Mentzel, Hellmuth, born 06-06-1891 in Breslau, entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker in the 22nd Infantry Regiment, on 27-11-1914, age 22. He started an observer training on 27-11-1914 and on 08-11-1916 a pilot training. He was in the fields with the 22nd Field Flying Battalion, ended the war as leader of Bombing Squadron 17 and retired on 26-02-1920. He joined the Army Service as adviser in Department II Luftwaffe of RLM. Mentzel was transferred into the Luftwaffe Service on 01-10-1933. At the beginning of World War II he was the commander of Reconnaissance Flying School I, to 1941. Commander of the Luftwaffe with the II Army under General Maximillian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs
to 10-04-1942 as a Generalmajor now. II Army was involved in the invasion of the Balkans, before offensive operations in the Ukraine as part of Operation Barbarossa. In 1945 the army was redisgnated AOK East Prussia and was pivotal in the defence of East and West Prussia before finally surrendering on 09-05-1945. Surrendering signed by Wilhelm Keitel
Airport Area Commandant 2/IV, in Grossenheim to 28-11-1942. Successively Airport Area Commander of 2/II until 19-12-1943, of 2/VIII, in Moscow to 22-06-1943 and of 4/III, in Staaken until 28-02-1944. Then as a Generalleutnant the temporary Chief of Wehrmacht Patrol Service, OKW , until his Allied captivity on 08-05-1945.
Death and burial ground of Mentzel, Hellmuth.
Released Mentzel lived in Frankfurt am Main where he at the old age of 83 died, on 11-08-1974 and is buried on the Cemetery Oberradwal in Frankfurt am Main.
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