Knight Crosses today

[DDD777]

RK preliminary award document to Oberst August Sorko
Kommandeur Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 137 / 2.Gebirgs-Division
Awarded on: June 20th, 1940

One of the most terribly fakes i ever seen!

[Sepp45]

One of the most terribly fakes i ever seen!

It's not a fake document; it comes from the book "Gebirgstruppe 'Die Ritterkeuzträger 1939-45' by biblio verlag.

For more info, see this post: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...4&postcount=13

[InfanterieSammler]

One of the most terribly fakes i ever seen!

Not fake...a very rare early-war example.

Topic covered here a few years back.

John

[Sepp45]

RK formal award document to Major der Reserve Fritz Feßmann
Zugführer 1. / Panzeraufklärungs-Abteilung 7 / 4.Panzer-Division
Presented on: October 27th, 1941

(Photo credits to Andreas-Thies)

[Sepp45]

RK with Oak Leaves preliminary award documents to Hauptmann Hans Schalanda
Flugzeugführer 8. / Sturzkampfgeschwader 1
Presented on: April 3rd, 1943

Staffelkapitän Schlachtgeschwader 1
Presented on: October 24th, 1944

Better photos of these documents, from the upcoming Andreas-Thies auction.

[Sepp45]

RK preliminary award document to Generalmajor Max Lemke
Kommandeur AufklAbt 17
Presented on: October 18th, 1941

(Photo credits to Andreas-Thies)

[Sepp45]

RK preliminary award document to Unteroffizier Siegfried Köhler
Meldestaffelführer I./PzGrenRgt 108
Presented on: March 17th, 1945

[Sepp45]

RK awarded to Obergefreiter Max Friedrich
Stellvertretende Gruppenführer 3. / Grenadier-Regiment 558 / 331.Infanterie-Division
Awarded on: March 15th, 1944

[DDD777]

Not fake...a very rare early-war example.

Topic covered here a few years back.

John

Hmm, very interesting, thank you for the information, but anyway this documents are not legal. Similar situation with the awarding documents after the Ermachtigung from 22.04.45.

[InfanterieSammler]

Hmm, very interesting, thank you for the information, but anyway this documents are not legal. Similar situation with the awarding documents after the Ermachtigung from 22.04.45.

What another strange comment. Please explain to me how this is not a legal document.

This was a document issued by the Zentralabteilung of the Wehrmacht. How would this not be legal? If this was not legal, how do you think this soldier would have worn his KC throughout the war and not been arrested? This is not a soldier claiming postwar that he received the RK for which he has no proof.

John

[DDD777]

What another strange comment. Please explain to me how this is not a legal document.

This was a document issued by the Zentralabteilung of the Wehrmacht. How would this not be legal? If this was not legal, how do you think this soldier would have worn his KC throughout the war and not been arrested? This is not a soldier claiming postwar that he received the RK for which he has no proof.

John

I'm used to trust to historical documents and not to doubtful ,,discoveries" more than 70 years after the happening. Read the Reichsbesetztblatt from 01.09.39 Seite 1573. Everything else is amateur talent groups.

I'm big fan of DKiGs and RK EKs from festungs or U boots or awarding documents after 22.04.45 printed on toilet paper or napkins and i'm sure that this are originals and this guys deserve it but this documents are not legal, i hope you understand what i mean.

My base of 254 RK EK VBs tell me ex cathedra
that this type of documents from the middle of junу 1940 till the middle of December 1941 except the Zweischrift's must be signed from Brauchitsch in another place.

BR
Dobri

[InfanterieSammler]

I will quote Simon, from the previous thread "The answer lies in the command structure used for the invasion of Norway and Denmark. Gruppe XXI under Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was placed directly under OKW and not through OKH. Furthermore, other officers who were awarded the RK on the same date have a note 'direkt verleihung' along with their award details. ie. awarded directly."

This explains why the document would not have been signed through the normal HPA channels, but rather a WH one. I agree that the majority of Army RK VB's signed during 1940-41 have a von Brauchitsch signature. I also have a database the spans several hundred original examples from which I've learned.

Your reference to RK awards made post 22.04.45 is not relevant to a 1940 dated RK VB issued by the WH Zentralabteilung. These are two entirely different things. We are talking about a soldier awarded an RK in 1940, received a VB, and wore his RK for the span of the war versus a soldier(s) who claims he received an RK in the last weeks of the war for which he has no VB or documentation.

Regards,
John

Regards,
John

[Sepp45]

RK formal award document to General der Artillerie Herbert Loch
Kommandeur 17.InfDiv
Presented on: June 16th, 1940

(Photo credits to Hermann-Historica)

[Sepp45]

RK formal award document to Oberleutnant Karl Helmer
Ordonnanzoffizier II./GebJägRgt 13
Presented on: November 5th, 1942

(Photo credits to Hermann-Historica)

[Sepp45]

RK formal and preliminary award documents to Kapitän zur See Friedrich Bonte
Führer der Zerstörer und Kampfgruppe
Presented on: October 17th, 1940

From Hermann-Historica, more photos of these documents.