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Meindl, Eugen Albert Max

Date of birth:
July 16th, 1892 (Donaueschingen/Baden, Germany)
Date of death:
January 24th, 1951 (Munich/Bavaria, Germany)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Promotions:
July 27th, 1912: Fahnenjunker;
March 22nd, 1913: Fähnrich;
February 17th, 1914: Leutnant (Patent February 21st, 1912);
April 18th, 1917: Oberleutnant;
August 1st, 1924: Hauptmann;
April 1st, 1934: Major;
August 1st, 1936: Oberstleutnant;
April 1st, 1939: Oberst (RDA April 1st, 1938);
January 1st, 1941: Generalmajor;
February 1st, 1943: Generalleutnant (RDA October 1st, 1942);
April 1st, 1944: General der Fallschirmtruppe.

Career:
July 27th, 1912: 5. Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 76;
?: Kriegsschule;
?: Batterieoffizier 5. Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 76;
?: Adjutant Artillerie-Kommando 52;
?: Batterieoffizier Reichswehr-Artillerie-Regiment 13;
?: Batterieoffizier 5. (Hess.-Württ.) Artillerie-Regiment;
?: 5. (Bad.) Batterie / 5. Artillerie-Regiment, Wiblingen;
October 1st, 1924: Stab 5. Division, Stuttgart;
October 1st, 1926: Heeres-Organisations-Abteilung (T 2), Reichswehrministerium (RWM), Berlin;
October 1st, 1927: Stab, II. (Bad.) Abteilung / 5. Artillerie-Regiment, Ulm an der Donau;
October 1st, 1928: Chef, 1. (Hess.) Eskadron, 5. Fahr-Abteilung, Ulm an der Donau;
Ocotber 1st, 1929: Adjutant, Stab 5. Artillerie-Regiment, Fulda;
September 15th, 1933: Artillerieschule Jüterborg;
October 15th, 1935: Kommandeur I. / Artillerie-Regiment 5, Ulm;
November 10th, 1938 - augustus 1940: Kommandeur Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 112, Graz;
June 1940: Kommandeur Gruppe Meindl, Narvik;
August 1940: Führerreserve OKH;
September 1st, 1940: Kommandeur Luftlande Sturm-Regiment 1;
May 16th, 1941: Führer Kampfgruppe West;
Winter 1941/1942: Kommandeur Kampfgruppe Meindl;
February 26th, 1942: Kommandeur Luftwaffen-Division Meindl;
September 26th, 1942: Kommandierender General XIII. Fliegerkorps / Kommandierender General I. Luftwaffen-Feld-Korps;
August 1st, 1943: Inspekteur der Luftwaffen-Inspektion 18 "Lw.-Feldverbände", Reichsluftfahrtministerium;
November 1943: Kommandierender General II. Fallschirmkorps;
May 25th, 1945 - September 29th, 1947: US POW.

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Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Awarded on:
July 18th, 1915
Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914)
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Awarded on:
January 17th, 1916
Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 112, 3. Gebirgs-Divison, Heer
Awarded on:
October 22nd, 1939
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Colonel)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 112, 3. Gebirgs-Divison, Heer
Awarded on:
June 10th, 1940
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberst (Colonel)
Awarded on:
November 10th, 1940
Narvikschild in Silber
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Awarded on:
June 9th, 1941
Mentioning:
"The parachute units under the leadership of Generalmajor Meindl, Oberst Heidrich, Oberst Bräuer, Oberst Ramke and Oberst Sturm, created in hard fighting, the crucial conditions for the conquest of Crete.
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1, Heer
Awarded on:
June 14th, 1941
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Awarded for his leadership of the Sturm-Regiment Meindl during the battle of Crete. His Regiment captured the airfield at Maleme and thereby ensured the eventual German victory on the island. Meindl, who was wounded by an enemy MG, continued to direct his soldiers from a stretcher and thus proved to be an example of determined leadership for all of his soldiers in this battle.
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1, Heer
Awarded on:
October 25th, 1941
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Luftwaffen-Division Meindl, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
August 9th, 1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Kommandeur, Luftwaffen-Division Meindl, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
July 27th, 1942
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
May 25th, 1943
Ärmelband Kreta
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Genral der Fallschirmtruppe (Lieutenant-general)
Unit:
Kommandierender General, II. Fallschirmkorps, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
August 31st, 1944
Awarded for his leadership of the II. Fallschirm-Korps during the battle of Normandy as well as the breakout he conducted from the Falaise pocket with the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

564th Award.
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Genral der Fallschirmtruppe (Lieutenant-general)
Unit:
Kommandierender General, II. Fallschirmkorps, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
May 8th, 1945
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern
Meindl’s Swords’ recommendation reads as follows…

“On the 10.02.1945 the Canadians and British achieved a breakthrough west of Cleve and in the Reichswald with the support of hitherto unseen quantities of artillery, tank and air support. In response General Meindl, commanding general of the II. Fallschirm-Korps, received the mission to construct a new defensive live on both sides of Goch and prevent a further advance of the enemy.

Thanks to the flexible leadership and personality of General Meindl it was possible for the hard pressed Heer and Fallschirmjäger units to recreate a continuous front and offer the toughest possible resistance in the face of the enemy. By his personal presence at the frontline in the thick of heavy enemy artillery and bomber strikes, General Meindl was able to inspire his soldiers to great combat achievements through his own example. During their attacks against the front of the II. Fallschirm-Korps the enemy suffered heavy losses in men and materiel and were unable to secure a decisive breakthrough.

General Meindl especially distinguished himself through personal bravery on the 06.03.1945. On that day the enemy threatened to split the Wesel bridgehead into two parts by an armoured thrust along the Issum-Alpen road. Immediately recognizing the great danger this posed, General Meindl personally assembled a Kompanie (consisting of 60 men) near Grünthal. He then personally led these men against the enemy and was able to throw them back despite heavy tank fire. This bold counterattack ensured that the cohesion of the bridgehead could be maintained.

On the 07.03.1945 the leadership of the II. Fallschirm-Korps was transferred to the Wesel bridgehead. Once again the personal example of General Meindl ensured that the Fallschirmjäger deployed here could offer their toughest resistance possible. As a result all the German troops in the bridgehead were pulled back to the eastern bank of the Rhine with their light and heavy weapons.

On the 10.03.1945 the railway bridge leading from Wesel was incompletely demolished due to a technical failure. General Meindl thus set up an anti-tank blocking position and enabled the remainder of the bridge to be destroyed. He was thereafter the last to leave the now completely unusable bridge.

During all the heavy fighting of the II. Fallschirm-Korps General Meindl, who was always present where the danger was greatest, led his formations with both flexibility and firmness despite the unyielding pressure the battles presented. In the process he also showed great personal bravery himself.

General Meindl is thus especially worthy of the high award of the Oakleaves with Swords to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.”


155th Award.
A formal awarding is not known. The recommendation was supported by General der Fallschirmtruppen Schlemm on March 23rd, 1945, Generaloberst Blaskowitz, Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe H on March 28th, Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring, Oberbefehlshaber West, April 9th and Reichsmarschall Göring, Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe on April 10th.
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded with Swords
Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Königlich Sächsischer Albrechtsordens
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded with Swords.
Ritter II. Klasse zu dem Orden der Löwen von Zähringen
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded with "Kriegsdekoration" (War Decoration).
Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse

Sources