Awards of
World War IIThe award was established on April 14, 1939, for personnel of the Condor Legion, who fought in Spain from 1936 to 1939 on the side of General Franco.
There are four classes of this award: bronze, silver, gold, and gold with diamonds. The two lower classes of the award, bronze and silver, exist in two versions, with and without swords, while the highest classes have only one version, with swords.
The cross without swords was awarded for three months of service in Spain. This award was primarily received by medical personnel and technical support staff of the Luftwaffe. The bronze cross was awarded 7,869 times, and the silver cross 327 times.
Those who participated in the battles received the cross with swords. 8,462 people were awarded the bronze cross. The silver Spanish Cross with swords was awarded to soldiers who took part in decisive battles, with a total of 8,304 awards. The gold version of the award was awarded to legionnaires for exceptional personal merit, with a total of 1,126 awards.
The highest level of the award, the Spanish Gold Cross with Diamonds, was awarded for exceptional military merit; a total of 28 people received this version. 27 of them were Luftwaffe pilots for multiple aerial victories. The 28th award went to Colonel Wilhelm Ritter von Thom, commander of the Condor Panzer Legion.
The award was made in the form of a Maltese cross, with swallowtail rays. The dimensions varied slightly between manufacturers, ranging from 54.0 x 54.5 mm to 57.6 x 57.18 mm. A cylindrical cylindrical dovetail is located in the center of the award. Between the arms of the cross are soaring eagles, holding swastikas in their talons, as a tribute to the Luftwaffe pilots who made up approximately 70% of the Condor Legion.
On the reverse of the award is a vertical pin for attaching to clothing and the maker's mark. Known manufacturers: C.E. Juncker, Paul Meybauer, Otto Schickle, Wilhelm Deumer, Steinhauer & Lück.
The bronze cross was minted from bronzed brass or tombac, the silver cross from sterling silver (835 or 900), or silver-plated brass, the gold cross from sterling silver (835) with gilding or gilded bronze, and the diamond-set version had 14 stones added to the cross around the swastika.
All degrees of the award were presented in cases of different colors: Bronze was green, Silver and Gold was blue, and Gold with Diamonds was red.
The cross was worn on the right side On the chest pocket of the uniform. If the German Cross was awarded, the Spanish Cross was placed underneath.
The award was established on April 14, 1939, for the relatives and families of legionnaires who died during the Spanish conflict. The order of succession to the award was as follows: widow, eldest son, eldest daughter, father, mother, brother, and sister.
The award was presented 315 times in total.
The award was a miniature copy of the Spanish Cross without swords, measuring 40-41.33 x 42.77-43.5 mm. Made of bronze or bronze-plated copper.
The cross was worn on a black ribbon with inserts in the colors of the Spanish flag, red-yellow-red at the edges.
Spanish Cross in gold with swords and diamonds:
Badge - from USD 85,000
Duplicate - from USD 50,000; Document - from USD 17,000; Case from USD 11,000
Spanish Cross in gold with swords:
Gilded silver - from USD 2,700; Gilded base metal – from USD 2,300
Document – from USD 700; Preliminary document – from USD 150; Case – from USD 2,500
Spanish cross in silver with swords:
Silver – from USD 1,600; silver-plated base metal – from USD 1,400
Document – from USD 450; Preliminary document – from USD 150; Case – from USD 900
Spanish cross in silver without swords:
Silver – from USD 2,800; silver-plated base metal – from USD 1,700
Document – from USD 1,000; Preliminary document – from USD 100; Case - from 900 USD
Spanish cross in bronze with swords:
Cross marked "CEJ" - from 950 USD Others - from 850 USD
Document - from 250 USD; Preliminary document - from 100 USD; Case - from 600 USD
Spanish cross in bronze without swords:
Cross with the "CEJ" marking - from USD 950 Others - from USD 850 Document - from USD 250; Preliminary document - from USD 100; Case - from USD 600
Condor Legion Cross of Glory (for relatives of the deceased):
Cross - from USD 2,800; Document - from USD 2,300; Case - from USD 1,700