Rare Knight's Cross winner grouping to Oberstleutnant Johannes Rohweder serving as commander of the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 670. Knight's Cross winner on 23.08.1941.
Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Made by C.E. Juncker, Berlin. Three-part construction. The iron core has preserved its original black paint on both sides. A genuine silver frame. "800" silver hallmarked and "L/12" maker marked on the back. It comes with the original "800" suspension loop and three original neck ribbons (30 cm, 104 cm, and 15.5 cm). Weight of the Knight's Cross: 34.25 gr. (with loop).
Case of issue for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Black velvet inlay with white silk lining. It opens and closes correctly.
1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. Iron core.
1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class with the original ribbon. Iron core.
General Assault Badge. Tombak. Hollow construction.
East Medal with the original ribbon.
Wound Badge in Black.
Three-place medal bar with Austria Anschluss Medal, and Heer Long Service Award for 4 and 12 years. With the matching ribbon bar.
DRL German Sports Badge in Silver. Tomak. "Wernstein" maker marked.
Sudetenland Medal with the original ribbon and case of issue.
1938 NSKK Motorgruppe Hochland München plaque "Fahrt durch Bayerns Berge und Tirol".
Certificates/documents
Certificate to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Issued on 23.08.1941. Hand-signed by Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch, Knight's Cross winner.
Certificate to 1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. Issued on 23.06.1940. Hand-signed by Generalmajor Kurt Feldt, Knight's Cross winner.
Certificate to 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class. Issued on 26.05.1940. Hand-signed by General der Infanterie Alfred Wäger.
Certificate to General Assault Badge. Issued on 23.09.1940. Hand-signed by General der Infanterie Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves winner.
Certificate to Wound Badge in Black. Issued on 06.08.1941. Hand-signed by Generalleutnant Sigfrid Henrici, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves winner.
Certificate to Sudetenland Medal. Issued on 28.08.1939. Hand-signed (unknown).
Award booklet to DRL German Sports Badge. Comes with the original photo. He was awarded the silver grade.
Certificate to East Medal. Issued on 09.06.1942. Hand-signed by an Oberst.
Certificate to Austria Anschluss Medal. Issued on 08.11.1938. Facsimile signature Meissner.
Certificate to Heer Long Service Award for 12 years. Issued on 02.10.1936. Hand-signed by a Major.
Heer promotion document. Promoted to Hauptmann. Issued on 20.04.1937. Hand-signed by Reichskriegsminister Werner von Blomberg, Pour le Mèrite winner.
A letter from Gauleiter Karl Wahl to his wife. Hand-signed by Gauleiter Wahl. Dated "21.12.1941".
Two period time documents and a page of the newspaper “Panzer-Nachrichtenblatt” with a report on the awarding of the Knight's Cross to Hauptmann Rohweder.
ID cards/books
Heer Soldbuch. Issued on 28.8.1939. Original photo, he wears the black Panzer wrapper and the Knight's Cross. Awards: 1939 Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, General Assault Badge, Wound Badge in Black, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and East Medal. Noted on page 22. Promotions up to Oberstleutnant (01.09.1943). Some pages are loose and the swastika of the cover has been removed. Complete with all the pages. Used condition.
German Bundeswehr Wehrpaß. Issued on 27.12.1957. Original photo. His awards are listed on page 27.
Booklet "Mein Ahnenpaß" (proof of ancestry).
Insignia
Heer Panzer two single shoulder boards (Oberstleutnant and Hauptman), a single officer's collar tab, and two cuff tabs.
Three-place ribbon bar.
Police visor cap eagle. One prong is missing.
Photos
Five excellent portrait photos of him, each showing him with the Knight's Cross. Among them is a framed large-size photo (43x55 cm). In addition a photograph of his wife and son.
Eight reprints of original photos.
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Signs of use. Good condition.
Condition
2
Historical information
NAME
Knights Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross
DATE OF INSTITUTION
1. September 1939 as the third and new grade of the re-instituted Order of the Iron Cross
AWARD CRITERIA
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy and for outstanding merit in troop leadership. The awarding required the previous awarding of the two lower grades. The Knights Cross was solely awarded by the Führer upon the proposal of the soldiers unit and issued by the Heerespersonalamt. The Knights Crosses were stored at the Ordenskanzlei in Berlin, to be sent to the awardee after approval. There were no Knights Crosses stored at any level of the Wehrmacht before the end of April 1945.
MANUFACTURERS
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was produced by seven manufacturers, not including variations amongst the individual companies. The Knights Crosses can be found either unmarked (early Juncker and 3/4 Ring), with a silver content mark, with an LDO number (L/12 and L/52), and later on with the company’s Präsidialkanzlei number (2, 20, 65, and 4). Private sales were forbidden after October 1941.
AWARD NUMBERS
Accurate numbers are not known but the closest estimation is around 7,200, and most likely another couple of hundred on stock at the Präsidialkanzlei.
AWARD DOCUMENTS
The awardee received a preliminary document in A5 format and issued in the name of the Führer by the responsible personnel offices of the three branches of the Wehrmacht. The formal document (Große Mappe) was issued later and only until date of late 1942 / early 1943 due to the huge backlog.
WEARING METHOD
The Knights Cross was worn around the neck on a wider red white and black ribbon which came within the black award case of the Knights Cross.
.jpg "Major Heinrich Höfer - restored (!) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross \"65\"")
