Hubert-Erwin Meierdress

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Hubert-Erwin Meierdrees
Born (1916-12-11)11 December 1916
Wesel
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Budapest
Buried
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Flag of the Schutzstaffel.svg Waffen SS
Rank Sturmbannführer
Service number NSDAP #3,601,911
SS #265,243
Unit Totenkopf
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Hubert-Erwin Meierdrees (11 December 1916 – 4 January 1945), usually referred to as Erwin Meierdress, was a German officer and tank commander in the Waffen-SS. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Meierdress was killed in action in January 1945.

Career

Meierdrees was born in Wesel in Rhenish Prussia. In April 1934, se joined the NSDAP (Nr. 3,601,911) and the SS (Nr. 265,243). He was posted to the SS Division Leibstandarte. On 1 May 1939, he was posted as a platoon commander in SS-Standarte Der Führer. During the invasion of Poland, Operation Fall Weiss, Meierdress was awarded the Iron Cross second class. For his actions with the SS Division Totenkopf in the Demyansk Pocket in February 1942 on the Eastern Front, Meierdrees was awarded the Iron Cross, first class and, later, the Knight's Cross.

In December 1942, the division was transferred to Kharkov, where it formed a part of II SS Panzer Corps; Meierdress's unit took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov. The division then took part in the Battle of Kursk; on 12 July, Meierdrees's battalion engaged the lead units of the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army. On 23 August, Army Group South abandoned Kharkov and began to retreat to the Dnieper. For his actions at Kursk and during the withdrawal Meierdress was awarded the Oak leaves to the Knight's Cross. In January 1944, Meierdress received a promotion to SS-Sturmbannführer.

In December 1944, Totenkopf was transferred to Budapest in an effort to relieve 9th SS Mountain Corps encircled there. On 4 January, Meierdrees' unit was counterattacked by a Soviet armoured force. Meierdrees' tank was hit and exploded, killing him.

Awards

Notes

  1. Meierdrees was buried next to Walter Nowotny before out of political reasons he was re-interred on 3 October 1947.[1]

References

Citations

  1. Krätschmer 1999, p. 269.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Thomas 1998, p. 68.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 534.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 306, 498.
  5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 73.

Bibliography

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