Awards of
World War IIThe Knight's Cross, the first class of the Order of the Iron Cross in the Third Reich, was established by order of Adolf Hitler in 1939. During World War II, 7,384 officers of the Third Reich and the Allies were awarded the Knight's Cross.
Materials
Iron (black brass for the Navy), silver [Diamonds, gold – for appropriate additions].
Dimensions
48x48 mm.
Awarded to
Military personnel of the German troops, SS, and party organizations.
Reasons for the award
Previously awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class. Display of courage and bravery in battle or during the performance of particularly difficult missions. Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine officers were also awarded points and tonnage.
During World War II, 7,384 people were awarded this award, 43 of them citizens of other countries.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was intended to be the highest award of the Third Reich, but in the harsh military conflict, the number of heroes grew, and over time, different degrees were introduced, which were fragments attached above the cross itself. Thus, five degrees of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross were introduced, the first of which was the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross itself, and then in order of precedence: with oak leaves; with oak leaves and swords; with oak leaves, swords and diamonds; With golden oak leaves, swords, and diamonds.
Eligible candidates for this award were previously awarded the Iron Cross First Class. Additionally, they had to have performed a heroic deed or made the right strategic decision in troop command. The award could also be earned based on a combination of achievements; for example, a Luftwaffe pilot needed to score 20 points, although this criterion was revised upward several times during the war.
The award is a cross consisting of a steel base and decorated with silver front and outer frames. The center of the award features a swastika, the year the award was founded in the Third Reich, "1939," on the lower arm, and the year "1813" on the reverse. The award is worn on a red neck ribbon with a white and black stripe at the edges. Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves The Oak Leaves were a junior addition to the Knight's Cross. To be awarded this award, an officer must have previously been awarded the Knight's Cross and subsequently performed a distinguished deed or accumulated the necessary cumulative merits. During the war, 890 people received the award, including nine foreign servicemen. The first presentation of the award took place on July 19, 1940. The recipient was General of the Mountain Troops Eduard Dietl, for the successful command of military units during the Narvik operation.
The award itself is a supplement to the order, in the form of oak leaves measuring 20 x 20 mm, made of silver.
The third degree of the order was the Knight's Cross with Swords and Oak Leaves. To be eligible for this award, an officer had to have previously been awarded the junior award, the Oak Leaves, and also have performed a heroic act or accumulated the required points. The first recipient of this award was Adolf Galland, a Luftwaffe ace who had shot down 69 aircraft by that time. During the war, 160 officers were nominated for the award, among whom the only foreign recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords stands out: the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Navy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
The award itself is a silver supplementary fragment, in which two swords crossed at a 40-degree angle are soldered to the oak leaves at the bottom. The award size is 25 x 20 mm.
Until December 1944, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and diamonds, was the highest degree of the order. To receive this award, one had to have the lower degree, with oak leaves and swords, and perform an outstanding deed, or accumulate a cumulative achievement, which included points for the Luftwaffe and tonnage for the Kriegsmarine. The first award took place in mid-July 1941. With the outbreak of war on the Eastern Front and the absolute dominance of the German Air Force in the air, the scores of Luftwaffe aces began to rise rapidly, the first to be awardedWerner Mölders, who had shot down 101 aircraft by that time, became the first recipient.
The award itself is an additional fragment to the Knight's Cross, shaped like oak leaves with swords, crafted from 935 sterling silver and adorned with 45-50 diamonds. The award measures 25 x 20 mm. All awards were handcrafted, and therefore have slight variations. The decision to award was reviewed by the Führer himself; in most cases, Adolf Hitler himself presented the award. A total of 27 Third Reich officers were awarded this honor during World War II.
Other Reich awards:
The German Cross - which received its second name "Eastern Star" and became an intermediate award between the Knight's Cross and the Iron Cross, and the Order for Eastern Peoples for Bravery, awarded to residents of the Slavic and Caucasian peoples who directly or indirectly assisted the troops of the Reich.
As the war progressed, a number of officers were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves With the addition of leaves, swords, and diamonds, it became necessary to create a higher award for further awards. As a result, on December 29, 1944, Hitler amended the award's regulations and introduced its highest class, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. In fact, only one person was awarded this award during the war. In January 1945, it was awarded to Hans-Ulrich Rudel, a super ace who became the highest-scoring pilot of the Junkers Ju-87.
The award itself is a development of the additional fragments of the Knight's Cross and consists of oak leaves with swords measuring 25 x 20 mm, made of gold and adorned with fifty diamonds.
Juncker, Steinhauer & Luck, unmarked - from 7,500 USD; Marked from 8,000 USD
Klein & Quenzer - from 7,500 USD
Zimmermann - from 8,500 USD
Schickle - from 7,000 USD
Other manufacturers - from 4,500 USD
Documents
Parchment in a red leather folder - from 9,000 USD
Preliminary document for the ground forces, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine - from 2,300 USD;
U-boat fleet - from 4,000 USD;
SS troops - from 5,500 USD
Case from 2,000 USD
Marked "900" and "L/50 Silber" - from 12,000 USD;
Markings "900" and "21" - from 10,000 USD;
Markings "800" and "L/12" - from 6,500 USD;
Other markings - from 3,500 USD
Document - from 30,000 USD;
Preliminary document - from 7,000 USD
Case - from 4,500 USD
Markings "900" and "L/50 Silber" - from 27,000 USD;
Markings "900" and "21" - from 25,000 USD;
Markings "800" and "L/12" - from 11,000 USD;
Other markings - from 5,500 USD
Document – from 90,000 USD;
Preliminary document – from 1,100 USD
Case – from 5,000 USD
Price from 80,000 USD;
Document – from 170,000 USD;
Preliminary document – from 20,000 USD
Case – from 10,000 USD