List of Knight's Cross recipients 6th SS Gebirgs Division Nord
Encyclopedia
The SS Division "Nord" was a German
unit of the Waffen-SS
. It was formed as SS-Kampfgruppe "Nord" in February 1941 in Norway but it was redesignated as a division in September 1941.
The division was composed of SS men used for garrison duties in Norway. It was transferred to Finnish
Lapland prior to Operation Barbarossa
as part of the German XXXVI Corps
under AOK Norwegen. In July 1941 the division took part in Operation Silberfuchs with the German 169th Division
and the Finnish 6th Division
. Due to lack of training the soldiers were routed in the first attack against the Soviet forces at Salla
.
The division was later attached to the Finnish III Corps
operating in the Kiestinki area.
In September 1942 the division was renamed as the SS Gebirgs Division "Nord" (SS Mountain Division "North") and in October 1943 finally as the 6th SS Gebirgs Division "Nord".
In 1944 the division took part in the Lapland War
against Finland
. After pulling out of Finland the division was transferred to Denmark
and later to Germany. The division surrendered in May 1945 to US forces in Bavaria
.
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.
:
[attached to 416th Inf Div in Feb 1945 ; Westwall defense area Hamm/Saarschleife]
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...
unit of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. It was formed as SS-Kampfgruppe "Nord" in February 1941 in Norway but it was redesignated as a division in September 1941.
The division was composed of SS men used for garrison duties in Norway. It was transferred to Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Lapland prior to Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
as part of the German XXXVI Corps
German XXXVI Corps
The XXXVI Corps was a German military formation in World War II.It was formed in October 1939 and took part in the invasion of France. In August 1940 the corps was moved to southern Norway and from there to northern Finland....
under AOK Norwegen. In July 1941 the division took part in Operation Silberfuchs with the German 169th Division
German 169th Infantry Division
The German 169th Infantry Division was a German military unit during World War II.The division was formed in 1939. It took part in Operation Fall Gelb and stayed in France until being transferred to Finnish Lapland in 1941. The division was part of the German XXXVI Corps which also included SS...
and the Finnish 6th Division
Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
The 6th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.-History:The 6th Division was attached to the German XXXVI Corps in Northern Finland in 1941. As part of Operation Arctic Fox the division attacked with the SS Division Nord and German 169th Infantry Division against Salla...
. Due to lack of training the soldiers were routed in the first attack against the Soviet forces at Salla
Salla
Salla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
.
The division was later attached to the Finnish III Corps
Finnish III Corps (Continuation War)
The III Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.The III Corps was responsible for the area stretching from the German XXXVI Corps in Lapland to the 14th Division near Rukajärvi....
operating in the Kiestinki area.
In September 1942 the division was renamed as the SS Gebirgs Division "Nord" (SS Mountain Division "North") and in October 1943 finally as the 6th SS Gebirgs Division "Nord".
In 1944 the division took part in the Lapland War
Lapland War
The Lapland War were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province. While the Finns saw this as a separate conflict much like the Continuation War, German forces considered their actions to be part of the...
against Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. After pulling out of Finland the division was transferred to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and later to Germany. The division surrendered in May 1945 to US forces in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
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...
:
- 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
HQ staff
- Karl-Heinrich BrennerKarl-Heinrich BrennerKarl Heinrich Brenner was a Leutnant in the Imperial German Army during World War I. He then joined the State police force before joining the Waffen SS...
, 27.12.1944 SS-GruppenführerGruppenführerGruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
und Generalleutnant der Polizei Commander 6th SS Gebirgs Div Nord - Friedrich Krüger, 22.10.1944 SS-ObergruppenführerObergruppenführerObergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
und General der Waffen-SS und Polizei Commander 6th SS Gebirgs Div Nord
SS Gebirgsjäger Regiment 11 Reinhard Heydrich
- Günther DegenGünther DegenGünther Degen was a Hauptsturmführer in the Waffen SS during World War II and 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.Hauptsturmführer Günther Degen was in...
, 07.10.1944 SS-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...
Commander I. Battalion
SS Gebirgsjäger Regiment 12 Michael Gaißmair
- Franz SchreiberFranz SchreiberFranz Schreiber was a Standartenführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He 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.Franz Schreiber was born in Dresden on...
, 26.12.1944 SS-StandartenführerStandartenführerStandartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
Commander 12th SS Geb Jäg Rgt Michael Gaißmair
SS Schützen Battalion 6
- Gottlieb RenzGottlieb RenzGottlieb Renz was a Sturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He 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.Gottlieb Renz was the commander of the 6th...
, 12.08.1944 SS-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...
d.R. Commander 6th SS Schtz Btn
SS Panzergrenadier Battalion 506
(renamed from 6th Schtz Btn)- Hans Bauer (SS officer), 05.04.1945 SS-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...
Commander 3 Company
[attached to 416th Inf Div in Feb 1945 ; Westwall defense area Hamm/Saarschleife]