The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest award in the military of the Third Reich 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. In total 43 individuals in the military of allies of the Third Reich were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Eight men were also honoured with the next higher grade the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) and one senior naval officer, Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, with the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). Among the recipients were eighteen Romanian, nine Italian, eight Hungarian, two Slovakian, two Japanese, two Spanish, two Finnish, and one Belgian.[Notes 1]
Background[]
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht kept separate Knight's Cross lists, one for each of the 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. Once the four lists of the Knight's Cross recipients were merged into one listing, the chronological order was abandoned and the list was converted to an alphabetical list of recipients. 'Foreign recipients' were never integrated into this list and have been listed separately from the Wehrmacht recipients. The Wehrmacht also refrained from assigning a numbering scheme to the different lists of 'foreign recipients'. Two principles were retained, the foreign Knights Cross recipients were ordered alphabetically and the recipients of the higher grades were ordered chronologically.[2]
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 1 September 1939 instituted the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[3] 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 3 June 1940.[4] In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 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.[5] At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of 29 December 1944, concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.[6]
Recipients[]
The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross are initially ordered alphabetically whereas the recipients of the higher grades are initially ordered chronologically. The rank listed is the recipient's rank at the time the Knight's Cross or the Oak Leaves were awarded.
This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously.
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords[]
The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords 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 to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Isoroku Yamamoto was the sole non-German combatant to be honoured with the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
| Name | Country | Rank | Unit | Date of award | Notes | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isoroku Yamamoto | Japan | Fleet Admiral | Commander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet | 27 May 1943* | Killed in action 18 April 1943[7] | File:Isoroku Yamamoto.jpg |
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves[]
The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940.
| Name | Country | Rank | Unit | Date of award | Notes | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mihail Lascar | Romania | Major General (General de divizie)[8] | 6th Infantry Division of the 3rd Romanian Army | 22 November 1942 | — |
—
|
| Agustín Muñoz Grandes | Spain | Lieutenant General | Blue Division (250. Infantry Division) | 13 December 1942 | — |
—
|
| Isoroku Yamamoto | Japan | Fleet Admiral | Commander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet | 27 May 1943* | Awarded Swords 27 May 1943 | File:Isoroku Yamamoto.jpg |
| Corneliu Teodorini | Romania | Brigadier General (General de brigadâ)[9] | 6th Cavalry Division | 8 December 1943 | — |
—
|
| Petre Dumitrescu | Romania | Lieutenant General (General de armatâ)[10] | 3rd Romanian Army | 4 April 1944 | — |
|
| Mineichi Koga | Japan | Fleet Admiral | Japanese Chief of Fleet | 12 May 1944* | Killed in action 31 March 1944[11] | 
|
| Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim | Finland | Marshal of Finland | President and Commander-in-chief of Finnish Defense Forces | 5 August 1944 | — |
|
| Léon Degrelle | Belgium | SS-Sturmbannführer | 5. SS-Freiw.-Sturm-Brig. "Wallonien" | 27 August 1944 | — |
—
|
Recipients of the 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).
| Name | Country | Rank | Unit | Date of award | Notes | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ion Antonescu | Romania | General | Commander-in-chief of the Military of Romania | 6 August 1941 | — |
—
|
| Ugo de Carolis | Italy | Major General (Generale di Divisione) | Italian 52 Motorised Division Torino | 9 February 1942* | Killed in action 12 December 1941[12] | File:Decarolis.jpg |
| Ugo Cavallero | Italy | General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata | Chief of the Italian Supreme Command | 14 February 1942 | — |
File:Cavallero.jpg |
| Corneliu Dragalina | Romania | Lieutenant General | Romanian 6th Army Corps | 6 August 1942 | — |
—
|
| Ioan Dumitrache | Romania | Major General | 2nd Romanian Mountain Division | 21 November 1942 | — |
—
|
| Petre Dumitrescu | Romania | Lieutenant General (General de armatâ)[10] | 3rd Romanian Army | 1 September 1942 | Awarded Oak Leaves 4 April 1944 |
|
| Emilio Esteban Infantes | Spain | Lieutenant General | Blue Division (250. Infantry Division) | 3 October 1943 | — |
—
|
| Carlo Fecia di Cossato | Italy | Frigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata) | Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli | 19 March 1943 | — |
File:Dicossato.jpg |
| Italo Gariboldi | Italy | General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata) | 8th Italian Army | 1 April 1943 | — |
|
| Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia | Italy | Corvette Captain (Capitano di Corvetta) | Italian submarine Archimede | 26 May 1943* | Killed in action 24 May 1943[13] | File:Priaroggia.jpg |
| Ermil Gheorghiu | Romania | Major General (General de escadrâ)[14] | General Staff of the Romanian Air Force | 4 April 1944 | — |
—
|
| Fedele de Giorgis[Notes 2] | Italy | Major General (Generale di Divisione) | Italian 55 Infantry Division Savona | 9 January 1942 | — |
File:Degiorgis.jpg |
| Enzo Grossi | Italy | Frigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata) | Italian submarine Barbargio | 7 October 1942 | — |
File:EnzoGrossi.jpg |
| Erik Heinrichs | Finland | General of the Infantry | Chief of Finnish General Staff | 5 August 1944 | — |
|
| József Vitéz Heszlényi | Hungary | Field Marshal-Lieutenant | 3rd Hungarian Army | 28 October 1944 | — |
—
|
| Nikolaus von Horthy und von Nagybánya | Hungary | Admiral | Commander-in-chief of the Military of Hungary | 10 September 1941 | — |
|
| Ioan L. Hristea | Romania | Colonel | Romanian 2nd Calarasi Cavalry Regiment | 28 March 1943 | — |
—
|
| Mihály von Ibrányi | Hungary | Field Marshal-Lieutenant | Hungarian Cavalry Division | 26 November 1944 | — |
—
|
| Gusztáv Vitéz Jány | Hungary | Colonel General | 2nd Hungarian Army | 31 March 1943 | — |
—
|
| Emanoil Ionescu | Romania | Major General | Commander of the Romanian Air Force's Corpul I Aerien | 10 May 1944 | — |
—
|
| Mineichi Koga | Japan | Fleet Admiral | Japanese Chief of Fleet | 12 May 1944* | Oak Leaves 12 May 1944 |
|
| Radu Korne | Romania | Colonel | Romanian 8th Cavalry Division | 18 December 1942 | — |
—
|
| Geza Vitéz Lakatos Edler de Csíkszentsimon | Hungary | Colonel General | 1st Hungarian Army | 24 May 1944 | — |
—
|
| Mihail Lascar | Romania | Brigadier General (General de brigadâ)[8] | Romanian 1st Mountain Brigade | 18 January 1942 | Awarded Oak Leaves 22 November 1942 | —
|
| Dezső Vitéz László | Hungary | Colonel General | 1st Hungarian Army | 3 March 1945 | — |
—
|
| Horia Macellariu | Romania | Counter Admiral | Romanian Naval Forces | 21 May 1944 | — |
—
|
| Augustín Malár | Slovakia | Generálmajor | Slovak Fast Division | 23 January 1942 | — |
—
|
| Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim | Finland | Field Marshal | Commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defense Forces | 30 August 1941 | Awarded Oak Leaves 5 August 1944 |
|
| Gheorghe Manoliu | Romania | Divisions-General | 4th Romanian Mountain Division | 30 August 1942 | — |
—
|
| Giulio Martinat | Italy | Brigadier General (Generale di Brigata) | Staff of the Italian Alpini-Corps | 3 April 1943* | Killed in action 26 January 1943[15] | File:Martinat.jpg |
| Giovanni Messe | Italy | Lieutenant General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata) | Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia | 23 January 1942 | — |
|
| Béla Vitéz Miklós de Dálnok | Hungary | Field Marshal-Lieutenant | Hungarian Fast Corps | 4 December 1941 | — |
—
|
| Leonard Mociulschi | Romania | Major General | 3rd Romanian Mountain Division | 19 December 1943 | — |
—
|
| Agustín Muñoz Grandes | Spain | Lieutenant General | Blue Division (250. Infantry Division) | 12 March 1942 | Awarded Oak Leaves 13 December 1942 | —
|
| Ioan Pălăghiţă | Romania | Major | Romanian I./Infantry Regiment 94 | 7 April 1943 | — |
—
|
| Ioan Mihail Racoviţă | Romania | General of the Cavalry | 4th Romanian Army | 8 July 1944 | — |
—
|
| Edgar Rădulescu | Romania | Brigadier General | 11th Romanian Infantry Division | 3 July 1944 | — |
—
|
| Gheorghe Răscănescu | Romania | Major | Romanian I./Infantry Regiment 15 | 4 December 1942 | — |
—
|
| Zoltán C. Vitéz Szügyi | Hungary | Colonel | Hungarian Infantry Division Szent László | 12 January 1945 | — |
—
|
| Nicolae Tătăranu | Romania | Major General | 20th Romanian Infantry Division | 17 December 1942 | — |
—
|
| Corneliu Teodorini | Romania | Colonel | 6th Cavalry Division | 27 August 1943 | Awarded Oak Leaves 8 December 1943 | —
|
| Jozef Turanec | Slovakia | Generálmajor | Slovak Fast Division | 7 August 1942 | — |
—
|
| Isoroku Yamamoto | Japan | Fleet Admiral | Commander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet | 27 May 1943* | Awarded Oak Leaves 27 May 1943 Awarded Swords 27 May 1943 |
File:Isoroku Yamamoto.jpg |
Notes[]
- ↑ Léon Degrelle from Belgium had received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross while subordinated to the German Wehrmacht. Degrelle had received the Knight's Cross as SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve and leader of the 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Brigade "Wallonien" on 20 February 1944.[1]
- ↑ According to Scherzer name is spelled Fedele Degiorgis while Fellgiebel had listed him as Fedele di Giorgio.[1]
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 268.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 112.
- ↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939" (in German) (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 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. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940" (in German) (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 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. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941" (in German) (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 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. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944" (in German) (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). 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. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 801.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 495.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 739.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 284.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 462.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 257.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 328.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 332.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 528.
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 – 1945. Wölfersheim-Berstadt, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links[]
- "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes" (in German). Lexikon der Wehrmacht. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/Ritterkreuz/IndexRK.htm. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
- "Das Bundesarchiv". Military Archive - Freiburg im Breisgau. http://www.bundesarchiv.de/bundesarchiv/dienstorte/freiburg/index.html.en. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
The original article can be found at List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the edit history here.