List of Knight's Cross recipients 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf

The SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull") is also known as 3. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" and '''3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf'''. It was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke. The division is infamous due to its insignia and the fact that most of the initial enlisted men were SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS concentration camp guards).

The Totenkopf division was numbered with the "Germanic" divisions of the Waffen-SS. These included also the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich, and SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking.

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of September 1, 1939 instituted the Iron Cross and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. As the war progressed some of the recipients distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Oak Leaves to Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of June 3, 1940. In 1941 two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of September 28, 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 last and final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of December 29, 1944 concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.

Prerequisites
To qualify for the Knight's Cross, a soldier had to already hold the 1939 Iron Cross First Class, though the Iron Cross I Class was awarded concurrently with the Knight's Cross in rare cases. Unit commanders could also be awarded the medal for exemplary conduct by the unit as a whole.

Grades
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was divided into five grades, excluding the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross:
 * Knights Cross
 * Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and swords
 * Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
 * Knights Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

Knight's Cross with Swords

 * Hermann Prieß, 24.04.1944 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der W-SS Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Div "Totenkopf"

Knight's Cross with Oakleaves

 * Otto Baum, Otto 22.08.1943 SS-Obersturmbannführer Commander 5th SS-Panzer.Gren.Rgt Totenkopf
 * Hellmuth Becker, 21.09.1944 SS-Oberführer Commander 3rd SS-Panzer.Div Totenkopf
 * Fritz Biermeier, 26.12.1944 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander II./3rd SS-Panzer.Rgt
 * Georg Bochmann, 17.05.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander II./SS-KradSchtz.Rgt Thule
 * Theodor Eicke, 20.04.1942 SS-Obergruppenführer und Generalleutnant der W-SS Commander SS-Div Totenkopf
 * Hubert-Erwin Meierdress, 05.10.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander I./3rd SS-Panzer.Rgt
 * Hermann Prieß, 09.09.1943 SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der W-SS Commander SS-Pz.Gren.Div Totenkopf
 * Karl Ullrich, 14.05.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer Commander 6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke

HQ Staff

 * Erich Eberhardt, 23.08.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer Ia 3rd SS-Panzer Division Totenkopf
 * Theodor Eicke, 26.12.1941 SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der W-SS Commander SS-Division Totenkopf

SS Panzer Regiment 3 Totenkopf

 * Fritz Biermeier, 10.12.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander II./3rd SS-Panzer Rgt
 * Walter Mattern, 20.10.1944 SS-Obersturmführer Commander 7th Company, 3rd SS-Panzer Rgt
 * Waldemar Riefkogel, 11.07.1943 SS-Obersturmführer and Oberleutnant OF Schupo Commander 1st Company 3rd SS-Panzer Rgt
 * Rudolf Säumenicht, 13.10.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander 2nd Company 3rd SS-Panzer Rgt

1 SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment

 * Eduard Deisenhofer, 08.05.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander I./1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt
 * Hans Hirning, 23.10.1942 SS-Rottenführer Granatwerfer-Truppführer 6th Company 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt
 * Ludwig Köchle, 28.02.1942 SS-Oberscharführer Stoßtruppführer platoon commander 5th Company 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt 1
 * Max Simon, 20.10.1941 SS-Oberführer Commander 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt
 * August Zingel, 04.10.1942 SS-Unterscharführer Stoßtruppführer 15th Company 1st SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt

1 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment Totenkopf

 * Walter Reder, 03.04.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander I./1st SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt SS-Div Totenkopf
 * Joachim Schubach, 03.04.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander III./1st SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Totenkopf

SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 5 Totenkopf

 * Christian Bachmann, 28.02.1945 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander II./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
 * Hermann Buchner, 16.06.1944 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander III./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
 * Ernst Häussler, 15.08.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander II./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
 * Hermann Lang, 23.10.1944 SS-Unterscharführer Meldestaffelführer I./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
 * Josef Rölleke, 16.06.1944 SS-Unterscharführer Meldestaffelführer III./5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt
 * Lothar Swierzinski, 16.12.1943 SS-Rottenführer, 10th Company, 5th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt

SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 6 Theodor Eicke

 * Hellmuth Becker, 07.09.1943 SS-Standartenführer Commander SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
 * Hans Endreß, 23.03.1945 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander II./6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
 * Johann Fiedler, 16.06.1944 SS-Unterscharführer platoon commander, 5th Company, 6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
 * Kurt Franke, 03.10.1943 SS-Hauptscharführer Stoßtruppführer 11th Company SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
 * Kurt Launer, 15.08.1943 SS-Sturmbannführer Commanderr II./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke
 * Heinz-Fritz Müller, SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander  III./6th SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt Theodor Eicke

3 SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment

 * Otto Baum, 08.05.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander III./3rd SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt

SS Panzer Artillery Regiment 3 Totenkopf

 * Walter Gerth, 31.03.1943 SS-Obersturmführer Commander 7th Battery SS-Totenkopf-Art.Rgt
 * Hermann Prieß, 28.04.1943 SS-Oberführer Commander SS-Art.Rgt Totenkopf
 * Ernst Stäudle, 10.04.1942 SS-Oberscharführer 8th Battery SS-Art.Rgt Totenkopf
 * Josef Swientek, 16.06.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Art.Rgt

SS Panzerjäger Battalion 3 Totenkopf

 * Georg Bochmann, 03.05.1942 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander SS-Totenkopf Pz.Jäg.Btn
 * Fritz Christen, 20.10.1941 SS-Sturmmann Richtschütze (Gunner) 2nd Battery Pz.Jäg.Btn SS Totenkopf Div
 * Boris Kraas, 28.02.1945 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Jäg.Btn
 * Adolf Pittschellis, 23.08.1944 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander 3rd SS-Pz.Btn

SS Sturmgeschütz Battalion 3 Totenkopf

 * Ernst Dehmel, 15.08.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer stellv. Commander 3rd SS-Stug.Btn
 * Berndt Lubich von Milovan, 14.10.1943 SS-Obersturmführer Commander 1st Battery 3rd SS-Stug.Btn
 * Hubert-Erwin Meierdress, 13.03.1942 SS-Obersturmführer Commander Stug.Bty SS-Div Totenkopf
 * Felix Przedwojewski, 16.12.1943 SS-Unterscharführer Geschützführer 2nd Battery 3rd SS-Stug.Btn
 * Wilfried Richter, 21.04.1942 SS-Obersturmführer Commander Stug.Bty SS Totenkopf Div

SS Reconnaissance Battalion Totenkopf

 * Walter Bestmann, 28.09.1941 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander SS Totenkopf Reconnaissance Btn (mot)

SS Motorcycle Battalion Totenkopf

 * Franz Kleffner, 19.02.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander SS Totenkopf Motorcycle Btn

SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 3 Totenkopf

 * Lino Masarie, 03.04.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander Reconnaissance Btn SS Totenkopf Div
 * Alfred Titschkus, 11.12.1944 SS-Unterscharführer Gruppenführer, 3rd Company 3rd SS Pz.Rec Btn

SS Pionier Battalion 3 Totenkopf

 * Max Seela, 03.05.1942 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander 3rd SS-Pi.Btn Totenkopf
 * Karl Ullrich, 19.02.1942 SS-Sturmbannführer Commander Pi.Btn SS Totenkopf Div

SS Flak Battalion 3 Totenkopf

 * Otto Kron, 28.06.1942 SS-Hauptsturmführer Commander Flak Btn SS Totenkopf Div