WW2 Era American Death/Memorial Card of Carl F. Zeidler

Discussion in 'WW2 Militaria' started by Jeremiah, Oct 8, 2022.

  1. Jeremiah

    Jeremiah Well-Known Member

    C45022F1-B669-4603-BBA9-69E60718759B.jpeg
    B6E55395-5AC1-4345-A28E-F54159D3B900.jpeg Carl was born on January 4th 1908. He would eventually get into politics and would become the 33rd Mayor of Milwaukee in 1940. Carl would soon start to see more and more of the war as it progressed and decided the best way he could help the war effort would be to enlist. He resigned his position as Mayor and accepted a Navel Reserve Commission on April 8th 1942. He asked for the most dangerous job on ship and became officer in charge of a gun battery on board the merchant ship SS La Salle.
    0BA41FA7-2EBC-4C9D-9E1C-BCC1F8219999.jpeg At 22.50 hours on 7 Nov 1942 the unescorted La Salle was hit by one torpedo from U-159 about 350 miles southeast of the Cape of Good Hope. The U-boat had followed the ship for five hours and already missed with a stern torpedo at 21.19 hours. The torpedo ignited the cargo of ammunition and the ship exploded, creating a fireball hundred meters high and completely destroyed the vessel. Bits of wreckage fell around the ship for several minutes afterwards and slightly wounded three men on watch in the conning tower of the U-boat. It is reported that the explosion was heard clearly at Cape Point Lighthouse over 300 miles away. None of the eight officers, 32 crewmen and 20 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four 20mm and two .30cal guns) survived.
     

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