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Meisel, Wilhelm

Date of birth:
November 4th, 1891 (Zwickau, Germany)
Date of death:
September 7th, 1974 (Mülheim, Germany)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Kapitän zur See (Captain Royal Navy)
Unit:
Kommandant Schwerer Kreuzer "Admiral Hipper"
Awarded on:
February 26th, 1941
Awarded for his successes against allied shipping and naval forces during 2 sorties with the heavy cruiser “Admiral Hipper”. The following press article summarizes his (claimed) successes and the rationale for his receiving the Knight’s Cross as follows…

“Kapitän zur See Meisel, operating as the captain of a German cruiser on the high seas, has sunk a total of 86000 GRT worth of enemy shipping. The courage and drive of the captain as well as his exemplary crew are to be credited for this notable success.”
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Awarded on:
March 17th, 1915
Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Awarded on:
June 6th, 1939
Spanienkreuz, Silber
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 26th, 1939
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
May 8th, 1940
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
November 1st, 1941
Flotten-Kriegsabzeichen

Sources

Photo