Wirich von Gartzen
Wirich von Gartzen | |
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Born |
Gut Daudiek at the Lower Elbe | 20 August 1909
Died |
4 December 1993 84) Kochel | (aged
Allegiance |
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Service/branch |
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Years of service | 1933–45 |
Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
Unit |
SSS Niobe Königsberg cruiser Nürnberg destroyer Z18 Hans Lüdemann, Z29 |
Commands held |
Torpedoboot T-25 10. Torpedobootflottille |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Wirich Giselbert Bruno von Gartzen (20 August 1909 – 4 December 1993) was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Von Gartzen took command of torpedo boat T-25 on 15 April 1943.[1]
![](../I/m/KerlogueT25T26.jpg)
Von Gartzen was part of a 4. Torpedo Boat Flotilla, under the command of Franz Kohlauf, task force consisting of five torpedo boats T-23, T-26, T-27, T-22 and T-25 in a night battle on 22/23 October 1943 in which the Germans sunk the British cruiser Charybdis and escort destroyer Limbourne.
On 28 December 1943, Von Gartzen as commander of T-25 fought in the Battle of the Bay of Biscay. The battle, which was fought as part of the Allied Operation Stonewall, intercepted the German blockade runners off the west coast of France. In the confused action that followed the two British cruisers HMS Enterprise and HMS Glasgow respectively sank T-26, together with her sister ship T-25 and the destroyer Z27. On 29 December, U-505 rescued 35 survivors, including Von Gartzen.[1]
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (4 October 1937)[2]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Destroyer War Badge (19 October 1940)[2]
- Narvik Shield (10 November 1940)[2]
- Minesweeper War Badge (20 February 1941)[2]
- German Cross in Gold on 30 October 1943 as Korvettenkapitän on Torpedoboot T-25/4. Torpedobootflottille[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 June 1944 as Korvettenkapitän and chief of the 10. Torpedobootflottille[4][5]
References
- Citations
- 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.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- 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.
- Savas, Theodore P. (2004). Hunt and Kill. New York: Savas Beatie. ISBN 978-1-61121-001-9.
- 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.
- Works
- Von Gartzen, Wirich (1990) [1982]. Die Flottille. Außergewöhnlicher Seekrieg deutscher Mittelmeer-Torpedoboote [The Flotilla. Exceptional Sea War of German Mediterranean Torpedo-Boats]. Herford, Germany: Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3-7822-0261-9.
External links
- Wirich von Gartzen in the German National Library catalogue
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