Knight's Cross Holders of the „Wiking“ in the Caucasus

SS-Gruf. Felix Steiner surrounded by Westland officers and divisional staff of Wiking

SS-Obersturmführer Pförtner & SS-Sturmbannführer Dieckmann

Top image: the charismatic Felix Steiner as commander of the Wiking Division in the beginning of the Russian campaign. He would become the guiding figure in the foreign Waffen-SS and a much-celebrated figure among veterans after the war. Steiner won the 159th Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross during the Caucasus campaign on December 23 1942 as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS. The officer standing behind on Steiner's right side is the then SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Paetsch, Generalstabsoffizier of the Wiking. He would win the Knight's Cross on August 23 1944 and was awarded a posthumous award of the Oakleaves on April 5 1945 as commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 10 of the 10.SS-Panzer-Division Frundsberg. The Wiking veteran Paetsch is said to have been a shining example to his officers, NCOs and men. He was fatally wounded aged 35 on March 16 1945 in Pommern. Commons: Bundesarchiv. Bottom image: two other Knight's Cross holders of SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking: to the left is SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Pförtner who was the first soldier in SS-Regiment Germania of the Wiking to be honored with the Knight's Cross. He had won the Knight's Cross as SS-Untersturmführer and platoon leader on January 18 1942. Pförtner was born in Beverungen in Westfalen and was killed in action aged 29 on February 28 1943 as SS-Hauptsturmführer near Izjum south-east of Kharkov. To the right is SS-Sturmbannführer August Dieckmann, Commander of SS-Infanterie-Regiment Germania. He was later to be promoted SS-Obersturmbannführer and awarded the 233rd Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on April 16 1943. Dieckmann was born on May 29 1912 in Cadenberge near Hannover and was killed in action aged 31 on October 10 1943 while leading his men against Soviet fortifications around the Dnieper River in Ukraine. Photo taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Willi Altstadt. The war correspondent Altstadt himself was awarded the Iron Cross First Class in August 1942 and promoted to SS-Untersturmführer on March 20 1943. U.S. National Archives. Fair use.