Knight's Cross Oak-leaves and Swords Recipients

On 21 June 1941, as the Wehrmacht stormed forward across frontiers of the Soviet Union, Hitler instituted a new higher grade of the Knight's Cross decoration for galantry and leadership: the silver clasp of the Oak-leaves with Swords. It would be awarded to only 159 men of the approximately 15 million who served in the German armed forces during World War II. This third in a sequence of four titles describes and illustrates a selection of the recipients: from much-wounded front line infantry officers, to Hitler's 'brother-in-law'; from a sergeant pilot fighter ace, to the commanding general of the greatest tank force ever gathered on the Russian Front.Introduction; Description; Awards; Gefreiter Hans Sturm; SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Joachim Peiper; SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Max Wunxche; SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Heinrich Sprilnger; Feldwebel Albert Kerscher; SS-Obergrupenfuhrer Artur Phleps; Major Max Fabich; Major Hans Sandrock; SS-Oberscharfuhrer Johann Fiedler; SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Otto Weidinger; SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann; SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Heinz Macher; Obersteutnant Gunther Goebel; SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Christian Tychsen; Major Heinrich Ehrler; Major Erich Rudorffer; SS-Brigadefuhrer Heinz Harmel; SS-Unterscharfuhrer Emil Durr; SS- Sturmbannfuhrer Werner Poetschke; SS-Utersturmfuhrer Karl Bromann