What is the equivalent of the DKiG? I also read that the Landser held it's owners in esteem. I seem to get the feeling that many Landser considered the RK to have been bought with their blood.
Thanks,
Jeff
What US award does DKiG equal?
Moderator: John W. Howard
What US award does DKiG equal?
Here dead lie we because we did not choose
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
Here Dead Lie We by A.E. Houseman
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
Here Dead Lie We by A.E. Houseman
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Tom Houlihan
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Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Jeff, it's really hard to "match up" awards like that. They really don't cross-match very neatly. If you think the systems of rank are divergent, studying awards will really skew your thinking!
Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Jeff, I would have to agree with Tom and his post. But, to answer your question I would have to say, on a very simplistic level,
Knights Cross = MoH or DSM
DKiG = to that of a DSC
EKI = silver or broze star medal
EKII = a BSM or Commendation with a V device
Keep in mind many a general won a Knights Cross, but never KOed 5 MG nests in doing so, hence the DSM for US Generals. Also to gain these awards you had to first win the previous award, except in such cases as Eben Emael where most of the officers received all three (EK II, EK I and KC) and the DKiG.
Hope it helps
Fish
Knights Cross = MoH or DSM
DKiG = to that of a DSC
EKI = silver or broze star medal
EKII = a BSM or Commendation with a V device
Keep in mind many a general won a Knights Cross, but never KOed 5 MG nests in doing so, hence the DSM for US Generals. Also to gain these awards you had to first win the previous award, except in such cases as Eben Emael where most of the officers received all three (EK II, EK I and KC) and the DKiG.
Hope it helps
Fish
Fish
Rohrdorf Germany
Rohrdorf Germany
Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Thanks,
am I correct in that the RK was awarded to unit commanders for their unit's performance, not on individual acts, while the CSM was for individual acts and didn't go to commanders?
am I correct in that the RK was awarded to unit commanders for their unit's performance, not on individual acts, while the CSM was for individual acts and didn't go to commanders?
Here dead lie we because we did not choose
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
Here Dead Lie We by A.E. Houseman
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
Here Dead Lie We by A.E. Houseman
Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
CSM?kordts wrote:Thanks,
am I correct in that the RK was awarded to unit commanders for their unit's performance, not on individual acts, while the CSM was for individual acts and didn't go to commanders?
Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Sorry, CMH.
Here dead lie we because we did not choose
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
Here Dead Lie We by A.E. Houseman
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
Here Dead Lie We by A.E. Houseman
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Doktor Krollspell
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Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Hello Gentlemen!
There was a similiar discussion on comparing British and German awards during WWII that might be of interest...
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=21443
Regards,
Krollspell
There was a similiar discussion on comparing British and German awards during WWII that might be of interest...
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=21443
Regards,
Krollspell
"Wie es eigentlich gewesen ist"
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Thanks for the link!
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mightythor99
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Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
most of the knights crosses were given to officers, for their performance/leadership, etc, HOWEEVER, there were some given for gallantry, there were enlisted men who got it, and they earned em the hard way. the first guy was bickelford/bickelforth, something close to that, he knocked out abotu 14 french tanks with his anti tank cannon in a few hours. his crew was killed or wounded, so he ended up doing a lot of it himself. i'm sure it wasnt fun!!
I am interested in buying / trading for photo albums, photo groupings, diaries, feldpost groupings,etc, from any country in the world, any army/navy, etc, mostly 20th century!!
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Doktor Krollspell
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Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
Hubert Brinkforth received the RK on 07.03.1941 as a Gefreiter and Richtschtze i .d. 14./IR 25.mightythor99 wrote:most of the knights crosses were given to officers, for their performance/leadership, etc, HOWEEVER, there were some given for gallantry, there were enlisted men who got it, and they earned em the hard way. the first guy was bickelford/bickelforth, something close to that, he knocked out abotu 14 french tanks with his anti tank cannon in a few hours. his crew was killed or wounded, so he ended up doing a lot of it himself. i'm sure it wasnt fun!!
Hubert Brinkforth (1916-1942)
Source pic/quote: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Per ... forthH.htmHubert Brinkforth war Richtschütze bei der 14.(Panzerabwehr) Kompanie vom Infanterie-Regiment 25 bei der 2. Infanterie-Division (mot.). Am 27. Mai 1940 konnte er sechs Kilometer vor der HKL innerhalb von 20 Minuten neun Panzer vernichten, einige davon auf nur 100 m. Für diese Tat wurde er zum Gefreiten befördert und erhielt das EK II. Am 7. März 1941 wurde er als erster Soldat aus dem Mannschaftsdienstgrad mit dem Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes ausgezeichnet. Am 1. Juli 1941 zum Unteroffizier befördert wurde er am 5. Juni 1942 südwestlich von Pogostje durch Artillerievolltreffer getötet.
Regards,
Krollspell
"Wie es eigentlich gewesen ist"
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
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Doktor Krollspell
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Re: What US award does DKiG equal?
When it comes to the roughly 4.700+ RK's awarded to the Heer and 430+ RK's awarded to the Waffen-SS, ca. 1270+ RK's where awarded to NCO's and enlisted men and ca. 2150+ RK's to junior Officers between Leutnant and Hauptman rank (SS-Untersturmführer to SS-Haupsturmführer). These Offizers mostly led units on Platoon and Company level at the front and surely saw a fair deal of combat to warrant an award as the RK.mightythor99 wrote:HOWEEVER, there were some given for gallantry
Then you have the ca. 1.700 RK's to the Luftwaffe where many were Pilots of different rank that received the award. Then you have Fallschirmjäger...
And finally the Navy where a majority of the RK's went to the U-Boats and they certainly saw combat the hard way, considering that this particular branch had a 75% KIA/MIA rate!
Yes it's true that many high ranking officers received the Ritterkreuz for leading larger units and other positions not directly at the frontlines but I still think that a rather large majority of the 7.300+ awarded Ritterkreuz were hard earned... with gallantry.
Just my two cents on the subject,
Krollspell
"Wie es eigentlich gewesen ist"
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)
Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886)