On 21 August 1941, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, personally presented the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross) to six outstanding officers and men of the Fallschirmjäger (German paratroopers) at his headquarters. The recipients—Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, Oberstabsarzt Dr. med. Heinrich Neumann, Oberst Hans Kroh, Oberleutnant Heinrich Welskop, Leutnant Erich Schuster, and Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke—were honored for their extraordinary bravery, leadership, and sacrifice during the Battle of Crete (Operation Merkur) in May 1941.
This ceremony, captured in the propaganda newsreel 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau' No. 585 (released 20 November 1941), symbolized the high regard the Nazi leadership held for the airborne troops who had just executed the largest airborne assault in history up to that point. Göring, himself a decorated World War I pilot and a key architect of the Luftwaffe’s airborne forces, conducted the awards in a formal but intimate setting at his headquarters, underscoring the personal connection between the Reichsmarschall and his “green devils.”
The awards directly stemmed from Operation Merkur, launched on 20 May 1941. The 7. Flieger-Division and attached units, including the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment under Ramcke’s overall influence, were tasked with seizing the island from British, Australian, New Zealand, and Greek defenders. The operation was a Pyrrhic victory: German forces prevailed, but at a staggering cost—over 6,000 casualties, including nearly 2,000 dead, mostly among the elite paratroopers who jumped into intense anti-aircraft fire and fierce ground resistance.
The Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment (also known as Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1) played a pivotal role in assaults on key objectives like Maleme airfield and the prison valley near Rethymno and Heraklion. Their success came through aggressive close-quarters combat, improvised tactics, and sheer determination despite heavy losses and disrupted supply lines. Hitler and Göring viewed the operation as proof of the airborne arm’s value, even as it marked the end of large-scale German parachute operations for the rest of the war. The six men honored on 21 August represented the cream of this elite force.
The Recipients and Their Deeds
1.Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (then Oberst and Kommandeur Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment): Already a veteran of earlier airborne actions, Ramcke led elements of the regiment with iron resolve. His leadership during the Crete fighting earned him the Knight’s Cross on this date (he would later receive the Oak Leaves in November 1942, Swords and Diamonds in September 1944). Ramcke’s calm command under fire helped turn the tide at critical moments.
2.Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment): As the regimental physician, Neumann performed heroic medical work under combat conditions, treating wounded paratroopers while exposed to enemy fire. His devotion to the troops exemplified the Fallschirmjäger spirit of “comradeship above all.”
3.Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2, attached to the Sturm-Regiment): Kroh distinguished himself leading assaults on the airfield at Rethymno. His battalion’s determined fighting despite heavy casualties was instrumental in securing objectives.
4.Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Welskop (Zugführer in 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3). After the jump Welskop had taken his men and captured an important height at Chania, which was lodged deep in the Allied defense scheme. He was able to hold this position against Allied counterattacks, which had to be repelled in bitter close combat.
5.Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment). His Zugführer, Feldwebel Arpke, was badly wounded when their glider landed and so Schuster took over the II. Zug of his Kompanie. He and his Zug then proceeded to eliminate an anti-aircraft battery and capture the western end of the Maleme airfield.
6.Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (then Oberjäger and Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment). When his Zugführer became a casualty, Kempke took over the leadership of his Zug, and with his men he stormed two guns of the enemy battery despite tough resistance by a much superior foe. During the later battles of his Kompanie he again proved to be a model of outstanding bravery and bravado.
All six had fought in the intense battles around Maleme, Rethymno, and the prison valley, where the paratroopers often jumped without heavy weapons and relied on captured British arms.
The Ceremony: 21 August 1941 at Göring’s Headquarters
The presentation occurred exactly three months after the Crete landings, allowing time for the men to be withdrawn, decorated where possible in the field, and brought together for the formal award. Newsreel footage shows Göring, in his distinctive white summer uniform, awarded the Ritterkreuz case to each recipients. He shook hands, exchanged words, and occasionally patted shoulders—a gesture of paternal approval from the “father” of the Luftwaffe.
The setting was Göring’s personal headquarters in Breitenheide, East Prussia, far from the dusty battlefields of Crete. The event was deliberately staged for propaganda value: it highlighted German airborne supremacy while the Eastern Front campaign was still in its optimistic early phase. The six men stood in parade formation, freshly uniformed, with their new decorations gleaming. The ceremony was brief but solemn, followed by the traditional handshakes and words of praise from Göring.
Footage from the ceremony appears at the end of contemporary videos of Crete veterans’ awards and forms a highlight of *Die Deutsche Wochenschau* No. 585, where the narrator extols the “outstanding bravery” of these Luftwaffe soldiers.
Significance and Legacy
This group award was one of the largest single presentations of Knight’s Crosses to Fallschirmjäger in 1941 and underscored the prestige of the Crete veterans. Ramcke went on to command the famous Ramcke Parachute Brigade in North Africa and later defended Brest in 1944, earning the highest grades of the award. Kroh rose to divisional command. The others continued serving in elite units, many later fighting in Russia, Italy, and Normandy.
The ceremony captured a moment of triumph for the Fallschirmjäger before the realities of total war eroded their elite status. Today, these awards are studied by historians as exemplars of the Nazi regime’s use of military decorations for propaganda, while the recipients’ courage—however controversial the cause—remains part of the documented history of airborne warfare.
The 21 August 1941 event stands as a poignant snapshot of the early-war Luftwaffe at its peak: elite troops, personal leadership from Göring, and the Ritterkreuz as the ultimate symbol of valor in the eyes of the Third Reich.
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Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. The medal was handed over by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), near his private train (Sonderzug) named "Asien". Behind Göring stands General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps), while the two individuals with their backs to the camera are two of the three recipients of the Ritterkreuz that day, and they are (from left to right): Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2) and Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring congratulates Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment) for his newly awarded Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes.
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Kommandeur der Ergänzungseinheiten und Schulen des XI. Fliegerkorps) and General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps). In the background is Hermann Göring's personal train (sonderzug), "Asien". It was an armored special train that served as a mobile headquarters and luxurious transport for the Reichsmarschall. Some sources also refer to it as "Pommern" in certain contexts.
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Kommandeur der Ergänzungseinheiten und Schulen des XI. Fliegerkorps), General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps), Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2).
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2).
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2), Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).
Source :
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=ramcke&page=1#
https://menofwehrmacht.blogspot.com/2026/02/die-deutsche-wochenschau-german-weekly_16.html
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