The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry. A total of 7,321 awards were made between its first presentation on 30 September 1939 and its last bestowal on 17 June 1945. This number is based on the analysis and acceptance of the order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht—the Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy) and Luftwaffe (Air Force)—as well as the Waffen-SS, the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD—Reich Labour Service) and the Volkssturm (German national militia). There were also 43 recipients in the military forces of allies of the Third Reich.

These recipients are listed in the 1986 edition of Walther-Peer Fellgiebel's book, — The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945. Fellgiebel was the former chairman and head of the order commission of the AKCR. In 1996, the second edition of this book was published with an addendum delisting 11 of these original recipients. Author Veit Scherzer has cast doubt on a further 193 of these listings. The majority of the disputed recipients had received the award in 1945, when the deteriorating situation of Germany in the final days of World War II in Europe left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process.

Listed here are the 32 Knight's Cross recipients whose last name starts with "U". Scherzer has challenged the validity of one listing. The recipients are ordered alphabetically by last name. The rank listed is the recipient's rank at the time the Knight's Cross was awarded.

Background The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment, of 1 September 1939 instituted the Iron Cross (), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (). Article 2 of the enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes. As the war progressed, some of the recipients of the Knight's Cross distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (), was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment of 3 June 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment of 28 September 1941 introduced the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords () and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (). At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (), based on the enactment of 29 December 1944, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized.

Recipients

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) kept separate Knight's Cross lists for the Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Waffen-SS. Within each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient. The same numbering paradigm was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade. Of the 32 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "U", four were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and one presentation was made posthumously. Heer members received 23 of the medals, none went to the Kriegsmarine, seven to the Luftwaffe, and two to the Waffen-SS.

Name Service Rank Role and unitFor an explanation of the various naming schemes used by the Luftwaffe, Heer, Kriegsmarine and Waffen-SS refer to nomenclature used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. Date of award Notes Image + Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 8./Jagdgeschwader 77 Awarded 80th Oak Leaves Heer 10-HOberwachtmeister Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Radfahr-Abteilung 30 Luftwaffe 20-LGeneral der Flieger Generalluftzeugmeister im OKL Luftwaffe 18-LGeneralmajor Chief of the general staff of Luftflotte 2 Heer 14-HHauptmann Leader of the III./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 91 Heer 03-HGefreiter Driver in the 3./Artillerie-Lehr-Regiment 5 (motorized) in the fortress Schneidemühl Heer 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves Leader of the 11./Grenadier-Regiment 424 The brackets around the doctor title [Dr.] denotes that the academic title was attained after the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded. Heer 14-HHauptmann Leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 430 Heer 12-HLeutnant Adjudant of the II./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 141 Luftwaffe 10-LOberfeldwebel of the Reserves Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 16./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 Heer 14-HHauptmann Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 43 Heer 14-HHauptmann Commander of schwere Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 88 Heer 09-HFeldwebel Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 13./Grenadier-Regiment 366 Heer 17-HOberst Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 15 (motorized) + Waffen-SS 15-WSS-Sturmbannführer Commander of SS-Pionier-Bataillon 3 "Totenkopf" Awarded 480th Oak Leaves Heer 16-HOberstleutnant im Generalstab (in the General Staff) Chief of the general staff Korpsgruppe "von Gottberg" (XII. SS-Armeekorps) Heer 06-HUnteroffizier Group leader in the 5./Grenadier-Regiment "Feldherrnhalle" Heer 03-HGefreiter 1st machine gunner in the 9./Grenadier-Regiment 213 Heer 14-HHauptmann Chief of the 1./Schützen-Regiment 10 Luftwaffe 09-LFahnenjunker-Feldwebel Pilot in the IV.(Sturm)/Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" Heer 17-HOberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) Deputy leader of the 227. Infanterie-Division ? Luftwaffe 15-LMajor Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Kampfgeschwader 51 + Heer 17-HOberst Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 Awarded 515th Oak Leaves Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant Pilot in the 2./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor" Heer 10-HOberfeldwebel Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 2./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 + Heer 15-HMajor Commander of Kradschützen-Bataillon 61 Awarded 809th Oak Leaves Heer 18-HGeneralmajor Leader of the 81. Infanterie-Division Heer 15-HMajor Commander of Panzer-Abteilung 190 Waffen-SS 10-WSS-Hauptscharführer Chief of the 3./SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 4 Heer 15-HMajor Commander of Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 901 * Killed in action 25 June 1944 Heer 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves Leader of the 5./Grenadier-Regiment 944 Heer 17-HOberst Commander of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100

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