Decorations

Knights Cross

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuz



Knights Cross

The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was introduced in 1939 as an addtion to the Iron Cross family. Like the Iron Cross itself it had the year of its intruduction embodied into it.

About 7,318 of these awards were presented to members of all branches of the German armed forces. U-boat men received 144 of those.

See the history and overview of the Knights Cross

Decorations ordered by date

See this list sorted by last name


Commander and rankAgeCrewDate  U-boat Command(s) held *
1.Kptlt. Prien, Günther +313118 Oct 1939  U-47
2.Kptlt. Schultze, Herbert30301 Mar 1940  U-2, U-48
3.KrvKpt. Hartmann, Werner37219 May 1940  U-26, U-37
4.Kptlt. Schuhart, Otto312916 May 1940  U-8, U-25, U-29
5.Kptlt. Rollmann, Wilhelm +332631 Jul 1940  U-34
6.Kptlt. Kretschmer, Otto28304 Aug 1940  U-35, U-23, U-99
7.Kptlt. Lemp, Fritz-Julius +273114 Aug 1940  U-28, U-30
8.Kptlt. Liebe, Heinrich322714 Aug 1940  U-2, U-38
9.Kptlt. Frauenheim, Fritz283029 Aug 1940  U-21, U-101
10.KrvKpt. Rösing, Hans Rudolf342429 Aug 1940  U-11, U-35, U-10, U-48
11.Oblt. Endrass, Engelbert +29345 Sep 1940  U-46
12.Kptlt. Kuhnke, Günter283119 Sep 1940  U-28
13.Kptlt. Schepke, Joachim +283024 Sep 1940  U-3, U-19, U-100
14.Oblt. Jenisch, Hans26337 Oct 1940  U-32
15.Kptlt. Oehrn, Victor332721 Oct 1940  U-14, U-37
16.Kptlt. Bleichrodt, Heinrich313124 Oct 1940  U-48
17.Oblt. Lüth, Wolfgang +273324 Oct 1940  U-13, U-9, U-138, U-43
18.Oblt. Suhren, Reinhard (IWO)24353 Nov 1940  
19.KrvKpt. Schütze, Viktor342511 Dec 1940  U-19, U-11, U-25, U-103
20.KrvKpt. Stockhausen, Hans-Gerrit von +332614 Jan 1941  U-13, U-65
21.Kptlt. Lehmann-Willenbrock, Heinrich293126 Feb 1941  U-8, U-5, U-96
22.Kptlt. Moehle, Karl-Heinz303026 Feb 1941  U-20, U-123
23.Kptlt. Oesten, Jürgen273326 Mar 1941  U-61, U-106
24.Kptlt. Schulz, Georg-Wilhelm35324 Apr 1941  U-10, U-64, U-124
25.Kptlt. Kuppisch, Herbert +313214 May 1941  U-58, U-94
26.Kptlt. Wohlfarth, Herbert253315 May 1941  U-14, U-137, U-556
27.Kptlt. Schewe, Georg313223 May 1941  U-60, U-105
28.Kptlt. Korth, Claus293229 May 1941  U-57, U-93
29.Oblt. Topp, Erich263420 Jun 1941  U-57, U-552
30.Kptlt. Hessler, Günter322724 Jun 1941  U-107
31.Kptlt. Metzler, Jost323228 Jul 1941  U-69
32.Oblt. Schnee, Adalbert273430 Aug 1941  U-6, U-60, U-121, U-201
33.Kptlt. Mützelburg, Rolf +283217 Nov 1941  U-10, U-203
34.Kptlt. Mengersen, Ernst293318 Nov 1941  U-18, U-143, U-101
35.Kptlt. Guggenberger, Friedrich263410 Dec 1941  U-28, U-81
36.Kptlt. Bigalk, Gerhard +333326 Dec 1941  U-14, U-751
37.KrvKpt. Scholtz, Klaus332726 Dec 1941  U-108
38.Kptlt. Gysae, Robert303131 Dec 1941  U-98
39.Kptlt. Kentrat, Eitel-Friedrich352831 Dec 1941  U-8, U-74
40.Kptlt. Hardegen, Reinhard283323 Jan 1942  U-147, U-123
41.Kptlt. Tiesenhausen, Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von283427 Jan 1942  U-331
42.Kptlt. Clausen, Asmus Nicolai +3013 Mar 1942  U-142, U-37, U-129
43.Kptlt. Bauer, Ernst283316 Mar 1942  U-120, U-126
44.Kptlt. Mohr, Johann +253427 Mar 1942  U-124
45.Oblt. Ites, Otto243628 Mar 1942  U-146, U-94
46.KrvKpt. Zapp, Richard382623 Apr 1942  U-66
47.Kptlt. Cremer, Peter-Erich31325 Jun 1942  U-152, U-333
48.Kptlt. Winter, Werner30305 Jun 1942  U-22, U-103
49.KrvKpt. Merten, Karl-Friedrich362613 Jun 1942  U-68
50.Kptlt. Kraus, Hans-Werner263419 Jun 1942  U-83
51.Kptlt. Rostin, Erwin +343228 Jun 1942  U-158
52.Kptlt. Schultze, Heinz-Otto +26349 Jul 1942  U-4, U-141, U-432
53.Oblt. Lassen, Georg273510 Aug 1942  U-29, U-160
54.Kptlt. Rosenbaum, Helmut +293212 Aug 1942  U-2, U-73
55.Kptlt. Piening, Adolf Cornelius313013 Aug 1942  U-155
56.Kptlt. Schonder, Heinrich +323419 Aug 1942  U-53, U-58, U-77
57.KrvKpt. Thurmann, Karl +322824 Aug 1942  U-553
58.KrvKpt. Kals, Ernst37241 Sep 1942  U-130
59.KrvKpt. Hartenstein, Werner +342817 Sep 1942  U-156
60.Kptlt. Krech, Günther283317 Sep 1942  U-558
61.Kptlt. Bülow, Otto von313020 Oct 1942  U-3, U-404
62.Kptlt. Witte, Helmut Friedrich273422 Oct 1942  U-159
63.Kptlt. Strelow, Siegfried +313127 Oct 1942  U-435
64.KrvKpt. Poske, Hans-Georg Friedrich38236 Nov 1942  U-504
65.Kptlt. Emmermann, Carl273427 Nov 1942  U-172
66.Kptlt. Müller-Stöckheim, Günther +283427 Nov 1942  U-67
67.Kptlt. Dommes, Wilhelm35312 Dec 1942  U-431
68.Kptlt. Henke, Werner +333317 Dec 1942  U-515
69.Kptlt. Witt, Hans-Ludwig332917 Dec 1942  U-161, U-129
70.Kptlt. Rasch, Hermann283429 Dec 1942  U-106
71.KrvKpt. Schacht, Harro +35269 Jan 1943  U-507
72.Kptlt. Achilles, Albrecht +283416 Jan 1943  U-161
73.Kptlt. Schneider, Herbert +273416 Jan 1943  U-522
74.Kptlt. Brandi, Albrecht283521 Jan 1943  U-617
75.Kptlt. Heyse, Ulrich363221 Jan 1943  U-128
76.Kptlt. Forstner, Siegfried Freiherr von +32309 Feb 1943  U-59, U-402
77.Kptlt. Würdemann, Erich +293314 Mar 1943  U-506
78.Kptlt. Reche, Reinhart273417 Mar 1943  U-255
79.Oblt. Trojer, Hans-Hartwig +273624 Mar 1943  U-3, U-221
80.Kptlt. Gelhaus, Harald273526 Mar 1943  U-143, U-107
81.Kptlt. Folkers, Ulrich +283427 Mar 1943  U-37, U-125
82.KrvKpt. Neitzel, Karl422327 Mar 1943  U-510
83.Kptlt. Seibicke, Günther +313227 Mar 1943  U-436
84.Kptlt. Heidtmann, Hans283412 Apr 1943  U-2, U-14, U-21, U-559
85.Kptlt. Möhlmann, Helmut293316 Apr 1943  U-143, U-52, U-571
86.Kptlt. Bargsten, Klaus Heinrich313530 Apr 1943  U-563, U-521
87.Kptlt. Franken, Wilhelm +283530 Apr 1943  U-565
88.Kptlt. Jahn, Gunter323130 Apr 1943  U-596
89.Kptlt. Heydemann, Günther29333 Jul 1943  U-575
90.Kptlt. Markworth, Friedrich28348 Jul 1943  U-66
91.Kptlt. Staats, Georg +273514 Jul 1943  U-80, U-508
92.Kptlt. Kelbling, Gerd283419 Aug 1943  U-593
93.Kptlt. Maus, August283421 Sep 1943  U-185
94.Oblt. Schöneboom, Dietrich +2537a20 Oct 1943  U-58, U-431
95.Kptlt. Schlippenbach, Egon Reiner Freiherr von293419 Nov 1943  U-121, U-453
96.Oblt. Fenski, Horst-Arno2537b26 Nov 1943  U-34, U-410
97.Kptlt. Franke, Rudolf Heinz283630 Nov 1943  U-148, U-262
98.Kptlt. Teichert, Max-Martin + (posthumous)283419 Dec 1943  U-456
99.Oblt. Koitschka, Siegfried2637a27 Jan 1944  U-7, U-616
100.Kptlt. Hellriegel, Hans-Jürgen +26363 Feb 1944  U-140, U-96, U-543
101.Kptlt. Lüdden, Siegfried +273611 Feb 1944  U-188
102.Kptlt. Poel, Gustav263621 Mar 1944  U-413
103.Kptlt. Mehl, Waldemar293328 Mar 1944  U-62, U-72, U-371
104.Oblt. Eick, Alfred2837a31 Mar 1944  U-510
105.Kaeding, Walter2815 May 1944  
106.Oblt. Schroeter, Horst von2437b1 Jun 1944  U-123
107.Oblt. Krieg, Johann-Otto2537b8 Jul 1944  U-142, U-81
108.Oblt. Sieder, Heinz +24388 Jul 1944  U-984
109.Oblt. Fleige, Karl3818 Jul 1944  U-18
110.Oblt. Marbach, Karl-Heinz2737a22 Jul 1944  U-101, U-29, U-28, U-953
111.Oblt. Stuckmann, Hermann +23X/3911 Aug 1944  U-316, U-621
112.Kptlt. Lange, Hans-Günther2737a26 Aug 1944  U-711
113.KrvKpt. Timm, Heinrich343217 Sep 1944  U-251, U-862
114.Oblt. Schaar, Gerd2537b1 Oct 1944  U-957
115.Oblt. Förster, Hans-Joachim +243818 Oct 1944  U-348, U-479, U-480
116.Kptlt. Brasack, Paul2837a30 Oct 1944  U-737
117.Oblt. Pulst, Günther2637b21 Dec 1944  U-978
118.Kptlt. Thomsen, Rolf29364 Jan 1945  U-1202
119.KrvKpt. Hechler, Ernst372921 Jan 1945  U-870
120.Kpt. Dobratz, Kurt402223 Jan 1945  U-1232
121Oblt.Limbach, Johann (IWO)3219306 Feb, 1945  
122.Oblt. (R) Hess, Hans-Georg214011 Feb 1945  U-995
123.Oblt. Westphalen, Otto253823 Mar 1945  U-121, U-968
124.Kptlt. Schroeteler, Heinrich-Andreas29362 May 1945  U-667, U-1023
125.Oblt. (R) Lehmann, Hans29388 May 1945  U-997

125 U-boat Commanders decorated with Knights Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuz) located.

Legend:
+ Indicates the Officer died in the war.
* Commands held indicates the U-boat commands held by this officer before award date. In some cases the officer had not taken command his first boat yet or was not even in the U-boat force yet.
(IWO) indicates that the officer was a First Watch Officer when he received the Knight's Cross. A rare achievement.

Engineers (LI)

Rank Name Navy start Age Date Pos. U-boat
1.Oblt.(Ing) Suhren, Gerd 1933 (26) 21/10/1940LI U-37
2. Oblt.(Ing) Zürn, Erich1925 (34) 23/04/1941 LI U-48
3. Kptlt.(Ing) Bielig, Gerhard1934 (26) 10/02/1943LIU-177
4. Lt.(Ing)Krey, Heinz +1939 (21) 04/09/1943LI U-752
5. Kptlt.(Ing) Panknin, Herbert1934 (29)04/09/1943LIU-106
6. Oblt.(Ing) Lechtenbörger,Willi+ 1934*(29) 04/09/1943LIU-847
7. Oblt.(Ing) Landfermann, Carl A. 1934* (29) 27/10/1943LIU-181
8.Kptlt.(Ing) Rohweder, Helmut 1935 (29) 14/11/1943 LIU-514
9. Kptlt.(Ing) Wessels, Johann-F. 1923 (39) 09/03/1944LIU-198
10.Oblt.(Ing) Olschewski, Georg 1928* (32) 23/04/1944 LI U-66
11. Kptlt.(Ing) Wiebe, Karl-Heinz1935 (28)22/05/1944LI U-178
12. Oblt.(Ing) König, Reinhardt1928*(35) 08/07/1944LI U-123
13.Kptlt.(Ing) Lichtenberg, Philipp 1928* (36) 31/03/1945LIU-516
14. Oblt.(Ing) Johannsen, Hans 1935* (32)31/03/1945LI U-802

Mates

1.StOstrm. Petersen, Heinrich 1919* (38) 05/11/1940 U-99
2.Ostrm. Kaeding, Walter1935*(28) 15/05/1944 U-123
3.Ostrm. Hofmann, Horst1937* (25)20/05/1944 U-672
4.StOstrm. Dammeier, Heinrich1933* (30)12/08/1944 U-270
5. OBtsMt. Mühlbauer, Rudolf (25) 10/12/1940U-123
6. OMasch. Prassdorf, Heinrich 1937* (26) 21/04/1945 U-1203
7.OStrm. Jäckel, Karl 1937* (31) 28/04/1945 U-907

* Service begins in the navy


Note: This listing is still being compiled and some recipients might be missing.

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