Stalingrad Cross Information Needed

[mott5ranch]

It is what it is...........

All kinds of suggestions were submitted and all were rejected as far as I know. The vets from Stalingrad discovered this fantasy made piece, (as we now know from Prosper Keating were made inthe UK), and to everyones surprise the German vets from Stalingrad embraced it, they coveted it, and they sought it. Also to everyones surprise, especially the West German government, the demand was bigger than the supply. If you have one, enjoy it. It is an unusual fantasy piece that had an unusual reception from those that were there. To everyones surprise, this after the fact sheild, became popular with the soldiers who were there. Some of these sheilds are buried with the those vets who were there, I know of one.

[Frank Heukemes]

...if I remember that correctly, Paulus drawing can also be seen in Klietmann´s book "Deutsche Auszeichnungen", together with other interesting facts about the Stalingrad and Arnheim shields.

Cheers, Frank

[W. C. Stump]

DUPLICATION.

[W. C. Stump]

AN ILLUSION

Dr. Klietmann in his book "AUSZEICHNUMGEN DES DEUTSCHEN REICHES. 1936-1945, Page 99, refers to the 1979 fantasy shield with the Stalingrad Cross of the Grenadier Regiment "Hoch-und-Deutschmeister" used. that English made phony shield is all that the veterans had to be "buried with". I guess to them it is better than nothing as a remembrance. For collectors it is a piece of fantasyland junk and nothing more.

[W. C. Stump]

MORE INFORMATION FROM OTTO ON THE DESIGN OF THE SHIELD THAT NEVER WAS

The first design of the Stalingrad Shield is mentioned the diary of Oberst Wilhelm Adam, adjudant of the 6th Army. He wrote on the date 25th October 1942; "By the way there is a letter of the Oberkommando des Heeres,........On the wish of Hitler a shield as like the Krim-shield and the Narvik-shield also a Stalingrad-shield must be designed. The Army got the order to suggest and produce a design of this rememberance-insignia up till 25th of November 1942."
This is also confirmed in the book Stalingrad......bis zur letzte Patrone, written by a member of the PK-Kompanie. The order for the design was given to Ic Prop, and from there to the Propagandakompanie 637. The Propagandakompanie gave the design-order to the Sonderführer and War-Artist Ernst Eigener. He designed a shield with in the middle the silo-building of Stalingrad in midst of the ruines of the city. On the ruines of the city a face of a dead soldier was visible with around the helmet a string of barbed wire. Across along the shield-design was written STALINGRAD. This design was not accepted by the Führerhauptquartier. "To demoralising" was written on the edge of this design. The War-Artist Ernst Eigener was killed on 20th November 1942 in Stalingrad. The history of the battle of Stalingrad is known, the end came with the surrender of the 6th Army end January/early February 1943. With the silo-design of Ernst Eigener in his mind Paulus must have drawn this design of the Stalingrad shield during his captivity as a POW. A swastika is not shown on the Paulus' design-drawing. The fake-shields with the "Hoch-und-Deutschmeister Cross" were first sighted at military shows in the year 1979 and came from an English source.

[SBock]

I like the shield. Thanks Gary for sharing. Fanasy piece? Sure, to the collector who only collects awards that were issued during the period of the war. How about pieces important to the soldier how about collectors who collect to honor the soldier. Isn't the soldier who determines what is important to him. I never called the cross real but the vets regarded it as important, that is a way for it to find it into my collection. The story from the vet is important. If we disregard the vet then what is the purpose of honoring him with only real or issued pieces. Trenchart, cigg boxes, lighters and Vet stories (which I enjoy reading) not official but just as important and not officially awarded. If it had to be official then it doesn't encompass everything that was important to the vet, and isn't that what we are trying to preserve.

of course IMHO

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Mr. Stump,

I never meant to say anything else than that these shields are bogus. Sorry, if that came across in a different way. Klietmann just has some more interesting facts on these bogus pieces.

And I was mistaken, Klietmanns book does NOT show the Paulus sketch of the Stalingrad shield, but a sketch of the Balkan shield by it´s designer. This shield also never existed as an issued item.

Cheers, Frank

[entasis]

Deutschmeister/Stalingrad-Kreuz

While perusing the militaria sites I noticed a "Deutschmeister/Stalingrad-Kreuz" Stickpin on Johnson Reference Books site (to be exact, it's very near the bottom of the ThirdReich Medals & Decorations). A quick search leads me to this thread. But with such a reputable dealer, I'm confused, are these crosses fantasy or fact?

Tony

[Tarbet Balfour]

Unusual honors were bestowed to certain units of the German Army during W.W.II. During the monumental campaign at Stalingrad one German infantry division was completely annihilated by the Russian Army during the long and costly battle January, 1943. It was the 44th Infantry Division. This division was honored, and fittingly so when a new division was formed and given the honorary title of Reichsgrenadier division "Hoch-und Deutschmeister". Infantry regiment 134 of the division was renamed Grenadierregiment "Hoch-und Deutschmeister". It was given the distinction of wearing the "Hoch-und Deutschmeister-Kreutz" on the shoulder strap of their uniforms. See Scan below.
This insignia was known as the "Stalingrad Cross" and it was made of stamped metal, with a silver finish with a blue background of the inner cross. A banner with the words "Stalingrad" was surmounted by the national eagle on a shield. These shoulder straps are very rare and seldom seen in collections today.

A forum friend purchased a small lot of German W.W.II relics and in the lot was a small silver charm made in the form of the devise worn on the shoulder straps of the 134 regiment. It is marked 835 on the reverse.

I would like to know if anyone else has such a charm, original shoulder straps or ADDITIONAL information concerning the "Stalingrad Cross."

Stalingrad Cross, shoulder board one. posting one now that i aquired from a vet