List of bearers of oak leaves with swords for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The following overview contains all 159 bearers of the oak leaves with swords mentioned in the literature for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The commander-in-chief of the Japanese naval forces, Grand Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, was the only foreigner to receive the award. The award took place posthumously on May 27, 1943; it is not listed below.
The minimum requirement to be awarded the Oak Leaves with Swords was the previous award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Skipping the steps was not permitted. In the course of the award of the oak leaves with swords, the knight's cross was therefore not awarded again, but instead only the oak leaves with swords with a new collar in a box and a second piece of the oak leaves with swords for front use.
Award overview
The rank at the time of the award is given in the rank column.
Award | Surname | Rank | Armed forces | Award date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Adolf Galland | Lieutenant colonel | air force | June 21, 1941 |
2. | Werner Mölders | Lieutenant colonel | air force | June 22, 1941 |
3. | Walter Oesau | Captain | air force | July 15, 1941 |
4th | Günther Lützow | major | air force | October 11, 1941 |
5. | Otto Kretschmer | Corvette Captain | Navy | December 26, 1941 |
6th | Erwin Rommel | General of the armored force | army | January 29, 1942 |
7th | Heinrich Bear | Captain | air force | February 16, 1942 |
8th. | Hans Philipp | Captain | air force | March 12, 1942 |
9. | Herbert Ihlefeld | Captain | air force | April 24, 1942 |
10. | Max-Hellmuth Ostermann | First lieutenant | air force | May 17, 1942 |
11. | Hermann Graf | lieutenant | air force | May 19, 1942 |
12. | Hans-Joachim Marseille | First lieutenant | air force | June 18, 1942 |
13. | Gordon M. Gollob | Captain | air force | June 23, 1942 |
14th | Leopold Steinbatz | Sergeant Major | air force | June 23, 1942 |
15th | Albert Kesselring | Field Marshal General | air force | July 18, 1942 |
16. | Werner Baumbach | Captain | air force | August 17, 1942 |
17th | Erich Topp | Lieutenant captain | Navy | August 27, 1942 |
18th | Reinhard Suhren | Lieutenant captain | Navy | September 1, 1942 |
19th | Joachim Müncheberg | Captain | air force | September 9, 1942 |
20th | Joachim Helbig | Captain | air force | September 26, 1942 |
21st | Karl Eibl | Major general | army | December 19, 1942 |
22nd | Hans Hube | Lieutenant General | army | December 21, 1942 |
23. | Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke | major | air force | December 23, 1942 |
24. | Alfred Druschel | Captain | air force | February 19, 1943 |
25th | Hermann Balck | Lieutenant General | army | March 4, 1943 |
26th | Josef Dietrich | SS-Oberstgruppenführer | Armed SS | March 14, 1943 |
27. | Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz | Colonel | army | March 28, 1943 |
28. | Walter Model | Colonel General | army | April 3, 1943 |
29 | Wolfgang Lüth | Lieutenant captain | Navy | April 15, 1943 |
30th | Walter Gorn | Colonel | army | June 8, 1943 |
31. | Dietrich Peltz | Colonel | air force | July 23, 1943 |
32. | Helmut Lent | major | air force | August 2, 1943 |
33. | Adelbert Schulz | Lieutenant colonel | army | August 6, 1943 |
34. | Günther Rall | Captain | air force | September 12, 1943 |
35. | Hermann Hoth | Colonel General | army | September 15, 1943 |
36. | Josef Harpe | General of the armored force | army | September 15, 1943 |
37. | Walter Nowotny | Captain | air force | September 22, 1943 |
38. | Waldemar von Gazen | major | army | October 3, 1943 |
39. | August Dieckmann | SS-Obersturmbannführer | Armed SS | October 10, 1943 |
40. | Günther von Kluge | Field Marshal General | army | October 29, 1943 |
41. | Gerhard Graf von Schwerin | Lieutenant General | army | November 4, 1943 |
42. | Hans Ulrich Rudel | Captain | air force | November 25, 1943 |
43. | Hajo Herrmann | Colonel | air force | January 23, 1944 |
44. | Heinrich Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein | major | air force | January 23, 1944 |
45. | Erich bear catcher | major | army | January 23, 1944 |
46. | Dietrich von Saucken | Lieutenant General | army | February 20, 1944 |
47. | Herbert Otto Gille | SS group leader | Armed SS | February 20, 1944 |
48. | Hermann Breith | General of the armored force | army | February 21, 1944 |
49. | Franz Bäke | Lieutenant colonel | army | February 21, 1944 |
50. | Hasso von Manteuffel | Major general | army | February 22, 1944 |
51. | Egon Mayer | Lieutenant colonel | air force | March 2, 1944 |
52. | Gerhard Barkhorn | Captain | air force | March 2, 1944 |
53. | Franz Griesbach | Colonel | army | March 6, 1944 |
54. | Werner Streib | major | air force | March 11, 1944 |
55. | Richard Heidrich | Lieutenant General | air force | March 25, 1944 |
56. | Hinrich Schuldt | SS-Oberführer | Armed SS | March 25, 1944 |
57. | Georg-Wilhelm Postel | Lieutenant General | army | March 26, 1944 |
58. | Wend from Wietersheim | Major general | army | March 26, 1944 |
59. | Erich von Manstein | Field Marshal General | army | March 30, 1944 |
60. | Ewald von Kleist | Field Marshal General | army | March 30, 1944 |
61. | Alwin Boerst | major | air force | April 6, 1944 |
62. | Ernst copper | Colonel | air force | April 11, 1944 |
63. | Hans Kreysing | General of the mountain troops | army | April 13, 1944 |
64. | Hans Jordan | General of the Infantry | army | April 20, 1944 |
65. | Hermann Prieß | SS Brigade Leader | Armed SS | April 24, 1944 |
66. | Albrecht Brandi | Lieutenant captain | Navy | May 9, 1944 |
67. | Ludwig Heilmann | Colonel | air force | May 15, 1944 |
68. | Georg-Hans Reinhardt | Colonel General | army | May 26, 1944 |
69. | Horst Niemack | Colonel | army | June 6, 1944 |
70. | Alfons King | Lieutenant colonel | army | June 9, 1944 |
71. | Michael Wittmann | SS-Obersturmführer | Armed SS | June 22, 1944 |
72. | Eduard Dietl | Colonel General | army | July 1, 1944 |
73. | Josef Priller | Lieutenant colonel | air force | July 2, 1944 |
74. | Friedrich Lang | major | air force | July 2, 1944 |
75. | Erich Hartmann | First lieutenant | air force | 4th July 1944 |
76. | Smilo von Lüttwitz | Lieutenant General | army | 4th July 1944 |
77. | Hans Dorr | SS-Sturmbannführer | Armed SS | July 9, 1944 |
78. | Anton Hackl | major | air force | July 12, 1944 |
79. | Rainer Stahel | Major general | air force | July 18, 1944 |
80. | Theodor Tolsdorff | Lieutenant colonel | army | July 18, 1944 |
81. | Fritz Bayerlein | Lieutenant General | army | July 20, 1944 |
82. | Johannes Steinhoff | Lieutenant colonel | air force | July 28, 1944 |
83. | Hermann Fegelein | SS group leader | Armed SS | July 30, 1944 |
84. | Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer | Captain | air force | August 3, 1944 |
85. | Fritz von Scholz | SS group leader | Armed SS | August 8, 1944 |
86. | Felix Steiner | SS group leader | Armed SS | August 10, 1944 |
87. | Walter Fries | Lieutenant General | army | August 11, 1944 |
88 | Kurt Bühligen | major | air force | August 14, 1944 |
89. | Johannes Mayer | Lieutenant General | army | August 23, 1944 |
90. | Paul Hausser | SS Colonel Group Leader | Armed SS | August 26, 1944 |
91. | Kurt Meyer | SS standard leader | Armed SS | August 27, 1944 |
92. | Robert Ritter von Greim | Colonel General | air force | August 27, 1944 |
93. | Ferdinand Schörner | Colonel General | army | August 28, 1944 |
94. | Theodor Wisch | SS Brigade Leader | Armed SS | August 28, 1944 |
95. | Otto Baum | SS standard leader | Armed SS | September 2, 1944 |
96. | Hans Kroh | Colonel | air force | September 12, 1944 |
97. | Wilhelm Wegener | General of the Infantry | army | September 17, 1944 |
98 | Theodor Nordmann | major | air force | September 17, 1944 |
99 | Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke | Lieutenant General | air force | September 19, 1944 |
100. | Otto von Knobelsdorff | General of the armored force | army | September 21, 1944 |
101. | Karl Mauss | Major general | army | October 23, 1944 |
102. | Werner Ziegler | major | army | October 23, 1944 |
103. | Fritz Feßmann | Captain | army | October 23, 1944 |
104. | Hermann Recknagel | General of the Infantry | army | October 23, 1944 |
105. | Maximilian von Edelsheim | Lieutenant General | army | October 23, 1944 |
106. | Hans Källner | Lieutenant General | army | October 23, 1944 |
107. | Werner Mummert | Colonel | army | October 23, 1944 |
108. | Josef Wurmheller | Captain | air force | October 24, 1944 |
109. | Hermann Hohn | Major general | army | October 31, 1944 |
110. | Hans von Obstfelder | General of the Infantry | army | November 5, 1944 |
111. | Ernst-Günther Baade | Lieutenant General | army | November 16, 1944 |
112. | Karl-Lothar Schulz | Colonel | air force | November 18, 1944 |
113. | Otto Kittel | First lieutenant | air force | November 25, 1944 |
114. | Georg Freiherr von Boeselager | Lieutenant colonel | army | November 28, 1944 |
115. | Helmuth Weidling | General of the artillery | army | November 28, 1944 |
116. | Heinz Harmel | SS Brigade Leader | Armed SS | December 15, 1944 |
117. | Trust Lord | General of the armored force | army | December 18, 1944 |
118. | Alfred-Hermann Reinhardt | Lieutenant General | army | December 24, 1944 |
119. | Joachim Peiper | SS-Obersturmbannführer | Armed SS | December 28, 1944 |
120. | Walter Kruger | SS-Obergruppenführer | Armed SS | January 11, 1945 |
121. | Wolfgang Kretzschmar | Colonel | air force | January 12, 1945 |
122. | Lothar Rendulic | Colonel General | army | January 18, 1945 |
123. | Maximilian Wengler | Major general | army | January 21, 1945 |
124. | Walther Nehring | General of the armored force | army | January 22, 1945 |
125. | Hermann Hogeback | Lieutenant colonel | air force | January 26, 1945 |
126. | Erich Rudorffer | major | air force | January 26, 1945 |
127. | Friedrich Kirchner | General of the armored force | army | January 26, 1945 |
128. | Friedrich-Wilhelm Muller | General of the Infantry | army | January 27, 1945 |
129. | Helmut Dörner | SS-Oberführer | Armed SS | February 1, 1945 |
130. | Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert | First lieutenant | air force | February 1, 1945 |
131. | Erich Walther | Colonel | air force | February 1, 1945 |
132. | Max Sachsenheimer | Major general | army | February 6, 1945 |
133. | Gerd von Rundstedt | Field Marshal General | army | February 18, 1945 |
134. | Dietrich von Müller | Major general | army | February 20, 1945 |
135. | Friedrich Schulz | General of the Infantry | army | February 26, 1945 |
136. | Gotthard Heinrici | Colonel General | army | March 3, 1945 |
137. | Heinz-Georg Lemm | Lieutenant colonel | army | March 15, 1945 |
138. | Otto Kumm | SS Brigade Leader | Armed SS | March 17, 1945 |
139. | Walter Hartmann | General of the artillery | army | March 18, 1945 |
140 | Georg Bochmann | SS standard leader | Armed SS | March 30, 1945 |
141. | Arthur Jüttner | Colonel | army | April 5, 1945 |
142. | Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski | Major general | army | April 17, 1945 |
143. | Hellmuth Mäder | Major general | army | April 18, 1945 |
144. | Werner Schroer | major | air force | April 19, 1945 |
145. | Wilhelm Batz | major | air force | April 21, 1945 |
146. | Johannes Blaskowitz | Colonel General | army | April 25, 1945 |
without no. | Hermann-Heinrich Behrend | Major general | army | April 26, 1945 |
Illegal, rejected and unspent awards
According to the documents of the Federal Archives and contrary to the information in various literature, the following people are not carriers of the swords for oak leaves. The alleged award numbers and dates of these alleged medal bearers were given by the " Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger " (OdR). Alleged awards after May 9, 1945 are not included in this list, as they are undoubtedly ineffective due to the unconditional surrender of May 8, 1945.
Award | Surname | Rank | Armed forces | date | Remarks |
147. | Hermann Niehoff | Lieutenant General | army | April 26, 1945 | No evidence in surviving archive materials in the Federal Archives. The OdR also only accepts the award. According to his own statement, N. was proposed by Gauleiter Hanke in April 1945 . The award date and number were given by the OdR. N. was an OdR member. |
149. | Karl Decker | General of the armored force | army | April 26, 1945 | No evidence in surviving archive materials in the Federal Archives. OdR only accepts the award because the general's widow "states that she still received the news of the award at that time." The award date and the award number were also given by the OdR. |
150. | Otto Weidinger | SS-Obersturmbannführer | Armed SS | May 6, 1945 | No evidence in surviving archive materials in the Federal Archives. Ineffective award of SS-Obst.Gruf. Sepp Dietrich . The award date is the same, the announcement of the "award" by the 6th Panzer Army . The award number 150 has been awarded by the OdR. W. was an OdR member. |
151 | Günther-Eberhardt Wisliceny | SS-Obersturmbannführer | Armed SS | May 6, 1945 | No evidence in surviving archive materials in the Federal Archives. Ineffective award of SS-Obst.Gruf. Sepp Dietrich. The award date is the same, the announcement of the "award" by the 6th Panzer Army. The award number 151 has been assigned by the OdR. W. was an OdR member. |
152. | Sylvester Stadler | SS Brigade Leader | Armed SS | May 6, 1945 | No evidence in surviving archive materials in the Federal Archives. St. is also not mentioned in the activity reports of the Order Commission. Lt. Fellgiebel allegedly awarded SS-Obst.Gruf. Sepp Dietrich, which would be legally ineffective. Fellgiebel gives the following sources: H. Buch and W. Kment. According to his own account, Buch had nothing to do with this award. (Communication of June 25, 2004). According to its own information, St. was submitted by Sepp Dietrich after March 22, 1945, although the Div. was not under the Kdo. of the 6th Panzer Army. The award number 152 has been awarded by the OdR. The date of the award was apparently taken from the Krätschmer by Fellgiebel. |
153. | Wilhelm Bittrich | SS-Obergruppenführer | Armed SS | May 6, 1945 | No evidence in surviving archive materials in the Federal Archives. Ineffective award of SS-Obst.Gruf. Sepp Dietrich. The award date is the one after the announcement of the "award" by the 6th Panzer Army. The award number 153 has been awarded by the OdR. B. was an OdR member. |
154. | Fritz-Hubert Grasses | General of the armored force | army | May 8, 1945 | VV of the troops was received by HPA on April 29, 1945. Major Domaschk demanded: “Fuehrer's decision!”, General Maisel remarked: “I propose the award! 04/30 ". In the hs. Only the receipt of the VV on April 29, 1945 is noted in the list of proposals for higher levels of the RK to the EK. No indication of the award. Unfinished business at the end of the war. From the perspective of the OdR, the award was made via the “Dönitz order”. According to a WASt. this "order" is not legally effective. The award number 154 was awarded by the OdR. The award date is an acceptance by the OdR. |
155. | Eugen Meindl | Parachute General | air force | May 8, 1945 | The VV of the troops has been passed on in a positive manner by all intermediate superiors. No editing and awarding notes. On April 19, 1945, Colonel Below / Adjutantur der Wehrmacht sent a telex to the mayor of the Parachute Army Colonel General Student with the Fuehrer , requesting a statement on this application. The following is noted on the copy of this telex: Resubmission “23.4.45”. The statement has apparently not been received. Unfinished business at the end of the war. From the perspective of the OdR, the award was made via the “Dönitz order”. According to a WASt. this "order" is not legally effective. Award number 155 was awarded by OdR. The date of the award was determined by Fellgiebel. M. is listed on a collection list of the OB Northwest for "Proposals for the award of war awards" from May 1945. This list, which was to serve as a template for Dönitz , contains twelve names of the troops already submitted by OB Nordwest via official channels, i.e. pending VVs. Doenitz never signed this list, probably not even seen it. From the list described, eight had been assigned or rejected by the responsible personnel offices by the end of the war, two were pending at HPA and LPA (Meindl, Graßmel), another two were ready for signature at OKW / WFSt. |
literature
- Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 .