Karl-Truppenkreuz (Karl-Troops Cross) - Awarded to all troops (militias included) who served in the field against an enemy for a minimum of 12 months and participated in at least one battle. The cross was instituted on 13 December 1916 and between 1 July 1917 and 30 June 1918 some 651,000 were struck. The grey metal cross has on its obverse arms the words "GRATI // PRINCEPS ET PATRIA // CAROLVS / IMP. ET REX" (Thanks - Sovereign and Fatherland - Karl, Emperor and King) and on the reverse, on the upper arm the two crowns for Austria and Hungary and the letter "C" (Carolus), on the other arms "VITAM ET SANGVINEM // MDCCCCXVI" (with life and blood - 1916).