Waffen-SS: Knights cross winner photos (Hoffmann cards)

[Denis]

Me again
i wanted to post some pics to illustratefeatures of the Strassburg and Wien series but I've just realized I cannot post any picture in the Forum!

Sorry
Denis

[TorpedoLos]

Hello gentlemen

It is funny to see this old thread surfaced with the help of the late Mark Yerger.

Akira has perfectly summarized the conclusion: these SS cards without any R code at their reverse and a Helvetica font must be considered as fakes.

Many cards of this serie depict brand new soldiers who had never been pictured in the original Hoffmann production of the so called R serie (as all card are numbered with a R prefix, R for Ritterkreuzträger).

These cards seem very familiar to most of us as they ware extensively used to illustrate most of reference books in the 70s-80s.

Here is a list of these SS fantasy cards

Firstly, not pictured in original Hoffmann R serie:
Wilhelm Bittrich
Hermann Borchers
Gerd Bremer
Hermann Buchner
Hans Diegarten
Walter Drexler
Willi Esslinger
Waldemar Fegelein
Fritz Freitag
Otto Giesecke
Ludwig Köchler
Otto Kron
Kurt Meyer
Otto Meyer
Eggert Neumann
Hans Joachim Rühle_von_Lilienstern
Karl Sattler
Hans Scherg
Karl Schalmelcher
Manfred Schönfelder
Anton Vandienken
Heinz Werner
Theodor Wisch

Then cards already pictured in the original R sery:
Sepp Dietrich
Hans Dorr
Theodor Eicke
Otto Skorzeny
Fritz Witt
Max Wünsche
Hermann Fegelein
Herbert Otto Gille

There is also another serie of fakes, still unnumbered at their reverse and depicting Brillanten winners. Most of these cards were showing picutres of soldiers that were never photograph'd by Hoffmann.
As far as I can remember, all 27 winners were "produced" with postwar font even the very latest one, Dietrich von Saucken who was awarded Diamonds on May 8, 1945.

For information, the very latest original Hoffmann card was published around October 1944 and there wasn't anymore new other card published until the end of the war.

I think this "Brillanten fantasy" serie was in fact produced in the early 60s in Germany after that Günther Fraschka has published his reference book "Mit Schwertern und Brillanten" about biographies of the 27 Diamonds recipients.

As for original and UNnumbured Hoffmann cards, it is true that you can encounter some of them. They are not so often seen. Most of time, they are poorly considered by collectors as they lack usual numbering and features of the R serie cards.
Here are 3 existing sources:
- KC holders cards published by the Hoffmann branch located in Strassburg (today Strassbourg in France): 48 cards existing, on a larger size than cards belonging to the R serie. Their caption are not located at the obverse but at the reverse side. They often depict a close up or a larger view of the same picutre already displayed in the R serie

- KC holders cards published by the Hoffmann branch located in Vienna / Wien: around 21 cards existing, like "Strassburger" ones, these Viennese cards are larger and bear no cazption at their obverse. Recipient's name is written at the reverse with a motto and a short bio notice. These cards are sometimes found with larger white edges.

- Last but not least, I have already seen 2 Hoffmann cards (one for Rommel, one for Dietrich) bearing a facsimile signature at their reverse and a text written at their reverse occupying half of the space. These ones are quite rare.

This year, Roger Bender will publish a book dealing with Hoffmann cards from the R serie. I'm sure you will find many interesting and new info with some cards that have never or barely been displayed so far.

PS: I'll post some examples of these Wien / Strassburg cards in a forthcoming message
Tks
Denis

This is very helpful, Denis. Do you (or does anyone else) know if this also applies to KM Hoffmann R-series cards? I have a hard time believing that the rules would be different for KM cards, but I'm constantly learning new things in this hobby.

[Denis]

Hello TorpedoLos

The R serie displays RKT from all branches (ie WH, LW, SS & KM).
Cars were sequentially numbered from R1 to R330, based on a random assignment made by thr Hoffmann company.

When comparing weight of each branch of service with the Hoffmann's distribution (see below table), you will see KM and LW are both overrepresented in Hoffmann's R serie.
It is normal as the R serie, as a propaganda tool, was emphasized "technological" weapons such as Jagdwaffe and U-Bootwaffe and their related RKT.


% of KC
récipients

KM 4%
SS 6%
WH 65%
LW 24%
Misc 1%
Total 100%


Hoffmann
Distribution

KM 10%
SS 7%
WH 47%
LW 35%
Misc 1%
Total 100%



This overrepresentation of LW and KM soldiers is particularly focused on early R codes (ie from R1 to R99, KM members represent 19% of cards) while the trend is totally the opposite for later R codes (from R100 to R330, KM are only total 5% of released cards).

This trend is consistent with % of KC recipients split per year and this is logically the conflict evolution (LW and KM at first row for "offensive" years of 39-42 while "defensive" years 43-45 lay emphasis WH members).

Hope it makes sense.
Denis

[TorpedoLos]

Fascinating insight, Denis! Merci beaucoup!

Are we agreed that all Hoffmann cards - whatever the branch - without any serial number whatsoever - are post-war reproductions?

[Denis]

Fascinating insight, Denis! Merci beaucoup!

Are we agreed that all Hoffmann cards - whatever the branch - without any serial number whatsoever - are post-war reproductions?

Mre or less yes if this card is bearing the Hoffmann München addres on the reverse

However for cards bearing the Strassburg or the Wien address, no serial number will be totally normal.

Denis

[Remy Spezzano]

Gentlemen,

I'm hoping one of you can help me with my search for an original Hoffmann postcard of Otto Gille. I'm looking for the one posted below.

The reason I need this is to compliment the text for a short biography I have on Gille in my forthcoming book on the 5th SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking".

Please send me a PM if you or someone you know has this post card in your collection and you can make a decent scan of it for me.
Thanks.

[DZR]

Image of Gille postcard

Check your email Remy!

[Remy Spezzano]

Got it! Thanks Peter.