(Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub)

Date Instituted

3 June 1940

Requirements

* Awarded the Knight's Cross
* Repeated acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance)

Number Awarded

882 (+8 to Axis allies)

Recipients

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

Known makers/markings

12, 21, L/12, L/13, L/19, L/50


Kapitänleutnant Rolf Thomsen recieves the Oakleaves from Kapitän zur See Hans Rudolf Rösing

(Courtesy of Thames Army Surplus)

Hauptmann Georg Dörffel

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

SS-Standartenführer Heinz Harmel

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

Comments

Photo courtesy of Relics of the Reich

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

Reference material on this award

Dietrich Maerz - The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
Stephen Thomas Previtera - The Iron Time: A History of the Iron Cross
Gordon Williamson - The Iron Cross
Gordon Williamson - The Iron Cross of 1939