List of Knight's Cross recipients 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
	Awarded by Nazi Germany
Type	Neck order
Eligibility	Military personnel
Awarded for	Awarded to holders of the Iron Cross to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership
Campaign	World War II
Status	Obsolete
Statistics
Established	1 September 1939
First awarded	30 September 1939
Last awarded	11 May 1945 / 17 June 1945
Precedence
Next (higher)	Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
Next (lower)	Iron Cross 1st Class
	; Divisional Emblem 3rd SS Division Totenkopf

The SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull") is also known as 3. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" and 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf. It was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke. The division is infamous due to its insignia and the fact that most of the initial enlisted men were SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS concentration camp guards).

The Totenkopf division was numbered with the "Germanic" divisions of the Waffen-SS. These included also the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich, and SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking.^[1]

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 ^[2] 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 ^[3] of June 3, 1940. In 1941 two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 ^[4] 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 ^[5] 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 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.

Grades[]

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was divided into five grades, excluding the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross:

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

Knight's Cross with Swords[]

Hermann Prieß, 24.04.1944 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der W-SS Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Div "Totenkopf" ^[6]

Knight's Cross with Oakleaves[]

Otto Baum, Otto 22.08.1943 SS-Obersturmbannführer Commander 5th SS-Panzer.Gren.Rgt Totenkopf
Hellmuth Becker, 21.09.1944 SS-Oberführer Commander 3rd SS-Panzer.Div Totenkopf
Fritz Biermeier, 26.12.1944 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander II./3rd SS-Panzer.Rgt
Georg Bochmann, 17.05.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander II./SS-KradSchtz.Rgt Thule
Theodor Eicke, 20.04.1942 SS-Obergruppenführer und Generalleutnant der W-SS Commander SS-Div Totenkopf
Hubert-Erwin Meierdress, 05.10.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander I./3rd SS-Panzer.Rgt
Hermann Prieß, 09.09.1943 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der W-SS Commander SS-Pz.Gren.Div Totenkopf
Karl Ullrich, 14.05.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer Commander 6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke ^[6]

Knight’s Cross[]

HQ Staff[]

Erich Eberhardt, 23.08.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer Ia 3rd SS-Panzer Division Totenkopf
Theodor Eicke, 26.12.1941 SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der W-SS Commander SS-Division Totenkopf ^[6]

SS Panzer Regiment 3 Totenkopf[]

Fritz Biermeier, 10.12.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander II./3rd SS-Panzer Rgt
Walter Mattern, 20.10.1944 SS-Obersturmführer Commander 7th Company, 3rd SS-Panzer Rgt
Waldemar Riefkogel, 11.07.1943 SS-Obersturmführer and Oberleutnant OF Schupo Commander 1st Company 3rd SS-Panzer Rgt
Rudolf Säumenicht, 13.10.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander 2nd Company 3rd SS-Panzer Rgt ^[6]

1 SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment[]

Eduard Deisenhofer, 08.05.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander I./1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt
Hans Hirning, 23.10.1942 SS-Rottenführer Granatwerfer-Truppführer 6th Company 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt
Ludwig Köchle, 28.02.1942 SS-Oberscharführer Stoßtruppführer platoon commander 5th Company 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt 1
Max Simon, 20.10.1941 SS-Oberführer Commander 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt
August Zingel, 04.10.1942 SS-Unterscharführer Stoßtruppführer 15th Company 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt ^[6]

File:Deisenhofer.jpg

Eduard Deisenhofer showing Knight's Cross and Totenkopf collar badge

1 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment Totenkopf[]

Walter Reder, 03.04.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander I./1st SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt SS-Div Totenkopf
Joachim Schubach, 03.04.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander III./1st SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Totenkopf ^[6]

SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 5 Totenkopf[]

Christian Bachmann, 28.02.1945 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander II./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
Hermann Buchner, 16.06.1944 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander III./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
Ernst Häussler, 15.08.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander II./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
Hermann Lang, 23.10.1944 SS-Unterscharführer Meldestaffelführer I./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
Josef Rölleke, 16.06.1944 SS-Unterscharführer Meldestaffelführer III./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
Lothar Swierzinski, 16.12.1943 SS-Rottenführer, 10th Company, 5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt ^[6]

SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 6 Theodor Eicke[]

Hellmuth Becker, 07.09.1943 SS-Standartenführer Commander SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
Hans Endreß, 23.03.1945 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander II./6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
Johann Fiedler, 16.06.1944 SS-Unterscharführer platoon commander, 5th Company, 6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
Kurt Franke, 03.10.1943 SS-Hauptscharführer Stoßtruppführer 11th Company SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
Kurt Launer, 15.08.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commanderr II./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
Heinz-Fritz Müller, SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander III./6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke ^[6]

3 SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment[]

Otto Baum, 08.05.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander III./3rd SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt ^[6]

SS Panzer Artillery Regiment 3 Totenkopf[]

Walter Gerth, 31.03.1943 SS-Obersturmführer Commander 7th Battery SS-Totenkopf-Art.Rgt
Hermann Prieß, 28.04.1943 SS-Oberführer Commander SS-Art.Rgt Totenkopf
Ernst Stäudle, 10.04.1942 SS-Oberscharführer 8th Battery SS-Art.Rgt Totenkopf
Josef Swientek, 16.06.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Art.Rgt ^[6]

SS Panzerjäger Battalion 3 Totenkopf[]

Georg Bochmann, 03.05.1942 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander SS-Totenkopf Pz.Jäg.Btn
Fritz Christen, 20.10.1941 SS-Sturmmann Richtschütze (Gunner) 2nd Battery Pz.Jäg.Btn SS Totenkopf Div
Boris Kraas, 28.02.1945 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Jäg.Btn
Adolf Pittschellis, 23.08.1944 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Btn ^[6]

SS Sturmgeschütz Battalion 3 Totenkopf[]

Ernst Dehmel, 15.08.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer stellv. Commander 3rd SS-Stug.Btn
Berndt Lubich von Milovan, 14.10.1943 SS-Obersturmführer Commander 1st Battery 3rd SS-Stug.Btn
Hubert-Erwin Meierdress, 13.03.1942 SS-Obersturmführer Commander Stug.Bty SS-Div Totenkopf
Felix Przedwojewski, 16.12.1943 SS-Unterscharführer Geschützführer 2nd Battery 3rd SS-Stug.Btn
Wilfried Richter, 21.04.1942 SS-Obersturmführer Commander Stug.Bty SS Totenkopf Div ^[6]

SS Reconnaissance Battalion Totenkopf[]

Walter Bestmann, 28.09.1941 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander SS Totenkopf Reconnaissance Btn (mot) ^[6]

SS Motorcycle Battalion Totenkopf[]

Franz Kleffner, 19.02.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander SS Totenkopf Motorcycle Btn ^[6]

SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 3 Totenkopf[]

Lino Masarie, 03.04.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander Reconnaissance Btn SS Totenkopf Div
Alfred Titschkus, 11.12.1944 SS-Unterscharführer Gruppenführer, 3rd Company 3rd SS Pz.Rec Btn ^[6]

SS Pionier Battalion 3 Totenkopf[]

Max Seela, 03.05.1942 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander 3rd SS-Pi.Btn Totenkopf
Karl Ullrich, 19.02.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander Pi.Btn SS Totenkopf Div ^[6]

SS Flak Battalion 3 Totenkopf[]

Otto Kron, 28.06.1942 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander Flak Btn SS Totenkopf Div ^[6]

Footnotes[]

↑ Encyclopædia Britannica
↑ @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939
↑ @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940
↑ @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941
↑ @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944
↑ ^6.00 ^6.01 ^6.02 ^6.03 ^6.04 ^6.05 ^6.06 ^6.07 ^6.08 ^6.09 ^6.10 ^6.11 ^6.12 ^6.13 ^6.14 ^6.15 ^6.16 "axis.history". http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=9402.

References[]

SEEMEN, Gerhard von: Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas, 1976.
SCHERZER, Veit: Knight's Cross Recipients 1939 - 1945 (Paperback) by Enid Blyton, 1999

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at List of Knight's Cross recipients 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and the edit history here.

[1] Encyclopædia Britannica

[RGBl._I_S._1573-2] @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939

[RGBl._I_S._849-3] @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940

[RGBl._I_S._613-4] @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941

[RGBl._I_S._11-5] @ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944

[axis.history-6] 6.00 ^6.01 ^6.02 ^6.03 ^6.04 ^6.05 ^6.06 ^6.07 ^6.08 ^6.09 ^6.10 ^6.11 ^6.12 ^6.13 ^6.14 ^6.15 ^6.16 "axis.history". http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=9402.

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