List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (A)


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 of 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 Reichsarbeitsdienst and the Volkssturm. There were also 43 recipients in the military forces of allies of the Third Reich.
These recipients are listed in the 1986 edition of Walther-Peer Fellgiebel's book, Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 . Fellgiebel was the former chairman and head of the order commission of the AKCR. In 1996, the 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 been nominated for 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 118 Knight's Cross recipients of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS whose last name starts with "A". Fellgiebel himself delisted one and Scherzer has challenged the validity of three more of these listings. The recipients are initially 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 118 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "A", nine were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and 11 presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 79 of the medals, two went to the Kriegsmarine, 26 to the Luftwaffe, and 11 to the Waffen-SS.






NameServiceRankRole and unitDate of awardNotesImage
Heer15-HMajorCommander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 36423 September 1943——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 21723 November 1941——
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the I./Reichsgrenadier-Regiment "Hoch und Deutschmeister"12 February 1944——
+Heer17-HOberstCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 23013 November 1942Awarded 516th Oak Leaves 26 June 1944—
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 2./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1320 January 1944*Killed in action 8 December 1943—
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 14./Kampfgeschwader 229 February 1944——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannLeader of the II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 124 October 1944—
Kriegsmarine14-MKapitänleutnantCommander of 16 January 1943——
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantStaffelkapitän and technical officer in the 5./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor"28 February 1945——
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 19221 November 1941——
Heer15-HMajor of the ReservesLeader of Grenadier-Regiment 15818 April 1943——
Heer17-HOberstAdjutant of Armeeoberkommando 6 17 December 1942——
Heer14-HHauptmannChief of the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 90420 October 1944——
Waffen-SS12-WSS-UntersturmführerChief of the 6./Waffen Grenadier-Regiment 44 der SS25 January 1945—
+Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantPilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 5416 April 1943Awarded 414th Oak Leaves 2 March 1944—
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmann of the ReservesLeader of Fallschirm-Pionier-Bataillon 126 March 1944*Killed in action 17 July 1943—
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannGruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"13 November 1940——
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 27226 December 1944——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelLeader of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 2428 March 1945——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot and observer in the 1./Nahaufklärungs-Gruppe 520 December 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnantLeader of the II./Jäger-Regiment 2 "Brandenburg"17 March 1945——
+Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesLeader of a bomb disposal commando in the Luftgaukommando III Berlin3 February 1945Awarded 778th Oak Leaves 12 March 1945—
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 5223 August 1942*Killed in action 23 August 1942—
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 3./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 3125 July 1943——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierGun commander in the 13./Grenadier-Regiment 11419 January 1945——
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 174 May 1944——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelBoard mechanic in the 7./Kampfgeschwader 49 June 1944*Killed in action 19 September 1943—
Waffen-SS03-WSS-SturmmannCompany messenger in the 9./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 20 "Hohenstaufen"16 December 1944*Killed in action 2 August 1944—
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesLeader of the I./Panzer-Regiment 2017 September 1943——
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the I./Artillerie-Regiment 1 "Afrika"10 May 1943——
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesCompany chief in the Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 3514 February 1945——
Heer17-HOberst of the ReservesCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 50110 December 1943Died of wounds 10 December 1943—
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 9./Zerstörergeschwader 7622 May 1943—
Heer17-HOberstLeader of a Kampfgruppe in the defensive sector of Magdeburg19 April 1945——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Artillerie-Regiment 1723 November 1944——
Heer17-HOberst of the ReservesCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 94828 February 1945——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierGeschützführer in the 14./Infanterie-Regiment 1524 July 1941——
?Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesCommander of the I./Jäger-Regiment 7349 May 1945——
Heer04-HObergefreiterRichtschütze in the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 12919 December 1943——
Heer10-HOberwachtmeisterZugführer in the 1./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 2431 August 1941——
Heer15-HMajor of the ReservesLeader of the Feldersatz-Bataillon 1819 December 1944——
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesCommander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 3667 March 1944——
+Heer18-HGeneralmajorCommander of the 5. Infanterie-Division17 July 1941Awarded 153rd Oak Leaves 13 December 1942—
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 35312 August 1944——
Luftwaffe15-LMajorCommander of Fernaufklärungs-Gruppe 414 October 1942——
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the II./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 14318 November 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 1./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 254 October 1944——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantLeader of Sturmgruppe "Stahl" in the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm Abteilung "Koch"12 May 1940——
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesCommander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 38014 May 1944——
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesChief of the 10./Infanterie-Regiment 4726 May 1940——
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 1./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 90510 February 1944*Died of wounds 12 January 1944—
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelObserver in the 3./Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever"12 March 1945——
Heer17-HOberstLeader of Divisions-Kampfgruppe 26824 January 1944——
Waffen-SS15-WSS-Sturmbannführer of the ReservesLeader of SS Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Regiment 52 "Ungarn"1 November 1944——
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 5./Schnelle Abteilung 12315 January 1943——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannStaffelkapitän of the 5./Sturzkampfgeschwader 7715 July 1942——
Heer04-HObergefreiterMachine gunner and deputy group leader in the Sturmkompanie/Grenadier-Regiment 45922 November 1943——
Heer09-HWachtmeisterZugführer in the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 20211 December 1942——
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of 5./Grenadier-Regiment 25623 August 1943——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesLeader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 6212 October 1943——
?Heer17-HOberstCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 5029 May 1945——
Waffen-SS12-WWaffen-UntersturmführerLeader of Waffen Feld Ersatz-Bataillon der SS Nr. 1925 January 1945—
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 4844 May 1944——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 3./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 214 August 1943——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot in the 11./Nahaufklärungs-Gruppe 1227 July 1944——
Luftwaffe17-LOberstCommander of Flak-Regiment 15323 December 1942——
Heer12-HLeutnantAdjudant of Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung "Großdeutschland"8 May 1945——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 2./Sturzkampfgeschwader 7726 March 1944——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Werfer-Regiment 7124 June 1944——
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 5044 May 1944——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot in the Stabsstaffel/Kampfgeschwader 220 April 1944——
Heer04-HObergefreiter1st machine gunner in the 2./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1284 May 1944*Died of wounds 25 March 1944—
Heer06-HUnteroffizier of the ReservesZugführer in the Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 615 March 1945——
+Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 76. Infanterie-Division9 February 1942Awarded 323rd Oak Leaves 12 November 1943—
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesLeader of the Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 27918 February 1945——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of the 11. Schützen-Brigade5 August 1940——
Luftwaffe17-LOberstGeschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 1 "Hindenburg"2 November 1940——
Waffen-SS17-WSS-Standartenführer and Oberst of the SchupoCommander of SS-Polizei-Regiment 212 August 1944——
Kriegsmarine14-MKapitänleutnantChief of the 4. Räumbootflottille3 July 1944——
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 1./Füsilier-Bataillon 839 June 1944——
Waffen-SS10-WWaffen-HauptscharführerZugführer in the 3./Waffen Grenadier-Regiment 44 der SS16 January 1945—
Luftwaffe18-LGeneralmajorCommander of the 6. Flak-Division 11 June 1944——
+Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannStaffelkapitän of the 5./Kampfgeschwader 5513 November 1942Awarded 655th Oak Leaves 18 November 1944—
Heer18-HGeneralmajorCommander of the 9. Schützen-Brigade14 May 1941——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 1028 February 1944——
Waffen-SS16-WWaffen-ObersturmbannführerCommander of Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment 32 der SS21 September 1944—
Heer04-HObergefreiterRadio/wireless operator in the 10./Artillerie-Regiment 811 January 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnantVorgeschobener Beobachter in the 4./Artillerie-Regiment 3 4 November 1943*Died in a Soviet POW camp in 1943—
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of Panzer-Abteilung 524 February 1945*Killed in action 9 January 1945—
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the I./Panzer-Regiment 3628 March 1945——
!Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPioneer Zugführer in the Stabskompanie/Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 54 December 1942*Killed in action 3 December 1942
Heer14-HHauptmannChief of the 2./Panzer-Abteilung 675 August 1940——
Waffen-SS13-WSS-ObersturmführerChief of the 8./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"31 October 1944*Killed in action 20 August 1944—
+Heer04-HObergefreiterMachine gunner in the Stabskompanie/Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 3231 March 1943Awarded 678th Oak Leaves 9 December 1944—
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 39123 February 1944——
+Heer17-HOberstCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 51123 January 1942Awarded 719th Oak Leaves 1 February 1945—
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 17. Panzer-Division4 September 1941—
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 2411 October 1943——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesZugführer in the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 23716 November 1943——
Luftwaffe09-LFeldwebelMember of Sturmgruppe "Stahl" in the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm Abteilung "Koch"13 May 1940—
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesZugführer in the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 25928 February 1945——
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesCommander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 92614 February 1945——
Heer04-HObergefreiterRichtschütze in the 1./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 6118 September 1942——
Heer18-HGeneralmajorCommander of the 101. Jäger-Division10 February 1945—
Heer05-HStabsgefreiterDriver in the 3./Artillerie-Regiment 11421 January 1945——
Heer05-HStabsgefreiterGroup leader in the 3./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 9910 February 1945——
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 75413 May 1943——
Waffen-SS14-WSS-HauptsturmführerLeader of the I./SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 831 October 1944——
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 2./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11628 February 1945——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 7./Nachtjagdgeschwader 19 June 1944——
Waffen-SS18-WSS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SSCommander of the 20. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS 8 March 1945——
+Heer17-HOberstCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 2266 November 1943Awarded 551st Oak Leaves 16 August 1944—
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 4875 December 1943——
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 114610 February 1945——
?Waffen-SS17-WSS-OberführerLeader of the 15. Waffen Grenadier-Division der SS 9 May 1945——
Luftwaffe09-LFeldwebelPilot in the Stab/Schlachtgeschwader 1028 April 1945——
Luftwaffe18-LGeneralmajorCommanding general of the I. Flak-Korps4 September 1941—
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelCompany troop leader in the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 20 25 August 1941——

Citations