KNIGHTS CROSS AWARD WITH MAPPE AWARDED TO ROLF LOEFFLER, A HEER CAPTAIN KILLED IN ACTION IN RUSSIA

KNIGHTS CROSS AWARD WITH MAPPE AWARDED TO ROLF LOEFFLER, A HEER CAPTAIN KILLED IN ACTION IN RUSSIA

Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award document with mappe issued to Hauptmann Rolf Loeffler, 4pp. 13.5 x 17 in. on parchment with an integral blank front leaf, 'Fuhrerhauptquartier' [Berlin], September 14, 1942. The ornately-lettered document is accomplished in India ink and gold with a hand-inked signature of Adolf Hitler at bottom. Produced at the workshop of the brilliant bookbinder and decoration designer Frieda Thiersch. The parchment is just the slightest bit wavy, as is very common in such documents, else fine condition. Sold with the presentation leather folder ('mappe'), the corners bumped and scraped and a small section of the spine covering at bottom lost, but with gilding and 95%+ of the red leather intact and in fine condition. Award documents for the Knights Cross are rare, despite the fact that Hitler granted over 7,000 of them. A severe backlog soon developed�and in the end, very few recipients of the award ever received their large award documents (or 'Gross-Urkunden'). RUDOLF (ROLF) LOEFFLER was born 1917, the son of the High Government Councillor Felix Loeffler. At the start of the war, he was named a platoon leader of the 4th (MG) company of the 70.Infanterie Regiment. On September 14, 1942, Hauptmann Loeffler was awarded this Knights Cross while commanding the 10th Company, Infantry Regiment 70, 111th Infantry Division. Loeffler managed to penetrate deep into the enemy's defenses with an advance to the east of Malo Nikolaevka, northwest of Rostov, and there held the heights against determined enemy attacks. A few days later he took command of the 1st Battalion and led it through battles in the Caucasus. On Sep. 21, 1943, Major Loeffler was killed in action at Werchopenje, southwest of Orel.