Original Double Death Card – U-boot “U-613” & Waffen-SS Brother

A very rare double death card commemorating two brothers who both lost their lives in WWII – one at sea as a U-boat sailor, the other as a Waffen-SS soldier.

Matrosengefreiter Karl Prechtl

• Service: Crew member of U-613, a Type VIIC submarine of the Kriegsmarine.

• Fate: On 23 July 1943, U-613 was sunk in the mid-Atlantic, south of the Azores, by depth charges from the American destroyer USS George E. Badger (DD-196). The attack occurred near Convoy UGS-12, with the destroyer operating as part of the escort group for the escort carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9).

• Loss: All 48 crew members were killed. Wreckage and bodies were observed on the surface after the attack.

His Brother Anton Prechtl

• Service: Member of the Waffen-SS.

• Fate: Killed in Action on 4 October 1944 near Bozen (Bolzano), South Tyrol, during the late-war fighting in northern Italy.

Item Details:

• Rare double Sterbebild, commemorating two brothers lost in different branches of service.

• Represents both the U-boat war in the Atlantic and the bitter ground fighting in Italy.

• Condition: As seen, with period wear appropriate for age.

Historical Context – U-613:

• Commissioned in 1941 as part of the Type VIIC class, U-613 conducted patrols in the Atlantic during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic.

• Her sinking in July 1943 reflects the increasing dominance of Allied anti-submarine tactics, with combined destroyer and escort carrier groups effectively sealing off the Atlantic.

Collector’s Note:
Double death cards are already scarce; examples combining a U-boat crewman and a Waffen-SS casualty are particularly striking. This piece highlights the fate of two brothers, one lost in the vast Atlantic with U-613, the other fallen in the mountains of northern Italy in 1944. A powerful family memorial with strong historical and emotional significance.