- The first of a series of four titles that between them will feature all of the Knight’s Crosses awarded on the Eastern Front
- Full explanations of the action or actions leading to the granting of the awards
- Covers the period up to the end of Operation Barbarossa, providing an insight into the campaign from a unique angle
- Demonstrates how the German generals were heavily involved in frontline action
- Includes many unusual and surprising facts about these officers, gathered over many years of research
- Replete with facts which will enable the researcher to delve deeper into this crucial period of the war
- Many of these individuals received their awards from the hands of Hitler himself
- Features a total of 178 generals, in most cases including one or more images of the individual
This is a study of the officers who were promoted to the rank of general and who were also awarded the Knight’s Cross during the early period of Hitler’s assault upon the Soviet Union. This takes us from the great onslaught of Operation Barbarossa, through to Hitler’s decision to abandon his attempt to capture Moscow and adopt a temporary defensive stance due to the early onset of winter. Such was the scale of operations during these momentous first six months of the war on the Eastern Front there were endless opportunities for officers to display courage and leadership. This resulted in a total of 172 generals – twenty-five Generalmajors, fifty-five Generalleutnants, eighty-three full Generals, eight Generalobersts and one Generalfeldmarschall – being awarded the Knight’s Cross in this period alone.
One such recipient was General der Artillerie Erich Marcks who personally directed the fire of his guns against enemy bunkers at very close range. On the day he was notified of his award of the Knight’s Cross he was seriously wounded and had to have his left leg amputated. Despite this he returned to service in March 1942 and was later awarded the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves.
General der Infanterie Ernst Schroth, the Commanding General of the XII Army Corps, was awarded the Knight’s Cross for his part in the attack on the Brest-Litvosk Fortress in June 1941. Considered a staunch supporter of Hitler, he was appointed to the Court of Honour which investigated those members of the Wehrmacht who had participated in the 20 July 1944 Valkyrie plot to kill the Führer.
Hermann-Heinrich Behrend was just a Major when he was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 15 July 1941. This was for his actions while commanding I. Battalion of the 489th Infantry Regiment in its successful breakthrough of the enemy’s heavily defended lines southeast and east of Tauroggen in Lithuania on 22 June 1941. Behrend continued to display great courage and resourcefulness, which saw him rise to the rank of Generalmajor and the later awards of both the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves, and the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves and Swords
With each of these 178 entries there is a detailed description of how and where the Knight’s Cross was won and in the case of the higher awards, such as the Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds, who presented the award, where and when. This study provides details of their rank and command at the time of the award as well as also detailing their career during the war and after, with investigations into their fate and post-war life. The book is completed with a considerable number of photographs of many of these officers.
About the Author
Jeremy has lived in Dartford all his life and was educated at the local infant and junior schools in Oakfield Lane and then attended the Downs School in Green Street Green Road .
He started to write books in 1998 and his first book, published by American publishers Schiffer, was a book about the SS Officers that had served at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. He then wrote three more books with Schiffer, Luftwaffe Generals and then a book of two volumes detailing the holders of the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves, followed by a book detailing those of the Fallchirmjager or parachutists that had won the Knight’s Cross.
He then changed to British publishers Pen and Sword and wrote a book detailing the U-Boat commanders that had won the Knight’s Cross, followed by a two volume set on Luftwaffe fighter pilots that had been awarded the Knight’s Cross.
He has just completed a four volume study of Generals that won the Knight’s Cross whilst serving in Russia and the Eastern Front – volume one was released in early October. He has plans to write more books – detailing Knight’s Cross holders of Night Fighter pilots, Army Generals that fought on the Western Front and during the opening stages of the war in Poland.