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Decorations and Medals of the Third Reich (1939-1945)

After Germany’s defeat in 1918, the Weimar Republic abolished all existing orders and decorations except the Prussian Order Pour le Merite for Art and Science, the awards of the German Red Cross, and some life-saving and similar awards. With the rise of the Third Reich, however, a variety of military awards were revived or established, with the most well-known being the Order of the Iron Cross. It was revived by Hitler on September 1, 1939 in four classes: Grand Cross, Knight’s Cross (a grade that had not previously existed), 1st Class, and 2nd Class. This was an important development, since the Iron Cross was now a German as opposed to a Prussian award. Four other grades of the Iron Cross were added by Hitler during the war so that there were a total of eight grades by 1945.2

The design of the new Iron Cross adhered closely to the original Prussian decoration, an iron cross patée set in a frame of silver. The obverse has a raised swastika in the center, and the date 1939 at the base of the lower arm. The reverse was plain except for the date 1813, the year in which the Prussian decoration was first instituted. The ribbon of the each grade of the Iron Cross (except for the 1st Class, which lacked a ribbon) was similar to the Prussian ribbon, except that it had a red center stripe and was edged with white and black stripes. Detailed information on the eight classes of the Third Reich Order of the Iron Cross follows:

Iron Cross, 2d Class (Eiserne Kreuz II klasse). Measures 44mm by 44mm, with a small ring at the top for a 30mm ribbon. Between 2.3 million and 5 million were awarded between 1939 and 1945. Figures 12 and 13 show the obverse and reverse of the decoration.

Iron Cross, 1st Class (Eiserne Kreuz I klasse). The 1st Class had the same measurements as the 2nd Class award, but it differed from the 2nd Class in being a uniface badge (lacking a reverse design). The 1st Class was pinned to the uniform breast, low on the left side. There was no ribbon. Between 300,000 and 700,000 were awarded in World War II. Figure 14 shows the obverse of the medal. Figure 15 depicts the obverse of the Iron Cross 1st Class “bar;” the reverse is at Figure 16. A World War I recipient of the 1st Class Iron Cross wore this bar if awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class during World War II.

Figure 12: Obverse of the Third Reich Iron Cross, 2nd Class.

Figure 13: Reverse of the Third Reich Iron Cross, 2nd Class.

Figure 14: Obverse of the Third Reich Iron Cross, 1st Class.

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Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz). It measured 48mm by 48 mm with a small ring at the top, to which a double wire loop attached for the 45mm neck ribbon. Approximately 7,000 were awarded. Based on the numbers awarded, this decoration is roughly equivalent to the United States Army’s Distinguished Service Cross. Figures 17 and 18 show the obverse of the Knight’s Cross (planchet with short ribbon and planchet with neck ribbon). Figure 19 depicts the reverse of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.

Figure 18: Obverse of the Knight’s Cross with neck ribbon.

Knights Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz mit dem Eichenlaub). This new class was created by Hitler on June 3, 1940, within days of the German victories over France and the Low Countries. A total of 862 were awarded between 1940 and 1945. A silver cluster of three oak leaves, 20mm by 20mm was attached to the suspension loop. This was not the same thing as the “oak leaf cluster” used by the American Army or “gold star” used by the United States Navy to indicate a second award of the

Figure 15: Obverse of the Iron Cross, 1st Class “bar.”

Figure 16: Reverse of the Iron Cross, 1st Class “bar.”

Figure 17: Obverse of the Knight’s Cross with short ribbon.

Figure 19: Reverse of the Knight’s Cross.

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same decoration. The recipients of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves received a different and higher grade of the Order of the Iron Cross.

Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz mit dem Eichenlaub und Schwertern). Instituted on June 21, 1941, the day before Operation BARBAROSSA (the German codename for the invasion of the USSR), as the next grade or class of the order. About 150 were awarded during World War II.

Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (mit dem Eichenlaub, mit Schwerten und Brillanten). After Operation Barbarossa began in 1941, Hitler recognized that the close combat being experienced by German troops in the field made it necessary to add yet another grade or class. Consequently, on 15 July 1941, the diamonds grade was established. Only 27 were awarded between 1941 and 1945.

Figure 20: Luftwaffe pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel wearing the Knight’s Cross with Golden Oak

Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.

Knight’s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (mit dem Goldenen Eichlaub, Schwerten und Brillanten). Hitler established the highest grade of the Knight’s Cross on 29 December 1944. Only one was awarded, to Luftwaffe pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel. A remarkable aviator by any measure, Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions and destroyed more than 800 enemy vehicles, 150 artillery pieces, 519 tanks, 70 landing craft,

four trains, two cruisers, a destroyer, and a battleship. His unprecedented achievements as a pilot made him the most highly decorated German of World War II. A photograph of Rudel is at Figure 20.

Grand Cross (Grosskreuz). Worn at the neck from a 57mm ribbon with a red center, white adjacent stripes and black edges the Grand Cross was awarded only once, to Reich Marshall Hermann Göring.

German Cross in Gold and Silver (Kriegsorden des Deutsche Kreuz). Established by Hitler on September 28, 1941, the German Cross recognized “multiple exceptional deeds of bravery or leadership.”3 As Dietrich Maerz explains in The German Cross, the decoration was created to bridge the gulf between the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross and the Iron Cross 1st Class. The fierce fighting on the Eastern Front required some sort of decoration to reward multiple acts of bravery. The problem was that the German awards system did not allow multiple awards of the same medal (as is possible in the United States pyramid of awards); if this had been possible, there would have been multiple awards of the Iron Cross 1st Class. At the same time, the Knight’s Cross was not a possible award because it could not be awarded for the “accumulation of several outstanding military acts.” On the contrary, the Knight’s Cross “could only be awarded for one singular act of outstanding personal bravery or for a decisive success in the conduct of a greater battle.”4 Consequently, if a soldier already had been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class, any additional acts of bravery went unrecognized unless he reached the higher standard required for a Knight’s Cross.

Given that the German High Command did not want to open the door to multiple awards, there were two possible solutions: relax the award criteria for the Knight’s Cross or create a new decoration. The latter was the solution and so was born the German Cross, in gold for outstanding achievement in combat and in silver for honorable service in execution of the war. Given its creation to bridge the gap between the Knight’s Cross and the Iron Cross, the combat or service required for the German Cross had to be above that required for the Iron Cross 1st Class, but not sufficient for the award of the Knight’s Cross. Additionally, one could not be awarded the German Cross unless he had previously been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class or War Merit Cross 1st Class with swords. But, while this meant that the German Cross was a “bridge” between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Knight’s Cross, it was not in the line of succession with the Iron Cross series.