(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Admiral Wilhelm Meisel
Born: 04 Nov 1893 in Zwickau, Saxony (Sachsen)
Died: 07 Sep 1974 in Mülheim, Baden
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (03 Apr 1914); Leutnant zur See (18 Sep 1915); Oberleutnant zur See (07 Jan 1920); Kapitänleutnant (01 Aug 1925); Korvettenkapitän (01 Oct 1932); Fregattenkapitän (01 Oct 1936); Kapitän zur See (01 Aug 1938); Konteradmiral (01 Sep 1942); Vizeadmiral (01 Feb 1943); Admiral (01 Apr 1944)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and Attended Basic-Training (01 Apr 1913-09 May 1913)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hertha’ (10 May 1913-31 Mar 1914)
Naval-School Mürwik (01 Apr 1914-01 Aug 1914)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Moltke’ (02 Aug 1914-31 Jan 1915)
On Board the Small Cruiser ‘Stralsund’ (01 Feb 1915-24 Nov 1915)
Adjutant on the Auxiliary-Cruiser ‘Möwe’ (25 Nov 1915-22 Mar 1917)
Watch-Officer with the X. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla (01 Apr 1917-00 Dec 1917)
Watch-Officer with the VII. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla (00 Dec 1917-21 Jun 1919)
In Captivity (21 Jun 1919-31 Jan 1920)
Released and Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the North Sea (01 Feb 1920-28 Feb 1920)
Watch-Officer with the I. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla then I. Baltic-Sea-Minesweeper-Flotilla (01 Mar 1920-30 Oct 1920)
Temporary-Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat ‘T 156’ of the I. Baltic-Sea-Minesweeper-Flotilla (31 Oct 1920-09 Mar 1921)
Commandant with the 2nd Torpedo-Boat-Half-Flotilla (10 Mar 1921-12 Oct 1923)
Flag-Lieutenant with the Staff of the Commander of Light Sea Forces of the Baltic Sea (13 Oct 1923-31 Mar 1925)
Flag-Lieutenant with the Staff of the Commander of Sea Forces of the Baltic Sea (01 Apr 1925-05 Apr 1926)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of Naval Command (12 Apr 1926-22 Aug 1926)
Leader of the Tests-Committee for Torpedo Boat New Construction (23 Aug 1926-31 Mar 1927)
Transferred into the Training-Department of Naval Command (01 Apr 1927-05 Oct 1927)
Subsidiary-Leadership-Training (06 Oct 1927-23 Mar 1929)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (24 Mar 1929-03 Jul 1929)
At the same time, Acting-Naval-Signals-Officer Swinemünde (15 Apr 1929-08 Jun 1929)
Detached for Service to Naval Command (04 Jul 1929-17 Aug 1929)
Ships-Cadre ‘Karlsruhe’ (18 Aug 1929-05 Nov 1929)
Torpedo-Officer and Adjutant on the Cruiser ‘Karlsruhe’ (06 Nov 1929-25 Sep 1931)
Chief of the 2nd Torpedo-Boat-Half-Flotilla (26 Sep 1931-04 Oct 1933)
Admiral-Staff-Officer in the Staff of the Leader Of Torpedo-Boats (05 Oct 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Instructor at the Naval-Academy (02 Oct 1934-13 Mar 1937)
Chief of the Outpost-Flotilla (14 Mar 1937-03 Jul 1937)
Chief of the 2nd Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla (15 Jul 1937-05 Nov 1937)
Temporary-Commander of the Submarine-School (06 Dec 1937-16 Feb 1938)
Commander of the Submarine-School (17 Feb 1938-13 Apr 1938)
Placed to the Disposal of the Leader Of Torpedo-Boats (14 Apr 1938-05 Sep 1938)
At the same time, Construction-Indoctrination Destroyer with the Shipyard Deschimag (16 Jun 1938-30 Jun 1938)
Detached to the Staff of the Commander of Armoured-Ships (06 Sep 1938-25 Oct 1938)
Chief of the 1st Destroyer-Flotilla (26 Oct 1938-27 Oct 1939)
Chief Of Staff of the Commander of Security of the Baltic Sea (28 Oct 1939-03 Sep 1940)
At the same time, Acting-Commander of Security of the Baltic Sea (06 Aug 1940-15 Aug 1940)
Commandant of the Heavy Cruiser ‘Admiral Hipper’ (04 Sep 1940-08 Nov 1942)
Chief Of Staff of Naval-Group-Command West (16 Nov 1942-10 Feb 1943)
Chief Of Staff of the Naval Warfare Command, OKM (21 Feb 1943-30 Apr 1944)
Chief of Naval Warfare Command, OKM (01 May 1944-22 Jul 1945)
In Captivity (22 Jul 1945-21 Jan 1947)
Released (21 Jan 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz (59): am 26.02.1941 als Kapitän zur See und Kommandant Schwerer Kreuzer “Admiral Hipper“
- 1914 EK I: 15.04.1917
- 1914 EK II: 17.03.1915
- Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Kgl. Sächs. Albrechts-Ordens mit Schwertern: 00.05.1916
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz: 00.06.1916
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918: 00.12.1934
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 01.10.1938
- Spanienkreuz in Silber ohne Schwerter: 06.06.1939
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes
- Spange zum EK I: 08.05.1940
- Spange zum EK II: 26.10.1939
- Zerstörer-Kriegsabzeichen: 00.07.1941
- Flottenkriegsabzeichen: 01.11.1941
- Finn. Freiheitskreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern: 21.05.1942
- Japanischer Orden der aufgehenden Sonne II. Klasse


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