Allegiance Nazi Germany Battles/wars World War II Role SS officer Service/branch Waffen-SS | Years of service 1934–44 Name Otto Meyer Battles and wars World War II Rank Obersturmbannfuhrer | |
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Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
German Cross in Gold Died August 28, 1944, Duclair, France Unit 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen Similar People George Stevens, Frank Ross, Joseph Walker, Gregory Ratoff, Rouben Mamoulian | ||
Otto Meyer (23 December 1912 – 24 August 1944) was an Obersturmbannfuhrer (lieutenant colonel) in the Waffen-SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. 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.
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Career
Meyer volunteered for service in the SS in 1934 and was selected to become an officer in 1936 and posted to the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tolz, upon graduation he was promoted to Untersturmfuhrer (first lieutenant) and posted to the SS Deutschland Regiment. As a company commander he served in the Polish Campaign, the Battle of France, Operation Marita in the Balkans and the invasion of Russia Operation Barbarossa.
On 9 November 1941 he was promoted to Sturmbannfuhrer (major) and in January 1942 awarded the German Cross in Gold for personal bravery. At the beginning of 1943 he was transferred to the 9th SS Panzer Grenadier Division in France and promoted to Obersturmbannfuhrer (lieutenant colonel).
In January 1944 he was given command of the 9th SS Panzer Regiment and for his leadership during the battle for Tarnopol awarded the Knight's Cross. In June 1944 the division served in Normandy where he distinguished both himself and his regiment by destroying over 300 allied tanks. After escaping from the cauldron of Falaise (Falaise Pocket), he was killed crossing the River Seine on 28 August 1944. In September 1944 he was awarded a Posthumous award of the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross.