Bernhard Meentzen

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve (entry, Jahrgang 38)

No ships sunk or damaged.

Born	25 Apr 1915		Wesermünde
Died	2000	(84)	Bremen, Germany

Post war photo of Bernhard Meentzen

Ranks

1 Dec 1943

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-1272	29 Jan 1944	2 Jul 1944	No war patrols
U-3016	5 Jan 1945	2 May 1945	No war patrols

Bernhard Hinrich "Bernd" Meentzen joined the Kriegsmarine in 1938. From July 1941 to March 1943 he served at Naval Flak School 1. In March 1943 he joined the U-boat force and began U-boat training, followed by U-boat Commander training, finishing his courses in Dec 1943.

Oblt. Meentzen commenced U-boat construction familiarization (Baubelehrung) in preparation for taking over his first command in Dec 1943, and commissioned the type VIIC/41 U-boat U-1272 on 29 Jan 1944. U-1272 then trained as part of the 8th (Training) Flotilla in the Baltic. He left the boat on 2 July 1944.

In August 1944 Oblt. Meentzen began training and Baubelehrung for a new type XXI Elektro U-boat Elektro boats. On 5 Jan 1945 he commissioned U-3016. When Germany's surrender was imminent his boat was still working up with the 4th (Training) Flotilla and was not ready for active service. Oblt. Meentzen scuttled U-3016 on 2 May 1945 at Travemünde six days before the surrender (see Operation Regenbogen).

According to a relative of his he died in 2000 and is buried in the family grave at Riesenberg Cemetery in Bremen, Germany.