Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
There were only 27 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds (German: Träger des Eichenlaubs mit Schwertern und Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. Requirement for the highest military award was the previous possession of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves and swords.
List
Award | Name | Rank at the time of the award | Service branch | Award date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Werner Mölders | Oberst | Luftwaffe | 16 July 1941 |
2. | Adolf Galland | Generalmajor | Luftwaffe | 28 January 1942 |
3. | Gordon Max Gollob | Major | Luftwaffe | 30 August 1942 |
4. | Hans-Joachim Marseille | Oberleutnant | Luftwaffe | 3 September 1942 |
5. | Hermann Graf | Oberleutnant der Reserve | Luftwaffe | 16 September 1942 |
6. | Erwin Rommel | Generalfeldmarschall | Heer | 11 March 1943 |
7. | Wolfgang Lüth | Korvettenkapitän | Kriegsmarine | 9 August 1943 |
8. | Walter Nowotny | Hauptmann | Luftwaffe | 19 October 1943 |
9. | Adelbert Schulz | Oberst | Heer | 14 December 1943 |
10. | Hans-Ulrich Rudel | Major | Luftwaffe | 29 March 1944 |
11. | Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz | Generalmajor | Heer | 15 April 1944 |
12. | Herbert Otto Gille | Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS | Waffen-SS | 19 April 1944 |
13. | Hans Hube | Generaloberst | Heer | 20 April 1944 |
14. | Albert Kesselring | Generalfeldmarschall | Luftwaffe | 19 July 1944 |
15. | Helmut Lent | Oberstleutnant | Luftwaffe | 31 July 1944 |
16. | Sepp Dietrich | Generaloberst der Waffen-SS | Waffen-SS | 6 August 1944 |
17. | Walter Model | Generalfeldmarschall | Heer | 17 August 1944 |
18. | Erich Hartmann | Oberleutnant | Luftwaffe | 25 August 1944 |
19. | Hermann Balck | General der Panzertruppe | Heer | 31 August 1944 |
20. | Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke | General der Fallschirmtruppe | Luftwaffe | 19 September 1944 |
21. | Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer | Hauptmann | Luftwaffe | 16 October 1944 |
22. | Albrecht Brandi | Korvettenkapitän | Kriegsmarine | 24 November 1944 |
23. | Ferdinand Schörner | Generaloberst | Heer | 1 January 1945 |
24. | Hasso von Manteuffel | General der Panzertruppe | Heer | 18 February 1945 |
25. | Theodor Tolsdorff | Generalleutnant | Heer | 18 March 1945 |
26. | Karl Mauss | General der Panzertruppe | Heer | 15 April 1945 |
27. | Dietrich von Saucken | General der Panzertruppe | Heer | 8 May 1945 |
Further reading
- Veit Scherzer: Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 (The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945), Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Jena 2007, ISBN: 978-3-938845-17-2
External links
- Honour Dagger (in German) for the 12 Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds of the Luftwaffe