List of Knight's Cross recipients of the Kriegsmarine

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: "Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes") and its variants was the highest award in the military of the Third Reich. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. 318 German sailors and servicemen of the "Kriegsmarine" received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during or shortly after World War II. 316 presentations were formally made and two recipients received the award after 11 May 1945 when "Großadmiral" Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of all promotions and illegalized all subsequent awards. The final two recipients are therefore considered to have received the medal without legal authority.Fellgiebel 2000, p. 4.]

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 and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.cite web |url=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|title=Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ] 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 ("Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub") was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849" of 3 June 1940.cite web |url=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|title=Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ] 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 ("Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern") and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds ("Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten").cite web |url=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|title=Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ] At the end of 1944 the last and final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds ("Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenmen Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillainten"), based on the enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11" of 29 December 1944 concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.cite web |url=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|title=Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ]

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". 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. [Fellgiebel, p.112.]

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. Ultimately, it would be awarded to only twenty-seven German soldiers, sailors and airmen, ranging from young fighter pilots to field marshals. Two recipients were members of the "Kriegsmarine". [Fellgiebel 2000, p. 36–38.] The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

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.

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 date and must be considered "illegal" hand-outs. 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. Also Karl Jäckel received his Knight's Cross confirmation after 11 May 1945 and is a "de facto" but not "de jure" recipient.

Footnotes

*note label|Note1|a|a Sources are inconclusive with respect to date of death. Some sources indicate that von Forstner succumbed to his injuries on 22 October 1943 nine days after the sinking of U 402 on 13 October 1943. [Fellgiebel 2000, p. 184.] [Kurowski 1995, p. 57.] [Range 1974, p. 78.]
*note label|Note2|b|b Author Clemens Range dates Hans Lehmann's Knight's Cross on 8 June 1945, thus after the effectiveness of the Dönitz decree. Walther-Peer Fellgiebel, author of "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945", indicates that Lehmann received the Knight's Cross on 11 May 1945, before the Dönitz decree prohibited the awarding of the Knight's Cross. The sequential number 317 associated to Lehmann's Knight's Cross is based on author Clemens Range's work "Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine". [Range 1974, p. 113.] [Fellgiebel 2000, p. 287.]

References

;Specific;General
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Wölfersheim-Berstadt, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Kurowski, Franz (1995). "Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service". Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-748-X.
* Range, Clemens (1974). "Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine". Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.

External links

* [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/Ritterkreuz/IndexRK.htm Lexikon der Wehrmacht]
* [http://www.bundesarchiv.de/aufgaben_organisation/dienstorte/freiburg/ Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv]