| Rudolf Petersen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 May 1905 |
| Died | 2 January 1983 (aged 77) |
| Place of birth | Atzerballig on Alsen, Germany |
| Place of death | Flensburg |
| Allegiance |
 Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Reichsmarine KriegsmarineBundesnachrichtendienst |
| Years of service | 1925–1945 |
| Rank | Kapitän zur See |
| Commands held | 2. Schnellbootflottille |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Rudolf Jesper Petersen (15 June 1905 in Atzerballig on Alsen, Germany – 2 January 1983 in Flensburg) was a German officer in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Petersen, in his role as Kommodore, was the head of the court of what might have been the last desertion-trial of Nazi Germany. Matrose Fritz Wehrmann, age 26 from Leipzig, Funker Alfred Gail, age 20 from Kassel, and Obergefreiter Martin Schilling, age 22 from Ostfriesland were executed on board Buéa on 10 May 1945 two days after the Unconditional surrender of Germany.
The accused had received news of the German capitulation to the British forces on 4 May 1945. On 6 May 1945 they left their stations on Svendborg on Fünen to get to the mainland. They were caught by the Danish Police and handed over to the German authorities on Fünen.
Awards[]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award (1 April 1937)[1]
- Memel Medal (26 October 1939)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Destroyer War Badge (11 December 1940)[1]
- Fast Attack Craft War Badge (19 March 1942)[1]
- with Diamonds (13 June 1944)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 4 August 1940 as Korvettenkapitän and chief of the 2. Schnellbootflottille[3]
- 499th Oak Leaves on 13 June 1944 as Kapitän zur See and leader of the Schnellboote (FdS)[3]
Wehrmachtbericht reference[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 9 March 1941 | Bei dem im gestrigen Wehrmachtsbericht bekanntgegebenen großen Erfolg der Schnellbootwaffe haben sich die unter der Führung des Korvettenkapitäns Petersen, des Kapitänleutnants Birnbacher und des Oberleutnants zur See Wuppermann stehenden Schnellbootverbände besonders ausgezeichnet.[4] | In yesterdays in the Wehrmacht report announced huge success of the fast attack craft force, have fast attack craft units under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Petersen, the Captain Lieutenant Birnbacher and Lieutenant at Sea Wuppermann particularly distinguished themselves. |
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2497-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Huß, Jürgen & Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939-1945 (in German). VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 3-925480-79-X.
- Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2300-3.
- Williamson, Gordon and Bujeiro, Ramiro (2004). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1939-40. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-641-0.
- (in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag. 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links[]
- Berliner Zeitung Article about the desertion trial
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The original article can be found at Rudolf Petersen (Kapitän zur See) and the edit history here.