Wilhelm Meentzen (19 March 1915 – 8 May 2001) was a German admiral in the Bundeswehr. He commanded the destroyer Zerstörer 3 (D172), formerly USS Wadsworth (DD-516), from October 1959 until January 1961. During World War II, Meentzen commanded Kriegsmarine torpedo boats and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Wilhelm Meentzen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 March 1915 |
| Died | 8 May 2001 (aged 86) |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany  West Germany |
| Service/ | Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service | 1934–45 1956–74 |
| Rank | Vizeadmiral |
| Commands held | Zerstörer 3 (D172) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Awards and decorations edit
- Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords (6 June 1939)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (23 December 1939) & 1st Class (21 November 1940)[1]
- German Cross in Gold on 5 May 1944 as Kapitänleutnant on Torpedoboot T-24/4. Torpedoboots-Flottille[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 October 1944 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of Torpedoboot T-24[3]
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (25 May 1973)[1]
References edit
- Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2: L–Z [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2497-6.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
