Rudolf Petersen (Kapitän zur See)

This article is about the German naval officer. For the German politician, see Rudolf Petersen.

Rudolf Petersen
Born	(1905-05-15)15 May 1905 Atzerballig on Alsen, Germany
Died	Flensburg
Buried	Cemetery Adelby in Flensburg
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine Bundesnachrichtendienst
Years of service	1925–45
Rank	Kapitän zur See
Commands held	2. Schnellbootflottille
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Rudolf Jesper Petersen (15 June 1905 in Atzerballig on Alsen, Germany – 2 January 1983 in Flensburg) was a German officer in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). 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.

Petersen, in his role as Kommodore, was the head of the court of what might have been the last desertion-trial of Nazi Germany. Matrose Fritz Wehrmann, age 26 from Leipzig, Funker Alfred Gail, age 20 from Kassel, and Obergefreiter Martin Schilling, age 22 from Ostfriesland were executed on board Buéa on 10 May 1945 two days after the Unconditional surrender of Germany.

The accused had received news of the German capitulation to the British forces on 4 May 1945. On 6 May 1945 they left their stations on Svendborg on Fünen to get to the mainland. They were caught by the Danish Police and handed over to the German authorities on Fünen.

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (1 April 1937)
• Memel Medal (26 October 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (1940)
  • 1st Class (28 May 1940)
• Destroyer War Badge (11 December 1940)
• Fast Attack Craft War Badge (19 March 1942)
  • with Diamonds (13 June 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 August 1940 as Korvettenkapitän and chief of the 2. Schnellbootflottille
  • 499th Oak Leaves on 13 June 1944 as Kapitän zur See and leader of the Schnellboote (FdS)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Sunday, 9 March 1941	Bei dem im gestrigen Wehrmachtbericht bekanntgegebenen großen Erfolg der Schnellbootwaffe haben sich die unter der Führung des Korvettenkapitäns Petersen, des Kapitänleutnants Birnbacher und des Oberleutnants zur See Wuppermann stehenden Schnellbootverbände besonders ausgezeichnet.	In yesterdays in the Wehrmacht report announced huge success of the fast attack craft force, have fast attack craft units under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Petersen, the Captain Lieutenant Birnbacher and Lieutenant at Sea Wuppermann particularly distinguished themselves.

References

Bibliography

• Williamson, Gordon and Bujeiro, Ramiro (2004). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1939-40. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-641-0.

External links

• Berliner Zeitung Article about the desertion trial

Military offices
Preceded by none	Commander of 2. Schnellbootflottille 1 August 1938 – 20 October 1941	Succeeded by Korvettenkapitän Klaus Feldt