Topic summary
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) was instituted on 3 June 1940. Before the introduction of the Oak Leaves, only 124 members of the Wehrmacht had received the Knight's Cross. Before Case Yellow (Fall Gelb), the attack on the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, just 52 Knight's Crosses had been awarded. In May 1940, the number of presentations peaked. The timing for the introduction of the Oak Leaves is closely linked to Case Red (Fall Rot), the second and decisive phase of the Battle of France.