Decorations

German Cross in Gold

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold



German Cross in Gold

The medal was awarded for outstanding achievements and bravery in combat but not quite worthy of even higher ranked Knight's Cross. The recipient had to already have won the Iron Cross 1st class (and 2nd class before that). A cloth version existed for easier use in combat. The medal was worn on the right hand pocket of the tunic.

The German Cross was awarded in two classes since 28th September 1941:

Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold)

Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (German Cross in Silver)

The German Cross in Silver was awarded only for non combatants. In the U-boat-force for example Kapitän zur See Hans-Georg von Friedburg (BdU org.) got this decoration on 6 June 1942.

The German Cross is rather unique in that the Gold and Silver versions were considered seperate awards, and only about 11 instances are recorded of a man winning both. Around 26,000 Gold medals and 2,500 silver medals were issued.


Das Deutsche Kreuz in Gold

The German Cross stands from rank between the Iron Cross and the Knights Cross. It shows an iron cross (swastika) in a golden star. In the U-boat force were awarded 530 German Crosses. Kptlt. Otto Salman, the commander of U-52, received the first German Cross on 9th December 1941.

The following table shows how the decorations were divided on the individual positions. Please note that the number is the approximate figure for the rank at the time of award. In our list below some were awarded before taking command and others after their last U-boat command.

Kommandant
Leitender Ingenieur
Wachoffizier
Obersteuermann
Obermaschinist
seemänischer Maat
technischer Maat
Funkmaat
Torpedomaat
Seemann/Heizer
sonstige
(Commander)
(Chief engineer)
(Watch officer)
(Quartermaster)
(Machinist)
(seaman mate)
(technical mate)
(radio mate)
(torpedo mate)
(seaman/mechanic)
(other)
112
66
9
50
88
81
71
27
16
5
5

The following 5 enlisted men got the German Cross in Gold

Matrosenobergefreiter
Maschinenobergefreiter
Matrosengefreiter
Matrosenobergefreiter
Matrosenobergefreiter
Waskow, Arnold
Steinbock, Günter
Buscher, Siegfried
Drewello, Herbert
Boeder, Heinz
 
 
U-277
U-129
U-190
22 Oct 1941
22 Oct 1941
4 May 1944
26 July 1944
3 Nov 1944



Kptlt. Werner Hartenstein commander of U-156
wearing the German Cross contrary to instructions.

Decorations ordered by date

See this list sorted by last name


Commander and rankAgeCrewDate  U-boat Command(s) held *
1.Kptlt. Salman, Otto33329 Dec 1941  U-7, U-52
2.Kptlt. Hartenstein, Werner +33282 Feb 1942  U-156
3.FrgKpt. Godt, Eberhard Friedrich Clemens41VII/1810 Feb 1942  U-25, U-23
4.Kptlt. Timm, Heinrich313212 Feb 1942  U-251
5.Oblt. Fehler, Johann-Heinrich313523 Apr 1942  
6.Kptlt. Schreiber, Gerd303122 May 1942  U-3, U-95
7.Kptlt. Drewitz, Hans-Joachim +343218 Jun 1942  
8.Oblt. (R) Abel, Dr. Ulrich +30X/3928 Jun 1942  
9.Kptlt. Driver, Heinrich30336 Aug 1942  U-20, U-23, U-145, U-371
10.Kptlt. Heilmann, Udo29336 Aug 1942  U-24, U-97
11.Kptlt. Bartels, Robert +313428 Aug 1942  U-139, U-561
12.Kptlt. Reschke, Franz-Georg342917 Nov 1942  U-205
13.Oblt. Petersen, Theodor2912 Mar 1943  
14.Kptlt. Zurmühlen, Bernhard +343327 Mar 1943  U-600
15.Kptlt. Reeder, Günther273529 Jun 1943  U-7, U-214
16.Kptlt. Hasenschar, Heinrich + (posthumous)26367 Jul 1943  U-29, U-628
17.Budzyn, Sigmund2719 Jul 1943  
18.Kptlt. Schnoor, Ebe +48XII/1519 Jul 1943  UA, U-460
19.KrvKpt. Wilamowitz-Möllendorf, Georg von +494/1220 Jul 1943  U-2, U-459
20.Kaeding, Walter276 Sep 1943  
21.Oblt. Fleige, Karl388 Oct 1943  U-18
22.Kptlt. Höltring, Horst + (posthumous)30336 Nov 1943  U-149, U-604
23.Oblt. Offermann, Hans-Werner +22X/396 Nov 1943  
24.Kptlt. Engel, Herbert31399 Nov 1943  U-666
25.Oblt. Dauter, Helmut2437b13 Nov 1943  U-448
26.Oblt. Deckert, Horst2537a19 Nov 1943  U-8, U-73
27.Oblt. Koitschka, Siegfried2637a19 Nov 1943  U-7, U-616
28.Oblt. Krieg, Johann-Otto2437b19 Nov 1943  U-142, U-81
29.Kptlt. Mehl, Waldemar293319 Nov 1943  U-62, U-72, U-371
30.Kptlt. Röther, Josef363619 Nov 1943  U-380
31.Oblt. Schroeter, Horst von2437b12 Dec 1943  U-123
32.Kptlt. Esch, Dietrich von der +283415 Dec 1943  U-586, U-606, U-863
33.Kptlt. Struckmeier, Rolf273517 Dec 1943  U-608
34.Kptlt. Wächter, Karl-Jürg +273628 Dec 1943  U-223
35.Kptlt. Benker, Hans +263631 Dec 1943  U-80, U-625
36.Kptlt. Bielfeld, Heinz +273431 Dec 1943  U-703, U-1222
37.Kptlt. Deecke, Joachim + (posthumous)31335 Jan 1944  U-9, U-584
38.FrgKpt. Hopman, Rolf-Heinrich + (posthumous)37265 Jan 1944  U-405
39.Kptlt. Trotha, Claus von + (posthumous)29365 Jan 1944  U-554, U-306
40.Kptlt. Uphoff, Horst + (posthumous)27355 Jan 1944  U-84
41.Kptlt. Auffermann, Hans-Jürgen + (posthumous)29347 Jan 1944  U-69, U-514
42.KrvKpt. Bruns, Heinrich + (posthumous)31317 Jan 1944  U-175
43.KrvKpt. Dierksen, Reiner + (posthumous)35317 Jan 1944  U-176
44.Kptlt. Spahr, Wilhelm397 Jan 1944  U-178
45.Oblt. Weber, Karl-Otto297 Jan 1944  U-371, U-709
46.KrvKpt. Witte, Werner + (posthumous)29357 Jan 1944  U-509
47.Kptlt. Baberg, Kurt263614 Jan 1944  U-30, U-618
48.Kptlt. Petersen, Kurt273614 Jan 1944  U-541
49.Kptlt. Bahr, Rudolf +273515 Jan 1944  U-305
50.Oblt. (R) Bork, Helmut333921 Jan 1944  U-275
51.Kptlt. Janssen, Gustav-Adolf283621 Jan 1944  U-151, U-37, U-103
52.Oblt. Lauzemis, Albert +2537a21 Jan 1944  U-139, U-37, U-68
53.Oblt. Boddenberg, Karl2926 Jan 1944  U-963
54.Kptlt. Hepp, Horst +26369 Feb 1944  U-272, U-238
55.Kptlt. Becker, Richard333414 Feb 1944  U-218
56.Kptlt. Feiler, Gerhard343314 Feb 1944  U-653
57.Kptlt. Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen, Walter Freiherr von + (posthumous)283514 Feb 1944  U-52, U-610
58.Kptlt. Grau, Peter-Ottmar283414 Feb 1944  U-46, U-601, U-872
59.Kptlt. Hartmann, Götz von303414 Feb 1944  U-555, U-563, U-441
60.Kptlt. Manke, Rolf +283514 Feb 1944  U-358
61.Kptlt. Manseck, Helmut293414 Feb 1944  U-143, U-758
62.Kptlt. Oelrich, Adolf273514 Feb 1944  U-92
63.Oblt. Schaar, Gerd2437b14 Feb 1944  U-957
64.Kptlt. Tillessen, Hans-Rutger303414 Feb 1944  U-516
65.Kptlt. Zetzsche, Hans-Jürgen283414 Feb 1944  U-20, U-8, U-4, U-560, U-591, U-378, U-591
66.Mannesmann, Gert +33337 Mar 1944  U-545
67.Kptlt. Purkhold, Hubertus273511 Mar 1944  U-30, U-14, U-260
68.Oblt. Eick, Alfred2837a16 Mar 1944  U-510
69.Oblt. Brauel, Wilhelm2937b28 Mar 1944  U-256
70.Kptlt. Looks, Hartwig263629 Mar 1944  U-264
71.Kptlt. Neide, Kurt27364 Apr 1944  U-415
72.Oblt. Radermacher, Alfred30VII/3311 Apr 1944  U-120, U-5, U-393
73.FrgKpt. Junker, Ottoheinrich382419 Apr 1944  U-33, U-532
74.Kptlt. Lamby, Hermann303619 Apr 1944  U-437
75.Oblt. Otto, Paul-Friedrich2737a19 Apr 1944  U-270
76.Oblt. Kruschka, Max2437b26 Apr 1944  U-621
77.Kptlt. Just, Paul28363 May 1944  U-6, U-151, U-546
78.Oblt. (R) Herrle, Friedrich-Georg +33XII/3911 May 1944  U-307
79.Oblt. Lange, Hans-Günther2737a11 May 1944  U-711
80.Oblt. Seehausen, Gerhard + (posthumous)2637a20 May 1944  U-68, U-66
81.Oblt. Nonn, Victor-Wilhelm2737a24 May 1944  U-152, U-596
82.Kptlt. Christophersen, Erwin +293511 Jul 1944  U-228
83.Oblt. Harpe, Richard von +2637b11 Jul 1944  U-129
84.Oblt. Grafen, Karl2914 Jul 1944  U-20
85.Kptlt. Petersen, Klaus273614 Jul 1944  U-14, U-24, U-9
86.Kptlt. Wahlen, Rolf-Birger283614 Jul 1944  U-23
87.Kptlt. Cordes, Ernst +313619 Jul 1944  U-560, U-763
88.Kptlt. Queck, Horst-Thilo293522 Jul 1944  U-622, U-92
89.KrvKpt. Fraatz, Georg-Werner + (posthumous)273524 Jul 1944  U-652, U-529
90.Kptlt. Sommer, Helmut29353 Aug 1944  U-139, U-78, U-853
91.Oblt. Mahrholz, Hans-Gert25384 Aug 1944  U-309
92.Kptlt. Stock, Rupprecht2837a18 Aug 1944  U-214, U-218
93.Oblt. Niemeyer, Heinrich34X/3920 Aug 1944  U-547
94.Kptlt. Lange, Karl-Heinz +2637a25 Aug 1944  U-667
95.Kptlt. Pietsch, Ulrich + (posthumous)283631 Aug 1944  U-344
96.Oblt. Sthamer, Hans-Jürgen + (posthumous)2537b31 Aug 1944  U-354
97.Kptlt. Roithberg, Hardo Rodler von +2637a6 Sep 1944  U-24, U-71, U-989
98.FrgKpt. Ambrosius, Wilhelm41268 Sep 1944  U-28, U-21, U-43
99.Oblt. Förster, Hans-Joachim +243812 Sep 1944  U-348, U-479, U-480
100.Kptlt. Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen, Hartmut Graf von +293412 Sep 1944  U-482
101.Kptlt. Jebsen, Johann +283519 Sep 1944  U-565, U-859
102.Kptlt. Lauterbach-Emden, Hans-Jürgen2537a20 Sep 1944  U-539
103.Kptlt. Henning, Fritz2737a22 Sep 1944  U-561, U-565
104.Kptlt. Siegmann, Paul31354 Oct 1944  U-612, U-230, U-2507
105.Oblt. Mangold, Ernst26XII/3910 Oct 1944  U-739
106.Kptlt. Lange, Kurt4111 Oct 1944  U-530
107.Kptlt. Wedemeyer, Heimar385 Nov 1944  U-365
108.KrvKpt. Hessler, Günter35279 Nov 1944  U-107
109.Kptlt. Schroeteler, Heinrich-Andreas283610 Nov 1944  U-667
110.Kptlt. Morstein, Hans-Joachim von352815 Dec 1944  U-483
111.Kptlt. Poel, Gustav273622 Dec 1944  U-413
112.Oblt. (R) Lehmann, Hans293828 Dec 1944  U-997
113.Oblt. Balke, Diethelm2537b29 Dec 1944  U-991
114.Kptlt. Schneewind, Fritz +273611 Jan 1945  U-511, U-183
115.Kptlt. Franze, Joachim2737a6 Feb 1945  U-278
116.Kptlt. Mohs, Hans-Dieter2537b6 Feb 1945  U-5, U-60, U-956
117.Oblt. (R) Meyer, Gerhard +297 Feb 1945  U-486
118.Oblt. Meyer, Rudolf +25387 Feb 1945  U-1055
119.KrvKpt. Schumann-Hindenberg, Friedrich313218 Feb 1945  U-245
120.Oblt. Westphalen, Otto243818 Feb 1945  U-121, U-968
121.Oblt. Falke, Hans24X/3919 Feb 1945  U-992
122.Oblt. (R) Riecken, Werner +3222 Mar 1945  U-1017
123.Oblt. Hinz, Rudolf25X/3926 Mar 1945  U-1004
124.KrvKpt. Schneidewind, Karl-Hermann3819 Apr 1945  U-1064

124 U-boat Commanders decorated with German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) located.

Legend:
+ Indicates the Officer died in the war.
* Commands held indicates the U-boat commands held by this officer before award date. In some cases the officer had not taken command his first boat yet or was not even in the U-boat force yet.


Note: This listing is still being compiled and some recipients might be missing.

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