Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Mützelburg died on active service on 11 September 1942 following an accident at sea. After spending two years on minesweepers, in October 1939 he joined the U-boat arm.
He spent five months commanding the school boat U-10 from June to November 1940 as part of 21st U-boat Flotilla, receiving his first combat experience aboard U-100 under Joachim Schepke.
He commissioned U-203 into 1st U-boat Flotilla in February 1941. On his eight patrols in the Atlantic, the United States east coast, and the Caribbean Sea, he sank 19 ships for a total of 81,961 gross register tons (GRT), and damaged three more (17,052 GRT).
Mützelburg died on 11 September 1942 in a freak accident. He was swimming in the Atlantic south-west of the Azores, and dove from the conning tower, but struck the deck head-first when the U-boat suddenly lurched in the swell.
The supply U-boat U-462 arrived the next day with a doctor on board, but too late, and Mützelburg was buried at sea on 12 September 1942.
Ships attacked Wehrmachtbericht references.