Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

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Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
The final grade of the award: the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, awarded only to Hans-Ulrich Rudel.
Awarded by the Führer and Reichskanzler of the Third Reich
Type	Neck order
Eligibility	Military personnel
Awarded for	Awarded to holders of the Iron Cross to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership
Campaign	World War II
Status	Obsolete
Statistics
Established	1 September 1939
First awarded	30 September 1939
Last awarded	11 May 1945 / 17 June, 1945[Notes 1]
Posthumous awards	Swords: 15 Oak Leaves: 94 Knight's Cross:
Distinct recipients	Golden Oak Leaves: 1 Diamonds: 27 Swords: 160 Oak Leaves: 890 Knight's Cross:7,318
Precedence
Next (higher)	Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
Next (lower)	Iron Cross 1st Class

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the 1939 re-instituted version of the 1813 created Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross principally was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II. It was the second highest military order of the Third Reich, second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), which was awarded to victorious generals and awarded once during World War II, to Hermann Göring.

The Knight's Cross grade of the Iron Cross was worn at the neck and slightly larger but similar in appearance to the 1813 Iron Cross. It was legally based on the 1 September 1939 renewal of the Iron Cross. The order could be presented to soldiers of all ranks and to the allies of the Third Reich. As the war progressed, some of the recipients distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Oak Leaves to Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), was instituted in 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves were instituted. These were 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 Billanten). At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), was created and awarded once to Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Historic background

1813 Iron Cross

The Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross (Eiserne Kreuz) at the beginning of the Befreiungskriege (War of Liberation) as part of the Napoleonic Wars. Karl Friedrich Schinkel received the contract to design a silver-framed cast iron cross on 13 March 1813. The decree was then backdated to 10 March 1813, the birthday of the King's wife, Louise of Prussia, who had died in 1810.^[2]

Initially, the Iron Cross was of temporary nature and could only be awarded when the country was in a state of war. A formal renewal procedure was required every time the award was to be presented.^[3] The renewal date, relating to the year of re-institution, therefore appears on the lower obverse arm of the Iron Cross. The Iron Cross was renewed twice after the Napoleonic Wars and prior to World War II. Its first renewal on 19 July 1870 is related to the Franco-Prussian War. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 led to its second renewal on 5 August 1914. The regulation was extended and as of 16 March 1915 the award could be presented to individuals in the military of allies of the German state. During this period the Iron Cross was always awarded in three grades, the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse), Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) leaving a large gap in the grades of the Iron Cross. There was no nation-wide decoration situated between the Iron Cross 1st Class, which could be awarded to soldiers of all ranks, and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign. This gap was partly filled by awards given from the Empire's member states. Among the best known of these awards are the Prussian order Pour le Mérite and House Order of Hohenzollern. With the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II at the end of World War I the awards granted by the various Royal households became obsolete.^[4]

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 (Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht) decreed the renewal of the Iron Cross of 1939. The decree was also signed by the Chief of the Armed Forces High Command, Wilhelm Keitel, the Minister of the Interior, Dr. Wilhelm Frick, and by the State-Minister and Chief of the Presidential Chancellery of the Führer and Reich Chancellor, Otto Meißner.^[5] The renewal of 1939 also filled the gap between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. Rather than using an unrelated award to bridge this gap, a new grade of the Iron Cross series was introduced, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes).^[4]

The Knight's Cross grades of the Iron Cross

Adolf Hitler decreed on the first day of hostilities of World War II the renewal of the Iron Cross.

Nachdem ich mich entschlossen habe, das Deutsche Volk zur Abwehr gegen die ihm drohenden Angriffe zu den Waffen zu rufen, erneuere ich eingedenk der heldenmütigen Kämpfe, die Deutschlands Söhne in den früheren großen Kriegen zum Schutze der Heimat bestanden haben, den Orden des Eisernen Kreuzes.^[6]

After I decided to call the German people to arms in defense of the threat of being attacked, I renew in memory of the heroic battles, which Germany's sons have endured protecting the homeland in previous great wars, the order of the Iron Cross.

The legal grounds for this decree had been established in 1937. Paragraph §3 of the German law of Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs (Gesetz über Titel, Orden und Ehrenzeichen) from 1 July 1937 (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 725^[7]) made the Führer and Reichskanzler the only person who was allowed to award orders or honorary signs. The re-institution of the Iron Cross was therefore a Führer decree based on the enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573^[8]) of 1 September 1939 Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes (Ordinance re-establishing the Iron Cross). This had certain political implication since the Treaty of Versailles had explicitly denied Germany the creation of a military decoration, order or medal. The re-institution was more than just a symbolic act. While the renewals of the Iron Cross of 1813, 1870 and 1914 had renewed a Prussian honorary sign, the renewal of 1 September 1939 in contrast for the first time had created a honorary sign of the entire German state.^[5]

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, including to a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle, or to a low ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry. As the war progressed four additional grades were introduced to further 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:

Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross is based on the enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573^[8]) of 1 September 1939 Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes (Ordinance re-establishing the Iron Cross). Its appearance 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.^[9]

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Brevet (certificate of award)

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves (mit Eichenlaub)

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) was based on enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849^[10]) of 3 June 1940 which augmented article 1 and 4 of the 1939 Ordinance re-establishing the Iron Cross. Like the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross to which it was added, the Oak Leaves clasp could be awarded for leadership, distinguished service or personal gallantry.^[11] The Oak Leaves, just like the 1813 Iron Cross and Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, was not a National Socialist invention. The Oak Leaves originally appeared for the first time in conjunction with the Golden Oak Leaves of the Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), which was the second highest Prussian order after the Black Eagle Order (Schwarzer Adlerorden). The 1705 established Red Eagle Order had received the Oak Leaves with a cabinet of the king decree on 18 January 1811. Friedrich Wilhelm III had also ordered the Oak Leaves to be part of the Iron Cross design in commemoration of his 1810 deceased wife, Queen Louise of Prussia. The king also awarded the Oak Leaves together with the Pour le Mérite since 9 October 1813 to honour the soldierly merit before the enemy.^[12]

Oak Leaves ceremony on 15 September 1943 at the Führerhauptquartier "Wolfschanze", from left to right: Adolf Hitler, Paul Schultz (hidden), Oberst Dr. med. dent. Walter Lange, Major Theodor Tolsdorff, Oberst Günther Pape, Major Dr. Franz Bäke

The decoration consisted of a cluster of three oak-leaves with the centre leaf superimposed on the two lower leaves. The middle of the Oak Leaves were decorated by a stylized letter "L" in memoriam of Louise of Prussia. The original clasp was die-struck from 800 grade silver and 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in diameter. The clasp had a pebbled matt finish, with the edges and central ribs of the leaves burnished.^[13]

Hitler quite frequently made the presentations of the Oak Leaves to the bestowed himself in order to express his gratitude personally. The first presentations in 1940 and 1941 were made in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin or on the Berghof in Obersalzberg near Berchtesgarden. Beginning with Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, in the summer of 1941 the presentations were made at the Führerhauptquartier "Wolf's Lair" (Wolfschanze) near Rastenburg in East Prussia, from the summer 1942 until October 1942 in the Führerhauptquartier "Wehrwolf" near Vinnytsia in the Ukraine and then again in the "Wolfschanze". From early 1944 until mid July 1944 the ceremony was again held on the Obersalzberg. This was continued until about August 1944, shortly after the July 20 plot, the failed assassination attempt of Oberst Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. Later onwards the presentation were only made sporadically by Hitler himself. The last presentations by Hitler were made early in 1945 in the Führerbunker in Berlin. After the July 20 plot senior commanders like the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) or the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) and from the fall of 1944 also by the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, made the presentations.^[14]

With Oak Leaves

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern)

Based on enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613^[15]) of 28 September 1941 again augments articles 1 and 4.

With Oak Leaves and Swords

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten)

Also based on enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613^[15]) of 28 September 1941

With Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds

Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten)

Based on enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11^[16]) of 29 December 1944 augmenting articles 1, 2, and 4.

With Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds

Prerequisites

To qualify for the Knight's Cross, a soldier had to already hold the 1939 Iron Cross First Class, though the Iron Cross I Class was awarded concurrently with the Knight's Cross in rare cases. Unit commanders could also be awarded the medal for exemplary conduct by 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 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 1939-45, with the requirements being gradually raised as the war went on.

Recipients

v • d • e Knight's Cross recipients All grades Grand Cross Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds Oak Leaves and Swords Oak Leaves 1940–1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 Foreign Knight's Cross A • Ba–Bm • Bn–Bz, C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • Ka–Km • Kn–Kz • L • M • N, O, P • Q, R • S' • Sch • T • U • V • W • X • Z Foreign  Knight's Cross

In total, 7,318 awards of the Knight's Cross were made, but only 882 received Oak Leaves (plus 8 non-German recipients); 159 received Oak Leaves and Swords (plus one honorary recipient, the Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto). Only 27 men were ever awarded the Diamonds grade of the Knight's Cross (3 field marshals, 10 generals, 3 colonels, 9 ace pilots and 2 U-boat captains); Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the only recipient of the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.

Among those generally accepted 159 German recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords are 13 recipients, whose Swords to the Knight's Cross do not meet the formal awarding criteria of the Knight's Cross. 24 recipients of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves are also lacking sustainable evidence that their listing is justifiable. Otto Weidinger, Günther-Eberhardt Wisliceny, Sylvester Stadler and Wilhelm Bittrich received the Swords from SS Obergruppenführer Josef Dietrich, who was not legally authorized to present the award.

Further, Hermann Fegelein was executed in the last days of the war for desertion, a charge which upon conviction would have legally deprived him of all rank and awards, including his Knight's Cross. However, his might have been an extralegal execution. According to the recollections of Wilhelm Mohnke, he and the three other general officers tasked with holding a court martial for Fegelein found him to be of such unsound mind that he was not competent to stand trial under military law. Fegelein subsequently disappeared in the hands of Gruppenführer Johann Rattenhuber, who had been one of the empaneled court-martial judges, and the Führerbunker's Reichssicherheitsdienst security squad. Fegelein was never seen or heard from again.^[17]

Among the officers who participated in the plot to assassinate Hitler on 20 July 1944 were thirteen recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. 711 recipients of the Knight's Cross later served in the Bundeswehr, with 114 of them reaching the rank of general.^[18]

Distribution by Service

Distribution by Rank

Oak Leaves

Swords

Diamonds

Non-Existing Recipients

Since the end of World War II, numerous people have claimed to be unrecognised recipients of the Knight's Cross. The majority of these "recipients" are lacking any evidence to sustain their claims and are thus denied the right to consider themselves "legal recipients". There are two cases where the legal proof of the award exists even though the recipients do not. These two "legally correct" recipients are Günther Nowak and Heinrich Scherhorn.^[19]

Günther Nowak

Günther Nowak, Hitlerjunge, was awarded the Knight's Cross on 14 February 1945 for the destruction of eleven tanks in Hindenburg, Oberschlesien. It was always assumed that he was the youngest recipient of the Knight's Cross; however, Günther Nowak never really existed — a deserting Commander of the Volkssturm was caught and claimed that, after the retreat of the Wehrmacht, he had destroyed five tanks single-handedly. Because of this, he was taken to a Gauleiter. Fearing that his lie would be unveiled, he created the story of Günther Nowak in order to lessen his own "feat". This report was then sent to Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. Bormann immediately awarded the German Cross in Gold to the Volkssturm-Commander Sachs and the Knight's Cross to Nowak.^[19]

Association of Knight's Cross Recipients

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 front-line soldiers of both world wars. The association was founded in 1955 in Köln-Wahn. Generaloberst Alfred Keller, Knight of the Order Pour le Merite and Recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, called upon the recipients of the highest combat decorations for bravery to organize an association for tradition. Later, the Recipients of the Prussian Golden Military Merit Cross, of the Pour le Merite for enlisted personnel were included. The memorandum of the AKCR incorporates the awarding of 7318 Knight's Crosses, as well as 882 Oakleaves, 159 Swords, 27 Diamonds, 1 Golden Oak Leaves and 1 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross for all ranks in the three branches of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS.^[20]

Law about Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs

1957 Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

The German Law about Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs (German language: Gesetz über Titel, Orden und Ehrenzeichen) (BGBl. I S. 334)^[21] regulates the wearing of the Knight's Cross in post World War II Germany. The reason for this is that 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 the swastika, similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813, 1870, and 1914, which could be worn by World War II Iron Cross recipients.

Military slang

In the military slang of the German soldiers the Knight's Cross is often referred to as the Blechkrawatte (tin-necktie). Glory-hungry soldiers were said to have a "neck rash", "itching neck" or "sore throat".

In today's German army the term Ritterkreuz-Auftrag ("Knight's Cross Mission") refers to a duty that is extremely aggravating, or a no-win-situation.

See also

• List of living Knight’s Cross recipients

Footnotes

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross @ Feldgrau.com
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross @ Angelfire.com
• Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht (German)

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