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


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 Reichsarbeitsdienst 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, 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 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 26 Knight's Cross recipients whose last names start with "I", ordered alphabetically. 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 26 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "I", one was later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and one presentation was made posthumously. Heer members received 16 of the medals, one went to the Kriegsmarine, and nine to the Luftwaffe.


NameServiceRankRole and unitDate of awardNotesImage
Luftwaffe17-LOberstGeschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 2722 August 1940——
Heer10-HOberwachtmeisterLeader of an assault gun in the fortress Schneidemühl10 February 1945——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Füssilier-Regiment 223 October 1943——
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the I./Sturm-Regiment 19523 September 1943——
+Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 7713 September 1940Awarded 16th Oak Leaves 27 June 1941
9th Swords 24 April 1942		—
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 3./Kampfgeschwader 3 "Lützow"23 August 1941——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot in the 1./Lehrgeschwader 121 October 1942——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot and board mechanic in the 9./Kampfgeschwader 761 October 1940At the same time promoted to Leutnant of the Reserves—
Heer11-HStabsfeldwebelZugführer in the Stabskompanie/Grenadier-Regiment 6719 June 1944——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 3./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 674 October 1944——
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 105027 July 1944——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmann of the ReservesDeputy Gruppenkommandeur in Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 10311 May 1940——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierCompany troop leader in the 4./Infanterie-Regiment 30916 June 1940——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 12./Grenadier-Regiment 12310 May 1943——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the 3./Lehrgeschwader 13 September 1943——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 3./Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 10217 March 1945——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierGroup leader in the Stabskompanie/Jäger-Regiment 24 14 April 1945——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the 13./Jagdgeschwader 5314 January 1945——
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 3./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 712 September 1941——
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 7./Grenadier-Regiment 25821 February 1944——
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 1028 February 1944——
Kriegsmarine13-KOberleutnant zur SeeCommander of 28 March 1942——
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantReconnaissance officer in the 3./Flak-Regiment "General Göring" 23 November 1941*Died of wounds 13 July 1941—
Heer13-HOberleutnantLeader of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 4617 October 1942——
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of I./Schützen-Regiment 1015 May 1940——
Heer04-HObergefreiterMessenger in the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 4517 March 1945——

Citations