On September 1, 1939, on the day of the German attack on Poland, the Reich Chancellor and Fuhrer of Germany, Adolf Hitler, by his decree, revived the Iron Cross, an award created by King Friedrich Wilhelm. This order was the only one adopted by the Third Reich from Prussia and the previous empire. The decree introduced not only the Iron, but also the Knight's Cross - the highest degree of the previous one. This award is an important symbol of the era of Nazi Germany.
Continuity
The knightly degree was not a novelty for Germany; many Prussian, Bavarian and Baden orders had it. The highest award of the Third Reich outwardly looked the same as the usual Iron Crosses (except that it was larger). At the same time, the dimensions of the order could vary depending on the manufacturer. The Knight's Cross was produced by the firms of Juncker, Schneinhauer, Quenzer and Klein. Some of them made the order 48-48 mm in size, others 49-50 mm.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was made in the same way as the crosses of less prestigious degrees, but at the same time it was distinguished by the better quality of individual details (especially the side surfaces). A small eye was soldered to the award (more precisely, its upper beam). A ring was put into itdesigned for tape 45 mm wide. The order had a characteristic frame, which was made of 800 silver.
Features of the award
It is curious that usually the recipient did not wear the Knight's Cross itself, but only its duplicate, while the original was kept in a secluded place. This was done in order not to lose or damage the relic. Especially often copies were worn in a combat situation.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was presented in a rectangular box. It was lined with white silk on the inside and covered with black leather on the outside. Not only a cross, but also an obligatory ribbon was invested in the award case. A memorable addition was a diploma made in the printing house, which was placed in an embossed folder. As a rule, the Knight's Cross was awarded to the owner by the commander of his unit. The ritual was carried out in a solemn atmosphere. The award could go to the front for quite a long time, passing through several hands at once along the way. Delivery delays were a particularly frequent occurrence at the start of the war. Most of all, the pilots were waiting for their well-deserved reward.
Regulations
Like all military orders of the Third Reich, the cross was awarded for certain achievements in battle. For example, a Luftwaffe pilot could receive the highest award only by scoring 20 points (they were awarded for downed enemy aircraft). Over time, the bar grew. In addition, it depended on the theater of operations: for the Knight's Cross on the Soviet front, it was necessary to destroy twice as many vehicles as in air battles in the rest of Europe or North Africa.
The Navy needed to sink ships with a total displacement of 100,000 tons. In this case, submarine commanders were almost always awarded. For the ground forces of the 3rd Reich, the wording turned out to be more vague (“For courage on the battlefield”).
Statistics
For several years of existence, 7361 people were awarded the Knight's Cross (according to other sources, 7365). There was not a single woman among the cavaliers, but there were several dozen foreigners who fought for Germany's allies. The statistics of awards by titles are curious. Most of the Knight's Crosses were received by captains / captains-lieutenants (1523) and chief lieutenants (1225).
The first awarding of the prestigious order took place at the end of the first month of the war unleashed by the 3rd Reich. On September 30, 13 people who took part in the successfully completed Polish campaign received their Knight's Crosses. Among the Cavaliers, the most prominent figure was Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, who commanded the German Navy. All of these men were military leaders who were noted for excellence in leadership. With the wording “For Courage”, Gunter Prien was the first to receive the coveted cross (he commanded the submarine U-47). In 1939, only 27 holders of the Knight's Cross appeared, and most of the crosses were awarded in 1944 (2466).
Second degree
In total, the Knight's Cross had five degrees, the first of which was the Knight's Cross itself. A few months after the start of the World War in June 1940, the German leadership decided to establish even morean outstanding award intended for the military who showed special heroism. This is how the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves appeared. This award was given only to first-class cavaliers.
Oak leaves (a symbol of distinction) were fixed just above the cross, where there was a loop for the ribbon. The decoration was a badge made of silver. It depicted three oak leaves - a heraldic figure common since the Middle Ages. In some cases, on European coats of arms, they were depicted together with acorns, but in the case of the Knight's Cross, it was decided to refuse the fruits.
Cavaliers
The first Knight's Cross with oak leaves was awarded to Eduard Dietl, lieutenant general who commanded the mountain rifle corps Norway. One of the last holders of the order is considered to be naval officer Adalbert von Blank. Most of all, he became famous precisely at the final stage of the war. In 1944, Blank headed the 9th security division, then took part in the evacuation of the Germans from Courland. In addition, he provided support to the retreating ground formations of the Wehrmacht. In May 1945 Blank was interned by British troops. The officer was lucky - he managed to continue his military career in Germany. He served until 1964, when he received the rank of admiral and retired.
Third degree
In the autumn of 1941, the Knight's Cross award received another and already the third degree - the Knight's Cross with oak leaves and swords. The decree on its establishment was signed by the Fuhrer, chief of the High CommandWehrmacht Wilhelm Keitel and Imperial Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick.
The new sign consisted of oak leaves identical to the previous award, to which a pair of crossed swords was added. The order was made of high quality silver jewelry. The manufacturer's mark was placed on its reverse side. A moire ribbon of red and white colors was attached to the cross. During the Second World War, 160 people became owners of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, 55 of whom served in the Luftwaffe. Only one foreigner received this award. It was the Japanese Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Yamamoto Ishiroku.
Aces awards
Aviation Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Galland became the first recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He commanded the 51st Fighter Squadron. At first, the new order was awarded exclusively to pilots. So the third gentleman was W alter Oesau. It is noteworthy that he began his military service in an artillery regiment. Like many other German pilots of World War II, Oesau first became famous in Spain, where he was part of the famous Condor Legion. During the new campaign, he participated in the battles over France and in the Battle of England. Oesau never visited the eastern front, but destroyed many aircraft in the sky of the Netherlands. On May 11, 1944, he was shot down near the Belgian city of Saint-Vitus. Oesau has 118 enemy aircraft and 430 sorties.
Fourth degree
The fourth degree of the Knight's Cross appearedsimultaneously with the third and fifth degrees (it was the Knight's Cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds). The award was not stamped, but made by hand by the best German craftsmen. Silver 935-carat was in the hands of experienced jewelers, who at the end of their work decorated the order with a scattering of 50 small diamonds. Their total weight was almost 3 carats, and the weight of the entire sign was 28 grams. Both the cross and the clip for it were made by hand.
For everyday wear, the awardee was given two copies of lower-grade materials at once. Only 27 people received the German Knight's Cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds (there were no foreigners among them).
Werner Melders
Debutant of the Knight's Cross of the fourth degree was Werner Melders, a fighter pilot with the rank of colonel. This ace was the son of a teacher who died during the First World War in France, so his choice of a military career was a foregone conclusion from childhood. Melders was educated at the Dresden Academy and the Munich Engineering School.
In 1934, the career of the future order bearer took a sharp turn - he was transferred to the Luftwaffe. The pilot received his first combat experience in the sky over Spain, where a civil war was going on. Therefore, he began the Second World War, already possessing outstanding experience. The first victory was not long in coming. In September 1939, near Merzig, Melders shot down a French Hawk fighter.
The ace made his last sortie in the Crimea. He crashedin November 1941 on the way to Berlin, where the funeral of another famous Luftwaffe pilot Ernst Udet took place. Melders' plane crashed to the ground after hitting electrical wiring. The pilot made more than 300 sorties, shooting down 115 enemy aircraft.
Fifth degree
The highest award in the Wehrmacht was the Knight's Cross with golden oak leaves, swords and diamonds. The uniqueness of this order was that for the entire time of its existence it went to only one person. It turned out to be Hans Rudel, an aviation colonel who received an award on the first day of the new year 1945. By the end of the war, he was the most productive attack pilot. The figure of Rudel was chosen as indicative - the highest award could not go to just anyone.
Hans was born into a pastor's family and joined the Nazi organization at a young age. He spent the Polish campaign as the commander of a reconnaissance aircraft. Then the pilot himself asked to be transferred to a much more dangerous attack aircraft. A period of retraining followed. In April 1941, Rudel was assigned to a squadron of Immelmann dive bombers. The pilot fought on the Soviet front, distinguished himself in the Leningrad and Moscow directions. In total, Rudel made more than 2.5 thousand sorties, destroyed about 500 tanks, 800 armored vehicles, sank dozens of landing craft and the battleship Marat. After the war, a convinced Nazi moved to Latin America,where he was remembered as an active revanchist.
