Karl Eibl

Karl Eibl
Born	(1891-07-23)23 July 1891 Bad Goisern, Upper Austria, Austria-Hungary
Died	near Nowy-Georgijewskija, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Austria-Hungary (to 1918) First Austrian Republic (to 1938) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1914–43
Rank	General der Infanterie (posthumously promoted)
Commands held	385. Infanterie Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Karl Franz Eibl (23 July 1891 – 21 January 1943) was a German general during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Eibel was killed on 21 January 1943 at Nowy-Georgijewskija, northwest of Stalingrad, when some Italian soldiers mistook his command vehicle for a Russian armored car and blew it up with hand grenades.

Awards

Austro-Hungarian Empire and Austrian Republic

• Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Military Merit Medals in Silver and Bronze
• Karl Troop Cross
• Wound Medal (Austria-Hungary)
• Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords

German Third Reich

• Sudetenland Medal
• Eastern Front Medal
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (23 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (5 November 1939)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 15 August 1940 as Oberstleutnant and commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 131
  • 50th Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 132
  • 21st Swords on 19 December 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of 385. Infanterie-Division

References

Bibliography

• Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). Rommel's Desert Commanders — The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941–42. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3510-9.
• Frey, Gerhard; Herrmann, Hajo: Helden der Wehrmacht III - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2007. ISBN 978-3-924309-82-4.