Allegiance Nazi Germany Rank Korvettenkapitan Service/branch Kriegsmarine | Years of service 1933–45 Name Waldemar Mehl | |
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Born 7 September 1914
Gravenwiesbach, Hesse ( 1914-09-07 ) Battles/wars World War II
Mediterranean U-boat Campaign Died March 29, 1996, Wiesbaden, Germany Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Battles and wars Mediterranean U-boat Campaign, World War II Unit 21st U-boat Flotilla, 23rd U-boat Flotilla, 29th U-boat Flotilla Commands held German submarine U-62, German submarine U-72, German submarine U-371 | ||
Waldemar Mehl (7 September 1914 in Gravenwiesbach, Hesse—29 March 1996 in Wiesbaden) was a German U-boat commander during World War II, and recipient of the (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
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Career
Mehl joined the Kriegsmarine on 28 March 1933, and served a tour on SSS Gorch Fock, the light cruisers Karlsruhe, Koln and Nurnberg, and the battleship Schleswig-Holstein. From December 1939 he served as a naval intelligence officer in several positions on shore before transferring to the U-boat force in April 1941.
After the usual training, Mehl sailed on two patrols aboard U-371 between July and October 1941 as Kommandantenschuler ("Commander-in-training"), before taking command of U-62 and then U-72 as part of training unit 21st U-boat Flotilla.
In May 1942 he took command of U-371 and served in the Mediterranean, sailing on 12 successful patrols over the next two years, and sank nine ships (totalling 42,451 tons) and damaged four (28,072 tons). Among the ships sunk were the British minesweepers Jura and Hythe, and the American destroyer Bristol.
Mehl left U-371 in April 1944 and joined the staff of FdU Mittelmeer, joining the staff of the commander of U-boats in the Aegean in August. In October 1944 he was appointed to the Operationsabteilung ("Operations Section") for U-boats. After the war he served for three months in a minesweeper unit.