List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross

The following list of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross is the complete listing of every soldier and servicemen, who as a foreigner to the German Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen SS and police units, were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross or one of its higher grades. These soldiers did not serve in one of the three branches of the German Wehrmacht (Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine; the Waffen SS and the police units never became a part of the Wehrmacht) during World War II but served in military service of another country, as part of the military alliance of Axis powers. In total 43 foreign servicemen were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Eight of these soldiers were also honoured with the next higher grade the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross and one soldier, Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, with the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.Fellgiebel, p.112.]

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.

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. Hans-Joachim Marseille for instance was the 416th recipient of the Knight's Cross within the Luftwaffe. [Wübbe 2001, p.186.] 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 complete listing, the chronological order was abandoned and the list converted to an alphabetical list of recipients. 'Foreign recipients' were never integrated into this list and have been listed separately from the Wehrmacht recipients. 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 and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.cite web |url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19390007&zoom=2&seite=00001573&ues=on&x=21&y=6|title=Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ] 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.cite web |url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19400007&zoom=2&seite=00000849&ues=on&x=22&y=10|title=Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ] 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.cite web |url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19410007&zoom=2&seite=00000613&ues=on&x=14&y=9|title=Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ] At the end of 1944 the last and final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, based on the enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11" of 29 December 1944 concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.cite web |url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19450007&zoom=2&seite=00000011&ues=on&x=14&y=10|title=Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944|accessdate=2008-02-21 |format=PDF |work=ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek ]

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.

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).

References

;General
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Wölfersheim-Berstadt, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
* Wübbe, Walter (2001). "Hauptmann Hans Joachim Marseille Ein Jagdfliegerschicksal in Daten, Bildern und Dokumenten" (in German). Schnellbach, Germany: Verlag Siegfried Bublies. ISBN 3-926584-78-5.;Specific

External links

* [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/Ritterkreuz/IndexRK.htm Lexikon der Wehrmacht]
* [http://www.bundesarchiv.de/aufgaben_organisation/dienstorte/freiburg/ Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv]