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List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the U-boat service

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Knight's Cross recipients
A silver framed black cross that has arms which are narrow at the center, and broader at the perimeter. In the middle of the cross is a swastika, an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles. On the lower arm of the cross are the number 1939 engraved. The cross is connected to a ribbon with a silver clip. The ribbon has a red central stripe, flanked in white and with a black edge stripe.
All
grades		Grand Cross
Golden Oak Leaves, Swords
and Diamonds
Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Oak Leaves and Swords
Oak
Leaves
Knight's
Cross
 Knight's Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants was the highest military award in Nazi Germany. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. During or shortly after World War II, 145 German sailors and officers of the U-boat service as part of the Kriegsmarine received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Among them, 29 officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), five the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), and two won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten). Of these, 144 presentations were formally made and one recipient received the award after 11 May 1945, when Großadmiral Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of all promotions and illegalized all subsequent awards. The final recipient is therefore considered to have received the medal without legal authority.

Background

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), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Article 2 of the enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes. As the war progressed, some of the recipients of the Knight's Cross distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (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. 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 Brillanten). 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, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized.

Recipients

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.

  This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously.

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 twenty-seven German soldiers, sailors and airmen, ranging from young fighter pilots to field marshals. Two recipients were members of the U-boat arm.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes
7 Wolfgang Lüth 15-MFregattenkapitän Commander of U-181 9 August 1943 killed on active service 13 May 1945
22 Albrecht Brandi 15-MFregattenkapitän Commander of U-967 24 November 1944 —

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords is also 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.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes
5 Otto Kretschmer 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-99 26 December 1941 —
17 Erich Topp 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-552 17 August 1942 —
18 Reinhard Suhren 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-564 1 September 1942 —
29 Wolfgang Lüth 14-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-181 15 April 1943 Awarded 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943
66 Albrecht Brandi 14-MFregattenkapitän Commander of U-380 9 May 1944 Awarded 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940. The last officially announced number for the Oak Leaves was 843. Higher numbers are unofficial and therefore denoted in brackets.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes
5 Günther Prien 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-47 20 October 1940 missing in action 7 March 1941
6 Otto Kretschmer 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-99 4 November 1940 Awarded 5th Swords 26 December 1941
7 Joachim Schepke 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-100 1 December 1940 killed in action 17 March 1941
13 Heinrich Liebe 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-38 10 June 1941 At the same time promoted to Korvettenkapitän
14 Engelbert Endrass 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-46 10 June 1941 killed in action 21 December 1941
15 Herbert Schultze 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-48 12 June 1941 —
23 Viktor Hermann Otto Schütze 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-103 14 July 1941 —
51 Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-96 31 December 1941 —
56 Reinhard Suhren 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-564 31 December 1941 Awarded 18th Swords 1 September 1942
87 Erich Topp 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-552 11 April 1942 Awarded 17th Swords 17 August 1942
89 Reinhard Hardegen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-123 23 April 1942 —
104 Rolf Mützelburg 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-203 15 July 1942 killed on active service 11 September 1942
105 Adalbert Schnee 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-201 15 July 1942 —
123 Klaus Scholtz 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-108 10 September 1942 —
125 Heinrich Bleichrodt 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-109 23 September 1942 —
142 Wolfgang Lüth 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-181 13 November 1942 Awarded 29th Swords 15 April 1943
7th Diamonds 9 August 1943
147 Karl-Friedrich Merten 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-68 16 November 1942 —
171 Friedrich Guggenberger 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-81 8 January 1943 —
177 Johann Mohr 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-124 13 January 1943 killed in action 3 April 1943
208 Georg Lassen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-160 7 March 1943 —
223 Karl Dönitz 22-MGroßadmiral Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine and Befehlshaber der U-Boote 6 April 1943 —
224 Albrecht Brandi 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-617 11 April 1943 Awarded 66th Swords 9 May 1944
22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944
234 Otto von Bülow 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-404 26 April 1943 —
250 Robert Gysae 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-177 31 May 1943 —
256 Carl Emmermann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-172 4 July 1943 —
257 Werner Henke 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-515 4 July 1943 killed as prisoner of war on 15 June 1944
645 Werner Hartmann 17-MKapitän zur See Leader of the U-Boote in the Mediterranean Sea, before commander of U-198 5 November 1944 —
(852) Rolf Thomsen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-1202 29 April 1945 —
(853) Hans-Günther Lange 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-711 29 April 1945 —

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).

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes
1 Günther Prien 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-47 18 October 1939 Awarded 5th Oak Leaves 20 October 1940
2 Herbert Schultze 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-48 1 March 1940 Awarded 15th Oak Leaves 12 June 1941
3 Karl Dönitz 18-MKonteradmiral Befehlshaber der U-Boote (B.d.U.) 21 April 1940 Awarded 223rd Oak Leaves 6 April 1943
4 Werner Hartmann 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-37 9 May 1940 Awarded 645th Oak Leaves 5 November 1944
5 Otto Schuhart 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-29 16 May 1940 —
6 Wilhelm Rollmann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-34 31 July 1940 killed in action 5 November 1943
7 Otto Kretschmer 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-99 4 August 1940 Awarded 6th Oak Leaves 4 November 1940
5th Swords 26 December 1941
8 Heinrich Liebe 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-38 14 August 1940 Awarded 13th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941
9 Fritz-Julius Lemp 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-30 14 August 1940 killed in action 9 May 1941
10 Hans-Rudolf Rösing 15-MKorvettenkapitän Chief of the 7. Unterseebootsflottille and commander of U-48 29 August 1940 —
11 Fritz Frauenheim 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-101 29 August 1940 —
12 Engelbert Endrass 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-46 5 September 1940 Awarded 14th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941
13 Günter Kuhnke 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-28 19 September 1940 —
14 Joachim Schepke 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-100 24 September 1940 Awarded 7th Oak Leaves 1 December 1940
15 Hans Jenisch 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-32 7 October 1940 —
16 Victor Oehrn 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-37 21 October 1940 —
17 Gerd Suhren 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-37 21 October 1940 —
18 Heinrich Bleichrodt 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-48 24 October 1940 Awarded 125th Oak Leaves 23 September 1942
19 Wolfgang Lüth 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-138 24 October 1940 Awarded 142nd Oak Leaves 13 November 1942
29th Swords 15 April 1943
7th Diamonds 9 August 1943
20 Reinhard Suhren 13-MOberleutnant zur See 1st watch officer on U-48 3 November 1940 Awarded 56th Oak Leaves 31 December 1941
18th Swords 1 September 1942
21 Heinrich Petersen 11-MStabsobersteuermann Watch officer and coxswain on U-99 5 November 1940 —
22 Viktor Schütze 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-103 11 December 1940 Awarded 23rd Oak Leaves 14 July 1941
23 Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-65 14 January 1941 —
24 Karl-Heinz Moehle 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-123 26 February 1941 —
25 Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-96 26 February 1941 Awarded 51st Oak Leaves 31 December 1941
26 Jürgen Oesten 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-106 26 March 1941 —
27 Georg-Wilhelm Schulz 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-124 4 April 1941 —
28 Erich Zürn 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-48 23 April 1941 —
29 Herbert Kuppisch 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-94 14 May 1941 killed in action 27 August 1943
30 Herbert Wohlfarth 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-556 15 May 1941 —
31 Georg Schewe 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-105 23 May 1941 —
32 Claus Korth 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-93 29 May 1941 —
33 Erich Topp 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-552 20 June 1941 Awarded 87th Oak Leaves 11 April 1942
17th Swords 17 August 1942
34 Günter Hessler 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-107 24 June 1941 —
35 Jost Metzler 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-69 28 July 1941 —
36 Adalbert Schnee 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-201 30 August 1941 Awarded 105th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942
37 Rolf Mützelburg 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-203 17 November 1941 Awarded 104th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942
38 Ernst Mengersen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-101 18 November 1941 —
39 Friedrich Guggenberger 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-81 10 December 1941 Awarded 171st Oak Leaves 8 January 1943
40 Klaus Scholtz 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-108 26 December 1941 Awarded 123rd Oak Leaves 10 September 1942
41 Gerhard Bigalk 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-751 26 December 1941 killed in action 17 July 1942
42 Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-74 31 December 1941 —
43 Robert Gysae 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-98 31 December 1941 Awarded 250th Oak Leaves 31 May 1943
44 Reinhard Hardegen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-123 23 January 1942 Awarded 89th Oak Leaves 23 April 1942
45 Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-331 27 January 1942 —
46 Nicolai Clausen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-129 13 March 1942 killed in action 16 May 1943
47 Ernst Bauer 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-126 16 March 1942 —
48 Johann Mohr 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-124 27 March 1942 Awarded 177th Oak Leaves 13 January 1943
49 Otto Ites 13-KOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-94 28 March 1942 —
50 Robert-Richard Zapp 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-66 23 April 1942 —
51 Werner Winter 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-103 5 June 1942 —
52 Peter-Erich Cremer 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-333 5 June 1942 —
53 Karl-Friedrich Merten 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-68 13 June 1942 Awarded 147th Oak Leaves 16 November 1942
54 Hans-Werner Kraus 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-83 19 June 1942 —
55 Erwin Rostin 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-158 28 June 1942 —
56 Heinz-Otto Schultze 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-432 9 July 1942 killed in action 25 November 1943
57 Georg Lassen 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-160 10 August 1942 Awarded 208th Oak Leaves 7 March 1943
58 Helmut Rosenbaum 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-73 12 August 1942 —
59 Adolf Piening 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-155 13 August 1942 —
60 Heinrich Schonder 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-77 19 August 1942 killed in action 28 June 1943
61 Karl Thurmann 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-553 24 August 1942 missing in action 28 January 1943
62 Ernst Kals 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-130 1 September 1942 —
63 Werner Hartenstein 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-156 17 September 1942 killed in action 8 March 1943
64 Günther Krech 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-558 17 September 1942 —
65 Otto von Bülow 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-404 20 October 1942 Awarded 234th Oak Leaves 26 April 1943
66 Helmut Witte 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-159 22 October 1942 —
67 Siegfried Strelow 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-435 27 October 1942 killed in action 15 July 1943
68 Fritz Poske 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-504 6 November 1942 —
69 Carl Emmermann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-172 27 November 1942 Awarded 256th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943
70 Günther Müller-Stöckheim 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-67 27 November 1942 killed in action 16 July 1943
71 Wilhelm Dommes 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-431 2 December 1942 —
72 Hans Witt 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-129 17 December 1942 —
73 Werner Henke 13-MOberleutnant zur See zur Verwendung (for disposition) Commander of U-515 17 December 1942 Awarded 257th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943
74 Hermann Rasch 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-106 29 December 1942 —
75 Harro Schacht 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-507 9 January 1943 killed in action 14 January 1943
76 Albrecht Achilles 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-161 16 January 1943 killed in action 27 September 1943
77 Herbert Schneider 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-522 16 January 1943 killed in action 24 February 1943
78 Ulrich Heyse 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-128 21 January 1943 —
79 Albrecht Brandi 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-617 21 January 1943 Awarded 224th Oak Leaves 11 April 1943
66th Swords 9 May 1944
22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944
80 Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-402 9 February 1943 killed in action 13 October 1943
81 Gerhard Bielig 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-177 10 February 1943 —
82 Erich Würdemann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-506 14 March 1943 killed in action 14 July 1943
83 Reinhart Reche 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-255 17 March 1943 —
84 Hans-Hartwig Trojer 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-221 24 March 1943 —
85 Harald Gelhaus 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-107 26 March 1943 —
86 Karl Neitzel 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-510 27 March 1943 —
87 Günther Seibicke 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-436 27 March 1943 killed in action 26 May 1943
88 Ulrich Folkers 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-125 27 March 1943 killed in action 6 May 1943
89 Hans Heidtmann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-559 12 April 1943 —
90 Helmut Möhlmann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-571 16 April 1943 —
91 Gunter Jahn 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-596 30 April 1943 —
92 Wilhelm Franken 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-565 30 April 1943 killed in accident 13 January 1945
93 Klaus Bargsten 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-521 30 April 1943 —
94 Günther Heydemann 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-575 3 July 1943 —
95 Friedrich Markworth 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-66 8 July 1943 —
96 Georg Staats 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-508 14 July 1943 killed in action 12 November 1943
97 Gerd Kelbling 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-593 18 August 1943 —
98 Herbert Panknin 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-106 4 September 1943
99 Dipl.-Ing. Willi Lechtenbörger* 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserves Chief engineer on U-847 4 September 1943 killed in action 27 August 1943
100 Heinz Krey* 12-MLeutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-752 4 September 1943 killed in action 23 May 1943
101 August Maus 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-185 21 September 1943 —
102 Dietrich Schöneboom 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-431 20 October 1943 killed in action 23 October 1943
103 Carl-August Landfermann 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserve Chief engineer on U-181 27 October 1943 —
104 Hellmut Rohweder 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-69 and U-514 14 November 1943 —
105 Egon-Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-453 19 November 1943 —
106 Horst-Arno Fenski 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-410 26 November 1943 —
107 Heinz Franke 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-262 30 November 1943 —
108 Max-Martin Teichert* 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-456 19 December 1943* killed in action 12 May 1943
109 Siegfried Koitschka 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-616 27 January 1944 —
110 Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-543 3 February 1944 killed in action 2 July 1944
111 Siegfried Lüdden 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-188 11 February 1944 killed on active service 13 January 1945
112 Johann-Friedrich Wessels 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-198 9 March 1944 —
113 Gustav Poel 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-413 21 March 1944 —
114 Waldemar Mehl 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-371 28 March 1944 —
115 Alfred Eick 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-510 31 March 1944 —
116 Georg Olschewski 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-66 23 April 1944 —
117 Walter Käding 10-MObersteuermann 3rd watch officer and coxswain on U-123 15 May 1944 —
118 Horst Hofmann 10-MObersteuermann Coxswain and watch officer on U-672 20 May 1944 —
119 Karl-Heinz Wiebe 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-178 22 May 1944 —
120 Horst von Schroeter 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-123 1 June 1944 —
— Johann-Otto Krieg 13-MOberleutnant zur See Chief of the Kleinkampfmittel-Flottille 361 8 July 1944 —
121 Reinhard König 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-123 8 July 1944 —
122 Heinz Sieder 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-984 8 July 1944 killed in action 20 August 1944
123 Karl Fleige 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-18 18 July 1944 —
124 Karl-Heinz Marbach 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-953 22 July 1944 —
125 Hermann Stuckmann 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-621 11 August 1944 killed in action 23 August 1944
126 Heinrich Dammeier 11-MStabsobermaschinist Chief mechanic on U-270 12 August 1944 —
127 Hans-Günther Lange 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-711 26 August 1944 Awarded (853rd) Oak Leaves 29 April 1945
128 Heinrich Timm 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-862 17 September 1944 —
129 Gerhard Schaar 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-957 1 October 1944 —
130 Hans-Joachim Förster 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-480 18 December 1944 killed in action 24 February 1945
131 Paul Brasack 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-737 30 October 1944 —
132 Rudolf Mühlbauer 08-MOberbootsmannsmaat Brückenmaat (look out on the bridge) on U-123 10 December 1944 —
133 Günther Pulst 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-978 21 December 1944 —
134 Rolf Thomsen 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-1202 4 January 1945 Awarded (852nd) Oak Leaves 29 April 1945
135 Ernst Hechler 15-MKorvettenkapitän Commander of U-870 21 January 1945 —
136 Dr. jur. Kurt Dobratz 17-MKapitän zur See Commander of U-1232 23 January 1945 —
137 Johannes Limbach 12-LLeutnant zur See 1st watch officer on U-181 6 February 1945 —
138 Hans-Georg Hess 13-MOberleutnant zur See of the Reserves Commander of U-995 11 February 1945 —
139 Otto Westphalen 13-MOberleutnant zur See Commander of U-968 23 March 1945 —
140 Philipp Lichtenberg 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-516 31 March 1945 —
141 Hans Johannsen 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) Chief engineer on U-802 31 March 1945 —
142 Heinrich Praßdorf 09-MObermaschinist Lead machinist on U-1203 21 April 1945 —
143 Heinrich Schroeteler 14-MKapitänleutnant Commander of U-1023 2 May 1945 —
144 Hans Lehmann 13-MOberleutnant zur See of the Reserves Commander of U-997 7 May 1945

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 are considered "illegal" hand-outs. One sailor of the U-boat service is often listed as a recipient of the Knight's Cross but falls outside of the Dönitz-decree. Karl Jäckel received his Knight's Cross confirmation after 11 May 1945 and is therefore a de facto but not de jure recipient.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes
144 Karl Jäckel Ober-Steuermann Coxswain on U-29, U-160 and U-907 1 June 1945

References

Footnotes

  1. According to Scherzer as Kapitänleutnant.
  2. Some sources indicating that von Forstner succumbed to his injuries aboard USS Card on 22 October 1943 have been found incorrect.
  3. 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 within the Kriegsmarine, 144 within the U-boat service, associated to Lehmann's Knight's Cross is based on author Clemens Range's work Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine and Busch and Röll's book Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939-1945 - Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Historian Veit Scherzer, whose work Die Ritterkreuzträger 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 is based on the primary data from the German Federal Archives, indicates that the 7 May 1945 is the correct date.

Citations

  1. Kurowski 1995, p. 7.
  2. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 4.
  3. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. 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). Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. 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). Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. 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). Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 112.
  8. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 36–38.
  9. ^ Williamson & Bujeiro 2006, p. 19.
  10. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 36.
  11. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 518.
  12. ^ Williamson & Bujeiro 2006, p. 52.
  13. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 38.
  14. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 39.
  15. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 40.
  16. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 41.
  17. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 43.
  18. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102.
  19. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 604.
  20. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 53.
  21. Busch & Röll 1999, p. 201.
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Bibliography

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  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat Commanders of World War II. A Biographical Dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-366-8.
  • 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.
  • Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
  • 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Williamson, Gordon; Bujeiro, Ramiro (2006). Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941–45. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publisher. ISBN 978-1-84176-644-7.

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