Knight Crosses today

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Jollasse's RK fron and back.

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RK with OL and Swords awarded to Fregattenkapitan Erich Topp
Kommandant U 552 / 7.Unterseebootflottille
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: June 20th, 1941

Kommandant U 552 / 7.Unterseebootflottille
Awarded the Oak Leaves: April 11th, 1942

Kommandant U 552 / 7.Unterseebootflottille
Awarded the Swords: August 17th, 1942

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Topp's OL formal award document.

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Topp's OL preliminary award document.

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Diamonds awarded to Generallfeldmarshall Walter Model
Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Mitte
Awarded the Diamonds: August 17th, 1944

Thanks to WAF member Chen for this photo.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=Knight+Cross

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RK formal award document to Generalmajor Karl Kriebel
Kommandeur 56.InfDiv
Presented on: July 4th, 1940.

Thanks to WAF member Ron Weinand for this photo.

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RK with OL, Swords and Diamonds awarded to Fregattenkapitän Albrecht Brandi
Kommandant U 617 / 29.Unterseebootsflottille
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: January 21st, 1943

Kommandant U 617 / 29.Unterseebootsflottille
Awarded the Oak Leaves: April 11th, 1943

Kommandant U 380 / 29.Unterseebootsflottille
Awarded the Swords: May 9th, 1944

Kommandant U 967 / 29.Unterseebootsflottille
Awarded the Diamonds: November 24th, 1944

Source: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=560412

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Brandi's Diamonds.

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Brandi's Swords formal award document.

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RK with OL awarded to Leutnant Gerhard Köppen
Flugzeugführer 7. / Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: December 18th, 1941

Flugzeugführer 8. / Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded the Oak Leaves: February 27th, 1942

This set belongs to WAF member Pieter Verbruggen

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RK awarded to Leutnant Friedrich Anding
Adjutant der Panzerjäger-Abteilung "Großdeutschland" / Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland"
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: May 8th, 1945

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Something interesting for the thread:

First edition of the Oakleaves and Swords, awarded to Werner Mölders and Adolf Galland

It was published in the German "Rheinische Landeszeitung" newspaper, June 1941.

Source:http://www.bills-bunker.privat.t-online.de/159901.html

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Golden Oakleaves Swords and Diamonds (prototype version)

"...When Rudel went beyond all expectations another medal was needed. Since the Grand Cross was only given to soldiers whose actions changed the entire course of the war that could not be used. Hitler then instituted the “Golden Diamonds” which made a gold content medal higher than a platinum one. It was only awarded once but there were two version – again thought to be a wearers version and the presentation version. The presentation version was 785 (18 carat) content gold (out of possible 1000 which is pure gold) and the wearers 585 gold (14 carat). Both were constructed identically but the quality, color, cut and purity of the stones was different between the two versions. Hard to tell the versions apart other than the marks on the back side..."

This excellent pictures come from a website dedicated to the research of the Knight Cross: www.ritterkreuz.us

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Two more photos.

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The marking referring to this set as a "prototype" version.