The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest military award in Nazi Germany. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. During or shortly after World War II, 145 German sailors and officers of the U-boat service as part of the Kriegsmarine received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Among them, 29 officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), five the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), and two won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten). Of these, 144 presentations were formally made and one recipient received the award after 11 May 1945, when Großadmiral Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of all promotions and illegalized all subsequent awards. The final recipient is therefore considered to have received the medal without legal authority.
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. 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.
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. Ultimately, it would be awarded to twenty-seven German soldiers, sailors and airmen, ranging from young fighter pilots to field marshals. Two recipients were members of the U-boat arm.
Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes 7 15-MFregattenkapitän Commander of killed on active service 13 May 1945 22 15-MFregattenkapitän Commander 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.
Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes 5 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of 17 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 18 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 29 14-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of Awarded 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943 66 14-MFregattenkapitän Commander 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.
Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of missing in action 7 March 1941 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of Awarded 5th Swords 26 December 1941 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of killed in action 17 March 1941 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of At the same time promoted to Korvettenkapitän 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of killed in action 21 December 1941 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of Awarded 18th Swords 1 September 1942 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of Awarded 17th Swords 17 August 1942 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of killed on active service 11 September 1942 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of Awarded 29th Swords 15 April 19437th Diamonds 9 August 1943 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of killed in action 3 April 1943 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 22-MGroßadmiral Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine and Befehlshaber der U-Boote 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of Awarded 66th Swords 9 May 194422nd Diamonds 24 November 1944 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of killed as prisoner of war on 15 June 1944 17-MKapitän zur See Leader of the U-Boote in the Mediterranean Sea, before commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of
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).