Dixon, Jeremy Hitler's Heroes during the Defeat in the East

Knight's Cross Generals on the Eastern Front, 13 February 1944-9 May 1945

As the fourth volume in a series of books dealing with German officers who were promoted to general and additionally awarded the Knight's Cross, this volume covers the final months of the Second World War. Between 13 February 1944 and Germany's surrender on 9 May 1945, 115 generals received this award. Of these, eighteen were generals, fifty-eight were lieutenant generals and thirty-nine were major generals. One of these men was Lieutenant General Gustav Heistermann von Ziehlberg, who was awarded the Knight's Cross on 27 July 1944 as commander of the 28th Jäger Division for his services in the Soviet Union. In November 1944, however, he was arrested by the Gestapo in connection with the attempted assassination of Hitler in July. Later, all his awards were revoked and he was executed by firing squad on 2 February 1945. On 26 March 1944, General of the Infantry Hans Krebs was awarded the Knight's Cross and in February 1945 he received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. In the final weeks of the war, he served as deputy chief of the Operations Staff of the Army General Staff, succeeding Colonel General Heinz Guderian, who had been dismissed by Hitler. Krebs moved his headquarters to Hitler's bunker in the final days of the Reich and, after Hitler's suicide, met with Soviet generals to negotiate Germany's surrender, but this failed. Together with General Wilhelm Burgdorff, he shot himself later that same day. Each entry includes a detailed description of how and where the Knight's Cross was earned.