List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

In total, 43 individuals in the military of allies of Nazi Germany were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), the highest award in the military of Nazi Germany during World War II. Eight of these men were also honoured with the next higher grade, the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, and one senior naval officer, Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, was additionally awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Among the recipients were eighteen Romanians, nine Italians, eight Hungarians, two Slovaks, two Japanese, two Spaniards, two Finns, one Dutch man, and one Belgian.[Note 1]

Colonel General Dezső László of Hungary became the last foreign recipient of the award on 3 March 1945. The last surviving foreign recipient of the award was Belgian politician Léon Degrelle, who died on 31 March 1994, fifty years after receiving the medal from Hitler's hands.

Background

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht kept separate Knight's Cross lists, one for each of the 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. 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 listing, the chronological order was abandoned and the list was converted to an alphabetical list of recipients. Foreign recipients were never integrated into this list. 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.[2]

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 (Eisernes Kreuz) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of 29 December 1944, concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.[6]

Recipients

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.

  This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously.

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.

Name Country Rank Unit Date of award Notes Picture
Isoroku YamamotoJapanFleet AdmiralCommander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet27 May 1943*Killed in action 18 April 1943[7]

Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940.

Name Country Rank Unit Date of award Notes Picture
Mihail LascărRomaniaMajor General (General de divizie)[8]6th Infantry Division of the 3rd Romanian Army22 November 1942
—
Agustín Muñoz GrandesSpainLieutenant GeneralBlue Division (250. Infantry Division)13 December 1942
—
Isoroku YamamotoJapanFleet AdmiralCommander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet27 May 1943*Awarded Swords 27 May 1943
Corneliu TeodoriniRomaniaBrigadier General (General de brigadă)[9]6th Cavalry Division8 December 1943
—
Petre DumitrescuRomaniaLieutenant General (General de armată)[10]3rd Romanian Army4 April 1944
—
Mineichi KogaJapanFleet AdmiralJapanese Chief of Fleet12 May 1944*Killed in action 31 March 1944[11]
Carl Gustaf Emil MannerheimFinlandMarshal of FinlandPresident and Commander-in-chief of Finnish Defense Forces5 August 1944
—
Léon DegrelleBelgiumMajor (SS-Sturmbannführer)5. SS-Freiw.-Sturm-Brig. "Wallonien"27 August 1944
—

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).

Name Country Rank Unit Date of award Notes Picture
Ion AntonescuRomaniaGeneralCommander-in-chief of the Military of Romania6 August 1941First non-German to receive this award
Ugo de CarolisItalyBrigadier General (Generale di Brigata)Italian 52nd Motorised Division Torino9 February 1942*Killed in action 12 December 1941[12]
Ugo CavalleroItalyGeneral (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata)Chief of the Italian Supreme Command14 February 1942
—
Corneliu DragalinaRomaniaLieutenant GeneralRomanian 6th Army Corps6 August 1942
—
Ioan DumitracheRomaniaMajor General2nd Romanian Mountain Division21 November 1942
—
Petre DumitrescuRomaniaLieutenant General (General de armată)[10]3rd Romanian Army1 September 1942Awarded Oak Leaves 4 April 1944
Emilio Esteban InfantesSpainLieutenant GeneralBlue Division (250. Infantry Division)3 October 1943
—
Carlo Fecia di CossatoItalyFrigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata)Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli19 March 1943
—
Italo GariboldiItalyGeneral (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata)8th Italian Army1 April 1943
—
Gianfranco Gazzana-PriaroggiaItalyCorvette Captain (Capitano di Corvetta)Italian submarine Archimede26 May 1943*Killed in action 24 May 1943[13]
Ermil GheorghiuRomaniaMajor General (General de escadră)[14]General Staff of the Romanian Air Force4 April 1944
—
Fedele De GiorgisItalyMajor General (Generale di Divisione)Italian 55 Infantry Division Savona9 January 1942
—
Enzo GrossiItalyFrigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata)Italian submarine Barbarigo7 October 1942
—
Erik HeinrichsFinlandGeneral of the InfantryChief of Finnish General Staff5 August 1944
—
József HeszlényiHungaryLieutenant field marshal3rd Hungarian Army28 October 1944
—
—
Nikolaus von Horthy und von NagybányaHungaryAdmiralCommander-in-chief of the Military of Hungary10 September 1941
—
Ioan L. HristeaRomaniaColonelRomanian 2nd Călărași Cavalry Regiment28 March 1943
—
—
Mihály von IbrányiHungaryLieutenant field marshalHungarian Cavalry Division26 November 1944
—
Gusztáv JányHungaryColonel General2nd Hungarian Army31 March 1943
—
Emanoil IonescuRomaniaMajor GeneralCommander of the Romanian Air Force's Corpul I Aerian10 May 1944[Note 2]
—
Mineichi KogaJapanFleet AdmiralJapanese Chief of Fleet12 May 1944*Oak Leaves 12 May 1944
Radu KorneRomaniaColonelRomanian 8th Cavalry Division18 December 1942
—
Geza Lakatos Edler de CsíkszentsimonHungaryColonel General1st Hungarian Army24 May 1944
—
Mihail LascarRomaniaBrigadier General (General de brigadă)[8]Romanian 1st Mountain Brigade18 January 1942Awarded Oak Leaves 22 November 1942
Dezső LászlóHungaryColonel General1st Hungarian Army3 March 1945
—
Horia MacellariuRomaniaRear AdmiralRomanian Naval Forces21 May 1944
—
Augustín MalárSlovakiaGenerálmajorSlovak Fast Division23 January 1942
—
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil MannerheimFinlandField MarshalCommander-in-chief of the Finnish Defense Forces30 August 1941Awarded Oak Leaves 5 August 1944
Gheorghe ManoliuRomaniaDivisions-General4th Romanian Mountain Division30 August 1942
—
Giulio MartinatItalyBrigadier General (Generale di Brigata)Chief of Staff of the Italian Alpini Corps (Corpo d'Armata Alpino)3 April 1943*Killed in action 26 January 1943[16]
Giovanni MesseItalyLieutenant General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata)Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia23 January 1942
—
Béla Miklós de DálnokHungaryLieutenant field marshalHungarian Fast Corps4 December 1941
—
Leonard MociulschiRomaniaMajor General3rd Romanian Mountain Division19 December 1943
—
Agustín Muñoz GrandesSpainLieutenant GeneralBlue Division (250. Infantry Division)12 March 1942Awarded Oak Leaves 13 December 1942
Ioan PălăghiţăRomaniaMajorRomanian I./Infantry Regiment 947 April 1943
—
Ioan Mihail RacoviţăRomaniaGeneral of the Cavalry4th Romanian Army8 July 1944
—
Edgar RădulescuRomaniaBrigadier General11th Romanian Infantry Division3 July 1944
—
—
Gheorghe RăscănescuRomaniaMajorRomanian I./Infantry Regiment 154 December 1942
—
Zoltán SzügyiHungaryColonelHungarian Infantry Division Szent László12 January 1945
—
Nicolae TătăranuRomaniaMajor General20th Romanian Infantry Division17 December 1942
—
—
Corneliu TeodoriniRomaniaColonel6th Cavalry Division27 August 1943Awarded Oak Leaves 8 December 1943
Jozef TuranecSlovakiaGenerálmajorSlovak Fast Division7 August 1942
—
Isoroku YamamotoJapanFleet AdmiralCommander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet27 May 1943*Awarded Oak Leaves 27 May 1943
Awarded Swords 27 May 1943

Notes
  1. Léon Degrelle from Belgium had received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross while subordinated to the Wehrmacht. Degrelle had received the Knight's Cross as SS-Hauptsturmführer der Reserve and leader of the 5. SS-Freiwilligen-Brigade "Wallonien" on 20 February 1944.[1]
  2. According to Scherzer on 28 April 1944.[15]

References

Citations
  1. Scherzer 2007, p. 268.
  2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 112.
  3. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  4. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  5. "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  6. "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  7. Scherzer 2007, p. 801.
  8. Scherzer 2007, p. 495.
  9. Scherzer 2007, p. 739.
  10. Scherzer 2007, p. 284.
  11. Scherzer 2007, p. 462.
  12. Scherzer 2007, p. 257.
  13. Scherzer 2007, p. 328.
  14. Scherzer 2007, p. 332.
  15. Scherzer 2007, p. 413.
  16. Scherzer 2007, p. 528.

Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

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