Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1941-45

Osprey's survey of the recipients of the Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves awards during World War II (1939-1945). The remarkable early successes of the armed forces of the Third Reich prompted the decision that the supreme decoration for personal valour or outstanding leadership - the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross - was insufficient. To mark further acts of gallantry a new distinction was created in June 1940: the Oak-Leaves clasp. Further decorations in the form of the Swords and, finally, the Diamonds were added. This second title in our series describes and illustrates a selection of recipients of the Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves between 1941 and early 1944, when the Wehrmacht was engaged on all fronts, as well as at sea and in the air.