Amount of EK2 awarded

[Zeigler]

1. Is there any accurate statistics of the amount of EK2 that was awarded to all the different branches of the Wehrmacht and WSS? Even divisions would be very interessting to have a look at.

2. There seem to be a lot of different numbers of the total amount, but it seems to be somewhere between 4,5 million and 5 million awarded. Does this take other axis powers in consideration?

[Dietrich Maerz]

As per 20. May 2,350,000 EK2 were awarded to the Heer and Waffen-SS. Number includes 33,370 Clasp EK2.
I do not have numbers for divisions nor for LW and KM.

The highest award numbers of the EK2 was on the Eastern Front to Romanians (7,526 per 15 February 1945). The lowest was one Stateless and one Swede, one EK2 each.

[Chet Sowersby]

You've got to laugh about this considering the number of crosses awarded let alone produced for the prices asked for said crosses on a daily basis..

We see prices of $300 plus for these. Two point three MILLION awarded. MILLION! On top of that you have the others not awarded and just laying around. Still, look at the prices asked for a award that is common as dirt. WTF?

Chet

[TPK]

I always thought the number was around 5 million total awarded, not sure where I have heard this but is always stuck with me. TPK

[RKC]

I have to agree with you Chet!

I easily recall when an "Infantry" Assault or "General" Assault
SOLD for $14.00 .. great finish, maker marked, bugger-all wear
& the "Panzer" Assault was around $20.00 .. great finish, maker
marked, bugger-all wear & either 'class' & the "1st Class
Iron Cross" SOLD for $25.00

Ron.

[ben bijker]

I have to agree with you Chet!

I easily recall when an "Infantry" Assault or "General" Assault
SOLD for $14.00 .. great finish, maker marked, bugger-all wear
& the "Panzer" Assault was around $20.00 .. great finish, maker
marked, bugger-all wear & either 'class' & the "1st Class
Iron Cross" SOLD for $25.00

Ron.

If you recall those prices very well, you must have a good memory for your age .....

All joking aside: I just took a look at Weitze's site.
He has just taken prices to an entire new level.....

[Eklipse]

About the written numbers:

LTC. John R. Angolia says about 2,300,000 iron crosses second class and clasps to the 1914 EK2 were awarded.
Gordon Williamsons says somewhere around 5 Million awards were made between 1939 and 1945.
Stephen Thomas Previtera estimates 4,500,000 second class iron crosses awarded plus 450,000 spanges to the 1914 iron cross second class.

[Dietrich Maerz]

As you can see, the numbers are wrong estimates. Angolia is too low, the others are too high. I seriously doubt that KM and LW together had 2.2 Mill. EK2. Realistically and based on the real numbers for Heer and Waffen-SS it was most likely around 3.5 Mill. awarded.

[chrisje110]

With 3,5mil awarded crosses, how many would be produced by all the makers ? 5milion ? More ?

[Eklipse]

The Ek2 was not an award to be weared in a daily basis like the Ek1, so the LDO private purchase examples are not very common.
And V.E. Bowen relates in his book that "not all recipients of this decoration received the actual cross".

[Ludwig]

As per 20. May 2,350,000 EK2 were awarded to the Heer and Waffen-SS. Number includes 33,370 Clasp EK2.
I do not have numbers for divisions nor for LW and KM.

The highest award numbers of the EK2 was on the Eastern Front to Romanians (7,526 per 15 February 1945). The lowest was one Stateless and one Swede, one EK2 each.

On that very day or how do you mean?

[Dietrich Maerz]

No, up tp that date, of course.

[tompress]

With 3,5mil awarded crosses, how many would be produced by all the makers ? 5milion ? More ?

In his book "Das Eiserne Kreuz 1939 2. Klasse" Mario Alt indicates, that 9,6 Million crosses of the 2nd class were supplied to the PKZ (Präsidialkanzlei). Including private market (LDO) he estimates the whole produced amount on ca. 10 Million pieces EK2

greetings
Tomasz

[Ludwig]

No, up tp that date, of course.

Then I must say, that your source is not correct.
Not that there was a tsunami of EKs over the Swedish volunteers, but many more than just one got it. Both EK 1 and 2.

[Dietrich Maerz]

I can only report what data I have. I am 100% sure that the source I have is 100% correctly reporting. (One Swede got the EK2 on the Russian Front). Maybe he didn't get the correct feedback, maybe more were awarded on other fronts, maybe all the ones you know about were awarded past 15 February 1945.

Why don't you show us the names and units? Maybe that will help.