Hans Erdmenger

Hans Erdmenger

Hans Erdmenger
Born 29 October 1903
Gersthofen
Died 28 December 1943 (aged 40)
Bay of Biscay
Allegiance  Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1922–43
Rank Kapitän zur See
Unit SSS Niobe
light cruiser Berlin
light cruiser Emden
Commands held destroyer Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp
destroyer Z28
Battles/wars

Spanish Civil War
World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Kapitän zur See Hans Otto Erdmenger (29 October 1903 – 28 December 1943) was a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Erdmenger was killed in action on 28 December 1943 in the Battle of the Bay of Biscay (46°N 11°W / 46°N 11°W) as chief of the 8. Zerstörerflottille on board the destroyer Z27 which was sunk in combat with the British cruisers HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise.

Early life and career

On 10 January, he was posted to the light cruiser Emden (20 November 1925 – 1 January 1929).[1] He sailed on Emden‍ '​s first training cruise, which started on 14 November 1926 from Wilhelmshafen. The journey took him and her crew to the Atlantic, Cape Town to the Cocos Islands. Here, on 15 March 1927, the crew conducted a service in commemoration at the sinking site of SMS Emden which was lost on 9 November 1914. The trip continued to Japan, Alaska, Cape Horn, Rio de Janeiro, the Azores and Spain before they returned home on 14 March 1928.[2]

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
31 December 1943 Wie durch Sondermeldung bekanntgegeben, erlitt die britische Marine bei den vorgestern gemeldeten mehrtägigen Gefechten in der Biskaya durch die deutschen Seestreitkräfte schwere Verluste. Unsere unter der Führung des Kapitän zu See Erdmenger stehenden Zerstörer und Torpedoboote beschädigten in harten und lang andauernden Kämpfen die britischen Kreuzer "Glasgow" und "Enterprise" und schossen einen von ihnen in Brand.[5] As announced by special announcement, the Royal Navy suffered heavy losses by German naval forces in the day before yesterday reported several days lasting battles in the Bay of Biscay. Our under the leadership of Captain at Sea Erdmenger destroyers and torpedo boats damaged in severe and prolonged combat the British cruiser "Glasgow" and "Enterprise" and shot one of them on fire.

References

Citations
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dörr 1995, p. 148.
  2. ↑ Hildebrand, Röhr & Steinmetz 1993, v. 3., p. 55.
  3. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 174.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dörr 1995, p. 149.
  5. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 637.
Bibliography
  • Dörr, Manfred (1995). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2453-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert; Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1990). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe. Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart. (10 Bände) [The German Warships. Biographies - a Mirror of Naval History from 1815 to the Present. (10 Volumes)] (in German) 3, 8. Ratingen, Germany: Mundus Verlag. ISBN 3-7822-0211-2.
  • 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). 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] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Herausgeber Deutsches Marine-Institut mit Unterstützung des MGFA (1984). Der Marineoffizier als Führer im Gefecht – Vorträge auf der Historisch-Taktischen Tagung der Flotte 1983 (in German). Herford, Germany: E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0185-6.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 2, 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1943] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Kapitän zur See Gottfried Pönitz		 Chief of the 8. Zerstörerflottille
18 March 1943 – 28 December 1943 		Succeeded by
Kapitän zur See Georg Langheld