Adalbert von Blanc

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Adalbert von Blanc
Born (1907-07-11)11 July 1907
Wilhelmshaven
Died 7 November 1976(1976-11-07) (aged 69)
Flensburg-Mürwik
Allegiance  Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service/branch  Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
 German Federal Navy
Years of service 1926–1945, 1956–1964
Rank Fregattenkapitän (Kriegsmarine)
Flottillenadmiral (Bundesmarine)
Unit SSS Niobe
light cruiser Emden
German auxiliary cruiser Orion
Commands held 9. Sicherungsdivision
Battles/wars

World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Adalbert Pierre Louis Karl Erich Johann von Blanc (11 July 1907 – 7 November 1976) was a Fregattenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and later a Flottillenadmiral in the Bundesmarine. During World War II he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and served as 1st Officer on the German auxiliary cruiser Orion.

Blanc joined the British controlled German Mine Sweeping Administration on 15 August 1945. Blanc held command of the 1. Minenräum-Division (1st mine sweeping division) in Kiel. When the administration was disbanded on 31 December 1947, Blanc transferred to the follow organization called Minenräumverband Cuxhaven and became its chief.

The student Georg von Hatzfeld from Heidelberg together with his fellow student René Ledesdorff had occupied the isle of Helgoland on 18 December 1950. The two were joined by Prince Hubertus zu Loewenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg on 29 December 1950. The number of occupants had grown to 13 when Blanc was ordered by the British authorities to send two boats for the evacuation of Helgoland. Blanc refused to obey the order, even when he came under severe pressure and suspended from his command post. A legal proceeding against Blanc was initiated on 3 January 1951. The British court ruled that the order was not among his contractual obligations and he was re-instituted in his position as chief of the Minenräumverband Cuxhaven.[1]

Contents

Awards [edit]

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht [edit]

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
25 November 1944 (addendum) In den sieben Wochen andauernden Kämpfen um die Insel Oesel und den letzten Gefechten auf Sworbe haben sich Sicherungsverbände der Kriegsmarine unter Führung von Fregattenkapitän Brauneis und Korvettenkapitän Kiefer beim Schutz der Küste durch erfolgreiche Abwehr überlegender sowjetischer Seestreitkräfte ausgezeichnet. Besondere Anerkennung verdienen hierbei die seemännischen Leistungen der Besatzungen unserer Kampffähren und Räumboote unter Führung des Chefs der 9. Sicherungsdivision, Fregattenkapitän von Blanc.[7] In the seven week long battle for the island Oesel and the last fight on Sworbe, security detachments of the Navy under the command of Lieutenant Commander Brauneis and Commander Kiefer distinguished themselves by successfully defending the coast against superior Soviet naval forces. Special recognition here deserves the maritime achievements of our combat crews of our combat ferries and minesweepers under the leadership of the chief of the 9th Security Division, Commander von Blanc.

Footnotes [edit]

  1. ^ There is no reference of the Oak Leaves were awarded to Adalbert von Blanc in the German National Archives. His personal file contains a letter from Admiral August Thiele indicating that von Blanc had been recommended for the Oak Leaves by Thiele. In a file of the German Minenräumdienst dated just after the capitulation is an entry "Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves" without indicating a date of the award. The sequential number "866" and date was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Von Blanc was member of the AKCR.[6]

References [edit]

Citations
  1. ^ Dörr 1995, p. 50.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dörr 1995, p. 51.
  3. ^ Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 44.
  4. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 134.
  5. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 103.
  6. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 121.
  7. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 345.
Bibliography
  • Dörr, Manfred (1995). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1:A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2453-0.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
  • 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
  • Helden der Wehrmacht II (in German). FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2003. ISBN 3-924309-62-0.

External links [edit]

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Military offices
Preceded by
Konteradmiral Kurt Böhmer		 Chief of the 9. Sicherungsdivision
October 1944 – May 1945		 Succeeded by
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