Wilhelm Meentzen Explained

Wilhelm Meentzen
Birth Date:	19 March 1915
Death Place:	Emden---->
Allegiance:
Branch:	Kriegsmarine German Navy
Serviceyears:	1934–45 1956–74
Rank:	Vizeadmiral
Commands:	Zerstörer 3 (D172)
Battles:	World War II
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

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.

Awards and decorations

• 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

• Book: 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 . German . Osnabrück, Germany . Biblio Verlag . 978-3-7648-2497-6.
• Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer . Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

. Walther-Peer Fellgiebel . 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 . German . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.

• Book: 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 . German . Norderstedt, Germany . Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall . 978-3-931533-45-8.

Notes and References

1. Dörr 1996, p. 49.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 300.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 250.