Decorations
German Cross in Gold
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
| The medal was awarded for outstanding achievements and bravery in combat but not quite worthy of even higher ranked Knight's Cross. The recipient had to already have won the Iron Cross 1st class (and 2nd class before that). A cloth version existed for easier use in combat. The medal was worn on the right hand pocket of the tunic. The German Cross was awarded in two classes since 28th September 1941: Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold) Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (German Cross in Silver) The German Cross in Silver was awarded only for non combatants. In the U-boat-force for example Kapitän zur See Hans-Georg von Friedburg (BdU org.) got this decoration on 6 June 1942. The German Cross is rather unique in that the Gold and Silver versions were considered seperate awards, and only about 11 instances are recorded of a man winning both. Around 26,000 Gold medals and 2,500 silver medals were issued. Das Deutsche Kreuz in GoldThe German Cross stands from rank between the Iron Cross and the Knights Cross. It shows an iron cross (swastika) in a golden star. In the U-boat force were awarded 530 German Crosses. Kptlt. Otto Salman, the commander of U-52, received the first German Cross on 9th December 1941. The following table shows how the decorations were divided on the individual positions. Please note that the number is the approximate figure for the rank at the time of award. In our list below some were awarded before taking command and others after their last U-boat command.
The following 5 enlisted men got the German Cross in Gold
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Decorations ordered by last name
See this list sorted by date
| Commander and rank | Age | Crew | Date | U-boat Command(s) held * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Oblt. (R) | Abel, Dr. Ulrich + | 30 | X/39 | 28 Jun 1942 | |
| FrgKpt. | Ambrosius, Wilhelm | 41 | 26 | 8 Sep 1944 | U-28, U-21, U-43 |
| Kptlt. | Auffermann, Hans-Jürgen + (posthumous) | 29 | 34 | 7 Jan 1944 | U-69, U-514 |
| Kptlt. | Baberg, Kurt | 26 | 36 | 14 Jan 1944 | U-30, U-618 |
| Kptlt. | Bahr, Rudolf + | 27 | 35 | 15 Jan 1944 | U-305 |
| Oblt. | Balke, Diethelm | 25 | 37b | 29 Dec 1944 | U-991 |
| Kptlt. | Bartels, Robert + | 31 | 34 | 28 Aug 1942 | U-139, U-561 |
| Kptlt. | Becker, Richard | 33 | 34 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-218 |
| Kptlt. | Benker, Hans + | 26 | 36 | 31 Dec 1943 | U-80, U-625 |
| Kptlt. | Bielfeld, Heinz + | 27 | 34 | 31 Dec 1943 | U-703, U-1222 |
| Oblt. | Boddenberg, Karl | 29 | 26 Jan 1944 | U-963 | |
| Oblt. (R) | Bork, Helmut | 33 | 39 | 21 Jan 1944 | U-275 | |
| Oblt. | Brauel, Wilhelm | 29 | 37b | 28 Mar 1944 | U-256 |
| KrvKpt. | Bruns, Heinrich + (posthumous) | 31 | 31 | 7 Jan 1944 | U-175 |
| Budzyn, Sigmund | 27 | 19 Jul 1943 | |||
| Kptlt. | Christophersen, Erwin + | 29 | 35 | 11 Jul 1944 | U-228 |
| Kptlt. | Cordes, Ernst + | 31 | 36 | 19 Jul 1944 | U-560, U-763 |
| Oblt. | Dauter, Helmut | 24 | 37b | 13 Nov 1943 | U-448 |
| Oblt. | Deckert, Horst | 25 | 37a | 19 Nov 1943 | U-8, U-73 |
| Kptlt. | Deecke, Joachim + (posthumous) | 31 | 33 | 5 Jan 1944 | U-9, U-584 |
| KrvKpt. | Dierksen, Reiner + (posthumous) | 35 | 31 | 7 Jan 1944 | U-176 |
| Kptlt. | Drewitz, Hans-Joachim + | 34 | 32 | 18 Jun 1942 | |
| Kptlt. | Driver, Heinrich | 30 | 33 | 6 Aug 1942 | U-20, U-23, U-145, U-371 |
| Oblt. | Eick, Alfred | 28 | 37a | 16 Mar 1944 | U-510 |
| Kptlt. | Engel, Herbert | 31 | 39 | 9 Nov 1943 | U-666 | |
| Kptlt. | Esch, Dietrich von der + | 28 | 34 | 15 Dec 1943 | U-586, U-606, U-863 |
| Oblt. | Falke, Hans | 24 | X/39 | 19 Feb 1945 | U-992 |
| Oblt. | Fehler, Johann-Heinrich | 31 | 35 | 23 Apr 1942 | |
| Kptlt. | Feiler, Gerhard | 34 | 33 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-653 | |
| Oblt. | Fleige, Karl | 38 | 8 Oct 1943 | U-18 | |
| KrvKpt. | Fraatz, Georg-Werner + (posthumous) | 27 | 35 | 24 Jul 1944 | U-652, U-529 |
| Kptlt. | Franze, Joachim | 27 | 37a | 6 Feb 1945 | U-278 |
| Kptlt. | Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen, Walter Freiherr von + (posthumous) | 28 | 35 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-52, U-610 |
| Oblt. | Förster, Hans-Joachim + | 24 | 38 | 12 Sep 1944 | U-348, U-479, U-480 |
| FrgKpt. | Godt, Eberhard Friedrich Clemens | 41 | VII/18 | 10 Feb 1942 | U-25, U-23 |
| Oblt. | Grafen, Karl | 29 | 14 Jul 1944 | U-20 | ||
| Kptlt. | Grau, Peter-Ottmar | 28 | 34 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-46, U-601, U-872 |
| Oblt. | Harpe, Richard von + | 26 | 37b | 11 Jul 1944 | U-129 |
| Kptlt. | Hartenstein, Werner + | 33 | 28 | 2 Feb 1942 | U-156 |
| Kptlt. | Hartmann, Götz von | 30 | 34 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-555, U-563, U-441 |
| Kptlt. | Hasenschar, Heinrich + (posthumous) | 26 | 36 | 7 Jul 1943 | U-29, U-628 |
| Kptlt. | Heilmann, Udo | 29 | 33 | 6 Aug 1942 | U-24, U-97 |
| Kptlt. | Henning, Fritz | 27 | 37a | 22 Sep 1944 | U-561, U-565 |
| Kptlt. | Hepp, Horst + | 26 | 36 | 9 Feb 1944 | U-272, U-238 |
| Oblt. (R) | Herrle, Friedrich-Georg + | 33 | XII/39 | 11 May 1944 | U-307 | |
| KrvKpt. | Hessler, Günter | 35 | 27 | 9 Nov 1944 | U-107 |
| Oblt. | Hinz, Rudolf | 25 | X/39 | 26 Mar 1945 | U-1004 |
| FrgKpt. | Hopman, Rolf-Heinrich + (posthumous) | 37 | 26 | 5 Jan 1944 | U-405 |
| Kptlt. | Höltring, Horst + (posthumous) | 30 | 33 | 6 Nov 1943 | U-149, U-604 |
| Kptlt. | Janssen, Gustav-Adolf | 28 | 36 | 21 Jan 1944 | U-151, U-37, U-103 |
| Kptlt. | Jebsen, Johann + | 28 | 35 | 19 Sep 1944 | U-565, U-859 |
| FrgKpt. | Junker, Ottoheinrich | 38 | 24 | 19 Apr 1944 | U-33, U-532 |
| Kptlt. | Just, Paul | 28 | 36 | 3 May 1944 | U-6, U-151, U-546 |
| Kaeding, Walter | 27 | 6 Sep 1943 | |||
| Oblt. | Koitschka, Siegfried | 26 | 37a | 19 Nov 1943 | U-7, U-616 |
| Oblt. | Krieg, Johann-Otto | 24 | 37b | 19 Nov 1943 | U-142, U-81 |
| Oblt. | Kruschka, Max | 24 | 37b | 26 Apr 1944 | U-621 |
| Kptlt. | Lamby, Hermann | 30 | 36 | 19 Apr 1944 | U-437 |
| Oblt. | Lange, Hans-Günther | 27 | 37a | 11 May 1944 | U-711 |
| Kptlt. | Lange, Karl-Heinz + | 26 | 37a | 25 Aug 1944 | U-667 |
| Kptlt. | Lange, Kurt | 41 | 11 Oct 1944 | U-530 | ||
| Kptlt. | Lauterbach-Emden, Hans-Jürgen | 25 | 37a | 20 Sep 1944 | U-539 |
| Oblt. | Lauzemis, Albert + | 25 | 37a | 21 Jan 1944 | U-139, U-37, U-68 |
| Oblt. (R) | Lehmann, Hans | 29 | 38 | 28 Dec 1944 | U-997 |
| Kptlt. | Looks, Hartwig | 26 | 36 | 29 Mar 1944 | U-264 |
| Oblt. | Mahrholz, Hans-Gert | 25 | 38 | 4 Aug 1944 | U-309 |
| Oblt. | Mangold, Ernst | 26 | XII/39 | 10 Oct 1944 | U-739 | |
| Kptlt. | Manke, Rolf + | 28 | 35 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-358 |
| Mannesmann, Gert + | 33 | 33 | 7 Mar 1944 | U-545 | |
| Kptlt. | Manseck, Helmut | 29 | 34 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-143, U-758 |
| Kptlt. | Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen, Hartmut Graf von + | 29 | 34 | 12 Sep 1944 | U-482 |
| Kptlt. | Mehl, Waldemar | 29 | 33 | 19 Nov 1943 | U-62, U-72, U-371 |
| Oblt. (R) | Meyer, Gerhard + | 29 | 7 Feb 1945 | U-486 | ||
| Oblt. | Meyer, Rudolf + | 25 | 38 | 7 Feb 1945 | U-1055 |
| Kptlt. | Mohs, Hans-Dieter | 25 | 37b | 6 Feb 1945 | U-5, U-60, U-956 |
| Kptlt. | Morstein, Hans-Joachim von | 35 | 28 | 15 Dec 1944 | U-483 | |
| Kptlt. | Neide, Kurt | 27 | 36 | 4 Apr 1944 | U-415 |
| Oblt. | Niemeyer, Heinrich | 34 | X/39 | 20 Aug 1944 | U-547 |
| Oblt. | Nonn, Victor-Wilhelm | 27 | 37a | 24 May 1944 | U-152, U-596 |
| Kptlt. | Oelrich, Adolf | 27 | 35 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-92 | |
| Oblt. | Offermann, Hans-Werner + | 22 | X/39 | 6 Nov 1943 | |
| Oblt. | Otto, Paul-Friedrich | 27 | 37a | 19 Apr 1944 | U-270 |
| Kptlt. | Petersen, Klaus | 27 | 36 | 14 Jul 1944 | U-14, U-24, U-9 |
| Kptlt. | Petersen, Kurt | 27 | 36 | 14 Jan 1944 | U-541 |
| Oblt. | Petersen, Theodor | 29 | 12 Mar 1943 | ||
| Kptlt. | Pietsch, Ulrich + (posthumous) | 28 | 36 | 31 Aug 1944 | U-344 |
| Kptlt. | Poel, Gustav | 27 | 36 | 22 Dec 1944 | U-413 |
| Kptlt. | Purkhold, Hubertus | 27 | 35 | 11 Mar 1944 | U-30, U-14, U-260 |
| Kptlt. | Queck, Horst-Thilo | 29 | 35 | 22 Jul 1944 | U-622, U-92 |
| Oblt. | Radermacher, Alfred | 30 | VII/33 | 11 Apr 1944 | U-120, U-5, U-393 |
| Kptlt. | Reeder, Günther | 27 | 35 | 29 Jun 1943 | U-7, U-214 | |
| Kptlt. | Reschke, Franz-Georg | 34 | 29 | 17 Nov 1942 | U-205 |
| Oblt. (R) | Riecken, Werner + | 32 | 22 Mar 1945 | U-1017 | ||
| Kptlt. | Roithberg, Hardo Rodler von + | 26 | 37a | 6 Sep 1944 | U-24, U-71, U-989 |
| Kptlt. | Röther, Josef | 36 | 36 | 19 Nov 1943 | U-380 |
| Kptlt. | Salman, Otto | 33 | 32 | 9 Dec 1941 | U-7, U-52 |
| Oblt. | Schaar, Gerd | 24 | 37b | 14 Feb 1944 | U-957 |
| Kptlt. | Schneewind, Fritz + | 27 | 36 | 11 Jan 1945 | U-511, U-183 |
| KrvKpt. | Schneidewind, Karl-Hermann | 38 | 19 Apr 1945 | U-1064 | |
| Kptlt. | Schnoor, Ebe + | 48 | XII/15 | 19 Jul 1943 | UA, U-460 |
| Kptlt. | Schreiber, Gerd | 30 | 31 | 22 May 1942 | U-3, U-95 |
| Kptlt. | Schroeteler, Heinrich-Andreas | 28 | 36 | 10 Nov 1944 | U-667 |
| Oblt. | Schroeter, Horst von | 24 | 37b | 12 Dec 1943 | U-123 |
| KrvKpt. | Schumann-Hindenberg, Friedrich | 31 | 32 | 18 Feb 1945 | U-245 |
| Oblt. | Seehausen, Gerhard + (posthumous) | 26 | 37a | 20 May 1944 | U-68, U-66 |
| Kptlt. | Siegmann, Paul | 31 | 35 | 4 Oct 1944 | U-612, U-230, U-2507 |
| Kptlt. | Sommer, Helmut | 29 | 35 | 3 Aug 1944 | U-139, U-78, U-853 | |
| Kptlt. | Spahr, Wilhelm | 39 | 7 Jan 1944 | U-178 | |
| Oblt. | Sthamer, Hans-Jürgen + (posthumous) | 25 | 37b | 31 Aug 1944 | U-354 |
| Kptlt. | Stock, Rupprecht | 28 | 37a | 18 Aug 1944 | U-214, U-218 |
| Kptlt. | Struckmeier, Rolf | 27 | 35 | 17 Dec 1943 | U-608 |
| Kptlt. | Tillessen, Hans-Rutger | 30 | 34 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-516 |
| Kptlt. | Timm, Heinrich | 31 | 32 | 12 Feb 1942 | U-251 |
| Kptlt. | Trotha, Claus von + (posthumous) | 29 | 36 | 5 Jan 1944 | U-554, U-306 |
| Kptlt. | Uphoff, Horst + (posthumous) | 27 | 35 | 5 Jan 1944 | U-84 |
| Kptlt. | Wahlen, Rolf-Birger | 28 | 36 | 14 Jul 1944 | U-23 |
| Oblt. | Weber, Karl-Otto | 29 | 7 Jan 1944 | U-371, U-709 | |
| Kptlt. | Wedemeyer, Heimar | 38 | 5 Nov 1944 | U-365 | ||
| Oblt. | Westphalen, Otto | 24 | 38 | 18 Feb 1945 | U-121, U-968 |
| KrvKpt. | Wilamowitz-Möllendorf, Georg von + | 49 | 4/12 | 20 Jul 1943 | U-2, U-459 |
| KrvKpt. | Witte, Werner + (posthumous) | 29 | 35 | 7 Jan 1944 | U-509 |
| Kptlt. | Wächter, Karl-Jürg + | 27 | 36 | 28 Dec 1943 | U-223 |
| Kptlt. | Zetzsche, Hans-Jürgen | 28 | 34 | 14 Feb 1944 | U-20, U-8, U-4, U-560, U-591, U-378, U-591 |
| Kptlt. | Zurmühlen, Bernhard + | 34 | 33 | 27 Mar 1943 | U-600 |
124 U-boat Commanders decorated with German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) located.
Legend:
+ Indicates the Officer died in the war.
* Commands held indicates the U-boat commands held by this officer before award date. In some cases the officer had not taken command his first boat yet or was not even in the U-boat force yet.
Note: This listing is still being compiled and some recipients might be missing.