German WWII Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class Award Documents
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $175.00

Orignal era manufacture. Two documents presented to Unteroffizier Lorenz of Infantry Regiment 187 (87th ID). The EK2 award is dated August 22 1940 (French Campaign) and the EK1 July 1 1941 (Operation Barbarossa). Both documents bear the signature of Generalleutnant Bogislav von Studnitz (1888-1943) commanding general of the 87th ID. On the reverse of his EK1 document is a typed description of the action in which he won this award and is signed by his Battalion commander. During WWII the 87th ID participated during the French Campaign and the invasion of Russia in 1941. It served initially with Army Group Center then was transferred to Army Group North in 1944. It surrendered to the Soviets in May of 1945. We found some interesting facts regarding General von Studnitz during our research for this document set. His relatively early wartime demise has been reported to have been at the orders of Hitler, due to the General's participation in a plot. However the most interesting fact was in an online edition of the MARINESMAG dated October 2010. The story details a return of the USMC colors to Belleau France and the US Cemetery there. In the comments section which follows the article it is reported that General von Studnitz while he was serving as the commander of German Forces in France in 1940, he had his troops raise and lower the American Flag at this cemetery every day in honor of the bravery of the Marines buried there. Seems that in 1918 he was serving as a Captain in a Prussian artillery unit which served at Belleau Wood and was impressed by the Marines bravery during the battle. Isn't history fun...