Knight Crosses today

[Tom B]

I think Tom asked me about the whereabouts of Krupinski's medals a few months ago. This is what I found regarding his original Knight's Cross:

"Following their light interrogations, they were taken by ship to Cherbourg, France. This was where Krupinski was assaulted, receiving a near fatal head trauma, courtesy of a French rifle butt as two soldiers stole his Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. His log book had already been stolen by an American soldier before he went to England -

This comes from the wonderful book: "The Me 262 Stormbird", by Colin D. Heaton.

So, we can rule out the pictures of Krupinski's KC on this thread as wartime issue.

Thanks for that info Sepp. Interesting story ! Tom

[Sepp45]

Very interesting material: The medal grouping of Fregattenkapitän Reinhard Suhren shown on the book "Nasses Eichenlaub - Als Kommandant und FDU im U-Boot-Krieg", by Fritz Brustat-Naval and Teddy Suhren.

The description made by Suhren himself about his awards after the war:

"My few valuables I still have, the Iron Crosses, the Uboat Badge with Diamonds, the knights Cross, the Oak Leaves and Swords, the Marine Honor Dagger. All that - I had put in a container, which in the raised floor of an air traffic control boat arrived in Copenhagen. Where one of the officers of my former Staff had taken him out and brought to a minesweeper, that occasionally sailed to Kiel.

There was my brother in the German Minesweeping Administration (dem Deutschen Minenräumdienst in Friedrichsort) who retrieved the container.
And so I got it all back."

Page 171 from the same book. It was translated by my friend EJ Bakker, so credits to him.

[Sepp45]

A wonderful adding to this thread!!

RK awarded to General Vitéz Zoltán Szügyi
6.Hungarian PanserDiv "Szentlaszlo"
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: January 12th, 1945

This nice cross is still in the hands of the family. The photos were send to me by a great WAF member who always helps me making this thread better.

Thanks a lot Gábor

.

[Sepp45]

The last edition of the Magazine "Ritterkreuz Archiv" shows a small picture of the Knights Cross awarded to General der Infanterie Franz Halder, on October 27th, 1939.

I'll see if I can make a decent zoom on the award.

[Sepp45]

General der Infanterie Franz Halder wearing the award, 1940.

[Sepp45]

RK with OL awarded to Kapitänleutnant Carl Emmermann
Kommandant "U 172"
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: November 27th, 1942 / Oak Leaves: July 4th, 1943

Emmermann's RK preliminary award document, presented to him on 27.11.1942.

(Photo credits to WAF member Tiger 1)

[Sepp45]

Oak Leaves awarded to Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist
Oberbefehlshaber Panzergruppe 1 / Heeresgruppe Süd
Awarded on: February 17th, 1942

[Sepp45]

Oak Leaves awarded to Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist
Oberbefehlshaber Panzergruppe 1 / Heeresgruppe Süd
Awarded on: February 17th, 1942

And his formal award document for the OLs.

[Sepp45]

RK awarded to Oberfeldwebel Anton Hörwick
Flugzeugführer 7./NJG 2
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: August 8th, 1944.

Another picture of this amazing grouping.

[Sepp45]

RK with OL preliminary award documents to Generalmajor Carl Rodenburg
Kommandeur 76.Infanterie-Division / VIII.Armee-Korps / 6.Armee / Heeresgruppe B
Awarded the Ritterkreuz: October 8th, 1942 / Awarded the Oak Leaves: January 31st, 1943

[Ludwig]

So many nice crosses and award citations!...

[Sepp45]

Rodenburg's Oak Leaves preliminary award document.

[Ludwig]

So many nice crosses and award citations!...

Sorry! Pressed the wrong button and can´t remove the picture (that has nothing to do with KCs...)

[Sepp45]

Sorry! Pressed the wrong button and can´t remove the picture (that has nothing to do with KCs...)

No problem Ludwig

Here is the same document photographed after it was awarded.

(Credits to sa-kuva.fi)

[Sepp45]

RK preliminary award document to Hauptmann der Reserve Johannes Dienhold
Chef, III. Abteilung, Flak-Regiment 23 (mot), Luftwaffe
Presented on: June 14th, 1941