The Manufacturing Process

Behind those men on the front line who received the awards was another army toiling in workshops, small and large. The craftsmen who designed and manufactured this iconic award, under incredible pressure and deprivation, have become a forgotten part of the history of the Second World War.

The Iron Cross of 1939 is a relatively simple award, seemingly identical to the Prussian awards of 1813, 1870, and the Imperial German version of 1914. Upon closer examination, however, it is clear the 1939 version had a different shape entirely and underwent a total redesign.

Six parts made up the Iron Cross First Class: frame, core, backplate, hinge, catch, and pin.

The Iron Cross Second Class, though, had only five component parts: two frame halves, the core, the ring loop, and the suspension ring.

For the core, the process was as follows:

• Manufacturing and etching of the frame and core dies

• Cutting the blanks from large sheets of iron

• Two-stage stamping of the core

• Cutting and deburring of the core overhangs

• Fine sandblasting and cleaning

• Application of black paint and burning in at 120° Celsius

The production of crosses was all carried out by hand - understandably a truly labour intensive enterprise.

Once the top and bottom dies were stamped for the core, the edges were refined. The blank was now ready to be painted.

The process for making the frames was similar to that for the cores, and consisted of:

• Cutting the blanks from nickel silver sheets

• Rough stamping the frames

• Cutting the outside shape

• Cutting the inside shape

Shown in the illustrations is what the blank looked like, the three indentations being alignment guides:

The finished frame had to be cut and trimmed by hand. Note there is a lug on the top which indicates this was an Iron Cross Second Class.

However, the process was wasteful and required constant recycling of excess material. Although alternative production methods are documented as having been tried, this labour intensive practice was the standard procedure.

Final assembly took place in rooms full of specialised craftsman:

• The ring loop was soldered to the two halves

• The iron core was inserted with a tin soldering strip

• The halves were clamped together

• The halves were soldered together

• The suspension loop was added

• The edges were filed and cleaned Note: A microscopic chemical analysis of several frames shows a high silver content – for some, up to a 900 purity.

The final production stage was surface finishing to give the crosses their lustrous appearance:

• The crosses were acid cleaned, flushed, and degreased in several baths

• The frames were galvanised in a silver electrolyte

• They were flushed and dried

• The surfaces were smoothed using a glass fibre brush

• The surface was polished to a bright matte look

• The frames were hand polished

• The core was repainted using a stencil The crosses, finally complete, could be packaged

The medal was now ready for issue.

■ The stamped-out centre of the Iron Cross. ■ The stamped-out frame for an Iron Cross Second Class. ■ The frame ready for stamping out. ■ The two halves of the Iron Cross Second Class frame ready for assembly.

■ The range of tools, stamps and dies used in the manufacture of the Iron Cross.

■ Above and right: Making the Iron Cross frames.

■ Finishing work underway on Iron Cross frames.

■ A technician flushing the crosses.

■ The Iron Cross Second Class with its ribbon and packet of issue.

■ Finishing the Iron Cross medal, ready to be awarded.

■ Iron Cross First Class medals completed and ready for distribution.

■ Soldering the framework of Iron Crosses.