Germany, Wehrmacht. A Mixed Lot Of Award Documents With Knight’s Cross Recipient Signatures

(Wehrmacht Verleihungsurkunden mit Ritterkreuzträger Unterschriften). A mixed lot of three award documents featuring Knight’s Cross recipient signatures, 

1. A pair of paper items signed by Generalmajor Herbert Michaelis (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 27 December 1942), including a 1939 Iron Cross II Class award document, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to “OBWM. HEINZ BERNECKER” of 8. Batterie, Artillerie-Regiment 282, issued at divisional headquarters on 20 March 1944, certified by Michaelis’ handwritten signature as an Oberst, measuring 14 cm (w) x 20 cm (h), demonstrating minor material fatigue, in near extremely fine condition, and; a postwar signed photo, depicting Michaelis in uniform and with decorations visible, the lower half of the image overlaid by Michaelis’ signature in blue ink, undated, measuring 8 cm (w) x 12.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

2. An award document to for a Minesweeper War badge, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to “MASCHINENGEFREITEN KARL PURSCH”, issue at Tromsö on 12 September 1941, certified by the handwritten signature of then-Konteradmiral (later Vizeadmiral), demonstrating horizontal and vertical folding creases which have been reinforced with tape in addition to general material fatigue and discolouration, in very fine condition.

3. An award document for a 1939 Iron Cross II Class, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to “MASCHINENGEFREITEN KARL PURSCH”, issued at command headquarters on 19 September 1941, certified by the handwritten signature of Generaladmiral Rolf Carls (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 14 June 1940), measuring 14 cm (w) x 19.5 cm (h), with folding creases and minor discolouration evident, in better than very fine condition.

Footnote: Following a distinguished career in the Imperial Germany Navy, during which he captained a cruiser in the Mediterranean and saw extensive combat in the Black Sea before returning to Germany to take a command position with the U-Boat service, Rolf Carls served as a company commander with the Freikorps, later entering interwar Reichsmarine service. During the Spanish Civil War, Carls briefly commanded Kriegsmarine forces off the coast of Spain as part of Germany’s intervention on behalf of Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces. By the end of 1936, he was a Fleet Commander in the Baltic region and contributed to strategic planning for Germany’s future military operations against both Anglo-America and Soviet interests. Notably, Carls expressed concern about Germany’s ability to subdue the latter in a protracted war. During the Second World War, he was instrumental in the planning of Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Denmark and Norway. For his success, he received the Knight’s Cross in June 1940. He remained Supreme Commander of Marinegruppenkommandos Nord through 1945, when he was killed on 24 April by a British air raid on the town of Bad Oldesloe, just two weeks before the end of the war.