List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the Kriegsmarine

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest awards in the military of the Third Reich. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. During or shortly after World War II, 318 German sailors and servicemen of the Kriegsmarine received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Of these, 316 presentations were formally made. Two recipients received the award after 11 May 1945, when Großadmiral Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of promotions and illegalized subsequent awards. The final two recipients are therefore considered to have received the medal without legal authority.Fellgiebel 2000, p. 4.

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 kept separate Knight's Cross lists, one for each of the three military branches, Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air force) and for the Waffen-SS. In 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.Fellgiebel, p. 112.

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds is based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 to reward those servicemen who had already been awarded the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. It was awarded to twenty-seven German soldiers, sailors and airmen, ranging from young fighter pilots to field marshals. Two recipients were members of the Kriegsmarine.Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 36–38. The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes715Korvettenkapitäncommander of killed on active service 13 May 1945Scherzer 2007, p. 518.2215Korvettenkapitäncommander of

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords is also based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 to reward those servicemen who had already been awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes515Korvettenkapitäncommander of 1714Kapitänleutnantcommander of 1814Kapitänleutnantcommander of 2914Kapitänleutnantcommander of Awarded 7th Diamonds 9 August 19436614Kapitänleutnantcommander of Awarded 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940. The last officially announced number for the Oak Leaves was 843. Higher numbers are unofficial and therefore denoted in brackets.Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102. The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes14Kapitänleutnantcommander of Missing in action 7 March 1941Range 1974, p. 43.14Kapitänleutnantcommander of Awarded 5th Swords 26 December 194114Kapitänleutnantcommander of Killed in action 17 March 1941Range 1974, p. 45.14Kapitänleutnantcommander of at the same time promoted to KorvettenkapitänFellgiebel 2000, p. 54.13Oberleutnant zur Seecommander of Killed in action 21 December 1941Range 1974, p. 30.14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 15Korvettenkapitäncommander of 17Kapitän zur Seecommander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-5)*Killed in action 8 May 1941Range 1974, p. 37.17Kapitän zur Seecommander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-2) 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 13Oberleutnant zur Seecommander of Awarded 18th Swords 1 September 194214Kapitänleutnantcommander of Awarded 17th Swords 17 August 194214Kapitänleutnantcommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of Killed on active service 11 September 1942Range 1974, p. 41.14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 15Korvettenkapitäncommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of Awarded 29th Swords 15 April 19437th Diamonds 9 August 194314Kapitänleutnantcommander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootsflottille15Korvettenkapitäncommander of 17Kapitän zur Seecommander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-9)14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of Killed in action 2 April 1943Kurowski 1995, p. 173.14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 22GroßadmiralOberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine15Korvettenkapitäncommander of Awarded 66th Swords 9 May 194422nd Diamonds 24 November 194416Fregattenkapitänchief of the 8. Räumbootflottille13Oberleutnant zur Seecommander of Schnellboot S-56 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 15Korvettenkapitänchief of the 3. Schnellbootflottille14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of Killed as prisoner of war on 15 June 1944Range 1974, p. 33.15Korvettenkapitänchief of the 1. Schnellbootflottille15Korvettenkapitän of the Reservescommander of Minenschiff "Juminda" and leader of a Minensuch-Gruppe*Killed in action 22 October 1943Range 1974, p. 27.15Korvettenkapitänchief of the 5. Schnellbootflottille15Korvettenkapitänchief of the 2. Schnellbootflottille15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserveschief of the 24. MinensuchflottilleKilled in flying accident on 25 December 194413Oberleutnant zur Seecommander of U-Jäger 221017Kapitän zur SeeFührer der Schnellboote14Kapitänleutnantchief of the 9. Schnellbootflottille15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserveschief of the 38. Minensuchflottille15Korvettenkapitänchief of the 5. Torpedobootflottille13Oberleutnant of the Reserveschief of the Marine Küstenbatterie "Île de Cézembre" (Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 608)18KonteradmiralSeekommandant Festung Brest20Admiralcommander in chief Marine-Gruppenkommando West17Kapitän zur SeeFührer der U-Boote im Mittelmeer, commander of 15KorvettenkapitänMarine-Artillerie-Abteilung 531*Killed in action 19 November 1944Range 1974, p. 34.20AdmiralKommandierender Admiral östliche Ostsee19Vizeadmiralcommander of Kampfgruppe "Thiele"14Kapitänleutnantcommander of 14Kapitänleutnantcommander of ?16FregattenkapitänFührer 9. Marine-Sicherungs-Division

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross is based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of 1 September 1939 Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes (Regulation of the renewing of the Iron Cross). The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.