Rudolf Petersen (Kapitän zur See)

This article is about the German naval officer. For the German politician, see Rudolf Petersen.
Rudolf Petersen
Born (1905-05-15)15 May 1905
Atzerballig on Alsen, Germany
Died 2 January 1983(1983-01-02) (aged 77)
Flensburg
Buried at Cemetery Adelby in Flensburg
Allegiance  Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service/branch  Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Bundesnachrichtendienst
Years of service 1925–45
Rank Kapitän zur See
Commands held 2. Schnellbootflottille
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Rudolf Jesper Petersen (15 June 1905 in Atzerballig on Alsen, Germany – 2 January 1983 in Flensburg) was a German officer in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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.

Petersen, in his role as Kommodore, was the head of the court of what might have been the last desertion-trial of Nazi Germany. Matrose Fritz Wehrmann, age 26 from Leipzig, Funker Alfred Gail, age 20 from Kassel, and Obergefreiter Martin Schilling, age 22 from Ostfriesland were executed on board Buéa on 10 May 1945 two days after the Unconditional surrender of Germany.

The accused had received news of the German capitulation to the British forces on 4 May 1945. On 6 May 1945 they left their stations on Svendborg on Fünen to get to the mainland. They were caught by the Danish Police and handed over to the German authorities on Fünen.

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
Sunday, 9 March 1941 Bei dem im gestrigen Wehrmachtbericht bekanntgegebenen großen Erfolg der Schnellbootwaffe haben sich die unter der Führung des Korvettenkapitäns Petersen, des Kapitänleutnants Birnbacher und des Oberleutnants zur See Wuppermann stehenden Schnellbootverbände besonders ausgezeichnet.[4] In yesterdays in the Wehrmacht report announced huge success of the fast attack craft force, have fast attack craft units under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Petersen, the Captain Lieutenant Birnbacher and Lieutenant at Sea Wuppermann particularly distinguished themselves.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dörr 1996, p. 120.
  2. 1 2 Thomas 1998, p. 148.
  3. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 590.
  4. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 441.

Bibliography

  • Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2: L–Z [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2497-6. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. 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. 
  • Huß, Jürgen; Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939–1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein and the Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck 1939–1945] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-79-9. 
  • 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. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
  • Williamson, Gordon and Bujeiro, Ramiro (2004). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1939-40. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-641-0.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag. 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3. 

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
none		 Commander of 2. Schnellbootflottille
1 August 1938 – 20 October 1941 		Succeeded by
Korvettenkapitän Klaus Feldt
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