The Tank Museum - Bovington - Collection Display: Medals

The Iron Cross

The Iron Cross was introduced in 1813 by Frederick William
as a Prussian award for gallantry in action.

It was revived three times:

in 1870 for the Franco-German war;
in 1914 for the First World War; and
at the outbreak of the Second World War.

	During World War Two, four classes of Iron Cross were awarded:
	Grand Cross; Knight's Cross; First Class; Second Class. One recipient of a First and Second Class Iron Cross was Oberleutnant Lothar Minkel, whose medals were purchased by the Museum with the aid of a V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
Iron Cross First Class

Minkel fought in the invasion of Poland in 1939 where he won an Iron Cross Second Class.

He was then promoted to Leutnant (Lieutenant), and commanded a tank during the Blitzkrieg across Europe in May 1940.

In 1941 he took part in the invasion of Russia, where he commanded a company of Panzer IV tanks.

On 16 July 1942 Minkel was killed fighting Russian infantry and anti-tank guns.

He was buried where he fell, 25 kilometres south west of the town of Millerowo in Russia.

Lothar Minkel is pictured right
(Tank Museum photo No.4971/06)

[image] Russian soldiers pose on a captured Panzer IV : Tank Museum photo No.4971/06
Russian soldiers pose on a captured Panzer IV
(Tank Museum photo No.4971/06)