Kriegsmarine Captain Langsdorff decoration

[John R]

Does anybody know what the large cross with ribbon on the funeral pillow might be? The one above it is the Iron Cross First Class of course, just want clarification on the one attached to the large ribbon below it. John

[John R]

Not sure if it is related to this gigantic breast star on his uniform. I note of no other photo of Captain Langsdorff where he is wearing this star. John

[Guest Rick Research]

Na ha! Still no clue on the tiny smudged neck cross, but the star is

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30525

Which I'd never have known without THAT thread.

[John R]

Thanks Rick,

I have added additional photos of the decoration on the funeral pillow plus an interesting sidenote about the officer holding the pillow, Paul Ascher--Gunnery Officer in Graf Spee who later escaped and when returned to Germany was assigned to Bismarck.

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3052...mp;#entry289374

John

[Ulsterman]

Isn't it Hungarian?

Who has the Admirals' bio series?

Daniel? Rick?Glenn?

[John R]

We know now what the breast insignia is for Captain Langsdorff, but still not sure about the cross on the funeral pillow. Do not think the Admiral series will help with Captain Langsdorff and I do not think any of the rank lists have decorations, at least mine do not for 1938 and beyond. John

[Ulsterman]

Well, I looked at his funeral on Youtube (it's amazing what is there sometimes) and he had the EK1 and EK2, the Hamburg Hansa cross, the HKx, two LS (cross and medal) awards and what I suspect more and more was an Italian Order of the Crown (I'll bet it was awarded by Mussolini posthumously, contemporary newspapers will show it-maybe).

Maddeningly the camera shifts scene the split second before the medal pillow is in focus.

His daughter is still around. Perhaps she would help.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Ulsterman

[922F]

Wonderful photo of Langsdorff and the Spanish naval officers! Seems Spaniards got German Eagles and Germans, Mehudias.

My impression is that the Langsdorff funeral cushion neck cross is a civil division Hungarian Regency Merit Order commander. The ribbon appears to be a solid color. Doubt it is an Italian Crown commander for that reason, lack of devices between cross arms and straight edge cross arms. While a Sts. Maurice/Lazarus would have a solid color ribbon, there are no devices in the cross arms or trifoil cross ends; Italian Military Merit not applicable for same reasons. Roman Eagle established in 1942.

Following the coming to power of the Nazis, Langsdorff {EK II Battle of Jutland, EK I subsequent minesweeper service} requested duty at sea in 1934 but was instead appointed to the Interior Ministry. That assignment could result in foreign awards like a civil Hungarian Merit commander.

In 1936 and 1937, on board the new Admiral Graf Spee while on the staff of Admiral Bohen, Langsdorff participated in the German support of the Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War. This may explain his Mehduia.

{Langsdorff bio data from Nationmaster.com}

Edited September 3, 2008 by 922F

[Ulsterman]

Ah-

I think you're right-Hungarian..

[hipnos]

Does anybody know what the large cross with ribbon on the funeral pillow might be? The one above it is the Iron Cross First Class of course, just want clarification on the one attached to the large ribbon below it. John

I think the same thing, in another pic of different angle on the matter of a spanish-german bar, one could appreciate more clearly that is a Hungarian merit cross commander... and the Medahuia Breast star...

Edited September 4, 2008 by hipnos

[John R]

These are the images from U-tube--it is my understanding that the decoration was red--so perhaps the center of the cross is red if it is Hungarian? No mention of the color of the ribbon. John

[John R]

It is my belief he wore as medals the following 5:

EK2 ,Hamburg Hanseatic Cross, Hindenberg Honor Cross with Swords, Long Service Cross or crosses (since he could wear 2 but I think I can only see one) and the Medahuia medal from what I can see and from what others have felt looking at the mounting.

Under this was the EK1 and under that it looks like the Hungarian Regency Order of Merit as the best guess on the pillow.

John

[John R]

In this famous photo of Captain Langsdorff during burial services for his men in Uruguay, it looks like more that 5 however. Maybe 6 but I think 5. John

[Guest Rick Research]

Langsdorff was in Crew 1912, so his medal bar was:

Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914, Hamburg Hanseatic Cross, Hindenburg CRoss X, Wehrmacht 25 Cross, and Wehrmacht 12 Medal.

[John R]

Langsdorff was in Crew 1912, so his medal bar was:

Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914, Hamburg Hanseatic Cross, Hindenburg CRoss X, Wehrmacht 25 Cross, and Wehrmacht 12 Medal.

Thanks again Rick. Then what you are seeing is no Medahuia medal on his mounting even though he could have worn it due to the photo of him with the breast star previously and the ribbon might be the Hungarian Merit Cross from what others are seeing.

For sure, he was found in his room with a mounting of 5 medals from the books I have researched and a red medal on a ribbon plus his EK1. Besides his uniform, it is not recorded what he was actually wearing on his uniform--probably the 4 ribbons on a bar that we see in this photo and maybe the EK1 although the records imply that the EK1 was not being worn but was with the other medals in some location in his room.

The two rings were also apparently with the medals and can be seen on his hands in this photo.

John

Edited September 7, 2008 by John Robinson