Oak leaves
69-461: The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German : Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes ) and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for
138-617: A blanket approval of all nominations received by the OKW up until the surrender. The validity of this "Dönitz decree" ( Dönitz-Erlaß ) was contested after the war, and the German military archive agency (WASt) concluded that it violated Nazi legislation that required a case-by-case decision. Analysis of the German Federal Archives revealed evidence for 7,161 officially bestowed recipients. The German Federal Archives substantiate 863 awards of
207-411: A men's cast-iron ring or a ladies' brooch, each bearing the legend "Gold I gave for iron" ( Gold gab ich für Eisen ). The award was reinstituted for the wars in 1870 and 1914. With the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, Adolf Hitler in his role as commander in chief of the German armed forces decreed the renewal of the Iron Cross of 1939. A new grade of the Iron Cross series was introduced,
276-420: A mockery of the soldier's oath of obedience to military orders. When it suits their defence they say they had to obey; when confronted with Hitler's brutal crimes, which are shown to have been within their general knowledge, they say they disobeyed. The truth is, they actively participated in all these crimes, or sat silent and acquiescent, witnessing the commission of crimes on a scale larger and more shocking than
345-664: A nomination could be submitted via teleprinter communication. At first, the recipient of the Knight's Cross, or one of its higher grades, received a brief telegram informing him of the award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Thereafter he received a Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis (Preliminary Testimonial of Ownership). The award was also noted in the recipient's Soldbuch (Soldier's Pay Book), his Wehrpass (Military Identification) and personnel records. From 1 September 1939 to Adolf Hitler's death on 30 April 1945, all Knight's Cross awards were approved by Hitler, after prior approval by
414-462: A number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process. Listed here are the 118 Knight's Cross recipients of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS whose last name starts with "M". Fellgiebel himself delisted one and Scherzer has challenged the validity of seven more of these listings. The recipients are ordered alphabetically by last name. The rank listed is the recipient's rank at
483-484: A set and included the more elaborate A-piece and a second clasp with rhinestones for everyday wear, the B-piece. The Diamonds were awarded 27 times during World War II. However three individuals never received a set of Diamonds. Hans-Joachim Marseille , the fourth recipient, was killed in an aircraft crash prior to its presentation. The deteriorating situation and the end of the war prevented its presentation to Karl Mauss ,
552-616: A single act of extreme gallantry. A total of 7,321 awards were made between its first presentation on 30 September 1939 and its last bestowal on 17 June 1945. This number is based on the analysis and acceptance of the order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht —the Heer ( Army ), Kriegsmarine ( Navy ) and Luftwaffe ( Air Force )—as well as
621-421: A single-engine plane, two points for a twin-engine plane and three for a four-engine plane, with all points being doubled at night). It was issued from 1939 to 1945, with the requirements being gradually raised as the war went on. Nominations for the Knight's Cross could be made at company level or higher. Commanders could not nominate themselves. In this instance the division adjutant made the recommendation. In
690-514: A soldier had to already hold the 1939 Iron Cross First Class, though the Iron Cross First Class was awarded concurrently with the Knight's Cross in some cases. Unit commanders could also be awarded the medal for the exemplary conduct of the unit as a whole. Also, U-boat commanders could qualify for sinking 100,000 tons of shipping and Luftwaffe pilots could qualify for accumulating 20 "points" (with one point being awarded for shooting down
759-647: The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL)) which, while theoretically subordinate, were largely independent from the OKW or the OBW. Further complications in OKW operations also arose in circumstances such as when, on 19 December 1941, Hitler dismissed Walther von Brauchitsch as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, after the failure of the Battle of Moscow , and assumed von Brauchitsch's former position, in essence reporting directly to himself, since
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#1732851888043828-640: The Wehrmacht-Führungsamt and losing its role as a subordinate organization. These changes were largely cosmetic however as key staff remained in post and continued to fulfill the same duties. Commander-in-Chief of the OKW Chief of Operations Staff of the OKW Officially, the OKW served as the military general staff for the Third Reich, coordinating the efforts of the army, navy, and air force. With
897-572: The Commander-in-Chief of the Army , Werner von Fritsch . Adolf Hitler, who had been waiting for an opportunity to gain personal control over the German military, quickly took advantage of the scandal, using the powers granted to him by the Enabling Act to do so. The decree dissolved the ministry and replaced it with the OKW. The OKW was directly subordinate to Hitler in his position as Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht (Supreme Commander of
966-638: The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross , the Grand Cross was never awarded at-large to Nazi German military and paramilitary forces. The Grand Cross' sole award was made to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring in September 1939, making the Knight's Cross (specifically, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds grade) the de facto highest award among the decorations of Nazi Germany . The Knight's Cross
1035-739: The Nuremberg trials , the OKW was indicted but acquitted of being a criminal organization because of Article 9 of the charter of the International Military Tribunal. In the opinion of the Tribunal, the General Staff and High Command is neither an "organisation" nor a "group" Although the Tribunal is of the opinion that the term "group" in Article 9 must mean something more than this collection of military officers, it has heard much evidence as to
1104-657: The Reich Labour Service and the Volkssturm (German People storm militia ), along with personnel from other Axis powers . The award was instituted on 1 September 1939, at the onset of the German invasion of Poland . The award was created to replace the many older merit and bravery neck awards of the German Empire. A higher grade, the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, was instituted in 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of
1173-598: The Waffen-SS , the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD—Reich Labour Service) and the Volkssturm (German national militia ). There were also 43 recipients in the military forces of allies of the Third Reich . These recipients are listed in the 1986 edition of Walther-Peer Fellgiebel 's book, Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 . Fellgiebel
1242-673: The battalion level, a practice which, due to bureaucratic delays and Hitler's worsening indecision as the war progressed, would eventually contribute to Germany's defeat. The OKW was established by executive decree on 4 February 1938, in the aftermath of the Blomberg-Fritsch affair , which had led to the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and head of the Reich Ministry of War , Werner von Blomberg , as well as
1311-436: The * (asterisk) indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously . This along with the ! (exclamation mark) indicates that author Walther-Peer Fellgiebel has expressed doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing. This along with the ? (question mark) indicates that author Veit Scherzer has expressed doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of
1380-406: The 26th recipient and Dietrich von Saucken , the 27th and final recipient. The Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten ) was instituted on 29 December 1944. This medal was the highest level, originally intended for 12 of the most distinguished servicemen in the entire German armed forces after
1449-662: The Armed Forces High Command. As head of the WFA, Keitel appointed Max von Viebahn [ de ] although after two months he was removed from command, and this post was not refilled until the promotion of Alfred Jodl. To replace Jodl at the Abteilung Landesverteidigungsführungsamt (WFA/L), Walther Warlimont was appointed. In December 1941 further changes took place with the Abteilung Landesverteidigungsführungsamt (WFA/L) being merged into
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#17328518880431518-484: The Armed Forces) kept separate Knight's Cross lists for the Heer ( Army ), Kriegsmarine ( Navy ), Luftwaffe ( Air Force ) and Waffen-SS . Within each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient. The same numbering paradigm was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade. Of the 457 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "M", 46 were later awarded
1587-457: The Armed Forces), to the detriment of the existing military structure. The OKW was led by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel as Chief of the OKW with the rank of a Reich Minister, which essentially made him the second most powerful person in the armed forces' hierarchy after Hitler. The next officer after Keitel was Lieutenant General Alfred Jodl , who served as the OKW's Chief of Operations Staff. However, despite this seemingly powerful hierarchy,
1656-823: The Commander-in-Chief of the Army reported to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. In Berlin and Königsberg, the German Army had large Fernschreibstelle (teleprinter offices) which collected morning messages each day from regional or local centres. They also had a Geheimschreibstube or cipher room where plaintext messages could be encrypted on Lorenz SZ40/42 machines. If sent by radio rather than landline they were intercepted and decrypted at Bletchley Park in England, where they were known as Fish . Some messages were daily returns, and some were between Hitler and his generals; both were valuable to Allied intelligence. During
1725-457: The German constitution and Germany's postwar policies. The German Law of Titles, Orders and Honours ( German : Gesetz über Titel, Orden und Ehrenzeichen ) regulates the wearing of the Knight's Cross in post World War II Germany. German law prohibits wearing a swastika , so on 26 July 1957 the West German government authorized replacement Knight's Crosses with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of
1794-561: The German military's officers mostly disregarded Keitel's position, deeming him nothing more than Hitler's lackey. Other officers often had direct access to the Führer , such as officers with the rank of field marshal, while other officers even outranked Keitel, an example being the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Hermann Göring . This position ideally meant Göring was subordinate to Keitel, but his alternate rank of Reichsmarschall made him
1863-705: The Golden Oak Leaves of the Order of the Red Eagle , which was the second highest Prussian order after the Order of the Black Eagle . The king also awarded the Oak Leaves together with the Pour le Mérite since 9. October 1813 for gallantry. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern ) was instituted on 15 July 1941. The Oak Leaves with Swords clasp
1932-511: The Iron Cross for all ranks in the three branches of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS . However, 200 of the OdR-listed cases are lacking an official proof of award. In 1999, German SPD Minister of Defence Rudolf Scharping banned any contacts between the Bundeswehr and the association, stating that it and many of its members shared neo-Nazi and revanchist ideas which were not in conformity with
2001-476: The Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub ) was instituted on 3. June 1940. Before the introduction of the Oak Leaves only 124 members of the Wehrmacht had received the Knight's Cross. Prior to Case Yellow ( Fall Gelb ), the attack on the Netherlands, Belgium and France, just 52 Knight's Crosses had been awarded. In May 1940 the number of presentations peaked. The timing for
2070-409: The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and 143 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses. This along with the + (plus) indicates that a higher grade of Knight's Cross was awarded as well. This along with
2139-567: The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, nine the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and five the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds; 29 presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 293 of the medals; 29 went to the Kriegsmarine, 113 to the Luftwaffe, and 22 to the Waffen-SS. The sequential numbers greater than 843 for
List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (M) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-466: The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, without distinction, was awarded to officers and soldiers alike, conforming with the National Socialist slogan: "One people, one nation, one leader". Analysis of the German Federal Archives revealed evidence for 7,161 officially bestowed recipients. The German Federal Archives substantiate 863 awards of the Oak Leaves to
2277-460: The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves were instituted: the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, was created. Over 7,000 awards were made during the course of the war. The Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross at
2346-453: The Knight's Cross, along with the 147 Swords and 27 Diamonds awards. The Golden Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross was awarded only once, to Hans-Ulrich Rudel on 29 December 1944. The legal grounds for this decree had been established in 1937 with the German law of Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs ( Gesetz über Titel, Orden und Ehrenzeichen ) that made the Führer and President of Germany
2415-511: The Luftwaffe the lowest level was the Geschwader and in the Kriegsmarine the respective flotilla was authorized to make the nomination. It was also possible to nominate subordinated foreign units. The nomination by the troop had to be submitted in writing and in double copy. The format and the content were predefined. Every nomination contained the personal data, the rank and unit at the time of
2484-529: The Nazi bureaucracy to compete for his favor in areas where their administration overlapped, Hitler ensured there was a rivalry between the OKW and the OKH. Since most German operations during World War II were army-controlled (with Luftwaffe support), the OKH demanded control over German military forces. Nevertheless, Hitler decided against the OKH in favor of the OKW overseeing operations in many land theaters, despite being
2553-514: The OKW replaced the Reich Ministry of War and had oversight over the individual high commands of the country's armed forces : the army ( Heer ), navy ( Kriegsmarine ), and air force ( Luftwaffe ). Rivalry with the different services' commands, mainly with the Army High Command (OKH), prevented the OKW from becoming a unified German General Staff in an effective chain of command , though it did help coordinate operations among
2622-537: The Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, along with the 147 Swords and 27 Diamonds awards. Author Veit Scherzer concluded that every presentation of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, or one of its higher grades, made until 20 April 1945 is verifiable in the German Federal Archives. The first echelon of the Heerespersonalamt Abteilung P 5/Registratur (Army Personnel Office Department P 5/Registry)
2691-701: The Western front, in North Africa , and in Italy . In the west, operations were further split between the OKW and Oberbefehlshaber West (OBW, Commander in Chief West), who was Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (succeeded by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge ). There was even more fragmentation since the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe operations had their own commands (the Oberkommando der Marine (OKM) and
2760-405: The act, since when the soldier held this position, the military service entry date, previous military decorations awarded and date of presentation, etc. For enlisted soldiers and noncommissioned officers the résumé had to be submitted as well. The nomination had to be forwarded in writing by a courier up the official command chain. Every intermittent administrative office or commander between
2829-453: The aggressive ambitions of Hitler and his fellow Nazis would have been academic and sterile. Although they were not a group falling within the words of the Charter, they were certainly a ruthless military caste. The contemporary German militarism flourished briefly with its recent ally, National Socialism, as well as or better than it had in the generations of the past. Many of these men have made
List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (M) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-604: The beginning of the German campaign as part of the Napoleonic Wars . The design was a silver-framed cast iron cross on 13 March 1813. Iron was a material which symbolised defiance and reflected the spirit of the age. The Prussian state had mounted a campaign steeped in patriotic rhetoric to rally their citizens to repulse the French occupation. To finance the army, the king implored wealthy Prussians to turn in their jewels in exchange for
2967-539: The commanders in chief of the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe, and from the autumn of 1944 also by the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler , made the presentations instead. The Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) ( German language : Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes e.V. ( OdR )) is an association of highly decorated soldiers of both world wars. The association
3036-507: The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 introduced the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern ) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten ). At
3105-419: The enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes. As the war progressed, some of the recipients of the Knight's Cross distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub ), was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on
3174-402: The end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten ), based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of 29 December 1944, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of
3243-406: The entire German state. As the war progressed four additional years, leaders had to distinguish those who had already won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross or one of the higher grades and who continued to show merit in combat bravery or military success. The Knight's Cross was eventually awarded in five grades: The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross instituted on 1. September 1939. Its appearance
3312-616: The head of the Heerespersonalamt and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). After 30 April 1945, in the context of the rapid disintegration of Germany's government and armed forces, it is unclear who held the authority to approve awards. A teleprinter message dated 3 May authorized the commanders-in-chief of those units still engaged in combat to award the Knight's Cross by themselves. Likely on 7 May, just before Germany's surrender on 8 May, Hitler's successor Karl Dönitz decreed
3381-486: The head of the OKH. As the war progressed, more and more influence moved from the OKH to the OKW, with Norway being the first "OKW war theater ". More and more areas came under complete control of the OKW. Finally, only the Eastern Front remained the domain of the OKH. However, as the Eastern Front was by far the primary battlefield of the German military, the OKH was still influential. The OKW ran military operations on
3450-457: The introduction of the Oak Leaves is closely linked to Case Red ( Fall Rot ), the second and decisive phase of the Battle of France . Like the Knight's Cross to which it was added, the Oak Leaves clasp could be awarded for leadership, distinguished service or personal gallantry. The Oak Leaves, just like the 1813 Iron Cross and Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, was not a National Socialist invention. They originally appeared in conjunction with
3519-772: The invasion of the Soviet Union, the presentations were made at the Führer Headquarters " Wolf's Lair " in East Prussia , in the " Werwolf " near Vinnytsia in Ukraine, and at the Berghof. After the 20 July plot , the presentations were only made sporadically by Hitler himself. The last presentations by Hitler were made early in 1945 in the Führerbunker in Berlin. Senior commanders, like
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#17328518880433588-479: The listing. Knight%27s Cross of the Iron Cross Oak leaves and swords Oak leaves, swords and diamonds The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German : Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes ), or simply the Knight's Cross ( Ritterkreuz ), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II . While it was lower in precedence than
3657-475: The nominating unit and the commander-in-chief of the respective Wehrmacht branch (commander-in-chief of the Heer , commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe and commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine with their respective staff offices) had to give their approval along with a short comment. In exceptional cases, such as the nominated individual had sustained severe injuries or that the command chain had been interrupted,
3726-505: The only person who was allowed to award orders or honorary signs. The re-institution of the Iron Cross was therefore a Führer decree, which had political implication since the Treaty of Versailles had explicitly prohibited the creation of a military decoration, order or medal. However, Germany had formally renounced the Treaty by this time. The renewal for the first time had created an honorary sign of
3795-425: The participation of these officers in planning and waging aggressive war, and in committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. This evidence is, as to many of them, clear and convincing. They have been responsible, in large measure, for the miseries and suffering that have fallen on millions of men, women and children. They have been a disgrace to the honourable profession of arms. Without their military guidance,
3864-604: The second most powerful person in Germany after Hitler, and he used this alternate power to circumvent Keitel and access Hitler directly whenever he wished. By June 1938, the OKW comprised four departments: The WFA replaced the Wehrmachtsamt (Armed Forces Office) which had existed between 1935 and 1938 within the Reich War Ministry, headed by Keitel. Hitler promoted Keitel to Chief of the OKW ( Chef des OKW ), i.e. Chief of
3933-491: The start of World War II , tactical control of the Waffen-SS was exercised by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht . In practice, however, Hitler used OKW as his personal military staff, translating his ideas into military orders, such as the Führer Directives , and issuing them to the three services while having little control over them. However, as the war progressed, the OKW found itself exercising increasing amounts of direct command authority over military units, particularly in
4002-487: The swastika, similar to the Iron Cross of 1914, and the denazified Iron Cross of 1957, which could be worn by World War II recipients. Oberkommando der Wehrmacht The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( German: [ˈoːbɐkɔˌmando deːɐ̯ ˈveːɐ̯ˌmaxt] ; abbreviated OKW German: [oːkaːˈveː] ; Armed Forces High Command) was the supreme military command and control office of Nazi Germany during World War II . Created in 1938,
4071-454: The three services. During the war, the OKW acquired more and more operational powers. By 1942, the OKW had responsibility for all theatres except for the Eastern Front . However, Adolf Hitler manipulated the system in order to prevent any one command from taking a dominant role in decision making. This "divide and conquer" method helped put most military decisions in Hitler's own hands, which at times included even those affecting engagements at
4140-399: The time the Knight's Cross was awarded. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments . The first enactment, Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of 1 September 1939 instituted the Iron Cross ( Eisernes Kreuz ), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross ( Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes ). Article 2 of
4209-413: The war ended. Six sets of Golden Oak Leaves were manufactured, each consisting of an A-piece, made of 18- carat gold with 58 real diamonds, and a B-piece, made of 14-carat gold with 68 real sapphires. One of these sets was presented to Hans-Ulrich Rudel on 1 January 1945; the remaining five sets were taken to Schloss Klessheim , where they were taken by the US forces. To qualify for the Knight's Cross,
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#17328518880434278-412: The west. This created a situation such that by 1942, the OKW held the de facto command of western forces while the Army High Command directly controlled the Eastern Front . It was not until 28 April 1945 (two days before his suicide ) that Hitler placed the OKH directly under the OKW, finally giving the latter full command of Germany's armed forces. True to his strategy of setting different parts of
4347-407: The world has ever had the misfortune to know. This must be said. Despite this, both Keitel and Jodl were convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging . During the subsequent High Command Trial in 1947–48, fourteen Wehrmacht officers were charged with war crimes , especially for the Commissar Order to execute Soviet political commissars in occupied territories in the east,
4416-411: Was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of military valour. Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht : the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force), as well as the Waffen-SS ,
4485-426: Was founded in 1955 in Cologne by Alfred Keller , Knight of the Order Pour le Mérite and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Later, the recipients of the Prussian Golden Military Merit Cross , or the Pour le Mérite for enlisted personnel, were included. The AKCR lists the awarding of 7318 Knight's Crosses, as well as 882 Oak Leaves, 159 Swords, 27 Diamonds, 1 Golden Oak Leaves and 1 Grand Cross of
4554-438: Was relocated from Zossen in Brandenburg to Traunstein in Bavaria on this day and the confusion regarding who can be considered a legitimate Knight's Cross recipient began. Hitler frequently made the presentations of the Oak Leaves and higher grades himself. The first presentations in 1940 and 1941 were made in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin or at the Berghof near Berchtesgaden . Beginning with Operation Barbarossa ,
4623-419: Was similar in appearance to the Oak Leaves clasp with the exception that a pair of crossed swords were soldered to the base of the Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds ( Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten ) was instituted on 15 July 1941. The first recipients were Werner Mölders and Adolf Galland . Presentation of the Diamonds came as
4692-421: Was the former chairman and head of the order commission of the AKCR. In 1996, the second edition of this book was published with an addendum delisting 11 of these original recipients. Author Veit Scherzer has cast doubt on a further 193 of these listings. The majority of the disputed recipients had received the award in 1945, when the deteriorating situation of Germany in the final days of World War II in Europe left
4761-410: Was very similar to the Iron Cross. Its shape was that of a cross pattée , a cross that has arms which are narrow at the center and broader at the perimeter. The most common Knight's Crosses were produced by the manufacturer Steinhauer & Lück in Lüdenscheid . The Steinhauer & Lück crosses are stamped with the digits "800", indicating 800 grade silver, on the reverse side. The Knight's Cross of
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