Waldemar Mehl
| Waldemar Mehl | |
|---|---|
| Born |
7 September 1914 Grävenwiesbach, Hesse |
| Died | 29 March 1996 (aged 81) Wiesbaden |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine
|
| Years of service | 1933–45 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Unit |
21st U-boat Flotilla 23rd U-boat Flotilla 29th U-boat Flotilla |
| Commands held |
U-62 (5–19 November 1941) U-72 (2 December 1941–6 May 1942) U-371 (25 May 1942–4 April 1944) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Waldemar Mehl (7 September 1914 in Grävenwiesbach, Hesse – 29 March 1996 in Wiesbaden) was a German U-boat commander during World War II, and recipient of the (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Mehl joined the Kriegsmarine on 28 March 1933, and served a tour on SSS Gorch Fock, the light cruisers Karlsruhe, Köln and Nürnberg, and the battleship Schleswig-Holstein. From December 1939 he served as a naval intelligence officer in several positions on shore before transferring to the U-boat force in April 1941.
After the usual training, Mehl sailed on two patrols aboard U-371 between July and October 1941 as Kommandantenschüler ("Commander-in-training"), before taking command of U-62 and then U-72 as part of training unit 21st U-boat Flotilla.
In May 1942 he took command of U-371 and served in the Mediterranean, sailing on 12 successful patrols over the next two years, and sank nine ships (totalling 42,451 tons) and damaged four (28,072 tons). Among the ships sunk were the British minesweepers Jura and Hythe, and the American destroyer Bristol.
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