List of Knight's Cross recipients 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland
Encyclopedia
The 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland was a German
Waffen SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Dutch
background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II
. It was formed in February 1945, by the expansion of the Nederland Panzer Grenadier Brigade into a SS Panzergrenadier Division, although its strength never reached more than a brigade.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments
. The first enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of September 1, 1939 instituted the Iron Cross
and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. As the war progressed some of the recipients distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Oak Leaves to Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of June 3, 1940. In 1941 two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of September 28, 1941 introduced the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the last and final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of December 29, 1944 concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.
First Class, though the Iron Cross I Class was awarded concurrently with the Knight's Cross in rare cases.
Unit commanders could also be awarded the medal for exemplary conduct by the unit as a whole.
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Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Waffen SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was formed in February 1945, by the expansion of the Nederland Panzer Grenadier Brigade into a SS Panzergrenadier Division, although its strength never reached more than a brigade.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments
Coming into force
Coming into force or entry into force refers to the process by which legislation, regulations, treaties and other legal instruments come to have legal force and effect...
. The first enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of September 1, 1939 instituted the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. As the war progressed some of the recipients distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Oak Leaves to Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of June 3, 1940. In 1941 two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of September 28, 1941 introduced the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the last and final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of December 29, 1944 concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.
Prerequisites
To qualify for the Knight's Cross, a soldier had to already hold the 1939 Iron CrossIron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
First Class, though the Iron Cross I Class was awarded concurrently with the Knight's Cross in rare cases.
Unit commanders could also be awarded the medal for exemplary conduct by the unit as a whole.
Grades
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was divided into five grades, excluding the Grand Cross of the Iron CrossGrand Cross of the Iron Cross
The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross was a decoration intended for victorious generals of the Prussian Army and its allies. It was the highest class of the Iron Cross. Along with the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the Grand Cross was founded on March 10, 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. It was...
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- Knights Cross
- Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and swords
- Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
- Knights Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
- Hanns-Heinrich LohmannHanns-Heinrich LohmannHanns Heinrich Lohmann was a Obersturmbannführer , in the Waffen SS during World War II, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.-Early life:...
, ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 9 May 1945 - Helmut ScholzHelmut ScholzHelmut Scholz was a Hauptsturmführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.Scholz was born on the 12 July 1920, at Grottkau, Upper Silesia....
, ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 21 September 1944 - Jurgen WagnerJürgen WagnerJürgen Wagner was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II, he was the commander of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves.-Early life:Jürgen Wagner was born on 9 September 1901 in Strasbourg, and was the son of Ernst...
, BrigadeführerBrigadeführerSS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
4th SS-Panzergrenadier-Brigade Nederland, 11 December 1944
4th SS Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland
- Remi SchrijnenRemi SchrijnenRemi Schrijnen was a Belgian volunteer in the German army. He was a Flemish Nationalist and the only Flemish volunteer in the SS Flandern to have been awarded the German Knight's cross...
SturmmannSturmmannSturmmann was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1921. The rank of Sturmmann was used by the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel ....
Antitank gunner 4th Company, SS-Freiwillige Leigon Nederland, 21 September 1944
SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 48
- Wolfgang Joerchel ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 48, 21 April 1944 - Hans-Joachim Rühle von Lilienstern, HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
I./SS—Panzergrenadier Regiment 48, 12 February 1944 - Siegfried ScheibeSiegfried ScheibeSiegfried Scheibe was a Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was the commander of the SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Regiment 48 General Seyffardt, 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland and a posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which...
, ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 48, 11 May 1945
SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 49
- Hans CollaniHans CollaniHans Collani was a Standartenführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early life:Hans Collani was born on...
, ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 19 August 1944 - Carl-Heinz Frühauf HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 4 June 1944 - Johannes Hellmers ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
6./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 5 March 1945 - Karl-Heinz ErtelKarl-Heinz ErtelKarl-Heinz Ertel was a Hauptsturmführer der Reserve, in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Awards and decorations:* Iron Cross ** 2nd...
, HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 23 August 1944 - Helmut ScholzHelmut ScholzHelmut Scholz was a Hauptsturmführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.Scholz was born on the 12 July 1920, at Grottkau, Upper Silesia....
, UntersturmführerUntersturmführerUntersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
7./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 4 June 1944 - Georg Schluifelder, Oberjunker 1./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 26 November 1944
- Stefan Strapatin, RottenführerRottenführerRottenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1932. The rank of Rottenführer was used by several Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Sturmabteilung , the Schutzstaffel and was senior to the paramilitary rank of Sturmmann.The insignia for Rottenführer...
II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49, 16 November 1944
SS Panzer Artillery Regiment 54
- Klemens BehlerKlemens BehlerKlemens Behler was a Obersturmbannführer, in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Awards and decorations:* Iron Cross ** 2nd Class **...
, ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
3./SS-Artillery Regiment 54 , 17 March 1945 - Lothar Hofer, SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
III./SS-Artillery Regiment 54, 5 April 1945 - Walter Jenschke, SS-Kandidat, 5./SS-Artillery Regiment 54, 18 December 1944
- Herbert-Albert Rieth, UntersturmführerUntersturmführerUntersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
5./SS-Artillery Regiment 54, 11 December 1944 - Wilhelm Schlüter (SS Officer), SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
SS-Artillery Regiment 54, 23 August 1944
SS Panzer Pionier Battalion 54
- Günter Wanhöfer, HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
SS-Panzer Pionier Bataillon 54, 27 August 1944
SS Panzerjager Battalion 54
- Derk-Elsko BruinsDerk-Elsko BruinsDerk Elsko Bruins was a Oberscharführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early life:Derk Elsko Bruins was...
, RottenführerRottenführerRottenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1932. The rank of Rottenführer was used by several Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Sturmabteilung , the Schutzstaffel and was senior to the paramilitary rank of Sturmmann.The insignia for Rottenführer...
1./SS-Panzerjäger Battalion 54, 23 August 1944