War Merit Cross, Knights Cross Silver with Swords.

War Merit Cross, Knights Cross Silver with Swords.

Instituted on 19 August 1940
Rarity – Extremely Rare
Known Makers - 1, L/13

 

 

 

 

 

This award takes the basic design of the War Merit Cross Second Class with Swords but is larger, measuring 54 mm across the arms and the oak leaf wreath measures 18 mm.  The width of the arms of the cross is 3 mm. This cross was identical to its non-combatants counterpart, save that it had the swords added as was its date of institution 19 August 1940.  It was usually produced in genuine silver, with the silver grade ranging from .800 through to .950 which can be found punched into the edge of the lower arm of the cross in the recess of the V. Sometimes the maker's mark is situated on the lower arm of the cross in the recess of the V, as in the former described position. But in some examples the cross is produced in a base metal that silver-plated and these examples just have the maker's number on the lower arm.    

The upper arm has an inverted V attached to it, with three lines on each arm and with an eyelet at its apex.  Through this eyelet is a ribbed hanger which supports the cross on the neck ribbon.  As with all Knights Crosses it was worn around the neck.  The ribbon comprises of a 46 mm band formed from stripes of 4 mm red, 4 mm white, 22 mm broad black, 4 mm white and 4 mm red.  For the examples of the cross that were awarded, the ends of the ribbon were turned over into a triangle with a length of minute ribbon at each end to act as ties to secure the ribbon around the neck of the recipient.  

This order was intended for award to military, administrative personnel and civilians who had served bravely in combat or in the direction of the war but not where an award of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross would be warranted.  It was necessary for the recipient to have been awarded the War Merit Cross with Swords First and Second Class.  The award ranked in precedence over the German Cross in Silver but below the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

It is estimated that 211 of these Knights Crosses were awarded during the period of the Second World War.  However, not all recipients of the award were gazetted.  This was to protect the anonymity of the recipient and the work in which they were engaged.  Such was the case of Dr. - Ing Ernst Blaicher, who was awarded the cross on 15 November 1943 for his work in tank production.  A further bestowal which was not gazetted is to Oberstleutnant Othmar Wolfan who was on the staff of 'Kommandierender General der Deutschen Luftwaffe in Finland, who was recalled from Finland in the closing days of the war to Berlin to receive an important post and decoration.  His niece asserted that he received the award and then went into Russian captivity for his troubles. 

It was presented in a blue box, with an inside black velvet base, which has a round recess into which the cross and hanger fit.  The upper part of the box above this recess is indented to accommodate the neck ribbon.

Oberstleutnant Othmar Wolfan.

Otto Stapf - General der Infanterie, Chef Wehrwirtschaftsstab Ost . War Merit Cross, Knights Cross Silver with Swords 9 September 1944. He also has the Cross, Knights Cross  of the Iron Cross.

War Merit Cross, Knights Cross Silver with Swords Recipients.

 

BOETTICHER, Friedrich von- 27 May 1942

GABLENZ, Carl August Freiherr von - 25 August 1942
LEFFLER, Kurt - 4 October 1942
RITTER, Ernst - 4 October 1942
WITZELL, Karl - 5 October 1942
RÜDEL, Günter - 17 October 1942
LIEBEL, Willy - 27 November 1942
REMY, Karl - 7 December 1942
UNRUH, Walter von - 1943
PLIEGER, Paul - 10 May 1943
DORSCH, Xaver - 13 May 1943
BRUGMANN, Walter - 14 May 1943
JACOB, Alfred - 4 June 1943
HINKEROHE, Joseph - 5 June 1943
SCHMID, Karl - 5 June 1944
GEHRCKE, Rudolf - 27 July 1943
WAHLE, Carl - 3 August 1943
DALUEGE, Kurt - 6 September 1943
NEUBACHER, Hermann - 7 September 1943
BENOIT, Wilhelm - 13 September 1943
SEXTEL, Anton - 13 September 1943
GANZENMÜLLER, Albert - 19 September 1943
HANDLOSER, Siegfried - 23 September 1943
HEINEMANN, Erich - 23 September 1943
KUBE, Wilhelm-Richard Paul - 27 September 1943
KÖRNER, Helmuth - 3 October 1943
REINHARDT, Fritz - 3 October 1943
RITTER, Julius - 6 October 1943
BLAICHER, Ernst - 15 November 1943
KÜHL, Bernhardt - 16 November 1943
ENNSBERGER, Alois - 28 November 1943
GOUDEFROY, Erich - 7 December 1943
BIERSCHENK, Ernst - 7 December 1943
HELLENTHAL, Remigius - 7 December 1943
KINDERVATER, August - 7 December 1943
RABITZ, Friedrich - 14 December 1943
WEISE, Erich - 16 November 1943
HENRICI, Hans - 1944
KURZ, Eugen - 1944
MARTINI, Wolfgang - 1944
RIEDEL, Walter - 1944
THIEL, Walter - 1944
SCHRADER, Rudolf - January 1944
KLASING, Ernst - 28 January 1944
HELLDORF, Wolf Heinrich Graf von - 01 February 1944
SCHACH, Gerhard - 10 February 1944
HOELCK, Klaus - 21 February 1944
NAGEL, Jakob - 21 February 1944
WOLF, Karl -21 February 1944
SCHULZE, Wilhelm - 25 February 1944
WAGNER, Hermann - 25 February 1944
MÜLLER, Ernst - 28 February 1944
IBROM, Rochus - 7 April 1944
POGGEMEIER, Friedrich - 7 April 1944
POLZIUS, Wilhelm - 7 April 1944
MERKER, Otto - 28 April 1944
FINCKH, Eberhard - 11 May 1944
NEUBERT, Georg - 28 April 1944
LANDSKRON, Franz - 11 May 1944
SCHULZE, Kurt - 15 May 1944
DENNIS, - 16 May 1944
FISCHER, Richard - 22 May 1944
FRYDAG, Karl - 22 May 1944
HEYNE, Hane - 22 May 1944
KESSLER, Philipp - 22 May 1944
LAGENOHL, Max - 22 May 1944
LÜSCHEN, Friedrich - 22 May 1944
GEBHARDT, Karl Franz - 31 May 1944
BACMEISTER, Adolf - 31 May 1944
GUTZEIT - 31 May 1944
TÖNNIS - 31 May 1944
GEILENBERG, Edmund - 1 June 1944
TIZ, Arthur - 1 June 1944
HENNE, Willi - 2 June 1944
KITTEL, Walter - 4 June 1944
RÖMER, Wolfgang - 4 June 1944
SCHLEGEL, Hans - 4 June 1944
FRESSE, Karl de - 9 June 1944
LEEB, Emil - 14 June 1944
NIKOLAUS, known as Claus Selzer - 20 June 1944
BÖHMCKER, Johann-Heinrich - 21 June 1944
ERDMANN, Kurt - 24 June 1944
LEYERS, Hans - 24 June 1944
SCHINDLER, Max - 24 June 1944
STUDT, Erich - 24 June 1944
BECK, Emil - 11 July 1944
DORPMÜLLER, Julius - 24 July 1944
KNEPPER, Gustav Heinrich - 26 June 1944
REIFFERSCHEIDT, Franz - July 1944
SCHÜRER, Friedrich - 24 July 1944
OTTE, Carlo - 9 August 1944
DOHRN Hermann - 10 August 1944
SCHÜTTE, Ernst-Wilhelm - 10 August 1944
BRAUWEILER, Max - 12 August 1944
PAPEN, Franz von - 15 August 1944
VOLKMANN, Reinhardt - 17 August 1944
VORWALD, Wolfgang - 17 August 1944
WEISS, Karl - 22 August 1944
SEIDEL, Hans Georg von - 31 August 1944
WEBER, Friedrich - September 1944
RIEDEL, Klaus - September 1944
STAPF, Otto - 9 September 1944
KEHRL, Hans - 23 September 1944
KREUZ, Lothar - 24 September 1944
RIESE, Walter - 25 September 1944
BRUMMENBAUM, Albrecht - 1 October 1944
PEHLE, Heinrich - 1 October 1944
MÜLLER, Josef - 12 September 1944
BOCHRINGER, Gustav - 6 October 1944
WALTER, Paul - 6 October 1944
BASTIAN, Max - 12 October 1944
BRAUN, Werner von - 28 October 1944
DORNBERGER, Walter - 28 October 1944
DEGENKOLB, Gerhard - 29 October 1944
ROHLAND, Walter - 29 October 1944
SAUR, Karl Otto - 29 October 1944
SCHIEBER, Walter - 29 October 1944
VEESENMAYER, Edmund - 29 October 1944
JÜTTNER, Hans - 30 October 1944
OHNESORGE, Karl-Wilhelm - 1 November 1944
SCHMERBECK - 1 November 1944
WERNER, Rudolf - 1 November 1944
COLSMANN, Erwin - 4 November 1944
KÖSTRING, Ernst-August - 4 November 1944
NAGEL, Wilhelm - 4 November 1944
OSTERKAMP, Herbert - 7 November 1944
HUSS, Fritz - 10 November 1944
ENGEL, Johannes - 11 November 1944
BERGER, Gottlob-Christian - 15 November 1944
KALTENBRUNNER, Ernst - 15 November 1944
MÜLLER, Heinrich - 15 November 1944
POHL, Oswald - 16 November 1944
URSTER, Eugen - 17 November 1944
PREIßLER, Fritz - 18 November 1944
CHRISTIANSEN, Carl - 19 November 1944
PFAUSER, Anton - 20 November 1944
KEHRL, Hans - 27 November 1944
WAEGER, Kurt - 27 November 1944
GERWIG, Heinrich - 28 November 1944
SCHAEDE, Hans-Joachim - 28 November 1944
BEKURTS, Karl - 5 December 1944
KELCHNER - 5 December 1944
MALZACHER, Hans - 5 December 1944
WEISSENBORN, K. - 5 December 1944
BÜRGER, Walter - 7 December 1944
GRIES, Wilhelm - 7 December 1944
MAUTERER, Arthur - 7 December 1944
WIENS, Günther - 7 December 1944
WOLFF, Albert - 7 December 1944
HOFFMANN, - 7 December 1944
HÖLZER, Peter - 7 December 1944
KIDERZATER, August - 7 December 1944
KOMP, Karl - 7 December 1944
KOSER, Johann - 7 December 1944
LAMMERTZ, Maximilian - 7 December 1944
MALDAKER, Gustav - 7 December 1944
RÖCHLING, Hermann - 17 December 1944
HINRICHS, Hermann - 20 December 1944
KISSING - 20 December 1944
HANEKEN, Hermann von - 21 December 1944
PFROGNER, Anton - 21 December 1944
SCHMEIDLER, Herbert - 21 December 1944
THOLENS, Hermann - 21 December 1944
WINKELMANN, Otto - 21 December 1944
LOIBL, Ludwig - 23 December 1944
BERTRAM, Richard Wolfgang Paul - 26 December 1944
EWERT, Walter - 26 December 1944
FUCHS, Werner - December 1944
KORTE, Hermann - 31 December 1944
SCHÄFFER, Emil - 31 December 1944
GOHRBANDT, E. - 1945
De la CAMP Bürkle - 1945
KAMMLER, Hans - 1945
SCHRÖDER - 1945
SCHWARZ - 1945
WASSNER - 19 January 1945
LINDAU, Erwin - 1 January 1945
BACKENKÖHLER, Otto - 3 January 1945
FRIEDEBIURG, Hans Georg von - 17 January 1945
WENNEKER, Paul Werner - 17 January 1945
MAßNER - 19 January 1945
MARZECHA, Walter - 25 January 1945
KOEPKE, Jacob - 28 January 1945
WACHTEL, Max - 31 January 1945
EISENBECK, Martin - 2 February 1945
KRÄMER, - February 1945
MALSI, Georg - 1 February 1945
WALTER, Helmuth - 6 February 1945
MÖCKEL, Helmut - 11 February 1945
WARLIMONT, Walter - 15 February 1945
KIRSCH, Ludwig - 20 February 1945
METZGER, Julius - 20 February 1945
SCHOLL, Wilhelm - 20 February 1945
ZECHMANN, Heinrich - 20 February 1945
AGARTZ, Friedrich - 21 February 1945
ENGELHARDT, Conrad - 24 February 1945
KORRENG, August - 25 February 1945
WEIGELT, Johannes-Kurt - 25 February 1945
KOHNLHAUER, Erich - March 1945
DETMERING, Rolf - 16 March 1945
REUSCHEL, - 28 March 1945
KETTLER, Kurt - April 1945
GREUL, Emil - 20 April 1945
HAMBERGER, Wilhelm - 20 April 1945
KUNZE, Heinz - 20 April 1945
STREIT, Bernhardt - 20 April 1945
SCHWARZ, Friedrich - 28 April 1945
FANGER, Paul - 30 April 1945
KÜPFMULLER, Karl - 30 April 1945
BÜRKNER , Leopold - 2 May 1945
SALMAN, Otto - 2 May 1945