Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Hugo Heinkel (and Martin Mitschke)

A video of the awarding of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes to two experienced platoon leaders of the Panzergrenadiere, late 1944 in Italy.

The general is Schwerterträger Ernst-Günther Baade, who later fell on 8 May 1945. He was the commander of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division, which was fighting at Rimini and Bologna. He wears a neck decoration of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern and a reversible camouflage jacket with the special insignia on the sleeve.

The two decorated men are Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel, a Zugtruppführer in the 15.Kompanie / Grenadier-Regiment 361 (motorisiert), and Oberfeldwebel Martin Mitschke, a Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / Grenadier-regiment 200 (motorisiert).

Heinkel formally received the Ritterkreuz on 16 November 1944. He later joined the Bundeswehr and reached the final rank as Hauptmann. In the other hand, Mitschke received the same medal on 16 October 1944.

There is an interesting anecdote about this sequence from "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" newsreel:

It does not actually show Oberfeldwebel Mitschke receiving the Ritterkreuz, because he received the award one month before Oberfeldwebel Heinkel. When Generalleutnant Baade wanted to hand over the Ritterkreuz to Heinkel, members of a propaganda company were also present, who were filming for the newsreel. Martin Mitschke was also filmed on this occasion.

When the sequence was shown in the "Wochenschau" of the 21 December 1944 edition, it was intended to show Heinkel and Mitschke receiving the Ritterkreuz from their division commander at the same time.  In reality, Mitschke had already received the award from Divisionskommandeur Baade a month earlier. There are recordings of this.  Baade, for example, is wearing different clothing, not this winter jacket. Mitschke had to take off the neck medal again for the "Wochenschau". There was probably only the "new" Ritterkreuz for Heinkel to hand.  That's why you can only see him being presented with the medal. Only he wears it on a long ribbon. You can see it very clearly at the end of the sequence. Mitschke wears his Ritterkreuz the way he had made it suitable for daily wear weeks before....

For the "newsreel", two simultaneous Ritterkreuz ceremonies within a division to sub-commanders were apparently much more interesting, so there was a bit of "trickery". Of course, if you know the background, you will notice it.

Italian Front, end of 1944: Generalleutnant Ernst-Günther Baade (left, Kommandeur 90. Panzergrenadier-Division) during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the two members of his division, Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel (Zugtruppführer in the 15.Kompanie / Grenadier-Regiment 361 [mot.]) and Oberfeldwebel Martin Mitschke (right, Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / Grenadier-regiment 200 [mot.]). This picture was a screenshot from the "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" clip, 21 December 1944 issue.

Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel (left, Zugtruppführer in the 15.Kompanie / Grenadier-Regiment 361 [mot.]) and Oberfeldwebel Martin Mitschke (Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / Grenadier-regiment 200 [mot.]) from 90. Panzergrenadier-Division, after the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Heinkel. Italian Front, end of 1944. This picture was a screenshot from the "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" clip, 21 December 1944 issue.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/222855636020791/posts/844739580499057/
https://militariasammlermarkt.de/deutsches-reich/ritterkreuz-des-eisernen-kreuzes-spezial/ritterkreuztraeger-autographen/2598/martin-mitschke-soldbuch-wehrmacht-fuehrerschein-ritterkreuztraeger-rkt-autograph-autogramm