German Cross

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The War Order of the German Cross (Template:Langx), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or Deutsches Kreuz, was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leadership; and in silver for distinguished non-combat war service. The German Cross in Gold ranked higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, while the German Cross in Silver ranked higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords.Template:Sfn

Eligibility

The German Cross was issued in two versions: gold and silver (the color of the laurel wreath around the swastika). The gold version was awarded to military personnel for repeated acts of bravery in combat, or of military leadership, with 6–8 acts as a rule of thumb.[1] The silver version was awarded for multiple distinguished services in the war effort and was considered a continuation of the War Merit Cross with swords. Where a recipient had been awarded both the silver and gold versions, only the gold version was authorized for wear.Template:Sfn

Article three of the law governing the German Cross states that to qualify for the German Cross in gold or silver, the recipient must be a holder of the Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class or Clasp to the 1914 Iron Cross 1st Class, or the War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords.Template:Sfn The award of the German Cross was not a prerequisite for the award of the Knight's Cross of either the Iron Cross or War Merit Cross, and the German Cross could be awarded to Knight's Cross holders.Template:Sfn

While civilians were not eligible, awards could be made to members of uniformed formations including the police and railway workers.Template:Sfn

From 30 August 1944, recipients of the gold class of the Close Combat Clasp were normally also awarded the German Cross in gold, without the need for further justification,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn although the additional award was not made in all cases.Template:Sfn

While estimates vary, approximately 25,964 gold and 2,471 silver crosses were awarded.Template:Sfn[2]

Appearance

The order consists of a star badge, containing a swastika. It had a diameter of 6.5 cm and was worn on the right-hand side of the tunic.Template:Sfn

From June 1942 the gold version was officially available in cloth form, for easier wear on the combat uniform.Template:Sfn This had the same dimensions as the original decoration, with the wreath circling the swastika, the only metal part of the badge. The backing cloth reflected the arm of service: field grey for the army, or navy dark blue or air force pale blue.Template:Sfn

Twenty specimen copies of a special grade, the German Cross in Gold with Diamonds, were manufactured in 1942, but this grade was never formally instituted or bestowed.Template:Sfn

1957 version

The wearing of Nazi-era decorations was banned in Germany after the war, as was any display of the swastika. In 1957, the Federal Republic of Germany authorized the wearing of alternative de-nazified replacement versions of a number of war decorations. These included the German Cross, with the swastika replaced by a representation of the Iron Cross for the gold division, and the War Merit Cross with Swords for the silver division. Qualifying members of the Bundeswehr wore the award on their ribbon bar, represented by a small replica of the decoration on a field grey ribbon.Template:Sfn

Recipients

Select recipients of both gold and silver grades included:

Foreign recipients

In October 1942, eligibility for the German Cross in Gold was extended to the armed forces of allied countries on the same basis as awards to German forces.Template:Sfn

Select foreign recipients of the German Cross in Gold include:

Belgium
Croatia
Estonia
Finland
Italy
Latvia
Romania
Spain

In all, some 26 non-German volunteers of the Waffen-SS from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands and Norway received the German Cross in Gold.

Nicknames

Colonel Hans von Luck called it "Hitler's fried egg", in response to its gaudiness.Template:Sfn Another name for the decoration was "The Party Reflector for the Near-Sighted"Template:Sfn

References

Citations

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  1. ↑ Note: Littlejohn & Dodkins p 123 says 7–12 further acts.
  2. ↑ Note: Klietmann page 48 estimates 17,000 gold and 900 silver awards to the army and Waffen-SS alone.

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Bibliography

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Template:List of military decorations of the Third Reich

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