Ernst Mengersen

Ernst Mengersen
Born 30 June 1912(1912-06-30)
Bremke
Died 6 November 1995(1995-11-06) (aged 83)
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

Spanish Civil War
World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ernst Mengersen (30 June 1912 – 6 November 1995) was 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: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Contents

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Career

Mengersen joined the Reichsmarine in 1933 and served on the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer and on the torpedo boat Tiger before transferring to the U-boat force in April 1939.[Note 1] He 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 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. Karl-Heinz Marbach was Mengerson's second watch officer on U-101. In June 1943 he became commander of 20th U-boat Flotilla (15 June 1943 – 24 February 1945) in Pillau, and during the last three months of the war Mengersen served with 25th U-boat Flotilla. In April 1945 he was selected to command the new 15th U-boat Flotilla.[2]

Awards

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.

Notes

  1. ^ The German Reichsmarine which was renamed the Kriegsmarine on 1 June 1935.

References

Notes
  1. ^ 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
  2. ^ "Korvettenkapitän Ernst Mengersen". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/mengersen.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f Busch and Röll 2003, p. 161.
  4. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 537.
  5. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 373
Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 3-8132-0515-0.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-748-X.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3423059443.

External links