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 World War II, 23 German sailors and officers of the Schnellboot (Fast Attack Craft) service, which was a part of the Kriegsmarine, received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Of these, 8 officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub).
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment, German: [[Reichsgesetzblatt]] I S. 1573 of 1 September 1939 instituted the Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Article 2 of the enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes.[1] 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 (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment German: Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940.[2] In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment German: Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 introduced the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).[3] At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), based on the enactment German: Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of 29 December 1944, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized.[4]
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.
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.
Number | Name | Rank | Unit | Date of award | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kapitänleutnant | Commander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | |||||
Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-56 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille | |||||
Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 3. Schnellbootflottille | |||||
Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 1. Schnellbootsflottille | |||||
Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 5. Schnellbootflottille | |||||
Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 2. Schnellbootflottille | |||||
Kapitän zur See | Leader of the Schnellboote | |||||
Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 9. Schnellbootflottille |
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).
Number | Name | Rank | Unit | Date of award | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander Schnellboot S-31 in the 2. Schnellbootflottille | Killed in action 22 March 1945 | |||
2 | Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 1. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
3 | + | Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 2. Schnellbootsflottille | Awarded 499th Oak Leaves 13 June 1944 | ||
4 | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-26 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
5 | + | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-21 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 500th Oak Leaves 14 June 1944 | ||
6 | + | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 143rd Oak Leaves 13 November 1942 | ||
7 | + | Kapitänleutnant | Commander of Schnellboot S-28 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 361st Oak Leaves 1 January 1944 | ||
8 | + | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-30 in the 2. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 362nd Oak Leaves 1 January 1944 | ||
9 | + | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-101 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 326th Oak Leaves 13 November 1943 | ||
10 | + | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-60 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 226th Oak Leaves 14 April 1943 | ||
11 | Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 4. Schnellbootflottille | Killed in action 12 December 1944 | |||
12 | + | Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 3. Schnellbootflottille | Awarded 249th Oak Leaves 27 May 1943 | ||
13 | Kapitänleutnant | Commander of Schnellboot S-27 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
14 | [5] | Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves | Commander of Schnellboot S-55 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille | |||
15 | Kapitänleutnant | Commander of Schnellboot S-52 in the 5. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
16 | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-87 in the 4. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
17 | Oberleutnant zur See | Group leader and commander of Schnellboot S-28 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
18 | Kapitänleutnant | Commander of Schnellboot S-59 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
19 | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-54 in the 10. Schnellbootflottille | Killed in action 22 December 1944 | |||
20 | Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 5. Schnellbootflottille | Killed in action 14 June 1944 | |||
21 | Oberleutnant zur See | Commander of Schnellboot S-60 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
22 | Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 8. Schnellbootflottille | ||||
23 | Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 6. Schnellbootflottille |
de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
. 2000 . 1986 . Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile . The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches . de . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.