Adolf Hitler awards soldiers with the Knight's Cross, 1940

Commanders of the Wehrmacht's parachute detachment Koch are awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by Hitler for their achievements in the Battle of Fort Eben Emael. On the left in front are Captain Walter Koch, leader of the Koch Parachute Assault Battalion (Fallschirmjaeger-Sturm-Abteilung Koch') and his deputy First Lieutenant Rudolf Witzig. The latter later received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. There were also honored First Lieutenant Walter Kiess, First Lieutenant Gustav Altmann, Sergeant Hellmut Arpke, Lieutenant Egon Delica, Oberarzt (First Lieutenant (Dr.) Rolf Jaeger, Lieutenant Joachim Meissner, Lieutenant Gerhard Schacht, Lieutenant Helmut Ringler and First Lieutenant Otto Zierach. The date is the period in which the awards were given. The picture was taken on 10.05.1940. Koch died in 1943 in a car accident after criticizing Adolf Hitler's commando order

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Achievements Altmann Commanders Commando Criticizing Detachment Dictator Eben Egon Emael Gerhard Hellmut Helmut Jaeger Joachim Koch Latter Meissner Parachute Ringler Rolf Schacht Wehrmachts Witzig

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