German Knight Cross (Ritterkreuz)

Ritterkreuz or Knight Cross is another stage of Eiserne Kreuz or Iron Cross which for hundred of years had been a main medal for courage and valour for German knights.

Ritterkreuz was introduced by Hitler as the highest honour of German armed forces which was given to any soldier that showed extreme courage in battlefield or to generals and military officers that designed a successful military operation. As a whole, Knight Cross only slightly less prestigious than Grand Cross which was only awarded to one person, which is Hermann Goring the commander of Luftwaffe.

A soldier must firstly receive an Iron Cross first class before qualify for a Knight Cross award. Although in rare occasions a First Class Iron Cross was awarded at the same time along with a Knight Cross; this usually awarded when the soldier has an outstanding or continuous achievement in combat.

A knight cross (ritterkreuz) could also be awarded to a commanding officer of a combat unit for the whole achievement of his unit. For U-boat a commander, a knight cross is awarded when he is able to sink a total 100, 000 tonnages of enemy ships.

For Luftwaffe pilot, he will receive a knight cross after collecting 20 points (1 point given for one aerial combat victory over an enemy single engine plane, 2 points given over a double engine enemy’s plane, 3 points over an enemy four engine plane usually bomber ). For combat victory at night time, all points are multiplied double.

All achievement points and criteria for a Ritterkreuz (knight cross) are gradually increased along the war as more and more German armed forces personnel were able to fulfill all qualifications for this award.

According to a new regulation of a knight cross award on 1st September 1939, there are five stages of knight cross (including the grand cross):

1. Knight cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)
2. Knight cross with oak leaves (mit Eichenlaub)
3. Knight cross with oak leaves and sword (mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern)
4. Knight cross with oak leaves, sword and diamond (mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten)
5. Knight cross with golden oak leaves, sword and diamond (mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten)

In total, there are 7,318 people received Knight Cross award, and only 882 among them received Knight Cross with oak leaves (including 8 non German citizen). There are 159 people received Knight cross with oak leaves and sword (including an honourable award to a Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto). For a level of Knight cross with oak leaves, sword and diamond and above, there are only 27 people that received these awards. They are the best German war heroes (3 field marshals, 10 generals, 3 colonels, 9 ace pilots, and 2 U-boat captains).

From all of them, 1 person, the best of the best received the award of Knight cross with golden oak leaves, sword and diamond. He is Colonel Hans Ulrich Rudel a highly decorated Stuka pilot ace. Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions and successfully attacked many tanks, trains, ships, and other ground targets, claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed - including 800 vehicles, 519 tanks, 150 artillery guns, a destroyer, two cruisers, one Soviet battleship, 70 landing craft, 4 armored trains, several bridges and nine aircraft which he shot down while flying a Fockewulf 190 F8.

From 159 recipients of Knight cross with oak leaves and sword, 13 people actually didn’t meet the official requirement to receive the award. Also 24 people of Knight cross with oak leaves recipient didn’t actually have real achievements to meet requirement for this award. For example SS Gruppenfuhrer Hermann Fegelein (Eva Braun’s brother in law) executed by RSD firing squad lead by SS general Johann Rattenhuber for desertion during battle of Berlin. According to Germany’s law at that time, all Fegelein’s rank and medals should be stripped.

On another different case Otto Weidinger, Günther-Eberhardt Wisliceny dan Wilhelm Bittrich received Knight cross with oak leaves and sword from Josef ‘Sepp’ Dietrich, while in the official rule this award can only be given personally by the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler.

From many officers that involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler on July 20 1944, 13 of them are Knight cross recipients.

From 7,318 recipients of Knight cross, 711 continued their military career in Bundeswehr after the war, with 411 reached the rank of general.

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