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 last name

See this list sorted by date


Commander and rankAgeCrewDate  U-boat Command(s) held *
Oblt. (R) Abel, Dr. Ulrich +30X/3928 Jun 1942  
FrgKpt. Ambrosius, Wilhelm41268 Sep 1944  U-28, U-21, U-43
Kptlt. Auffermann, Hans-Jürgen + (posthumous)29347 Jan 1944  U-69, U-514

Kptlt. Baberg, Kurt263614 Jan 1944  U-30, U-618
Kptlt. Bahr, Rudolf +273515 Jan 1944  U-305
Oblt. Balke, Diethelm2537b29 Dec 1944  U-991
Kptlt. Bartels, Robert +313428 Aug 1942  U-139, U-561
Kptlt. Becker, Richard333414 Feb 1944  U-218
Kptlt. Benker, Hans +263631 Dec 1943  U-80, U-625
Kptlt. Bielfeld, Heinz +273431 Dec 1943  U-703, U-1222
Oblt. Boddenberg, Karl2926 Jan 1944  U-963
Oblt. (R) Bork, Helmut333921 Jan 1944  U-275
Oblt. Brauel, Wilhelm2937b28 Mar 1944  U-256
KrvKpt. Bruns, Heinrich + (posthumous)31317 Jan 1944  U-175
Budzyn, Sigmund2719 Jul 1943  

Kptlt. Christophersen, Erwin +293511 Jul 1944  U-228
Kptlt. Cordes, Ernst +313619 Jul 1944  U-560, U-763

Oblt. Dauter, Helmut2437b13 Nov 1943  U-448
Oblt. Deckert, Horst2537a19 Nov 1943  U-8, U-73
Kptlt. Deecke, Joachim + (posthumous)31335 Jan 1944  U-9, U-584
KrvKpt. Dierksen, Reiner + (posthumous)35317 Jan 1944  U-176
Kptlt. Drewitz, Hans-Joachim +343218 Jun 1942  
Kptlt. Driver, Heinrich30336 Aug 1942  U-20, U-23, U-145, U-371

Oblt. Eick, Alfred2837a16 Mar 1944  U-510
Kptlt. Engel, Herbert31399 Nov 1943  U-666
Kptlt. Esch, Dietrich von der +283415 Dec 1943  U-586, U-606, U-863

Oblt. Falke, Hans24X/3919 Feb 1945  U-992
Oblt. Fehler, Johann-Heinrich313523 Apr 1942  
Kptlt. Feiler, Gerhard343314 Feb 1944  U-653
Oblt. Fleige, Karl388 Oct 1943  U-18
KrvKpt. Fraatz, Georg-Werner + (posthumous)273524 Jul 1944  U-652, U-529
Kptlt. Franze, Joachim2737a6 Feb 1945  U-278
Kptlt. Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen, Walter Freiherr von + (posthumous)283514 Feb 1944  U-52, U-610
Oblt. Förster, Hans-Joachim +243812 Sep 1944  U-348, U-479, U-480

FrgKpt. Godt, Eberhard Friedrich Clemens41VII/1810 Feb 1942  U-25, U-23
Oblt. Grafen, Karl2914 Jul 1944  U-20
Kptlt. Grau, Peter-Ottmar283414 Feb 1944  U-46, U-601, U-872

Oblt. Harpe, Richard von +2637b11 Jul 1944  U-129
Kptlt. Hartenstein, Werner +33282 Feb 1942  U-156
Kptlt. Hartmann, Götz von303414 Feb 1944  U-555, U-563, U-441
Kptlt. Hasenschar, Heinrich + (posthumous)26367 Jul 1943  U-29, U-628
Kptlt. Heilmann, Udo29336 Aug 1942  U-24, U-97
Kptlt. Henning, Fritz2737a22 Sep 1944  U-561, U-565
Kptlt. Hepp, Horst +26369 Feb 1944  U-272, U-238
Oblt. (R) Herrle, Friedrich-Georg +33XII/3911 May 1944  U-307
KrvKpt. Hessler, Günter35279 Nov 1944  U-107
Oblt. Hinz, Rudolf25X/3926 Mar 1945  U-1004
FrgKpt. Hopman, Rolf-Heinrich + (posthumous)37265 Jan 1944  U-405
Kptlt. Höltring, Horst + (posthumous)30336 Nov 1943  U-149, U-604

Kptlt. Janssen, Gustav-Adolf283621 Jan 1944  U-151, U-37, U-103
Kptlt. Jebsen, Johann +283519 Sep 1944  U-565, U-859
FrgKpt. Junker, Ottoheinrich382419 Apr 1944  U-33, U-532
Kptlt. Just, Paul28363 May 1944  U-6, U-151, U-546

Kaeding, Walter276 Sep 1943  
Oblt. Koitschka, Siegfried2637a19 Nov 1943  U-7, U-616
Oblt. Krieg, Johann-Otto2437b19 Nov 1943  U-142, U-81
Oblt. Kruschka, Max2437b26 Apr 1944  U-621

Kptlt. Lamby, Hermann303619 Apr 1944  U-437
Oblt. Lange, Hans-Günther2737a11 May 1944  U-711
Kptlt. Lange, Karl-Heinz +2637a25 Aug 1944  U-667
Kptlt. Lange, Kurt4111 Oct 1944  U-530
Kptlt. Lauterbach-Emden, Hans-Jürgen2537a20 Sep 1944  U-539
Oblt. Lauzemis, Albert +2537a21 Jan 1944  U-139, U-37, U-68
Oblt. (R) Lehmann, Hans293828 Dec 1944  U-997
Kptlt. Looks, Hartwig263629 Mar 1944  U-264

Oblt. Mahrholz, Hans-Gert25384 Aug 1944  U-309
Oblt. Mangold, Ernst26XII/3910 Oct 1944  U-739
Kptlt. Manke, Rolf +283514 Feb 1944  U-358
Mannesmann, Gert +33337 Mar 1944  U-545
Kptlt. Manseck, Helmut293414 Feb 1944  U-143, U-758
Kptlt. Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen, Hartmut Graf von +293412 Sep 1944  U-482
Kptlt. Mehl, Waldemar293319 Nov 1943  U-62, U-72, U-371
Oblt. (R) Meyer, Gerhard +297 Feb 1945  U-486
Oblt. Meyer, Rudolf +25387 Feb 1945  U-1055
Kptlt. Mohs, Hans-Dieter2537b6 Feb 1945  U-5, U-60, U-956
Kptlt. Morstein, Hans-Joachim von352815 Dec 1944  U-483

Kptlt. Neide, Kurt27364 Apr 1944  U-415
Oblt. Niemeyer, Heinrich34X/3920 Aug 1944  U-547
Oblt. Nonn, Victor-Wilhelm2737a24 May 1944  U-152, U-596

Kptlt. Oelrich, Adolf273514 Feb 1944  U-92
Oblt. Offermann, Hans-Werner +22X/396 Nov 1943  
Oblt. Otto, Paul-Friedrich2737a19 Apr 1944  U-270

Kptlt. Petersen, Klaus273614 Jul 1944  U-14, U-24, U-9
Kptlt. Petersen, Kurt273614 Jan 1944  U-541
Oblt. Petersen, Theodor2912 Mar 1943  
Kptlt. Pietsch, Ulrich + (posthumous)283631 Aug 1944  U-344
Kptlt. Poel, Gustav273622 Dec 1944  U-413
Kptlt. Purkhold, Hubertus273511 Mar 1944  U-30, U-14, U-260

Kptlt. Queck, Horst-Thilo293522 Jul 1944  U-622, U-92

Oblt. Radermacher, Alfred30VII/3311 Apr 1944  U-120, U-5, U-393
Kptlt. Reeder, Günther273529 Jun 1943  U-7, U-214
Kptlt. Reschke, Franz-Georg342917 Nov 1942  U-205
Oblt. (R) Riecken, Werner +3222 Mar 1945  U-1017
Kptlt. Roithberg, Hardo Rodler von +2637a6 Sep 1944  U-24, U-71, U-989
Kptlt. Röther, Josef363619 Nov 1943  U-380

Kptlt. Salman, Otto33329 Dec 1941  U-7, U-52
Oblt. Schaar, Gerd2437b14 Feb 1944  U-957
Kptlt. Schneewind, Fritz +273611 Jan 1945  U-511, U-183
KrvKpt. Schneidewind, Karl-Hermann3819 Apr 1945  U-1064
Kptlt. Schnoor, Ebe +48XII/1519 Jul 1943  UA, U-460
Kptlt. Schreiber, Gerd303122 May 1942  U-3, U-95
Kptlt. Schroeteler, Heinrich-Andreas283610 Nov 1944  U-667
Oblt. Schroeter, Horst von2437b12 Dec 1943  U-123
KrvKpt. Schumann-Hindenberg, Friedrich313218 Feb 1945  U-245
Oblt. Seehausen, Gerhard + (posthumous)2637a20 May 1944  U-68, U-66
Kptlt. Siegmann, Paul31354 Oct 1944  U-612, U-230, U-2507
Kptlt. Sommer, Helmut29353 Aug 1944  U-139, U-78, U-853
Kptlt. Spahr, Wilhelm397 Jan 1944  U-178
Oblt. Sthamer, Hans-Jürgen + (posthumous)2537b31 Aug 1944  U-354
Kptlt. Stock, Rupprecht2837a18 Aug 1944  U-214, U-218
Kptlt. Struckmeier, Rolf273517 Dec 1943  U-608

Kptlt. Tillessen, Hans-Rutger303414 Feb 1944  U-516
Kptlt. Timm, Heinrich313212 Feb 1942  U-251
Kptlt. Trotha, Claus von + (posthumous)29365 Jan 1944  U-554, U-306

Kptlt. Uphoff, Horst + (posthumous)27355 Jan 1944  U-84

Kptlt. Wahlen, Rolf-Birger283614 Jul 1944  U-23
Oblt. Weber, Karl-Otto297 Jan 1944  U-371, U-709
Kptlt. Wedemeyer, Heimar385 Nov 1944  U-365
Oblt. Westphalen, Otto243818 Feb 1945  U-121, U-968
KrvKpt. Wilamowitz-Möllendorf, Georg von +494/1220 Jul 1943  U-2, U-459
KrvKpt. Witte, Werner + (posthumous)29357 Jan 1944  U-509
Kptlt. Wächter, Karl-Jürg +273628 Dec 1943  U-223

Kptlt. Zetzsche, Hans-Jürgen283414 Feb 1944  U-20, U-8, U-4, U-560, U-591, U-378, U-591
Kptlt. Zurmühlen, Bernhard +343327 Mar 1943  U-600

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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