Iron Cross Magazine

25 March, 2026

FEATURES STURMABTEILUNG KOCH – THE ASSAULT In the second instalment of a two-part feature detailing the seizure of Fort Ében-Émael in Belgium on 10–11 May 1940, Dr Niklas Napp examines the paratroopers’ daring attack and capture of both the fortress and nearby bridges. DEUTSCHLAND/LÜTZOW The name ship for Germany’s trio of powerfully armed Deutschland-class pocket battleships, Deutschland, which became Lützow in late 1939, was a potent symbol of the Third Reich’s militaristic ambitions in the lead up to the Second World War. Tony Holmes and Martin Mace detail the vessel’s operational history. ALPENFLIEGER In July 1915, a handpicked group of Bavarian pilots attached to the Alpenkorps undertook a perilous and clandestine bombing raid against the Italian mountain town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. In their frail 80 hp monoplanes, they struggled to climb over the Dolomites. Their aircraft were ‘disguised’ as Austro-Hungarian machines, as Italy and Germany were not yet at war. Greg VanWyngarden tells the story of this mission largely through the words of one of its participants. A CAPTIVE ‘FRIEDRICH’ When Luftwaffe ace Hauptmann Rolf Pingel was forced down on the Kent coast on 10 July 1941, he provided the RAF with a relatively intact Bf 109F-2. It was the first complete example of the type acquired by the British, and once repaired, the fighter was test flown for evaluation. Andy Saunders examines Pingel’s story, and the history of the aircraft he delivered into the RAF’s hands. ‘MONSUN’ GRUPPE No fewer than 41 U-boats of the Kriegsmarine’s ‘Monsun’ Gruppe sailed to the Far East in search of prey or carrying important cargo during the Second World War, but only four returned to their home ports. Mark Wood examines this somewhat forgotten campaign fought at a high cost to Germany’s U-boatmen. CAPTURING CRETE – THE WEAPONS USED Operation Merkur (Mercury), in May–June 1941, was the codename for the German invasion of the strategically important island of Crete. Thomas Anderson examines the ‘hardware’ employed to secure this Mediterranean prize. REGULARS REVIEWS Our regular look at military history publications covers books from Schiffer Military History, Osprey Publishing and Pen & Sword. KNIGHTS OF THE AIR This photograph, expertly colourised by new Iron Cross contributor Sean Clark, features Fallschirmjäger learning how to effectively, and expeditiously, disembark from a DFS 230 glider during a training drill at an airfield somewhere in Germany. NOTES FROM THE ARMOURY In an effort to allow Wehrmacht troops to retain some form of fighting ability in the depths of winter on the Eastern Front, the German small arms industry devised various accessories to allow weapons to function in the field in sub-zero temperatures. Michael Heidler details some of the innovations that made it into the frozen frontline. PHOTOS FROM THE FRONT Sean Clark has used his magic to colourise motorcycle sidecars (and their riders) photographed on Crete that were most likely assigned to a Fallschirmjäger unit during the early stages of Operation Merkur (Mercury) in May–June 1941. NEXT ISSUE We reveal some of the unique and exciting content which we have got lined up for our readers in the next issue of Iron Cross magazine. WAR POSTERS The war poster artwork depicted in this issue dates from 1914 and the very beginning of the First World War. Front and centre is a broad-chested warrior standing above the bodies of French and British soldiers, while a German soldier, his right arm raised, salutes this very epitome of Germanic prowess.