This is the 1st Model, which was awarded only 4 times to Werner Mölders, Adolf Galland, Gordon Gollob and Hermann Graf, manufactured from July 1941 by the firm Gebrüder Godet & Co., Berlin. The 1st Model was struck in silver using the dies for the Oak Leaves and Swords, with 52 à jour set diamonds on the Oak Leaves and the grips and crossguards of the Swords. On the reverse, an outer frame was applied to improve stability, which remained largely open on the sides to ensure maximum light penetration. The neck ring made of drawn silver wire is extended at the bottom and bent forward to provide appropriate space for the attached Knight's Cross. The jump ring ends are rounded. Width of the Oak Leaves 20 mm, total width 24.3 mm, weight 8.6 g. The piece has the stamp “L/50” on the side of the jump ring. Complete in the matching presentation case 1st Model with domed lid, black leather covering, snap closure and concealed hinge. Interior with white silk lining. The black velvet bed is domed with tailored cutouts for the ribbon ring and the enclosed neck ribbon, length 37 cm. Lightly worn with beautiful patina, in good condition.
This piece is illustrated in the reference book by Dietrich Maerz “Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes,” on pages 296 to 298.
Ex-collection Wolfe-Hardin, USA. Enclosed is a photo from the old display case of Steven Wolfe and Neil Hardin, Long Beach, California.

The identically manufactured piece, which was presented to Oberst Werner Mölders on 22.11.1941, was auctioned at Hermann Historica. From the memoirs of Adolf Galland it is evident that Hermann Göring was not satisfied with the size and quality of the first version of this diamond decoration. Therefore it was revised and the second type was developed, which was then awarded to all further diamond recipients until the end of the war. Extremely rare, one of the very few originals.

The name Adolf Galland is associated with one of the greatest careers in air warfare history. Already an enthusiastic glider pilot in his youth, Galland joined the officially not yet existing new German Luftwaffe in 1932. In 1933 he participated in secret training in Italy, in 1934 he was promoted to Leutnant, after a flying accident had almost ended his career. In 1937 Oberleutnant Galland was able to gain first experience in close air support as well as Staffelkapitän in the “Legion Condor” in the Spanish Civil War. Galland was so successful with his 3./J.88 that he was awarded the Spanish Cross with Swords in Gold with Diamonds in 1939. Due to his fighter-bomber experience, he was deployed as Staffelkapitän in II./Lehrgeschwader 2 right at the beginning of the Polish Campaign, Hauptmann Galland flew up to four missions daily. For this he received the Iron Cross 1st Class already in 1939. Only after countless transfer requests to the High Command of the Luftwaffe did Göring agree to the change and had him transferred as wing adjutant to Jagdgeschwader 27.

During the Western Campaign on 12.05.40, successful three times immediately, Galland achieved 17 confirmed aerial victories by the French capitulation, for which he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as one of the first fighter pilots.
On June 6, 1940, Galland became commander of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 “Schlageter,” on August 22 the 28-year-old Major assumed command of the entire Geschwader. On September 24, 1940, he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for his 40th aerial victory.

In June 1941, however, he reported his 70th aerial victory, which earned him as the first officer the award of the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, at that time the highest bravery decoration!

During the summer, the Kommodore shot down a total of 24 British opponents and was mentioned in the Wehrmacht communiqué for the fifth time.

On January 28, 1942, Galland received after Mölders as the second soldier the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords with promotion to Oberst

When Werner Mölders died in a flying accident only a short time later, Oberst Galland was appointed in spring 1942 as his successor to General der Jagdflieger.
On November 19, 1942, promotion to Generalmajor, the youngest general of the Wehrmacht.

On 11.04.44, Adolf Galland was promoted to Generalleutnant for his achievements as commander of the fighter forces. At the end of January 1945, after “insurmountable differences” between Galland and Hermann Göring, he was relieved as General der Jagdflieger. However, Galland received on Hitler's insistence the order to establish “Jagdverband 44,” which was to be equipped with Me 262. Many of the most successful German fighter pilots volunteered for this elite unit shortly before the foreseeable defeat.

Galland was credited with 104 enemy kills.
Adolf Galland died on February 9, 1996 in Remagen-Oberwinter.

352004

The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds – First Model

Among the military decorations of the Second World War, the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten) stands as the supreme recognition of valor in the German armed forces. The award required sequential receipt of all lower classes: the Knight’s Cross, Oak Leaves, and Swords. The piece described here represents the First Model of this decoration, one of the rarest originals in the field of German phaleristics, from the collection of Adolf Galland, one of the most renowned fighter pilots in aviation history.

Institution and Legal Basis

With the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939, Adolf Hitler, in his role as commander-in-chief of the German armed forces, decreed the renewal of the Iron Cross. The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was instituted on the same date. The Oak Leaves followed on 3 June 1940, while the Swords and Diamonds grades were both instituted on 15 July 1941. Notably, the formal legal basis for the Diamonds grade was not established until 28 September 1941 through a decree published in the Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 – more than two months after the first awards had already been made.

The First Model: Manufacture and Design

The First Model was manufactured from July 1941 by the firm Gebrüder Godet & Co. in Berlin. The design was based on the existing Oak Leaves with Swords clasp, which was drilled out to accept the diamonds. The piece is die-struck in silver and set with 52 diamonds in à jour settings on the Oak Leaves and the sword hilts and crossguards. The à jour technique – an open-backed setting – ensures maximum light penetration through the stones. On the reverse, a stabilizing outer frame was applied, which remained predominantly open on the sides to maintain optimal light entry. The neck ring, fashioned from drawn silver wire, is extended at the bottom and bent forward to accommodate the suspended Knight’s Cross. The suspension ring ends are rounded. The piece measures 20 mm across the Oak Leaves with an overall width of 24.3 mm and weighs 8.6 g. It bears the stamp “L/50” on the side of the suspension ring.

Award History

Werner Mölders became the first officer of the Wehrmacht to receive the Diamonds on 15–16 July 1941, making it then the highest German bravery decoration. Adolf Galland followed as the second recipient on 28 January 1942. In total, only 27 wartime awards are recognized as legitimate and fully documented. The German Federal Archives substantiate 863 awards of the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross, along with 147 Swords and 27 Diamonds awards.

According to Adolf Galland’s memoirs, Hermann Göring was not satisfied with the size and quality of this first version of the diamond decoration. The design was consequently revised and a second type was developed, which was then awarded to all subsequent Diamonds recipients until the end of the war. Production was transferred to the firm of Otto Klein in Hanau. Presentation of the Otto Klein Diamonds came as a set that included the more elaborate A-piece and the quiet gift of a second clasp set with rhinestones for everyday wear, known as the B-piece.

Adolf Galland – An Extraordinary Career

Adolf Galland received the Diamonds together with his promotion to Oberst (Colonel) for his service as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26. Over the course of the war, he was credited with 104 confirmed aerial victories. His career in the Luftwaffe began in 1932, and he gained his first combat experience with the Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War. When Werner Mölders was killed in a flying accident shortly after receiving the Diamonds, Galland was appointed his successor as General der Jagdflieger (General of Fighters) in the spring of 1942. On 19 November 1942, he was promoted to Generalmajor, becoming the youngest general in the Wehrmacht. In April 1944 he was promoted to Generalleutnant. After irreconcilable differences with Göring in late January 1945, Galland was relieved of his post but received orders – at Hitler’s insistence – to form Jagdverband 44, an elite unit equipped with Me 262 jet fighters. Adolf Galland passed away on 9 February 1996 in Remagen-Oberwinter.

Post-War History and Provenance

In post-World War II Germany, the Federal Republic prohibited the wearing of Nazi insignia. In 1957, the German government authorized a replacement Knight’s Cross with an oak leaf cluster in place of the swastika, which could be worn by wartime recipients.

This particular piece is illustrated in the reference work by Dietrich Maerz, “Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes,” on pages 296 to 298. It was formerly in the Wolfe-Hardin collection in the United States. The identically manufactured piece presented to Oberst Werner Mölders on 22 November 1941 was auctioned by Hermann Historica.

The First Model of the Diamonds to the Knight’s Cross stands as one of the rarest and most significant original pieces of Second World War German orders and decorations, representing the apex of the Third Reich’s system of military recognition.