(Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkeuzes)

Date Instituted

19 August 1940

Requirements

* Awarded the War Merit Cross 1st Class

With swords:
* Repeated acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
With out swords:
* Civilians or military personnel not directly involved in military operations who made major contributions to the war effort.

Number Awarded

211 (with swords) and 48 (without swords)

Recipients

Holders of the Knights Cross to the War Merit Cross

The holders of this award are listed on the individual unit histories as part of the Holders of high awards project.

Known makers/markings

1, L/13

Estimated price (2009)

€1.000-4.000

Ernst Ritter

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

General der Infanterie Rudolf Gercke

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3 0 Germany)

Mililitärverwaltungsvizechef Dr. Fritz Reinhardt, Reichshauptabteilungsleiter Kurt Zschirnt and Kriegsverwaltungsvizechef Helmut Körner being awarded the Knights Cross to the War Merit Cross 3 Oct 1943 from Otto Skorzeny

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Comments

This award ranked below the Knight's Cross.

Photo courtesy of Ruptured Duck

Sources used

Christopher Ailsby - World War 2 German medals and political awards
John R. Angolia - For Führer and Fatherland: Military awards of the Third Reich
David Littlejohn - Orders, decorations, medals and badges of the Third Reich
Detlev Niemann - Price Guide Germany 1871-1945 (2009)

Reference material on this award

Gordon & Williamson & Josef Charita - The War Merit Cross