Adalbert von Blanc
Adalbert von Blanc | |
---|---|
Born |
Wilhelmshaven | 11 July 1907
Died |
7 November 1976 69) Flensburg-Mürwik | (aged
Allegiance |
Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
Service/branch |
Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy |
Years of service | 1926–45, 1956–64 |
Rank |
Fregattenkapitän (Kriegsmarine) Flottillenadmiral (Bundesmarine) |
Unit |
SSS Niobe light cruiser Emden German auxiliary cruiser Orion |
Commands held | 9. Sicherungsdivision |
Battles/wars |
|
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Adalbert Pierre Louis Karl Erich Johann von Blanc (11 July 1907 – 7 November 1976) was a Fregattenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and later a Flottillenadmiral in the Bundesmarine. During World War II he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and served as 1st Officer on the German auxiliary cruiser Orion.
His father, Korvettenkapitän Louis von Blanc, was first officer on SMS Cöln and was killed in action on 28 August 1914 during the Battle of Heligoland Bight.
Blanc joined the British controlled German Mine Sweeping Administration on 15 August 1945. Blanc held command of the 1. Minenräum-Division (1st mine sweeping division) in Kiel. When the administration was disbanded on 31 December 1947, Blanc transferred to the follow organization called Minenräumverband Cuxhaven and became its chief.
The student Georg von Hatzfeld from Heidelberg together with his fellow student René Ledesdorff had occupied the isle of Helgoland on 18 December 1950. The two were joined by Prince Hubertus zu Loewenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg on 29 December 1950. The number of occupants had grown to 13 when Blanc was ordered by the British authorities to send two boats for the evacuation of Helgoland. Blanc refused to obey the order, even when he came under severe pressure and suspended from his command post. A legal proceeding against Blanc was initiated on 3 January 1951. The British court ruled that the order was not among his contractual obligations and he was re-instituted in his position as chief of the Minenräumverband Cuxhaven.[1]
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[2]
- Auxiliary Cruiser Badge (23 August 1941)[2]
- German Cross in Gold on 11 September 1942 as Korvettenkapitän in the 2. Sicherungs-Division[4]
- Minesweeper War Badge (25 March 1943)[2]
- Cuffband "Courland" (1945)[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 27 November 1944 as Fregattenkapitän and leader of the 9. Sicherungs-Division[5]
- (866th) Oak Leaves on 10 May 1945 as Fregattenkapitän and leader of the 9. Marine-Sicherungs-Division[6][Note 1]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 25 November 1944
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1964[2]
Footnotes
- ↑ There is no reference of the Oak Leaves were awarded to Adalbert von Blanc in the German Federal Archives. His personal file contains a letter from Admiral August Thiele indicating that von Blanc had been recommended for the Oak Leaves by Thiele. In a file of the German Minenräumdienst dated just after the capitulation is an entry "Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves" without indicating a date of the award. The sequential number "866" and date was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Von Blanc was member of the AKCR.[7]
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Dörr, Manfred (1995). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2453-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
External links
- "Adalbert von Blanc". Deutsches Marinearchiv (in German). Retrieved 8 August 2011.
Military offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Korvettenkapitän Hugo Heydel |
Commander of the 2nd Minesweeper Flotilla September 1943 – March 1944 |
Succeeded by Fregattenkapitän Wilhelm Ambrosius |
Preceded by Konteradmiral Kurt Böhmer |
Chief of the 9. Sicherungsdivision October 1944 – May 1945 |
Succeeded by — |