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

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.^[1]

Background

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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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).^[4] 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.^[5]

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.^[6]

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.^[7] The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
7		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		killed on active service 13 May 1945^[8]
22		15Korvettenkapitän	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. The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
5		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
17		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
18		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
29		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943
66		14Kapitänleutnant	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.^[9] The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Missing in action 7 March 1941^[10]
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 5th Swords 26 December 1941
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 17 March 1941^[11]
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		at the same time promoted to Korvettenkapitän^[12]
		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Killed in action 21 December 1941^[13]
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-5)		Killed in action 8 May 1941^[14]
		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-2)
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 18th Swords 1 September 1942
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 17th Swords 17 August 1942
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed on active service 11 September 1942^[15]
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 29th Swords 15 April 1943 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootsflottille
		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-9)
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 2 April 1943^[16]
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		22Großadmiral	Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine
		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		Awarded 66th Swords 9 May 1944 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944
		16Fregattenkapitän	chief of the 8. Räumbootflottille
		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-56 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 3. Schnellbootflottille
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed as prisoner of war on 15 June 1944^[17]
		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 1. Schnellbootflottille
		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	commander of Minenschiff "Juminda" and leader of a Minensuch-Gruppe		Killed in action 22 October 1943^[18]
		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 5. Schnellbootflottille
		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Schnellbootflottille
		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 24. Minensuchflottille		Killed in flying accident on 25 December 1944
		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of U-Jäger 2210
		17Kapitän zur See	Führer der Schnellboote
		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 9. Schnellbootflottille
		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 38. Minensuchflottille
		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 5. Torpedobootflottille
		13Oberleutnant of the Reserves	chief of the Marine Küstenbatterie "Île de Cézembre" (Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 608)
		18Konteradmiral	Seekommandant Festung Brest
		20Admiral	commander in chief Marine-Gruppenkommando West
		17Kapitän zur See	Führer der U-Boote im Mittelmeer, commander of
		15Korvettenkapitän	Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 531		Killed in action 19 November 1944^[19]
		20Admiral	Kommandierender Admiral östliche Ostsee
		19Vizeadmiral	commander of Kampfgruppe "Thiele"
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
	?	16Fregattenkapitän	Führer 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.

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
1		22Großadmiral	Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine
2		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 5th Oak Leaves 20 October 1940
3		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 15th Oak Leaves 12 June 1941
4		19Vizeadmiral	Chef des Stabes der Seekriegsleitung im OKM
5		18Konteradmiral	Befehlshaber der U-Boote		Awarded 223rd Oak Leaves 6 April 1943
6		21General Admiral	Marine-Gruppenbefehlshaber Marinegruppe West
7		17Kapitän zur See	chief of the 4. Zerstörerflottille		Killed in action 26 December 1943^[20]
8		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		Awarded 645th Oak Leaves 5 November 1944
9		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
10		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Minensucher M-1
11		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-31 in the 2. Schnellbootflottille		Killed in action 22 March 1945^[21]
12		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	Flottillen engineer in the 1. Räumbootflottille
13		11Stabsobersteuermann	commander of Räumboot R-51 in the 1 Räumbootflottille
14		11Stabsobersteuermann	commander of Räumboot R-23 in the 1 Räumbootflottille
15		20Admiral	Befehlshaber Marinegruppe Ost
16		19Vizeadmiral	Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfte		Killed in action 27 May 1941^[22]
17		18Konteradmiral	Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfte und Führer der Kampfgruppe Bergen
18		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 1. Schnellbootflottille
19		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 5 November 1943^[23]
20		16Fregattenkapitän	chief of the 1. Zerstörerflottille
21		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of destroyer
22		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 499th Oak Leaves 13 June 1944
23		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 6th Oak Leaves 4 November 1940 5th Swords 26 December 1941
24		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 13th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941
25		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 9 May 1941^[24]
26		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-26 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille
27		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-21 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 500th Oak Leaves 14 June 1944
28		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 7. Unterseebootsflottille and commander of
29		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
30		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 14th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941
31		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
32		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 7th Oak Leaves 1 December 1940
33		17Kapitän zur See	Chef des Stabes Befehlshaber der Sicherung der Nordsee		Killed in action 1 October 1944^[25]
34		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Minensuchflottille
35		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Räumbootflottille		Awarded 225th Oak Leaves 14 April 1943
36		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
37		17Kapitän zur See	Führer der Zerstörer und der Kampfgruppe Narvik		Killed in action 10 April 1940^[26]
38		17Kapitän zur See	Führer der Minensuchboote West
39		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
40		13Oberleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
41		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 125th Oak Leaves 23 September 1942
42		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 142nd Oak Leaves 13 November 1942 29th Swords 15 April 1943 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943
43		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-3)		Awarded 158th Oak Leaves 22 December 1942
44		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of destroyer		Killed in action 28 December 1943^[27]
45		13Oberleutnant zur See	I. Wachoffizier		Awarded 56th Oak Leaves 31 December 1941 18th Swords 1 September 1942
46		11Stabsobersteuermann
47		18Konteradmiral	Befehlshaber der Sicherung der Ostsee
48		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-2)		Awarded 45th Oak Leaves 31 December 1941
49		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		Awarded 23rd Oak Leaves 14 July 1941
50		14Kapitänleutnant of the Reserves	commander of U-Jäger 116		Killed in action 9 July 1942^[28]
51		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-4)		Awarded 583rd Oak Leaves 15 September 1944
52		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-5)		Awarded 40th Oak Leaves 15 November 1941
53		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
54		18Konteradmiral	Führer Kampfgruppe Oslo
55		17Kapitän zur See	commander of cruiser		Awarded 824th Oak Leaves 8 April 1945
56		17Kapitän zur See	commander of heavy cruiser
57		17Kapitän zur See	commander of heavy cruiser		Awarded 614th Oak Leaves 18 October 1944
58		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 143rd Oak Leaves 13 November 1942
59		17Kapitän zur See	commander of heavy cruiser
60		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
61		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 51st Oak Leaves 31 December 1941
62		17Kapitän zur See	Führer der Torpedoboote
63		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Schnellboot S-28 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 361st Oak Leaves 1 January 1944
64		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
65		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
66		13Oberleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
67		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-30 in the 2. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 362nd Oak Leaves 1 January 1944
68		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-101 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 326th Oak Leaves 13 November 1943
69		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 27 August 1943^[29]
70		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
71		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
72		18Konteradmiral	Befehlshaber der Sicherung der Nordsee
73		15Korvettenkapitän	1st artillery officer on battleship		Killed in action 27 May 1941^[30]
74		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
75		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 87th Oak Leaves 11 April 1942 17th Swords 17 August 1942
76		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
77		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 1. Räumbootflottille
78		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
79		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 12. Minensuchflottille		Awarded 387th Oak Leaves 10 February 1944
80		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	commander of Sperrbrecher IX and I		Awarded 523rd Oak Leaves 11 July 1944
81		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-60 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 226th Oak Leaves 14 April 1943
82		16Fregattenkapitän	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-1)
83		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 105th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942
84		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 5. Räumbootflottille
85		12Leutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Vorpostenboot VP-1806 in the 18. Vorpostenflottille
86		17Kapitän zur See	2. Sicherungs-Division		Killed in action 1 October 1941^[31]
87		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 104th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942
88		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
89		18Konteradmiral	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-7)
90		16Fregattenkapitän	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-8)
91		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 171st Oak Leaves 8 January 1943
92		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 123rd Oak Leaves 10 September 1942
93		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 17 July 1942^[32]
94		17Kapitän zur See	commander of battleship		Killed in action 27 May 1941^[33]
95		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves			Awarded 330th Oak Leaves 18 November 1943
96		12Leutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Räumboot R-16 in the 5. Räumbootflottille		Killed in action (sabotage) 27 September 1941^[34]
97		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Minensuchflottille
98		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
99		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 250th Oak Leaves 31 May 1943
100		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 4. Schnellbootflottille		Killed in action 12 December 1944^[35]
101		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 89th Oak Leaves 23 April 1942
102		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
103		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 16 May 1943^[36]
104		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
105		19Vizeadmiral	Befehlshaber der Schlachtschiffe
106		17Kapitän zur See	commander of battleship
107		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 177th Oak Leaves 13 January 1943
108		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
109		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
110		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
111		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
112		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		Awarded 147th Oak Leaves 16 November 1942
113		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Räumbootflottille
114		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
115		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
116		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 25 November 1943^[37]
117		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 3. Schnellbootflottille		Awarded 249th Oak Leaves 27 May 1943
118		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 1. Minensuchflottille
119		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 208th Oak Leaves 7 March 1943
120		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
121		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
122		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 28 June 1943^[38]
123		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		missing in action 28 January 1943^[39]
124		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
125		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		Killed in action 8 March 1943^[40]
126		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
127		20Admiral	Chief of Staff of the Seekriegsleitung in the OKM
128		12Leutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Minensucher M-4040
129		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 234th Oak Leaves 26 April 1943
130		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
131		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 15 July 1943^[41]
132		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
133		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 256th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943
134		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 16 July 1943^[42]
135		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
136		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 4. Räumbootflottille
137		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 14. U-Jagd-Flottille
138		17Kapitän zur See	commander of destroyer
139		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
140		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Awarded 257th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943
141		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
142		17Kapitän zur See	commander of auxiliary cruiser (HSK-4)		Killed in action 17 October 1943^[43]
143		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of		Killed in action 14 January 1943^[44]
144		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 27 September 1943^[45]
145		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 24 February 1943^[46]
146		17Kapitän zur See	2. Sicherungs-Division
147		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
148		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 224th Oak Leaves 11 April 1943 66th Swords 9 May 1944 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944
149		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 13 October 1943
150		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
151		06Bootsmannsmaat of the Reserves	Flakleiter auf einem Frachter im Mittelmeer
152		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 14 July 1943^[47]
153		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
154		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
155		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
156		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
157		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 26 May 1943^[48]
158		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 6 May 1943^[49]
159		17Kapitän zur See	commander of the 22. Marine-Flak-Regiment
160		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
161		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
162		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Schnellboot S-27 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille
163		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
164		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
165		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 13 January 1945^[50]
166		06Steuermannsmaat	Vorpostenboot VP-711
167		06Steuermannsmaat of the Reserves	Vorpostenboot VP-1525
168		16Fregattenkapitän	commander of destroyer
169		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 13. Vorpostenflottille
170		12Leutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of U-Jäger 2210 in the 22. U-Jagdflottille		Awarded 461st Oak Leaves 25 April 1944
171		17Kapitän zur See	chief of the 6. Zerstörerflottille
172		17Kapitän zur See	commander of destroyer
173		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of destroyer
174		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 12. Räumbootflottille
175		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
176		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Schnellboot S-55 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille
177		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
178		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Schnellboot S-52 in the 5. Schnellbootflottille
179		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 12 November 1943^[51]
180		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-87 in the 4. Schnellbootflottille
181		20Admiral	commanding Admiral Norwegian West Coast
182		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
183		16Fregattenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of 2. Landungsdivision and sea transport chief of the Strait of Messina
184		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
185		13Oberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserves	chief engineer on		Killed in action 27 August 1943^[52]
186		12Leutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on		Killed in action 23 May 1943^[53]
187		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
188		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Killed in action 23 October 1943^[54]
189		13Oberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserves	chief engineer on
190		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 4. Torpedobootflottille		Killed in action 26 April 1944^[55]
191		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on and
192		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
193		19Vizeadmiral	commanding Admiral Black Sea
194		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
195		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
196		13Oberleutnant zur See	group leader and commander of Schnellboot S-28 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille
197		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Schnellboot S-59 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille
198		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 12 May 1943^[56]
199		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 3. Räumbootflottille
200		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-54 in the 10 Schnellbootflottille		Killed in action 22 December 1944^[57]
201		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 21. U-Jagdflottille
202		13Kapitän der Handelsmarine	captain Blockadebrecher Motorschiff Osorno
203		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
204		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed in action 2 July 1944^[58]
205		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Killed on active service 13 January 1945
206		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
207		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
208		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
209		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
210		13Oberleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
211		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Vorpostenboot VP-18 in the 18. Vorpostenflottille
212		18Konteradmiral	Befehlshaber Deutsches Marinekorps in Italien
213		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 8. Minensuchflottille		Killed in action 11 August 1944^[59]
214		10Obersteuermann
215		19Vizeadmiral	commanding Admiral Schwarzes Meer
216		18Konteradmiral	Seekommandant Krim (sea commander Crimea)
217		10Obersteuermann	Steuermann and watch officer
218		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
219		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
220		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 5. Torpedobootflottille		Awarded 524th Oak Leaves 11 July 1944
221		14Kapitänleutnant of the Reserves	chief of the Küstenschutzflottille "Attika"		Killed in action 23 January 1944^[60]
222		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 15. Vorpostenflottille
223		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 5. Schnellbootflottille		Killed in action 14 June 1944
224		13Oberleutnant	chief of the Marinebatterie "Marcouf" in the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 260
225		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 10. Torpedobootflottille
226		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 11. Vorpostenflottille
227		18Konteradmiral	Seekommandant Normandie
228		13Oberleutnant of the Reserves	chief of the Marine-Batterie "Hamburg" of the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 604
229		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Vorpostenboot VP-203 in the 2. Vorpostenflottille
230		17Kapitän zur See	chief of the 8. Zerstörerflottille
231		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 4. Räumbootflottille
232		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 2. Artillerieträger-Flottille
233		04Marine-Schreiber-Obergefreiter	Einmanntorpedofahrer in the Kleinkampfflottille 361
234		13Oberleutnant zur See	chief of the Kleinkampfflottille 361
235		13Oberleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
236		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Killed in action 20 August 1944^[61]
237		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 10. Räumbootflottille		Killed on active service 22 August 1944^[62]
238		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
239		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
240		10Oberfernschreibmeister-Matrose	Einmanntorpedofahrer in der Kleinkampfflottille 361
241		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Killed in action 23 August 1944
242		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Räumbootflottille
243		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 5. Minensuchflottille
244		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 8. Räumbootflottille
245		12Leutnant	group leader in the Marine-Kleinkampfflottille 211
246		11Stabsobermaschinist	Obermaschinist
247		13Oberleutnant of the Reserves	chief of the Marine Küstenbatterie "Île de Cézembre" (Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 608)		Awarded 577th Oak Leaves 2 September 1944
248		17Kapitän zur See	harbor commander "Saint-Malo"
249		17Kapitän zur See	Einsatzleiter der Marine-Kleinkampfmittel in Frankreich
250		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 853rd Oak Leaves 29 April 1945
251		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	group leader and commander of Vorpostenboot VP-1509 in the 15. Vorpostenflottille
252		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander in the 8. Minensuchflottille
253		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 14. Räumbootflottille
254		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	group leader in the 36. Minensuchflottille
255		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of U-Jäger 1430
256		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
257		16Fregattenkapitän	harbor commander Cherbourg
258		17Kapitän zur See	chief of the 1. Sicherungs-Division
259		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 42. Minensuchflottille
260		19Vizeadmiral	Kommandierender Admiral Ostland		Awarded 823rd Oak Leaves 8 April 1945
261		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
262		13Oberleutnant zur See	chief of the 8. Artillerie-Trägerflottille
263		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Vorpostenboot VP-1313 in the 13. Vorpostenflottille
264		14Kapitänleutnant	Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 531		Awarded 659th Oak Leaves 25 November 1944
265		16Fregattenkapitän	harbor commander Antwerp
266		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of		Killed in action 24 February 1945^[63]
267		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	commander of Minenschiff Drache		Killed in action 22 September 1944^[64]
268		19Vizeadmiral	commanding Admiral Aegean Sea
269		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Torpedoboot T-24
270		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
271		12Leutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Hilfskriegsschiff Passim and leader of special assignments
272		14Kapitänleutnant	Führer einer Sprengbootflottille (Kleinkampfverband)
273		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 2. Geleitflottille "Adria"		Killed in action 1 November 1944^[65]
274		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 25. Minensuchflottille
275		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Torpedoboot "TA20"		Killed in action 1 November 1944^[66]
276		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of U-Jäger 202		Killed in action 1 November 1944^[67]
277		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of U-Jäger 208
278		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander and group leader in the Küstenschutzflottille "Attika"
279		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of Schnellboot S-60 in the 3. Schnellbootflottille
280		16Fregattenkapitän	leader of the 9. Sicherungs-Division		Awarded 866th Oak Leaves 7 May 1945
281		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 3. Minensuchflottille
282		08Oberbootsmannsmaat	Brückenmaat on
283		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
284		16Fregattenkapitän	chief of the 9. Torpedobootflottille
285		16Fregattenkapitän	chief of the 24. Landungsflottille
286		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 1. Küstensicherungs-Verband
287		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of		Awarded 852nd Oak Leaves 29 April 1945
288		18Konteradmiral	Befehlshaber der Sicherung der Nordsee
289		15Korvettenkapitän	commander of
290		17Kapitän zur See	commander of
291		12Leutnant zur See	1st Officer
292		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of
293		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 2. Torpedobootflottille
294		19Vizeadmiral	commander of fortress La Rochelle
295		14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 24. Minensuchflottille "Karl Friedrich Brill"
296		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of Artillerie-Leichter AF-65
297		13Oberleutnant zur See	commander of
298		17Kapitän zur See	commander of the Marine-Flak-Regiment 9
299		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of naval battery "Völtzendorf" in the Marine-Flak-Abteilung 219 of the 9. Marine-Flak-Regiment
300		14Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
301		13Oberleutnant (Ing.)	chief engineer on
302		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 8. Schnellbootflottille
303		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 8. Vorpostenflottille
304		15Korvettenkapitän of the Reserves	chief of the 27. Minensuchflottille
305		13Oberleutnant of the Reserves	chief of the naval artillery battery "Lausitz" in the Marine-Flak-Abteilung 259 of the Marine-Flak-Regiment 9
306		13Oberleutnant of the Reserves	chief of the naval artillery battery "Sargorsch" in the Marine-Flak-Abteilung 259 of the Marine-Flak-Regiment 9
307		17Kapitän zur See	commander of the heavy cruiser
308		09Obermaschinist	lead machinist on
309		18Konteradmiral	fortress commander of the northern Gironde estuary
310		15Korvettenkapitän	chief of the 6. Schnellbootflottille
311		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of
312	?	14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Torpedoboot T-23
313		14Kapitänleutnant	commander of Torpedoboot T-28
314	?	14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 1. Räumbootflottille
315	?	14Kapitänleutnant	chief of the 2. Räumbootflottille
317		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	commander of

Legally disputed Knight's Cross recipients

Großadmiral Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of all promotions and awards as of 11 May 1945. Nevertheless, a number of Knight's Crosses were awarded after this without legal authority. At least two members of the Kriegsmarine are often listed as recipients of the Knight's Cross but fall outside of the Dönitz decree. The Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine General-Admiral Walter Warzecha, successor of General-Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, without authorization presented Georg-Wolfgang Feller the Knight's Cross on 17 June 1945. Karl Jäckel received his Knight's Cross confirmation after 11 May 1945 and is a de facto but not de jure recipient. Both recipients were delisted by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR).^[1]

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
316		10Obersteuermann	Steuermann on, and
318		13Oberleutnant zur See of the Reserves	group leader in the 36. Minensuchflottille

References

Specific

General

• Book: Dörr , Manfred . 1995 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1: A–K . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 1: A–K . de . Osnabrück, Germany . Biblio Verlag . 978-3-7648-2453-2.
• Book: Dörr , Manfred . 1996 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2: L–Z . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 2: L–Z . de . Osnabrück, Germany . Biblio Verlag . 978-3-7648-2497-6.
• Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer . 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.
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. .
• Kurowski, Franz (2007). Korvettenkapitän Werner Töniges Der erste Eichenlaubträger der Schnellbootwaffe (in German). Flechsig Verlag. .
• Book: Range , Clemens . 1974 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy . Stuttgart, Germany . Motorbuch Verlag . 978-3-87943-355-1.
• Book: Scherzer , Veit . 2007 . Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives . The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives . de . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• Web site: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes. Lexikon der Wehrmacht. de. 2 January 2011. 26 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180926230022/http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/Ritterkreuz/IndexRK.htm. live.
• Web site: Das Bundesarchiv. Military Archive - Freiburg im Breisgau. 2 January 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101229195453/http://www.bundesarchiv.de/bundesarchiv/dienstorte/freiburg/index.html.en. 29 December 2010.

Notes and References

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 4.
2. Web site: Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939. de. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 21 February 2008. PDF. ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331061438/http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19390007&zoom=2&seite=00001573&ues=on&x=21&y=6. live.
3. Web site: Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940. de. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 21 February 2008. PDF. ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331061438/http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19400007&zoom=2&seite=00000849&ues=on&x=22&y=10. live.
4. Web site: Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941. de. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 21 February 2008. PDF. ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331061438/http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19410007&zoom=2&seite=00000613&ues=on&x=14&y=9. live.
5. Web site: Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944. de. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 21 February 2008. PDF. ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331061438/http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19450007&zoom=2&seite=00000011&ues=on&x=14&y=10. live.
6. Fellgiebel, p. 112.
7. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 36–38.
8. Scherzer 2007, p. 518.
9. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102.
10. Range 1974, p. 43.
11. Range 1974, p. 45.
12. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 54.
13. Range 1974, p. 30.
14. Range 1974, p. 37.
15. Range 1974, p. 41.
16. Kurowski 1995, p. 173.
17. Range 1974, p. 33.
18. Range 1974, p. 27.
19. Range 1974, p. 34.
20. Range 1974, p. 57.
21. Kurowski 2007, p. 155.
22. Range 1974, p. 118.
23. Range 1974, p. 146.
24. Kurowski 1995, p. 143.
25. Range 1974, p. 60.
26. Range 1974, p. 61.
27. Range 1974, p. 71.
28. Range 1974, p. 100.
29. Kurowski 1995, p. 129.
30. Range 1974, p. 153.
31. Range 1974, p. 173.
32. Kurowski 1995, p. 17.
33. Range 1974, p. 116.
34. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 198.
35. Range 1974, p. 53.
36. Kurowski 1995, p. 27.
37. Kurowski 1995, p. 247.
38. Kurowski 1995, p. 237.
39. Kurowski 1995, p. 273.
40. Kurowski 1995, p. 73.
41. Range 1974, p. 165.
42. Kurowski 1995, p. 177.
43. Range 1974, p. 85.
44. Kurowski 1995, p. 221.
45. Kurowski 1995, p. 9.
46. Kurowski 1995, p. 231.
47. Kurowski 1995, p. 297.
48. Kurowski 1995, p. 253.
49. Kurowski 1995, p. 55.
50. Kurowski 1995, p. 61.
51. Kurowski 1995, p. 257.
52. Kurowski 1995, p. 137.
53. Range 1974, p. 109.
54. Range 1974, p. 156.
55. Range 1974, p. 106.
56. Range 1974, p. 167.
57. Range 1974, p. 152.
58. Kurowski 1995, p. 81.
59. Range 1974, p. 92.
60. Range 1974, p. 134.
61. Kurowski 1995, p. 255.
62. Range 1974, p. 131.
63. Kurowski 1995, p. 53.
64. Range 1974, p. 182.
65. Range 1974, p. 169.
66. Range 1974, p. 84.
67. Range 1974, p. 171.