The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) 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, German: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 [''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 been nominated for the award in 1945, when the deteriorating situation of Germany during the final days of World War II left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process.
Listed here are the 92 Knight's Cross recipients whose last name starts with "V". Scherzer has challenged the validity of five of these listings. 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.
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 (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 92 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "V", seven were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and seven presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 68 of the medals, one went to the Kriegsmarine, 17 to the Luftwaffe, and six to the Waffen-SS.
| Name | Service | Rank | Role and unit[5] | Date of award | Notes | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heer | Oberst | Commander of the 2. Schützen-Brigade | |||||
| Waffen-SS | SS-Oberführer | Leader of 2. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Das Reich" | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Pilot in the 3./Transportgeschwader 2 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 4./Schützen-Regiment 112 | |||||
| Heer | Gefreiter | Reconnaissance troop leader in the 1./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 143 | |||||
| Waffen-SS | SS-Hauptsturmführer of the Reserves | Leader of a Kampfgruppe in SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 15 | |||||
| Waffen-SS | Waffen-Unterscharführer | Group leader in the 33. SS-Freiwilligen-Division "Charlemagne" (franz. Nr. 1) in the combat area Groß Berlin (greater Berlin) | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Shock troops leader in the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 125 | |||||
| Heer | Gefreiter | Deputy group leader in the 3./Pionier-Bataillon 342 | |||||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 2. Panzer-Division | |||||
| Waffen-SS | Waffen-Standartenführer | Commander of lett. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 48 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Observer in the 5./Kampfgeschwader 55 | |||||
| Waffen-SS | SS-Obersturmführer | Leader of the 3./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 "Das Reich" | Killed in action 7 January 1945 | ||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | Group leader in the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 76 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Pionier-Bataillon 45 | |||||
| Heer | Feldwebel | Leader of Infanterie-Pionier-Zug/Grenadier-Regiment 436 | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 3./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 14 | |||||
| Heer | Generalmajor | Leader of Kampfgruppe 551. Volksgrenadier-Division | |||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | In the 8./Infanterie-Regiment 60 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Oberst | Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 31 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 2./leichte Flak-Abteilung 77 (self-motorized) | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3 | |||||
| Kriegsmarine | Leutnant | Group leader in the Marine-Kleinkampfmittel-Flottille 211 | Along with Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class | ||||
| Heer | Gefreiter | PaK gunner in the 14.(Panzerjäger)/Grenadier-Regiment 147 | Killed on active service 4 June 1944 | ||||
| Luftwaffe | Major | Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Kampfgeschwader 26 | |||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 380 | |||||
| Heer | Oberst | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 60 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 866 | |||||
| Heer | Obergefreiter | Group leader of the 7./Skijäger-Regiment 1 | |||||
| Heer | Oberst | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 258 | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 4./Grenadier-Regiment 42 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän in the II./Zerstörergeschwader 1 | |||||
| Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 453 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 456 | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 461 | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 87 (motorized) | |||||
| ? | Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of an alarm unit at the Oder sector | ||||
| Heer | General der Infanterie | Commanding general of the LV. Armeekorps | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän of the 7./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 | Killed in action 31 August 1943 | ||||
| + called von Scheel | Heer | General der Panzertruppe | Commanding general of the XIII. Armeekorps | Awarded 456th Oak Leaves 16 April 1944 | |||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 10./Grenadier-Regiment 7 | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 6./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 99 | Killed in action 12 December 1944 | ||||
| + | Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Deputy leader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 460 | Awarded 728th Oak Leaves 5 February 1945 | |||
| + | Luftwaffe | Feldwebel | Pilot in the 11./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 | Awarded 465th Oak Leaves 25 April 1944 | |||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Company troop leader in the 2./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 | |||||
| Heer | Obergefreiter | Group leader in the 6./Jäger-Regiment 40 (L) | |||||
| ? | Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 5./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4 | ||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 40 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Leutnant | In Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 26 | |||||
| ? | Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the II./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 99 | ||||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 78. Infanterie-Division | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 92 | |||||
| Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) of the 6./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 91 | Died of wounds 26 October 1942 | ||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 | |||||
| + | Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 101. Jäger-Division | Awarded 475th Oak Leaves 14 May 1944 | |||
| Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 7./Grenadier-Regiment 119 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 6 | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 12./Infanerie-Regiment 78 | |||||
| Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 505 | |||||
| Heer | Major of the Reserves | Commander of the II./Artillerie-Regiment 157 | |||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | Kradmeldestaffel (motorcycle halftrack messenger squadron) in the Stab I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 93 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 12./Grenadier-Regiment 1054 | |||||
| Heer | Oberschirrmeister | In the Stabskompanie/Panzergrenadier-Regiment 101 | |||||
| + | Waffen-SS | SS-Obersturmführer | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 2./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung of the SS-Verfügungs-Division | Awarded 785th Oak Leaves 16 March 1945 | |||
| Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Staffelführer of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 4.(MG)/Grenadier-Regiment 915 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 19 "List" | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 2./Pionier-Bataillon 18 | |||||
| ? | Heer | Generalmajor | Commander of fortress Arnswalde (Pommern) | ||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 5./Grenadier-Regiment 154 | Killed in action 12 January 1944 | ||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 14.(Panzerjäger)/Grenadier-Regiment 31 | |||||
| + | Heer | Major | Commander of MG-Bataillon 2 | Awarded 351st Oak Leaves 9 December 1943 | |||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 8. Jäger-Division | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Chief of the 7./Panzer-Regiment 6 | Died of wounds 16 December 1942 | ||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | Gun leader in the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 9 | |||||
| Heer | Oberwachtmeister | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Chief of the Stabskompanie/Panzergrenadier-Regiment 73 | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Battery officer in the 2./Artillerie-Regiment 240 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberstleutnant | Geschwaderkommodore of Zerstörergeschwader 2 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän of the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 411 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 12./Infanterie-Regiment 408 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 10./Infanterie-Regiment 134 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberst | Commander of Flak-Regiment 21 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 23. Panzer-Division | |||||
| ? | Heer | Major | Commander of Heeres-Flak-Abteilung "Brandenburg" | ||||
| + | Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 585 | Awarded 314th Oak Leaves 28 October 1943 | |||
| Luftwaffe | Major | Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Kampfgeschwader 51 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 5./Schützen-Regiment 93 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän of the 4./Kampfgeschwader 26 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 |
de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
. 2000 . 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.