XXI. GEBIRGSKORPS / GEBIRGSKORPS NORWEGEN
Eduard Dietl received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 July 1940 as the very first German soldier to be so honored, in recognition of his outstanding leadership during the intense fighting around Narvik. As Generalleutnant and commander of the 3. Gebirgs-Division, later elevated to commanding general of Gebirgskorps Norwegen, Dietl had successfully directed German mountain troops in holding the strategically vital Norwegian port against determined Allied forces despite being cut off and heavily outnumbered following the German landings in April 1940. His determined defense, bold tactical decisions, and ability to inspire his elite Gebirgsjäger units through extreme conditions ultimately forced the British, French, and Norwegian withdrawal, securing a crucial victory in the Norwegian campaign and earning him this prestigious upgrade to his earlier Ritterkreuz awarded on 9 May 1940.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Knight%27s_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross_recipients
https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/83/ritterkreuz-des-eisernen-kreuzes.htm
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