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Knight's Cross recipients
All grades	Grand Cross Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds Oak Leaves and Swords
Oak Leaves	1940–41 1942 1943 1944 1945 Foreign
Knight's Cross	A Ba–Bm Bn–Bz C D E F G Ha–Hm Hn–Hz I J Ka–Km Kn–Kz L M N O P Q R Sa–Schr Schu–Sz T U V W X–Z Foreign
Knight's Cross

In total, 43 individuals in the military of allies of Nazi Germany were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), the highest award in the military of Nazi Germany during World War II. Eight of these men were also honoured with the next higher grade, the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, and one senior naval officer, Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, was additionally awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Among the recipients were eighteen Romanians, nine Italians, eight Hungarians, two Slovaks, two Japanese, two Spaniards, two Finns, one Dutch man, and one Belgian.

Colonel General Dezső László of Hungary became the last foreign recipient of the award on 3 March 1945. The last surviving foreign recipient of the award was Belgian politician Léon Degrelle, who died on 31 March 1994, fifty years after receiving the medal from Hitler's hands.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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

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 Lascăr	Romania	Major General (General de divizie)	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
Corneliu Teodorini	Romania	Brigadier General (General de brigadă)	6th Cavalry Division	8 December 1943	—
Petre Dumitrescu	Romania	Lieutenant General (General de armată)	3rd Romanian Army	4 April 1944	—
Mineichi Koga	Japan	Fleet Admiral	Japanese Chief of Fleet	12 May 1944*	Killed in action 31 March 1944
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	Finland	Marshal of Finland	President and Commander-in-chief of Finnish Defense Forces	5 August 1944	—
Léon Degrelle	Belgium	Major (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	First non-German to receive this award
Ugo de Carolis	Italy	Brigadier General (Generale di Brigata)	Italian 52nd Motorised Division Torino	9 February 1942*	Killed in action 12 December 1941
Ugo Cavallero	Italy	General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata)	Chief of the Italian Supreme Command	14 February 1942	—
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 armată)	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	—
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
Ermil Gheorghiu	Romania	Major General (General de escadră)	General Staff of the Romanian Air Force	4 April 1944	—
Fedele De Giorgis	Italy	Major General (Generale di Divisione)	Italian 55 Infantry Division Savona	9 January 1942	—
Enzo Grossi	Italy	Frigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata)	Italian submarine Barbarigo	7 October 1942	—
Erik Heinrichs	Finland	General of the Infantry	Chief of Finnish General Staff	5 August 1944	—
József Heszlényi	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal	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 Călărași Cavalry Regiment	28 March 1943	—	—
Mihály von Ibrányi	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal	Hungarian Cavalry Division	26 November 1944	—
Gusztáv Jány	Hungary	Colonel General	2nd Hungarian Army	31 March 1943	—
Emanoil Ionescu	Romania	Major General	Commander of the Romanian Air Force's Corpul I Aerian	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 Lakatos Edler de Csíkszentsimon	Hungary	Colonel General	1st Hungarian Army	24 May 1944	—
Mihail Lascar	Romania	Brigadier General (General de brigadă)	Romanian 1st Mountain Brigade	18 January 1942	Awarded Oak Leaves 22 November 1942
Dezső László	Hungary	Colonel General	1st Hungarian Army	3 March 1945	—
Horia Macellariu	Romania	Rear 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)	Chief of Staff of the Italian Alpini Corps (Corpo d'Armata Alpino)	3 April 1943*	Killed in action 26 January 1943
Giovanni Messe	Italy	Lieutenant General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata)	Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia	23 January 1942	—
Béla Miklós de Dálnok	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal	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 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

Notes

1. Léon Degrelle from Belgium had received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross while subordinated to the 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.
2. According to Scherzer on 28 April 1944.

References

Citations

1. Scherzer 2007, p. 268.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 112.
3. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
4. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
5. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
6. "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
7. Scherzer 2007, p. 801.
8. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 495.
9. Scherzer 2007, p. 739.
10. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 284.
11. Scherzer 2007, p. 462.
12. Scherzer 2007, p. 257.
13. Scherzer 2007, p. 328.
14. Scherzer 2007, p. 332.
15. Scherzer 2007, p. 413.
16. Scherzer 2007, p. 528.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes". Lexikon der Wehrmacht (in German). Retrieved 2 January 2011.
• "Das Bundesarchiv". Military Archive - Freiburg im Breisgau. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.

• Lists of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients