Otto Meyer (SS officer)

This redirect is about the German World War II SS-officer. For other uses, see Otto Meyer.

Otto Meyer
Born	23 December 1912 Moldenit, German Empire
Died	28 August 1944 (1944-08-29) (aged 31) Duclair, France
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1934–44
Rank	SS-Obersturmbannführer
Unit	9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class German Cross in Gold

Otto Meyer (23 December 1912 – 24 August 1944) was an Obersturmbannführer (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.

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 Tölz, upon graduation he was promoted to Untersturmführer (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 Sturmbannführer (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 Obersturmbannführer (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.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 May 1940)
  • 1st Class (8 August 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 14 January 1942 as SS-Sturmbannführer in SS-Regiment "Deutschland"
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 June 1944 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 9 "Hohenstaufen"
  • 601st Oak Leaves on 30 September 1944 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 9 "Hohenstaufen"

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)