Romanian Award Ceremony for Finnish Carl Gustaf Mannerheim

Romanian Ambassador Constintinides (second from left) handed the commander-in-chief of Finland's defence forces, Carl Gustaf Emil Freiherr Mannerheim, the Ordinul Mihai Viteazul (Order of Michael the Brave), December 1941. It is is Romania's highest military decoration, instituted by King Ferdinand I during the early stages of the Romanian Campaign of the First World War, and was again awarded in the Second World War. The Order, which may be bestowed either on an individual or on a whole unit, was named in honor of Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul), a late 16th-century Prince of Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia. The award for Mannerheim dated as 1 November 1941, and it contained three medals at once: Ordinul Mihai Viteazul Clasa 3, 2 and 1 (Royal Decree no. 3026). Mannerheim is also a Ritterkreuzträger (recipient of German Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses), which he received on 18 August 1941, and Eichenlaubträger (recipient of German Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses with Oak Leaves), which he received on 8 August 1944.

Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/52357/16681a180a83d321351d3a71c29af66e/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustaf_Emil_Mannerheim
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Michael_the_Brave
https://www.sotasampo.fi/fi/photographs/page/sakuva_102062
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34700/Mannerheim-Carl-Gustav-Emil-Freiherr.htm?c=aw

Brillantenträger Adelbert Schulz with His Fans

Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz smiling amongst happy spectators all around him. In his neck is the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten (Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds), which he received on 9 January 1944 from the hand of the Führer, almost a month after the initial radio announcement (14 December 1943). Schulz became the 9th recipient of the prestigious medal, and it was given for his brilliant leadership as a commander of  Panzer-Regiment 25 / 7.Panzer-Division. On 1 January 1944 he was promoted from Oberst to Generalmajor, and on 26 January 1944 he became the commander of 7. Panzer-Division. Tragically, only two days after he got elected, Schulz was wounded in action in the area of Shepetivka on 28 January 1944, and died the same day.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelbert_Schulz
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/216/Schulz-Adelbert.htm?c=aw

Eichenlaub Award Ceremony for Panzer Ace Otto Carius

Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Oberrhein) awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #535 to Oberleutnant der Reserve Otto Carius from schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502. The picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Ege on 2 January 1945 at the outskirts of Salzburg (Austria). The ceremony was quite extraordinary because Carius had already received the announcement of his award from 27 July 1944, but the ceremony was postponed until five months later! This is because the panzer ace was seriously injured by a multiple shot in the seven parts of his body (including the neck!) only a few days before he suppsosedly received the Eichenlaub, so he had to be taken to the intensive care for months at Feldlazarett (Field Hospital). Carius received the news of his award through newspapers when lying weak on the bed, and was only able to walk with his feet in September 1944. When this photograph was taken, he was no longer in charge of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 but had already been transferred to Panzer-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 500. Another interesting fact is that the handed-over ceremony was performed by Himmler, whereas the Eichenlaub-grade medal ceremony and above was usually attended by Hitler directly. This is because from the end of 1944 the Führer began to restrict his public activities - along with the deterioration of the war situation - so that such activities were then represented to his closest confidants such as Himmler and Göring. Carius dedicated a chapter about this moment in his book 'Tigers in the Mud': "My first impressions of this man, whom his opponents called a 'bloodhound', had really pleasantly surprised me. I wasn't apprehensive about the upcoming 'cozy' conversation anymore. I described my visit with Heinrich Himmler in such detail, because he really surprised me. After the conversation in his staff headquarters , I gathered some hope for a successful conclusion to the war. That was after I had already considered a defeat almost certain."

Source :
https://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/36771/16681a180a83d321351d3a71c29af66e/

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony of Wilhelm Knetsch at Stalingrad

Major Wilhelm Knetsch (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 545 / 389.Infanterie-Division) receives the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Crosses) from General der Panzertruppe Friedrich Paulus (Oberbefehlshaber 6. Armee). Stalingrad, 15 October 1942. Knetsch already received the radio news about his award from 8 October 1942. During the attack on Stalingrad, Wilhelm Friedrich Karl Knetsch (26 February 1906 - 27 March 1982) was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold and the Ritterkreuz with a fortnight of each other, and the proud Paulus said that Knetsch was the best battalion commander in his entire army! Because of a severe illness, on 15 November 1942 he left the Stalingrad cauldron.

Source :

"Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army" by Hans Wijers

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68997

https://ww2images.blogspot.co.id/2018/03/ritterkreuz-award-ceremony-of-wilhelm.html

Three German Commanders in the Battle Against Allied Troops in St.-Lô

Three senior German commanders in the Battle against Allied troops in St.-Lô area, Normandy, 16 July 1944. From left to right: General der Fallschirmtruppe Eugen Meindl (Kommandierender General II. Fallschirmkorps), SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Paul Hausser (Oberbefehlshaber 7. Armee), and Generalleutnant Dipl.Ing. Richard Schimpf (Kommandeur 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division). Behind Schimpf is SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl-Heinz Boska (Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber 7. Armee). In this meeting Meindl told his commander, Hausser, that the German defense position at St.-Lô was untenable any longer due to the superiority of the Allied forces on land and in the air. The next day Hausser forwarded this message to his commander, Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B). Unknowingly, on the same day Rommel was badly wounded by Allied air strikes and went to the intensive treatment at the hospital! This photo is most likely taken at Villebaudon which is the base of II. Fallschirmkorps.

Source :
https://ww2images.blogspot.co.id/2018/03/three-german-commanders-in-st-lo-area.html

General der Infanterie Albrecht Schubert

General der Infanterie Albrecht Schubert (23 June 1886 – 26 November 1966) was born in Glatz (modern Kłodzko, Poland, then in German Silesia), in a family of long Silesian ancestry. In 1904 he joined the Prussian Army and initially served with the Magdeburg-based Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Louis Ferdinand von Preußen (2. Magdeburgisches) Nr.27. By the time of the outbreak of World War I he rose to the rank of Leutnant. Promoted to the rank of Hauptmann in 1914, during the war he served with the Grenadier-Regiment Kronprinz (1. Ostpreußisches) Nr.1, 21. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade, 4. Landwehr-Division, 11. Infanterie-Division and as a staff officer in the 202. Infanterie-Division. After the war he remained within the Reichswehr and served in Stettin in the 2. Division, and then in the 8. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment. Promoted to Major in 1926, to Oberstleutnant in 1931 and to full Oberst in 1933. Three years later he became the commanding officer of the Infanterie-Regiment 12. Following Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Schubert's career was fast-tracked. In April 1936 he was promoted to the rank of Generalmajor and already in March 1938 he became a Generalleutnant. The following month he became the commanding officer of the 44. Infanterie-Division, with which he took part in the initial stages of World War II. During the joint Nazi and Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 his unit took part in the fights as part of the 14. Armee. After the end of hostilities in October 1939 he was temporarily withdrawn to the personal reserve of the OKH (Oberkommando des Heeres, but was soon reinstated to active service as a provisional commanding officer of the XXIII. Armeekorps, with which he took part in the battle of France of 1940. Shortly before the start of Operation Barbarossa, Schubert was promoted to the rank of General der Infanterie and his corps was relocated to East Prussia. Already in September 1941 he was awarded with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General XXIII. Armeekorps. In May 1942 he temporarily commanded the entire 9. Armee, but was again withdrawn from active service in the summer of that year. It was not until the following year that he was given the command over the Hannover-based XI. Armeekorps. Until the end of World War II he served on various staff positions in Vienna, away from the front. Schubert survived the war and died 26 November 1966 in Bielefeld, Germany. Other medals and decorations he received: Ritterkreuz des Königlich Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern; kaiserlich und königlich Militär-Verdienstkreuz I.Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern ; Königlich Bayerischer Militär-Verdienstorden IV.Klasse mit Schwertern; Herzoglich Sachsen-Meiningisches Kreuz für Verdienste im Krieg; Königlich Württembergischer Friedrichs-Orden, Ritterkreuz I.Klasse mit Schwertern; Hamburger Hanseatenkreuz; 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse und I.Klasse; Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918; Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnungen; 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse und I.Klasse; Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (1942); and Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (20 January 1943)

Source :
http://das-ritterkreuz.de/index_search_db.php?modul=search_result_det&wert1=5858&searchword=schubert,%20albrecht
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_Schubert
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=126814
http://www.grosser-generalstab.de/regiment/index.html
https://www.lot-art.com/auctions/Historical-Militaria-and-Autographs-Day-1/259376?order=est_asc&page=5
http://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/SCHUBERT_ALBRECHT.html