On September 1, 1939 , on the day of the German attack on Poland, the Reich Chancellor and Fuhrer of Germany Adolf Hitler, with his decree, revived the Iron Cross - an award created by King Frederick William. This order became the only Third Reich adopted from Prussia and the previous empire. The decree introduced not only 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 new to Germany; many Prussian, Bavarian, and Baden orders had it. The highest award of the Third Reich outwardly looked like ordinary Iron Crosses (except that it was large in size). 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 Junker, Schneinhauer, Quenser and Klein. Some of them made the order with a size of 48-48 mm., Others - 49-50 mm.
The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was made in the same way as crosses of less prestigious degrees, but at the same time it was distinguished by the best quality of working out individual details (especially side surfaces). A small ear was soldered to the award (more precisely, to its upper beam). A ring was inserted into it, designed for a tape 45 mm wide. The order had a characteristic frame, which was made of silver of the 800th test.
Award Features
It is curious that usually the awarded did not carry the Knight's Cross itself, but only a duplicate of it, while the original was kept in a secluded place. This was done so as not to lose or damage the relic. Especially often copies were worn in a combat setting.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was presented in a rectangular box. Inside, it was lined with white silk, and outside covered in black ice. Not only a cross was put into the award case, but also a mandatory ribbon. A commemorative addition was a diploma made at the printing house, which was placed in an embossed folder. As a rule, the Knight's Cross was handed over to the owner by the commander of his compound. The ritual was held in a festive atmosphere. The award could go to the front for quite some time, on the way going through several hands at once. Delays in delivery were a particularly frequent event at the start of the war. Most of all, the pilots were waiting for their well-deserved reward.
"Standards"
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 gaining 20 points (they were awarded for shot down enemy planes). 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 cars as in air battles in the rest of Europe or North Africa.
The Navy needed to sink ships, the total displacement of which amounted to 100 thousand 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
Over the several years of existence, the Knight's Cross awarded 7361 people (according to other sources 7365). Among the gentlemen there was not a single woman, but there were several dozen foreigners who fought for Germany's allies. Curious statistics of awards by rank. Most of the Knights Crosses received captains / lieutenant captains (1523) and lieutenant captains (1225).
The first award 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 received their Knight's Crosses, who took part in the successfully completed Polish campaign. Among the cavaliers, the most notable figure was Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, who commanded the German Navy. All of these people were military leaders, noted for differences in leadership. With the wording “For Bravery”, Gunter Prien was the first to receive the coveted cross (he commanded the U-47 submarine). In 1939, only 27 knights 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 an even more outstanding award, intended for the military who showed particular heroism. Thus appeared the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves. This award went only to first-degree cavaliers.
Oak leaves (the insignia) were fixed just above the cross, where there was a loop for the ribbon. The decoration was a sign made of silver. He depicted three oak leaves - a heraldic figure common since the Middle Ages. In some cases, they were depicted on European coats of arms along 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 knights of the order is considered naval officer Adalbert von Blanc. 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 supported the retreating Wehrmacht ground units. 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 resigned.
Third degree
In the fall of 1941, the Knight's Cross award acquired another and already third degree - the Knight's Cross with oak leaves and swords. The decree on its establishment was signed by the Führer, chief of the High Command of the Wehrmacht 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. On its reverse side was the marking of the manufacturer's company. A moire ribbon of red and white flowers 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 which served in the Luftwaffe. Only one foreigner received this award. He was the Japanese admiral and commander in chief of the Navy, Yamamoto Ishiroku.
Aces Awards
Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Galland became the first owner 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 cavalier was Walter Oesau. It is noteworthy that he began military service in the artillery regiment. Like many other German pilots of World War II, Oesau first became famous in Spain, where he was listed in the famous Legion "Condor". During the new campaign, he participated in battles over France and in the “Battle of England”. Oesau never visited the eastern front, but destroyed many planes in the sky of the Netherlands. May 11, 1944 he was shot down in the Belgian city of Saint-Vit. Oesau has 118 enemy aircraft and 430 sorties.
Fourth degree
The fourth degree of the Knight's Cross appeared simultaneously with the third and fifth degrees (it was the Knight's Cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds). The award was not stamped, but hand-made by the best German craftsmen. Silver of the 935th test was in the hands of experienced jewelers, who at the end of their work adorned the order in bulk from 50 small diamonds. Their total weight was almost 3 carats, and the weight of the whole sign is 28 grams. Manually made as a cross, and a clip for him.
For everyday wear, the recipient was awarded 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
The fourth-degree Knight's Cross debutant 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 since childhood. Melders received his education at the Dresden Academy and the Munich Engineer School.
In 1934, the career of the future order bearer made a sharp turn - he was transferred to the Luftwaffe. The pilot gained his first combat experience in the sky over Spain, where there was a civil war. Therefore, he began the Second World War, already possessing extraordinary experience. The first victory was not long in coming. In September 1939, near the Merzig, Melders was shot down by the French Hawk fighter.
The ace made his last sortie in the Crimea. He crashed in November 1941 on the road to Berlin, where the funeral of another famous Luftwaffe pilot Ernst Udet took place. The Melders plane crashed to the ground due to the fact that it touched the electrical wiring. The pilot flew over 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 the award on the first day of the new 1945. By the end of the war, he was the most successful attack pilot. Rudel's figure was chosen as indicative - the highest award could not get anyone.
Hans was born into a pastor's family and in his youth joined the Nazi organization. He conducted the Polish campaign as 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 the Immelman dive bombers squadron. The pilot fought on the Soviet front, distinguished himself in the Leningrad and Moscow directions. In total, Rudel made over 2.5 thousand sorties, destroyed about 500 tanks, 800 armored vehicles, sank dozens of landing ships and the battleship Marat. After the war, the convinced Nazi moved to Latin America, where he was remembered as an active revenge-seeker.