemetery. 10,913 German fallen from the Second World War have found their final resting place in Sandweiler.

Promotions

Awards and decorations

Gallery

  • Karl Mühleck IIIa.jpg
  • Karl Mühleck IIIb.jpg
  • Karl Mühleck IIIc.jpg

References

  1. ↑ Lehrgruppe A.- Beurteilungen von SS-Führerbewerbern
  2. ↑ Battle of the Baraque de Fraiture Crossroads
  3. ↑ The Battle Between the Salm and the Ourthe 24 December-2 January
  4. ↑ St. Vith was bombed by the US Army Air Forces on 25 and 26 December 1944 and by RAF Bomber Command with 300 aircraft on the 26. Allied bomber units reduced the city to rubble and ashes. 153 residents and over 1,000 soldiers died, and almost 600 buildings (over 90% of the existing building) were destroyed or seriously damaged. Only nine buildings remained intact.
  5. ↑ Mühleck, Karl (Waffen SS)
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