Knights Cross. Overview and history

The Knights Cross was a highly respected decoration and among U-boat men it was the greatest honor one could achieve in many cases. U-boats crews took great pride if their captain received this medal and sometimes it was added to the boat's insignia (on Schnee's U-201 for example).

The Knights Cross was a variation of the sought after Iron Cross which had 7 grades;

  1. Iron Cross second class
  2. Iron Cross first class
  3. Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
  4. Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
  5. Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords
  6. Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Crossed Swords and Diamonds
  7. Knights Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Crossed Swords and Diamonds *

The Knights Cross winners

7318 of these were awarded during the war and 144 went to the U-boat service. On this page we list them all and all of them have their own biography page as well!

The Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

853 recipients in all services and 29 of them in the U-boats. On this page we list them all and each has his own biography page as well!

The Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

150 awarded and 5 of them went to the U-boat men.

The Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

27 of those were awarded and 2 of them to U-boat men.

When one was decorated with the Knights Cross it was worn from a ribbon around the neck. The Iron Cross first class was worn on the left side of the uniform replacing the Iron Cross second class with a chest ribbon. One had to win the I.C. second class in order to be considered for the first class award.

Left: Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp showing 3 grades of the Iron Cross; 2nd class ribbon on the button hole, 1st class Iron Cross on his left side and finally the Knights Cross around his neck.

U-boat captains would often joke about having "an itchy neck" (Halsschmerzen in German) that could only be cured by wearing the Knights Cross ribbon :)

Only 27 men received the Knights Cross with oak leaves, crossed swords and diamonds and both the lucky ones in the German Navy were U-boat commanders.

* The highest grade of the Knights Cross (Knights Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds) was tailored for Hitler's favorite fighter, Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel of the Luftwaffe, which destroyed more than 500 Russian tanks (and a battleship at Leningrad!) in his dual-cannon equipped Ju-87 Stuka aircraft in over 2500 combat sorties!


German war decorations