| Ernst Mengersen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 June 1912 |
| Died | 6 November 1995 (aged 83) |
| Place of birth | Bremke |
| Place of death | Detmold |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1933–1945 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Unit |
SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Karlsruhe Schleswig-Holstein Admiral Scheer |
| Commands held |
U-18 U-143 U-101 U-607 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Ernst Mengersen (30 June 1912 – 6 November 1995) was a German naval officer who reached the rank of Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Military career
World War II
Mengersen commanded the U-18, U-143, U-101 and U-607, and sank twelve ships, including the SS Gairsoppa[1] and HMS Broadwater, on eleven patrols, for a total of 68,071 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping. The Gairsoppa carried 7,000,000 ounces of silver, which was worth £600,000 at the time of its sinking.
Two Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients served as watch officers under Mengersen's command. Egon-Reiner von Schlippenbach served as first watch officer on U-101's fourth patrol under Mengerson, while Karl-Heinz Marbach was Mengerson's second watch officer on U-101.
In June 1943 Mengersen became commander of the 20th U-boat Flotilla based in Pillau, remaining in this position until 24 February 1945. During the last three months of the war, Mengersen served firstly with the 25th U-boat Flotilla and then in April 1945, he was selected to command the new 15th U-boat Flotilla.[2]
Awards
- Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords (23 October 1940)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (25 February 1942)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 November 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-101[4]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 3 December 1940
- War Merit Cross
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 3 December 1940 | ... An diesem Erfolg ist das unter Führung von Kapitänleutnant Mengersen stehende Unterseeboot mit der Versenkung von fünf Schiffen mit zusammen 41 000 BRT führend beteiligt.[5] | ...The submarine led by Lieutenant Mengersen contributed with the sinking of five ships of 41 000 tons as a leading participant to this success. |
Later life
Mengersen survived the war and died in Detmold, at the age of 83.
Notes
References
- Notes
- ↑ C.Michael Hogan. 2011. SS Gairsoppa recovery. Topic ed.P.Saundry. Ed.-in-chief C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC
- ↑ "Korvettenkapitän Ernst Mengersen". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/mengersen.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Busch and Röll 2003, p. 161.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 537.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 373
- Bibliography
- Busch, Hans-Joachim; Röll (2003) (in German). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945]. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
- Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- (in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
External links
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