List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (N)
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry. A total of 7,321 awards were made between its first presentation on 30 September 1939 and its last bestowal on 17 June 1945. This number is based on the acceptance by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients. Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht—the Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe —as well as the Waffen-SS, the Reich Labour Service and the Volkssturm. There were also 43 foreign recipients of the award.
These recipients are listed in the 1986 edition of Walther-Peer Fellgiebel's book, Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945. Fellgiebel was the former chairman and head of the order commission of the AKCR. In 1996 a second edition of this book was published with an addendum delisting 11 of these original recipients. Author Veit Scherzer has cast doubt on a further 193 of these listings. The majority of the disputed recipients had received the award in 1945, when the deteriorating situation of Germany during the final days of World War II left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process.
Listed here are the 145 Knight's Cross recipients whose last name starts with "N". Fellgiebel himself delisted two and Scherzer has challenged the validity of two more of these listings. The recipients are ordered alphabetically by last name. The rank listed is the recipient's rank at the time the Knight's Cross was awarded.
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, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. 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, 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 and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, 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 for the Heer, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe and 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. Of the 145 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "N", nine were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, four the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and one the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds; eight presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received one-hundred-three of the medals, including the award given to Hitlerjunge Günther Nowak. A further three presentations were given to the Kriegsmarine, thirty-four to the Luftwaffe, and five to the Waffen-SS. The sequential numbers greater than 143 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients and are therefore denoted in parentheses.Name | Service | Rank | Role and unit | Date of award | Notes | Image |
Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 6./Zerstörergeschwader 76 | 2 November 1940 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Stabsfeldwebel | Pilot in the III./Kampfgeschwader 76 | 23 July 1941 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 1./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 112 | 1 January 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 3./Flak-Regiment 61 | 31 December 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 460 | 4 November 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer in the 5./Grenadier-Regiment 232 | 4 October 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Leader of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 73 | 4 October 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer in the 2./Grenadier-Regiment-Gruppe 163 | 15 March 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 131 | 12 June 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 119 | 28 November 1943 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Pilot and observer in the 1./Aufklärungs-Gruppe 5 | 28 April 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer in the 6./Jäger-Regiment 49 | 4 May 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 451 | 28 January 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 937 | 30 September 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Generalstab | Oberst imIa in the Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland" | 4 September 1943 | — | — | |
Kriegsmarine | Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 10. Räumbootflottille | 11 July 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Reserves | Leutnant of theLeader of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 178 | 13 July 1940 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of Feldersatz-Bataillon 172 of the 72 Infanterie-Division | 12 November 1943* | Killed in action 13 October 1943 | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän of the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 | 22 June 1941 | — | — | |
Heer | Unteroffizier | Geschützführer in the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 184 | 4 January 1943 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 6 | 9 November 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of the I./Schützen-Regiment 59 | 14 December 1941 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 177 | 27 March 1942 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 131 | 20 January 1943* | Killed in action 4 December 1942 | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberst | Commander of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 "Hermann Göring" | 24 June 1944 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Generalmajor | Commander of the 18. Panzer-Division | 24 July 1941 | Awarded 383rd Oak Leaves 8 February 1944 124th Swords 22 January 1945 | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 227 | 16 February 1942 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 712 | 26 December 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Deputy Zugführer in the Stabskompanie/schwere Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 519 | 27 July 1944 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Generalmajor | Commander of the garrison at Tarnopol | 4 April 1944 | Awarded 457th Oak Leaves 17 April 1944 | — |
Heer | Oberst of the Reserves | Commander of Armeewaffenschule of Panzer AOK 4 | 5 February 1945 | — | — | |
Kriegsmarine | Korvettenkapitän | Commander of | 27 March 1943 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 409 | 2 June 1943 | Awarded 576th Oak Leaves 5 September 1944 | — |
Luftwaffe | Unteroffizier | Geschützführer in the 1./Flak-Regiment 23 | 4 July 1940 | — | ||
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the 4./Grenadier-Regiment 698 | 10 September 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Observer in the 3./Aufklärungs-Gruppe 122 | 19 September 1942 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 52 | 24 March 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 19 | 15 July 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of the I./Artillerie-Regiment 295 | 21 January 1942 | — | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the 7./Grenadier-Regiment 35 | 17 August 1943* | Killed in action 30 July 1943 | — | |
Heer | Stabsfeldwebel | Zugführer in the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 176 | 25 January 1945 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän of the 2./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" | 22 June 1941 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of Ski-Jäger-Bataillon 1 | 4 October 1944 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 32 | 29 February 1944 | Awarded 817th Oak Leaves 5 April 1945 | — |
Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer in Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 37 | 29 September 1940 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Leader of a Kampfgruppe in Ploiești | 5 November 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 121 | 8 February 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberfeldwebel | Zugführer in the 2./Kradschützen-Bataillon 40 | 3 January 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of Artillerie-Regiment 86 | 6 April 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Generalmajor | Commander of the 20. Flak-Division | 1 August 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst zur Verwendung | Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 195 | 22 September 1941 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Leader of the 12./Artillerie-Regiment 12 | 16 October 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Unteroffizier | Group leader of the 8./Grenadier-Regiment 3 | 17 March 1945 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Staffelführer in the III./Jagdgeschwader 53 | 16 June 1942 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Shock troops leader in the 6./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3 | 9 June 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 239. Infanterie-Division | 28 February 1942 | — | — | |
Waffen-SS | SS-Sturmbannführer of the Reserves | Commander of SS-Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7 "Prinz Eugen" | 3 November 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of Festungs-Infanterie-Bataillon XII./999 | 20 April 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 712. Infanterie-Division | 16 October 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberstabsarzt | Troop doctor of the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment | 21 August 1941 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Staffelführer of the 14./Jagdgeschwader 5 | 12 March 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of the I./Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 103 | 23 February 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Chief of the 8./Grenadier-Regiment 852 | 17 September 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 5 | 1 November 1941 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Feldwebel | Pilot in the 16./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" | 9 December 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 6./Artillerie-Regiment 126 | 5 April 1945* | Killed in action 22 February 1945 | — | |
Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 2./Schlachtgeschwader 1 | 17 April 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 121 | 5 September 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of the 8. Schützen-Brigade | 5 August 1940 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 12./Grenadier-Regiment 282 | 20 January 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Gefreiter | Machine gunner in the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 755 | 14 January 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the 2./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 64 | 6 April 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 | 4 June 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Leutnant | Zugführer in the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 | 23 October 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Leader of the 14./Divisions-Kampfgruppe 216 | 5 October 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Pilot and adjutand in the II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | 4 May 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander of Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 292 | 3 January 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberfähnrich | Zugführer in the 1./Pionier-Bataillon 20 | 17 March 1945 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 26 | 16 June 1940 | Awarded 543rd Oak Leaves 8 August 1944 | — |
Waffen-SS | SS-Obersturmführer | Chief of the 8./SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 "Wiking" | 9 April 1944 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Hauptmann | Leader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 686 | 10 February 1943 | Awarded 491st Oak Leaves 9 June 1944 | — |
Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer in the 5./Gebirgsjäger-Bataillon 94 | 11 December 1943* | Died of wounds 7 November 1943 | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer of the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 23 | 22 August 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Unteroffizier of the Reserves | Vorgeschobener Beobachter in the 12./Artillerie-Regiment 290 | 28 April 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Major of the Reserves | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 223 | 30 April 1945 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Generalleutnant | Commander of the 371. Infanterie-Division | 15 June 1944 | Awarded 764th Oak Leaves 5 March 1945 | — |
Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Schlachtgeschwader 77 | 17 April 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberwachtmeister | Zugführer in the 3./Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 58 | 17 March 1945 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Rittmeister | Commander of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 | 13 July 1940 | Awarded 30th Oak Leaves 10 August 1941 69th Swords 4 June 1944 | — |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the 3./Pionier-Bataillon 112 | 4 May 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst of the Reserves | Commander of Artillerie-Regiment 212 | 29 February 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 3./Pionier-Bataillon 196 | 30 April 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Unteroffizier | Geschützführer in the 9./Artillerie-Regiment 31 | 26 December 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the 8./Panzer-Regiment 31 | 14 March 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the II./Grenadier-Regiment 431 | 18 February 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptfeldwebel | Zugführer in the Stab 3./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 332 | 24 July 1943 | — | ||
Heer | Leutnant | Aide-de-camp in Grenadier-Regiment 979 | 9 January 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Unteroffizier | Geschützführer in the 14./Grenadier-Regiment 994 | 10 February 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 105 | 13 June 1941 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 2./Pionier-Bataillon 26 | 18 September 1942 | Awarded 241st Oak Leaves 17 May 1943 | — |
Heer | Major | Commander of the III./Artillerie-Regiment 26 | 28 March 1945 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Pilot in the 15./Schnellkampfgeschwader 10 | 26 March 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer in the 1./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 276 | 29 January 1944* | Killed in action 10 December 1943 | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 2./Aufklärungs-Gruppe 123 | 21 June 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Leutnant | Zugführer in the Panzer-Abteilung 118 | 23 March 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Obergefreiter | Vorgeschobener Beobachter and radio/wireless operator in the 6./Artillerie-Regiment 11 | 17 April 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Leader of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 417 | 30 September 1944* | Killed in action 19 September 1944 | — | |
Heer | Leutnant | Leader of the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 212 | 20 January 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant | Chief of the 1./Divisions-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 168 | 24 April 1943 | — | — | |
+ | Heer | Leutnant | Zugführer of the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 46 | 5 August 1940 | Awarded 63rd Oak Leaves 16 January 1942 | — |
+ | Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 204 | 21 January 1942 | Awarded 151st Oak Leaves 5 December 1942 | — |
Luftwaffe | Major | Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Kampfgeschwader 26 | 29 October 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Obergefreiter | Group leader in the 1./Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7 | 30 November 1943 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the II./Panzer-Regiment 31 | 17 September 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Generalmajor | Commander of the 96. Infanterie-Division | 8 June 1943 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Pilot in the 4./Aufklärungs-Gruppe des OB der Luftwaffe | 22 October 1941 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 2./Kampfgeschwader 3 "Lützow" | 5 September 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Hauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 1./Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever" | 16 May 1941 | — | — | |
? | Heer | Unteroffizier | Group leader in the Stabskompanie/Grenadier-Regiment 453 | 9 May 1945 | — | — |
Luftwaffe | Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel | Pilot in the 2./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" | 6 April 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 4./Grenadier-Regiment 507 | 4 October 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 213 | 6 September 1942 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment "Jütland" | 5 April 1945 | — | — | |
+ | Luftwaffe | Oberleutnant | Staffelkapitän of the 12./Jagdgeschwader 51 | 1 August 1941 | Awarded 35th Oak Leaves 16 September 1941 | |
+ | Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Pilot in the 8./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 | 17 September 1941 | Awarded 214th Oak Leaves 17 March 1943 98th Swords 17 September 1944 | — |
Kriegsmarine | Kapitänleutnant | Chief of the 14. Räumbootflottille | 6 September 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 1./Jäger-Regiment 83 | 23 February 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 5 | 26 March 1944 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel | Pilot in the 10./Schlachtgeschwader 3 | 29 October 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberst | Commander of Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 89 | 12 June 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 94 | 21 January 1945 | — | — | |
Heer | Oberstleutnant | Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 1233 | 23 March 1945 | — | — | |
Waffen-SS | SS-Oberscharführer of the Reserves | Zugführer of the 3./SS-Reiter-Regiment 1 "Florian Geyer" | 1 November 1943* | Killed in action 13 September 1943 | — | |
! | Hitlerjugend | Hitlerjunge | Hitlerjunge in Hindenburg | 14 February 1945 | — | — |
Heer | Leutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 273 | 10 September 1944 | — | — | |
Waffen-SS | SS-Untersturmführer of the Reserves | Leader of the 14./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" | 14 May 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Sanitätsfeldwebel | In the Stab/Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 212 | 15 March 1944 | — | — | |
+ | Luftwaffe | Leutnant | Pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 54 | 4 September 1942 | Awarded 293rd Oak Leaves 4 September 1943 37th Swords 22 September 1943 8th Diamonds 19 October 1943 | — |
Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 695 | 28 December 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Major | Commander in the Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 218 | 10 September 1944 | — | — | |
Heer | Feldwebel | Zugführer in the 12./Infanterie-Regiment 410 | 4 December 1942 | — | — | |
Luftwaffe | Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel | Radio operator in the I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 | 17 April 1945 | — | — | |
Waffen-SS | Waffen-Unterscharführer | Zugführer in the 1./SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 46 | 9 April 1944 | — | — | |
? | Heer | Hauptmann | Commander of Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon in the Führer-Grenadier-Division | 9 April 1945 | — | — |
? | Luftwaffe | Oberfeldwebel | Pilot in Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 | 22 March 1944 | — | — |