Bøker av Jeremy Dixon

This, the second book by Jeremy Dixon on the subject, is a study of those German officers who were promoted to the rank of general and who were also awarded the Knight's Cross during the period of the fighting in Russia between Hitler's assault upon the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa, and the complete destruction of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. The Germans lost 500,000 soldiers during the Stalingrad campaign, some 91,000 of whom were taken prisoner - a number which included 2,000 officers, twenty-three generals and one Generalfeldmarschall, Friedrich Paulus.There were 149 officers who later held the rank of general who were awarded the Knight's Cross for their actions on the Eastern Front between 6 December 1941 and 2 February 1943. One such recipient was Maximilian Fretter-Pico, who, as Generalmajor and Commander of the 97th Infantry Division, was awarded the Knight's Cross on 26 December 1941. He was later promoted to Generalleutnant and in June 1942 was Commander of the Army Detachment Fretter-Pico, with the rank of General der Artillerie. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves as Commanding General of the XXX Army Corps, for actions in the Don and Donez area, on 16 January 1944. He was personally presented personally with the award at the Obersalzburg by Hitler.Dietrich von Saucken was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords for his bravery and leadership whilst commanding the 4th Panzer Division on the Russian Front. On 8 May 1945 he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds as General der Panzertruppe and Commander-in-Chief of Army Headquarters East Prussia and presented by Hitler's successor Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz. Saucken was later captured by the Soviets who flew him to Moscow for interrogation and he was later sentenced to twenty-five years imprisonment.The youngest general in the German Army to be awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords on 23 January 1944 was Erich Bärenfänger, who was only 29 years old at the time. His award was presented personally by Hitler at his headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, in Rastenburg. At the time he held the rank of Major and was promoted to Oberstleutnant in February 1944 and was promoted to Generalmajor on 28 April 1945, and named as Battle Commandant of Sector A and Sector B of the Berlin Defensive District. He committed suicide together with his wife in Berlin with Soviet forces fast approaching just four days later.With each individual's entry there is a detailed description of how and where the Knight's Cross was won and in the case of the higher awards, such as the Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds, who presented the award, where and when. This study provides details of their rank and command at the time of the award as well as also detailing their career during the war and after, with investigations into their fate and post-war life. The book is completed with a considerable number of photographs of many of these officers.

This is a study of the officers who were promoted to the rank of general and who were also awarded the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross during the early period of HitlerâEUR(TM)s assault upon the Soviet Union. This takes us from the great onslaught of Operation _Barbarossa_, through to HitlerâEUR(TM)s decision to abandon his attempt to capture Moscow and adopt a temporary defensive stance due to the early onset of winter. Such was the scale of operations during these momentous first six months of the war on the Eastern Front there were endless opportunities for officers to display courage and leadership. This resulted in a total of 178 generals âEUR" twenty-six _Generalmajors_; fifty-six _Generalleutnants_, eighty-four full _Generals_, eleven _Generalobersts_ and one _Generalfeldmarschall_ âEUR" being awarded the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross in this period alone. One such recipient was _General der Artillerie_ Erich Marcks who personally directed the fire of his guns against enemy bunkers at very close range. On the day he was notified of his award of the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross he was seriously wounded and had to have his left leg amputated. Despite this he returned to service in March 1942 and was later awarded the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross with Oakleaves. _General der Infanterie_ Ernst Schroth, the Commanding General of the XII Army Corps, was awarded the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross for his part in the attack on the Brest-Litvosk Fortress in June 1941\. Considered a staunch supporter of Hitler, he was appointed to the Court of Honour which investigated those members of the Wehrmacht who had participated in the 20 July 1944 _Valkyrie_ plot to kill the Fÿhrer. Hermann-Heinrich Behrend was just a Major when he was awarded the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross on 15 July 1941\. This was for his actions while commanding I. Battalion of the 489th Infantry Regiment in its successful breakthrough of the enemyâEUR(TM)s heavily defended lines southeast and east of Tauroggen in Lithuania on 22 June 1941\. Behrend continued to display great courage and resourcefulness, which saw him rise to the rank of _Generalmajor_ and the later awards of both the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross with Oakleaves, and the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross with Oakleaves and SwordsWith each of these 178 entries there is a detailed description of how and where the KnightâEUR(TM)s Cross was won and in the case of the higher awards, such as the Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds, who presented the award, where and when. This study provides details of their rank and command at the time of the award as well as also detailing their career during the war and after, with investigations into their fate and post-war life. The book is completed with a considerable number of photographs of many of these officers.

The first of two comprehensive directories of all the Luftwaffe's single-seater fighter pilots who were awarded the Knight's Cross during the Second World War.

Highly illustrated account of German U-boat commanders who were awarded the Knight's Cross during the Second World War.

Presented here are the biographies of the 130 men of the Fallschirmjäger--Hitler's elite paratroopers, who won the Knight's Cross and its higher grades. These men fought on nearly every front during the Second World War, from their first action in Denmark in April 1940, to their last major battle at Monte Cassino. A total of twenty-four Knight's Crosses were awarded to Fallschirmjäger troops during the battles of Monte Cassino and in the airborne invasion of Crete with the remainder awarded during the fighting in France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Russia, and at least one in North Africa. These tough, elite soldiers parachuted behind enemy lines and were one of the most successful units during the Second World War. The book gives details of their promotions and other medals and decorations and is well illustrated with over 200 photographs.