Eugen Meindl

Eugen Meindl
Eugen Meindl
Born	(1892-07-16)16 July 1892
Died	24 January 1951(1951-01-24) (aged 58)
Place of birth	Donaueschingen, Grand Duchy of Baden
Place of death	Munich, Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1912–1945
Rank	General der Fallschirmtruppe
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of Crete
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Eugen Meindl (16 July 1892 – 24 January 1951) was a highly decorated German Fallschirmjäger and general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Biography

Eugen Meindl was born in Donaueschingen. He served with the artillery from July 27, 1912. In World War I he commanded a platoon and later a battery and subsequently served as adjutant with the 67th Artillery Regiment and with the Artillery Commander, 52nd Corps.

Meindl served with various artillery units in the Reichswehr. Promoted to Hauptmann on August 1, 1924, he was assigned to the Reichwehr Ministry on September 14, 1926 and spent the ten years there before being promoted to Major.

On November 10, 1939 Oberstleutnant Meindl was named commander of the 112th Mountain Artillery Regiment in Graz. As an Oberst he led the “Meindl Group” and made his very first parachute jump at Narvik. His transfer to the Luftwaffe followed on November 28, 1940, even though he had been commander of the “Assault Regiment Meindl” of the parachute troops since August 9.

The airborne invasion of Crete saw Meindl jump near the Platanias Bridge, where he was shot through the chest. Major Edgar Stentzler led the regiment until Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke arrived.

On February 26, 1942 Generalmajor Meindl became commander of the newly formed Luftwaffe Division Meindl in Russia and on September 26 he took over XIII. Fliegerkorps (later I Luftwaffe Field Corps).

Meindl distinguished himself in the winter fighting in Russia, was named in the Wehrmachtbericht and on November 5, 1943 was promoted to commanding general of II Parachute Corps, which he led in the west on the invasion front and later at Cleves and in the Reichswald. Meindl’s corps fought with distinction at Goch and in the Wesel bridgehead. Meindl was taken prisoner and held until September 29, 1947. He died in Munich.

Awards

• Wound Badge in Black
• "Kreta" Cuffband
• German Cross in Gold on 27 July 1942 as Generalmajor in the Luftwaffen-Division "Meindl"
• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 1st Class (17 January 1916)
  • 2nd Class (18 July 1915)
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 1st Class (10 June 1940)
  • 2nd Class (22 October 1939)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 14 June 1941 as Generalmajor and commander Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment
  • 564th Oak Leaves on 31 August 1944 as General der Fallschirmtruppe and commanding general of the II. Fallschirmkorps
  • 155th Swords on 8 May 1945 as General der Fallschirmtruppe and commanding general of the II. Fallschirmkorps

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (1999) (in German). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War]. Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6. 
• 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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger. Atglen, PA: Schiffer. ISBN 978-0-88740-749-9. 
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001) (in German). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2]. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
• 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. 
• Thomas, Franz (1998) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 

External links

• • Eugen Meindl @ Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-45
  • Eugen Meindl @ ISLAND FARM SPECIAL CAMP: XI POWS HELD AT BRIDGEND