List of Knight's Cross recipients 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer

The 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer was a Waffen-SS cavalry division. In March 1944, it was named after Florian Geyer (1490-1525), a Franconian nobleman who led the Black Company during the Peasants War.

The 8th Division was created in 1942 based on earlier Waffen-SS cavalry units. AbOUT 40% were Volksdeutsche from Siebenbürgen and Banat.

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 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 of June 3, 1940. In 1941 two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 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 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 Fegelein, 30.07.1944 Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of Waffen-SS Commander 8th SS Cavalry Div

Knight's Cross with Oakleaves

  • Joachim Rumohr, 01.02.1945 Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of Waffen-SS Commander 8th SS Cavalry Div

Knight’s Cross

SS Cavalry Brigade

  • Hermann Fegelein, 02.03.1942 Standartenführer Commander SS Cavalry Brigade.

HQ Staff

  • Hans Diergarten, 16.01.1944 Sturmbannführer Ia 8th SS Cav Div
  • Franz Liebisch, 09.02.1945 Obersturmführer nd Oberleutnant of Schupo Commander 1st Squadron, 8th SS Cav Div.
Hermann Fegelein with Knight's Cross

SS Cavalry Regiment 1 Florian Geyer

  • Hans-Georg von Charpentier, 29.12.1942 Hauptsturmführer Commander 3rd Squadron
  • Johannes Göhler, 17.09.1943 Obersturmführer Commander 4th Squadron
  • Gustav Lombard, 10.03.1943 Obersturmbannführer Commander 1st SS Cav Rgt
  • Alfred Nowak, 01.11.1943 Oberscharführer platoon commander, 3rd Squadron

SS Cavalry Regiment 2

  • Waldemar Fegelein, 16.12.1943 Sturmbannführer Commander 2nd SS Cav Rgt
  • August Zehender, 10.03.1943 Obersturmbannführer Commander 2nd SS Cav Rgt

SS Cavalry Regiment 15 Florian Geyer

  • Friedrich Buck, 27.01.1945 Oberscharführer Commander 5th Squadron
  • Albert Klett, 16.10.1944 Obersturmführer Commander 6th Squadron
  • Oswald Krauss, 27.01.1945 Sturmbannführer Commander 15th SS Cav Rgt
  • Hermann Maringgele, 21.02.1945 Hauptscharführer platoon commander 2nd Squadron

SS Cavalry Regiment 16 Florian Geyer

  • Joachim Boosfeld, 21.02.1945 Obersturmführer Commander 4th Squadron
  • Otto Kirchner, 21.04.1944 Untersturmführer Commander HQ Squadron
  • Erhard Mösslacher, 09.02.1945 Obersturmführer Commander 6th Squadron
  • Hans-Marcel von Schack 27.01.1945 Major (Heer) Commander 16th SS Cav Rgt

SS Cavalry Regiment 18 Florian Geyer

  • Siegfried Korth, 09.02.1945 Obersturmführer Commander 3rd Squadron

SS Artillery Regiment 8 Florian Geyer

  • Harry Phönix, 21.02.1945 Hauptsturmführer Commander II./8th SS-Art.Rgt
  • Joachim Rumohr, 16.01.1944 Obersturmbannführer Commander 8th SS-Art.Rgt

SS Panzerjäger Battalion 8 Florian Geyer

  • Max Schachner, 14.05.1944 Obersturmführer Commander 2nd Battery
  • Gustav Wendrinsky, 27.01.1945 Oberscharführer platoon commander 1st Battery

SS Reconnaissance Battalion 8 Florian Geyer

  • Walter Drexler, 11.12.1944 Sturmbannführer Commander 8th SS Rec Btn

See also

8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer

Footnotes

References

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

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