Auction 6 Third Reich German Militaria
Jun 13, 2021
PO Box 13020 Des Moines, IA 50310, United States

The auction has ended

LOT 31:

Iron Cross 1st Class, 1939 + Award Document Luftwaffe


Start price:
$ 50
Estimated price:
$400 - $500
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tags:

Iron Cross 1st Class, 1939 + Award Document Luftwaffe
Iron Cross 1st Class, 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz I Klasse) + Award Document - Acts of awarding decoration.

NCO (Sergeant) - Unteroffizier (Feldwebel) Hans-Walter BeckmannHe performed military service in : Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (Night Fighter Squadron 4)

The Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 was a squadron of the Luftwaffe in World War II, which was primarily set up and used for night hunting. After its formation, the squadron first flew in western France, later exclusively in defense of the empire. Among other things, it was tasked with air raid protection for southern Germany. The squadron also flew long-range hunting missions over England from the end of 1944. At the end of the war, the squadron was in the Schleswig-Holstein area, where it capitulated.
May 1, 1942 is given as the official formation date of the squadron.The NJG 4 was initially subordinated to the 3rd Hunting Division, later to the 4th Hunting Division. In 1942 and 1943, the squadron's groups were in France at airfields such as Metz, St. Dizier, Dijon-Longvic, Dole-Tavaux, Laon-Athies, Florennes and Juvincourt. In addition, locations of the III. Group acquainted with Brandis and Jüterbog. In the spring of 1944 the squadron staff was in Chenay, the I. Group in Florennes, the II. In Coulommiers and the III. in Mainz, later again at Juvincourt. After the Allied landing in Normandy in June 1944, the squadron was deployed on the invasion front until August 1944, including operations in the Avranches area and Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
Then the squadron was relocated back to Germany for the defense of the Reich. The squadron staff was delegated to Mainz. The I. group was in Langendiebach, the II. In Frankfurt am Main and the III. The group was stationed in Twente. Here, the squadron was responsible for protecting southern Germany. At the end of 1944 the squadron was relocated again. The squadron staff was now in Paderborn-Mönkeloh, the I. still in Langendiebach, the II. Group in Gütersloh and the III. was in Kassel-Rothwesten. By the end of the war, the remnants of the squadron were pushed towards Schleswig-Holstein (Eggebek among others), it surrendered there, some also in Faßberg. At the beginning of May 1945 the squadron consisted of only three squadrons. Until then, in the last months of the war it had been used on long-range hunting missions against England and in the destruction of the Allied pontoon bridges near Wesel.In total, the NJG 4 achieved 579 aerial victories against large bombers from its formation until the end of the war, which corresponds to about three complete bomber divisions.

Award Document - Acts of awarding decoration.
Dimensions: 14 x 20 cm

Iron Cross 1st Class, 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz I Klasse)

Height:
44,3 mm
Width: 44,3mm
Weight: 14.36g.
Magnetic
No clasp system.