Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939-40 (Elite) (v. 1) [Paperback]

Gordon Williamson (Author), Ramiro Bujeiro (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2004 | Series: Elite (Book 114)

Osprey's survey of the recipients of the Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves awards during World War II (1939-1945). In 1939 a new grade in the Iron Cross series was introduced, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). It was awarded for a variety of reasons, from skilled leadership to a single act of extreme gallantry, and was bestowed across all ranks, grades, and branches of service. As the war progresed, further distinctions were created for bestowal on existing winners, namely Oak-Leaves (Eichenlaub); Oak-Leaves with Swords (Eichenlaub und Schwertern); and Oak-Leaves with Swords and Diamonds (Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten). This book, the first in a sequence of four, covers winners of the Knights Cross and the Oak-Leaves distinction in the period 1939-40.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Gordon Williamson was born in 1951 and currently works for the Scottish Land Register. He spent seven years with the Military Police TA and has published a number of books and articles on the decorations of the Third Reich and their winners. He is the author of a large number of World War II titles for Osprey, with a particular interest in the Kriegsmarine and the U-boat flotillas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (July 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841766410
• ISBN-13: 978-1841766416
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,341,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fighting for untruth, injustice and the Nazi Way, November 6, 2004

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939-40 (Elite) (v. 1) (Paperback)

Seventeen years ago, Gordon Williamson wrote Knights of the Iron Cross, a history of German recipients of that award in the Second World War. Now, Williamson is writing a multi-part version of his earlier work in the form of volumes in Osprey's Elite series. The first volume covers Knights Cross recipients in the early days of the Second World. Readers who own Williamson's earlier book will find much of the material is the same, although presented in a better graphical manner. This volume is certainly very colorful and should delight readers who enjoy photographs and illustrations of handsome Aryan warriors spreading the frontiers of the Third Reich. I realize that there is a market for this material, but the volume tends to lean toward "hero worship" or glorification of men who were fighting for an awful cause.

Williamson begins with an 8-page introduction that describes the background of this award and all the details that medal aficionados might require. This section also includes several very useful charts that detail the number of Knights Cross awarded by year, by branch and by rank. However, the bulk of this volume is geared toward the 24 capsule biographies of Knights Cross recipients in the period 1939-1940. As Williamson notes, 461 medals were awarded in this period and he selected a representative sample. Unfortunately, it isn't a representative sample. Of 24 individuals profiled, 11 were Luftwaffe, 5 each were in the Kriegsmarine or SS and only 3 were in the army. While there is little doubt that the German navy and air force played large roles in the early years, this neglect of ground troops seems rather odd given the quick conquest of France. Indeed, of the three German soldiers profiled, two (von Runstedt and Guderian) were senior officers, with only a single entry for a combat soldier (Major Stautner). Williamson fails to mention in this Osprey version that 20 of the 21 awards in 1939 went to senior officers with only Gunther Prien getting it for valor in the first year. It is also odd that the SS, which was only a very tiny component of the German forces invading Poland or France, gets more prominent mention than the army. It is also no accident that the volume prominently displays an "SS Hero" in action on its cover.

Williamson's volume does have its merits. He notes that some of the recipients, such as Lieutenant Schwarzmann, were decorated more for propaganda reasons to create a "paratrooper hero." The career of Luftwaffe bomber expert Major Baumbach is also interesting, given the huge impact that he had upon Allied shipping (he sank more merchant ships than even the top U-Boat aces). A number of the other Knights Cross recipients, such as E-Boat commander Petersen, made important but little-known contributions to the German war effort. I did find one major item missing from this volume, which was a discussion of the "perks" that Nazi Germany gave to its heroes. For example, Williamson only finds it pertinent to mention that medal given to Guderian, but he fails to mention the large estate given to him in Poland by a grateful Fuhrer. Many of the other senior officer recipients received large cash awards, in addition to their medal. Others recipients were allowed to appropriate artwork and other precious items in conquered countries. If Williamson had made the effort to investigate some of these "perks" it would have been obvious that these "heroes" were fighting for untruth, injustice and the Nazi way.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pity !!, June 19, 2005

By 

D. D Lawson (Pasadena, Calif. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939-40 (Elite) (v. 1) (Paperback)

Its a pity and such a waste that such brave and really good soldiers fought for such an evil cause. Fate can be really cruel but it just goes to show that courage will not be on just one side of a fight. Good illustrations and a fairly good text