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 received the award in 1945, when the deteriorating situation of Germany in the final days of World War II in Europe left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process.
Listed here are the 104 Knight's Cross recipients whose last name starts in the range of "X" to "Z". Veit Scherzer has challenged the validity of 2 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 104 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts in the range of "X" to "Z", only Wolf-Dietrich Ritter und Edler von Xylanders last name starts with "X". Of these 104 recipients, eleven were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and one the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords; seven presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received seventy-four of the medals, three went to the Kriegsmarine, twenty-three to the Luftwaffe, and four to the Waffen-SS. The sequential numbers greater than 843 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.
| Name | Service | Rank | Role and unit | Date of award | Notes | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Panzer-Regiment 15 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Major | Commander of Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 172 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 96 | |||||
| + | Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 33 | Awarded 204th Oak Leaves 6 March 1943 | |||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 5./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 30 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 14.(Panzer-Jäger)/Grenadier-Regiment 507 | Killed in action 16 July 1943 | ||||
| Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 60 | |||||
| + | Heer | Oberst | Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 88 and leader of the 17. Infanterie-Division | Awarded 647th Oak Leaves 5 November 1944 | |||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Leader of the III./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 129 | |||||
| Kriegsmarine | Korvettenkapitän | Commander of | |||||
| Heer | Gefreiter | Machine gunner in the 2./Pionier-Bataillon 81 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Major | Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Kampfgeschwader 54 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 16./Transportgeschwader 1 | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 90 | |||||
| + | Waffen-SS | SS-Obersturmbannführer | Commander of the SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 1 "Florian Geyer" | Awarded 722nd Oak Leaves 1 February 1945 | |||
| Heer | Oberjäger | Group leader in the 1./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 13 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Major | Commander of Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 600 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the 1./SS-Grenadier-Regiment "Radolfzell" | |||||
| Heer | Oberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) | Chief of the general staff of the Panzer-Gruppe 1 | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 51 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 3./Artillerie-Regiment 114 | |||||
| + | Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 380 | Awarded 495th Oak Leaves 9 June 1944 | |||
| Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 9./Grenadier-Regiment 380 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Feldwebel | Pilot in the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Feldwebel | Pilot in the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | Killed in flying accident 13 September 1943 | ||||
| Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53 | |||||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 3./Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon (A.A.) 112 | |||||
| + | Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 | Awarded 117th Oak Leaves 3 September 1942 | |||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 12 | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 3./Panzer-Regiment 36 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of the III./Jäger-Regiment 38 | |||||
| Waffen-SS | SS-Hauptscharführer | Deputy leader of the 2./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 "Westland" | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Leader of the 5./Panzer-Regiment 11 | Killed in action 13 August 1943 | ||||
| Heer | Gefreiter | Deputy group leader in the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 467 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 667 | |||||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 113. Infanterie-Division | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 600 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Regiment adjutant in Grenadier-Regiment 974 | |||||
| Heer | Oberstleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 353 | |||||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Leader of a Kampfgruppe in the Stab of Heeresgruppe Afrika | |||||
| + | Waffen-SS | SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS | Commander of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland" | Awarded (848th) Oak Leaves 28 April 1945 | |||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the III./Jäger-Regiment 207 | |||||
| + | Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 186 | Awarded 121st Oak Leaves 8 September 1942 102nd Swords 23 October 1944 | |||
| Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 13./Transportgeschwader 1 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 1./schwere Panzer-Jagd-Abteilung 93 | |||||
| + | Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) of 15./Infanterie-Regiment 94 | Awarded 317th Oak Leaves 2 November 1943 | |||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Glider pilot in the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch" | At the same time promoted to Hauptmann | ||||
| Heer | Gefreiter | Machine gunner in the 1./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 126 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Chief of the 1./Panzer-Jagd-Abteilung 186 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Observer in the Stab of II./Kampfgeschwader 27 "Boelcke" | Died from wounds on 14 April 1944 | ||||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 10./Grenadier-Regiment 8 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Stabswachtmeister | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 245 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Deputy leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 105 | |||||
| Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander 17. Infanterie-Division | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 105 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Commander of the I.(gem.)/Flaksturm-Regiment 241 (motorized) | Died from wounds on 7 June 1944 | ||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Chief of the 8./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 225 | Killed in action 29 October 1944 | ||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Chief of the 1./Panzer-Regiment 36 | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the II./Schützen-Regiment 3 | |||||
| Heer | Major | Leader of the Grenadier-Regiment 509 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 199 "List" | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" | |||||
| Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 4.(MG)/Grenadier-Regiment 504 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Commander of the I./Flak-Regiment 29 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Oberwachtmeister | Vorgeschobener Beobachter (forward observer) in the 12./Artillerie-Regiment 205 | |||||
| Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 80 | |||||
| Waffen-SS | SS-Unterscharführer | Shock troops leader in the Kampfgruppe "Krauth" n the 15./Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 8./Artillerie-Regiment 148 | |||||
| [6] | Heer | Oberleutnant | Leader of the I./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 206 | ||||
| Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Jäger-Regiment 56 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Feldwebel | Radio operator in the 3./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" | |||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 461 | |||||
| Heer | Wachtmeister | Vorgeschobener Beobachter (forward observer) in the 6./Artillerie-Regiment 41 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 177 | |||||
| Heer | Unteroffizier | In the 3./Schützen-Regiment 114 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the Panzer-Abteilung in the Panzer-Division "Müncheberg" | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 6./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor" | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Chief of the 14.(Panzerjäger)/Grenadier-Regiment 437 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 151 | |||||
| ? | Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 732 | ||||
| + | Heer | Oberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) | Leader of the 189. Infanterie-Division | Awarded 739th Oak Leaves 16 February 1945 | |||
| Heer | Major | Commander of Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 159 | |||||
| + | Heer | Generalmajor | Commander of the 20. Infanterie-Division (motorized) | Awarded 291st Oak Leaves 3 September 1943 | |||
| + | Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 | Awarded 588th Oak Leaves 17 September 1944 | |||
| Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Company leader in the Grenadier-Regiment 1213 | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 94 | |||||
| Kriegsmarine | Oberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 65 | |||||
| Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Artillerie-Regiment 19 (motorized) | |||||
| Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 546 | |||||
| ? | Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 189 | ||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 1./Pionier-Bataillon 6 (L) | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54 | |||||
| Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 530 | |||||
| + | Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in 7./Jagdgeschwader 52 | Awarded 141st Oak Leaves 31 October 1942 | |||
| Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 300 | |||||
| Heer | Major | Commander of the II./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100 | |||||
| Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | |||||
| Kriegsmarine | Korvettenkapitän | Chief of the 8. Schnellbootflottille |
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.