For Supreme Valour or Leadership (Axis Recipients) - North Africa

This listing of those men awarded their countries' highest decorations for bravery include only those men who served in a ground combat role, and who were awarded their decorations for feats performed while in theatre.

das Ritterkreuz zum Eisernes Kreuz
(The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross)

Rank & Branch

Name

Position and Unit

Date

Action/Notes

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Oberfeldwebel
AHRENDT, Peter Platoon Leader, Headquarters Company, Fallschirmjäger Regiment 5

4 Dec 1942

 Also listed in some sources as "Arent"

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Generalleutnant
ARNIM, Hans-Jürgen Commander, 17th Panzer Division 4 Sep 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
AUDORFF, Paul Commander, Grenadier Regiment 754 27 June 1943  
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Oberst
BAADE, Ernst-Günther Commander, Schützen Regiment 115 6 July 1942

Later awarded the Oakleaves and Swords

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Hauptmann der Reserve

BACH, Wilhelm Commander, First Battalion, Schützen Regiment 104 8 July 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
von BARBY, Hans-Levin Commander,   "Afrika" Regiment 361 13 Dec 1941  
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Oberstleutnant im Generalstab
BAYERLEIN, Fritz General Staff Officer, Afrika Korps 26 Dec 1941 Later awarded the Oakleaves and Swords
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Oberleutnant
BEHR, Winrich Company Commander, Armoured Reconaissance Battalion 3 14 May 1941  
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Oberst
BEUKEMANN, Helmut Commander, Infantry Regiment 382 14 May 1941  
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Oberst
von BISMARCK, Georg Commander, Schützen Regiment 7 18 Oct 1940  
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Oberst
BOECKMANN, Helmut Battalion Commander, Artillery Regiment 187 6 Aug 1942  
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Major
BOLBRINKER, Ernst Commander. First Battalion, Panzer Regiment 5 15 May 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
BOROWIETZ, Willibald Commander, Schützen Regiment 10 24 Jul 1941  
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Generalmajor
Commander, 15 Panzer Division 10 May 1943 Oakleaves
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Generalleutnant
BÖTTCHER, Karl Commander, Panzer Division 21 3 Dec 1941  
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Hauptmann
BRIEL, Georg Commander, Flak Battalion 606  28 Jul 1942  
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Oberst
von BROICH, Freiherr Friedrich Commander, Panzer Brigade 24 1 Sep 1942  
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Oberst
BRUER, Alfred Commander, Panzer Artillery Regiment 155 4 Aug 1942  
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Oberst im Generalstab
BÜRKER, Ulrich Divisional IA (Chief of Operations), 10 Panzer Division 26 Jan 1943  
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Oberstleutnant
BUHSE, Rudolf Commander, Infantry Regiment 47 17 Aug 1942  
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Oberleutnant
CIRENER, Willi Commander, 3rd Company, Pioneer Battalion 33 1 May 1941 19 July 1940?
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Oberstleutnant
CRAMER, Hans Commander, Panzer Regiment 8 27 June 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
CRASEMANN, Eduard Commander, Artillery Regiment 33 10 Jan 1942 Later awarded the Oakleaves
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Hauptmann
EHLE, Curt Company Commander in Motorcycle Battalion 15 27 Jul 1941 Later awarded the Oakleaves
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Hauptmann
EVERTH, Wolfgang Company Commander in Armoured Reconaissance Battalion 3 11 Jul 1942  
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Oberst
EWERT, Herbert Commander, Schützen Regiment 104 22 Aug 1942  
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Oberst
FEHN, Gustav Commander, Schützen Regiment 33 5 Aug 1940  
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Major
FENSKE, Günther Commander, First Battalion, Panzer Regiment 8 31 Dec 1941  
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Generalleutnant
FISCHER, Wolfgang Commander, 10 Panzer Division 9 Dec 1942 Oakleaves
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Generalleutnant
FRANTZ, Gotthard Commander, 19th FlaK Division 25 May 1943  
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Hauptmann
FROMM, Walther Battery Commander, FlaK Regiment 33 5 Jul 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
FULLRIEDE, Fritz Commander, Battle Group "Fullriede" 18 Apr 1943  Later awarded the Oakleaves
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Generalmajor
GAUSE, Alfred Staff Officer, Panzer Group "Afrika" 13 Dec 1941  
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Oberst
GEISSLER, Erich Commander, Infantry Regiment (motorized) 200 3 Aug 1942  
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Hauptmann
GIERGA, Kurt Commander, 5th Company, Panzer Regiment 5 25 Jun 1941  
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Hauptmann
GRÜN, Werner Commander, 1st Battalion, Panzer Regiment 5  8 Feb 1943  
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Major
GÜRKE, Ernst Commander, 1st Battalion, FlaK Regiment 43  12 Nov 1942  
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Grenadier
HALM, Günther Anti-tank Gunner, HQ Company, Panzergrenadier Regiment 104  7 Aug 1942  
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Major
HECHT, Max  Commander, Flak Regiment 135  4 Feb 1942  
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Oberstleutnant
HECKER, Hermann-Hans  Commander, Engineer Battalion (Motorized) 29 5 Aug 1940  
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Unteroffizier
HEINTZE, Erich  Gun commander, 3rd Battery, Flak Regiment 33 7 Mar 1942  
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Oberst 
von HERFF, Maximilian Battle Group Commander, Kampfgruppe Herff, Schützen Regiment 115  13 Jun 1941  
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Major
HISSMAN, Josef Commander, Army FlaK Battalion 617 13 May 1943  
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Hauptmann
von HÖSSLIN, Richard Commander, Armoured Reconaissance Battalion 33 23 Jul 1942 Cited in some sources as "Roland von Hoesslin"
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Gefreiter
HÜBNER, Arnold Gunner, 3rd Company, FlaK Regiment 33 7 Mar 1942  
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Hauptmann 
HUDEL, Helmut Commander, 1st Company, Panzer Regiment 7 27 May 1942  
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Hauptmann
KIEHL, Rudolf Leader, DAK Escort unit  7 Jul 1942 Some sources cite 11July 1942
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Generalmajor
KIRCHHEIM, Heinrich Leader, Sonderstelle Lybian Army Troops 14 May 1941  
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Hauptmann 
KLÄRMANN, Hans Commander, 2nd Battalion, Panzergrenadier Regiment 361 9 Sep 1942 Some sources cite 18 Sep 1942
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Oberst
KLEEMAN, Ulrich Commander, Schützen Brigade 3 13 Oct 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
KNABE, Gustav-Georg Commander, Motorcycle Battalion 15 1 Jun 1941  
 Hauptmann von KOENEN, Friedrich Commander, 3rd Battalion, Jäger Regiment 4, Brandenburg Commandos 16 Sep 1943  
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Oberst
KRAUSE, Fritz Commander, FlaK Regiment 91  9 Jan 1943  
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Oberleutnant
KÜMMEL, Johannes Commander, 1st Company, Panzer Regiment 8  9 Jul 1941  
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Hauptmann 
Commander, 1st Battalion, Panzer Regiment 8 11 Oct 1942 Oakleaves
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Oberstleutnant
LANG, Rudolf Commander, Mountain Anti-Tank Battalion 44 23 Aug 1941  
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Generalmajor
von LIEBENSTEIN, Freiherr Kurt Commander, Infantry Division "Afrika" 164 15 May 1943  
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Oberst 
von MANTEUFFEL, Hasso Commander, Schützen Brigade 6 31 Dec 1941 Later awarded the Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds
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Oberstleutnant
MARCKS, Werner Commander, Schützen Regiment 155  5 Feb 1942 Later awarded the Oakleaves
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Unteroffizier
MELZER, Reinhard Gun Commander, 1st Company, FlaK Regiment 33 30 Jun 1941  
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Oberst 
MENNY, Erwin Commander, Schützen Brigade 15 26 Dec 1941  
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Oberst 
MICKL, Johann Commander, Schützen Regiment 155 13 Dec 1941  
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Oberst 
Commander, Panzergrenadier Regiment 25 6 Mar 1943 Oakleaves
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Oberstleutnant
MILDEBRATH, Werner Commander, Panzer Regiment 5  12 Aug 1942  
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Oberst
MÜLLER, Gerhard Commander, Panzer Regiment 5  9 Sep 1942  
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Major
MÜLLER, Klaus Commander, Panzer Battalion 60
(other sources cite as Hauptmann, Company Commander, Panzer Regiment 7, 14 Oct 1942)
3 Apr 1942  
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Major
MUSCULUS, Friedrich-Heinrich Commander, Anti-Tank Battalion 111    
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Generalmajor
NEHRING, Walther K. Commander, Panzer Division 18 Later awarded the Oakleaves and Swords  
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Generalmajor
NEUFFER, Georg Commander, 20 FlaK Division 8 Aug 1943  
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Oberstleutnant
PANZENHAGEN, Albert Commander, Panzergrenadier Regiment 361  7 Oct 1942  
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Oberleutnant
PLINZNER, Peter-Paul Commander, 5th Company, Panzer Regiment 27 20 Oct 1941  
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Oberstleutnant
PONATH, Gustav Commander, Machine Gun Battalion 8 13 Apr 1941  
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Oberst
RAMCKE, Bernard Hermann Commander, Parachute Assault Regiment 1 21 Aug 1941 Later awarded the Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds
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Hauptmann
REISSMAN, Werner Commander, 3rd Battalion, Schützen Regiment 104 28 Jul 1942  
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Hauptmann 
RETTEMEIER, Josef Commander, Panzer Battalion 5 5 Dec 1943 Later awarded the Oakleaves
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Oberleutnant
RIEPOLD, Josef Commander, 5th Company, Panzer Regiment 5  3 Aug 1942  
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Oberleutnant 
ROCHOLL, Rolf Commander, 2nd Company, Panzer Regiment 5 28 Jul 1942  
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Hauptmann 
Commander, 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Regiment 569 31 Aug 1943 Oakleaves
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Generalmajor
ROMMEL, Erwin Commander, Deutsches Afrika Korps 20 Mar 1941 Oakleaves
Commander, Panzer Group Afrika 20 Jan 1942 Swords
Commander, Panzer Army Afrika 11 Mar 1943 Diamonds
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Oberleutnant
RYLL, Wolfgang Commander, 5th Company, Panzer Regiment 7  13 Oct 1941  
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Generalmajor
SCHMID, Josef "Beppo" Commander, "Hermann Goering" Division 21 May 1943  
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Oberstleutnant
SCHULTE-HEUTHAUS, Hermann Commander, Motorcycle Battalion 25 23 Jan 1942  
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Oberleutnant
SCHWEIGER, Franz Commander, 8th Battery, FlaK Regiment 25 14 Feb 1932  
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Major
SEIDENSTICKER, August Commander, Heavy Tank Battalion 501 18 Jul 1943  
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Oberleutnant
SENFFT von PILSACH, Ott-Friedrich Commander, 4th Company, Panzer Regiment 5 27 Jun 1941  
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Oberst 
von SPONEK, Graf Theodor Commander, Schützen Regiment 11 12 Sep 1941  
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Oberleutnant
STIEFELMAYER, Otto Commander, 1st Company, Panzer Regiment 8 12 Jul 1942  
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Oberstleutnant
STOLZ, Harald Commander, Motorcycle Battalion 43 28 Aug 1942  
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Hauptmann
STOTTEN, Hans-Günther Commander, 1st Battalion, Panzer Regiment 8 10 May 1943 Oakleaves
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Oberst 
STREICH, Johannes Commander, Panzer Regiment 15 31 Jan 1941  
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Oberleutnant
STRUCKMANN, Rudolf Headquarters, Schützen Regiment 115    
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Generalmajor 
von THOMA, Wilhelm Ritter Commander, 20 Panzer Division 31 Dec 1941  
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Major
VOIGTSBERGER, Heinrich Commander, Machine Gun Battalion 2 9 Jul 1941 Later awarded the Oakleaves
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Oberstleutnant
von WECHMAR, Frieherr Irnfried Commander, Armoured Reconaissance Battalion 3 13 Apr 1941  
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Oberfeldwebel
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(Hauptfeldwebel)
WENDT, Wilhelm Company First Sergeant, 5th Company, Panzer Regiment 5 30 Jun 1941  
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Oberst im Generalstab
WESTPHAL, Siegfried Ia (Staff Officer), German-Italian Panzer Army 30 Nov 1942  
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Major
WOLDENGA, Bernhard Commander, Infantry Regiment 428 11 Oct 1941 Some sources cite as Luftwaffe recipient
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Oberst
WOLZ, Alwin Commander, Flak Regiment 135 17 Jun 1943  
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Leutnant
ZECHERLE, Konrad Squadron Commander, 1st Battalion, Armoured Reconaissance Battalion 190 7 Jun 1943  
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Generalleutnant
ZIEGLER, Heinz Staff, Army Group Afrika 18 Apr 1943