List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the U-boat service

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants was the highest military award in Nazi Germany. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. During or shortly after World War II, 145 German sailors and officers of the U-boat service as part of the Kriegsmarine received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Among them, 29 officers received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), five the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), and two won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten). Of these, 144 presentations were formally made and one recipient received the award after 11 May 1945, when Großadmiral Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of all promotions and illegalized all subsequent awards. The final recipient is therefore considered to have received the medal without legal authority.^[1][2]

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 (Eisernes Kreuz), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Article 2 of the enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes.^[3] 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 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), 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 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).^[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, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized.^[6]

Recipients

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. The same numbering paradigm was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade.^[7]

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

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds 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 with Swords to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Ultimately, it would be awarded to twenty-seven German soldiers, sailors and airmen, ranging from young fighter pilots to field marshals. Two recipients were members of the U-boat arm.^[8]

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
7	Wolfgang Lüth	15-MFregattenkapitän[9]	Commander of U-181[10]	9 August 1943[9]	killed on active service 13 May 1945[11]
22	Albrecht Brandi	15-MFregattenkapitän[12]	Commander of U-967[13]	24 November 1944[12]	—

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords is also 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.

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
5	Otto Kretschmer	15-MKorvettenkapitän	Commander of U-99[14]	26 December 1941	—
17	Erich Topp	14-MKapitänleutnant	Commander of U-552[15]	17 August 1942	—
18	Reinhard Suhren	14-MKapitänleutnant	Commander of U-564[15]	1 September 1942	—
29	Wolfgang Lüth	14-MKorvettenkapitän[9]	Commander of U-181[16]	15 April 1943[9]	Awarded 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943[9]
66	Albrecht Brandi	14-MFregattenkapitän[12]	Commander of U-380[17]	9 May 1944[12]	Awarded 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944[12]

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940. The last officially announced number for the Oak Leaves was 843. Higher numbers are unofficial and therefore denoted in brackets.^[18]

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
5	Günther Prien	14-MKapitänleutnant[19]	Commander of U-47[20][19]	20 October 1940[19]	missing in action 7 March 1941[21]
6	Otto Kretschmer	14-MKapitänleutnant[22]	Commander of U-99[20][22]	4 November 1940[22]	Awarded 5th Swords 26 December 1941[22]
7	Joachim Schepke	14-MKapitänleutnant[23]	Commander of U-100[20][23]	1 December 1940[23]	killed in action 17 March 1941[24]
13	Heinrich Liebe	14-MKapitänleutnant[25]	Commander of U-38[26][25]	10 June 1941[25]	At the same time promoted to Korvettenkapitän[26]
14	Engelbert Endrass	13-MOberleutnant zur See[26][Note 1]	Commander of U-46[26][27]	10 June 1941[27]	killed in action 21 December 1941[28]
15	Herbert Schultze	14-MKapitänleutnant[29]	Commander of U-48[26][29]	12 June 1941[29]	—
23	Viktor Hermann Otto Schütze	15-MKorvettenkapitän[30]	Commander of U-103[31][30]	14 July 1941[30]	—
51	Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock	14-MKapitänleutnant[32]	Commander of U-96[33][32]	31 December 1941[32]	—
56	Reinhard Suhren	13-MOberleutnant zur See[34]	Commander of U-564[35][34]	31 December 1941[34]	Awarded 18th Swords 1 September 1942[34]
87	Erich Topp	14-MKapitänleutnant[36]	Commander of U-552[37][36]	11 April 1942[36]	Awarded 17th Swords 17 August 1942[36]
89	Reinhard Hardegen	14-MKapitänleutnant[38]	Commander of U-123[37][38]	23 April 1942[38]	—
104	Rolf Mützelburg	14-MKapitänleutnant[39]	Commander of U-203[40][39]	15 July 1942[39]	killed on active service 11 September 1942[41]
105	Adalbert Schnee	14-MKapitänleutnant[42]	Commander of U-201[40][42]	15 July 1942[42]	—
123	Klaus Scholtz	15-MKorvettenkapitän[43]	Commander of U-108[44][43]	10 September 1942[43]	—
125	Heinrich Bleichrodt	14-MKapitänleutnant[45]	Commander of U-109[44][45]	23 September 1942[45]	—
142	Wolfgang Lüth	14-MKapitänleutnant[11]	Commander of U-181[46][11]	13 November 1942[11]	Awarded 29th Swords 15 April 1943 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943[11]
147	Karl-Friedrich Merten	15-MKorvettenkapitän[47]	Commander of U-68[48][47]	16 November 1942[47]	—
171	Friedrich Guggenberger	14-MKapitänleutnant[49]	Commander of U-81[49][50]	8 January 1943[49]	—
177	Johann Mohr	14-MKapitänleutnant[51]	Commander of U-124[50][51]	13 January 1943[51]	killed in action 3 April 1943[52]
208	Georg Lassen	14-MKapitänleutnant[53]	Commander of U-160[54][53]	7 March 1943[53]	—
223	Karl Dönitz	22-MGroßadmiral[55]	Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine and Befehlshaber der U-Boote[56][55]	6 April 1943[55]	—
224	Albrecht Brandi	15-MKorvettenkapitän[57]	Commander of U-617[56][57]	11 April 1943[57]	Awarded 66th Swords 9 May 1944 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944[57]
234	Otto von Bülow	14-MKapitänleutnant[58]	Commander of U-404[56][58]	26 April 1943[58]	—
250	Robert Gysae	14-MKapitänleutnant[59]	Commander of U-177[60][59]	31 May 1943[59]	—
256	Carl Emmermann	14-MKapitänleutnant[27]	Commander of U-172[61][27]	4 July 1943[27]	—
257	Werner Henke	14-MKapitänleutnant[62]	Commander of U-515[61][62]	4 July 1943[62]	killed as prisoner of war on 15 June 1944[63]
645	Werner Hartmann	17-MKapitän zur See[64]	Leader of the U-Boote in the Mediterranean Sea,[64] before commander of U-198[65]	5 November 1944[64]	—
(852)	Rolf Thomsen	14-MKapitänleutnant[66]	Commander of U-1202[67][66]	29 April 1945[66]	—
(853)	Hans-Günther Lange	14-MKapitänleutnant[68]	Commander of U-711[67][68]	29 April 1945[68]	—

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).

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
1	Günther Prien	14-MKapitänleutnant[19]	Commander of U-47[69][19]	18 October 1939[19]	Awarded 5th Oak Leaves 20 October 1940[19]
2	Herbert Schultze	14-MKapitänleutnant[29]	Commander of U-48[70][29]	1 March 1940[29]	Awarded 15th Oak Leaves 12 June 1941[29]
3	Karl Dönitz	18-MKonteradmiral[55]	Befehlshaber der U-Boote (B.d.U.)[71][55]	21 April 1940[55]	Awarded 223rd Oak Leaves 6 April 1943[55]
4	Werner Hartmann	15-MKorvettenkapitän[64]	Commander of U-37[72][64]	9 May 1940[64]	Awarded 645th Oak Leaves 5 November 1944[64]
5	Otto Schuhart	14-MKapitänleutnant[30]	Commander of U-29[73][30]	16 May 1940[30]	—
6	Wilhelm Rollmann	14-MKapitänleutnant[74]	Commander of U-34[75][74]	31 July 1940[74]	killed in action 5 November 1943[76]
7	Otto Kretschmer	14-MKapitänleutnant[22]	Commander of U-99[22][77]	4 August 1940[22]	Awarded 6th Oak Leaves 4 November 1940 5th Swords 26 December 1941[22]
8	Heinrich Liebe	14-MKapitänleutnant[25]	Commander of U-38[78][25]	14 August 1940[25]	Awarded 13th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941[25]
9	Fritz-Julius Lemp	14-MKapitänleutnant[79]	Commander of U-30[80][79]	14 August 1940[79]	killed in action 9 May 1941[81]
10	Hans-Rudolf Rösing	15-MKorvettenkapitän[82]	Chief of the 7. Unterseebootsflottille and commander of U-48[82][83]	29 August 1940[82]	—
11	Fritz Frauenheim	14-MKapitänleutnant[84]	Commander of U-101[84][85]	29 August 1940[84]	—
12	Engelbert Endrass	13-MOberleutnant zur See[27]	Commander of U-46[86][27]	5 September 1940	Awarded 14th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941[27]
13	Günter Kuhnke	14-MKapitänleutnant[87]	Commander of U-28[87][88]	19 September 1940[87]	—
14	Joachim Schepke	14-MKapitänleutnant[23]	Commander of U-100[23][89]	24 September 1940[23]	Awarded 7th Oak Leaves 1 December 1940[23]
15	Hans Jenisch	13-MOberleutnant zur See[90]	Commander of U-32[91][90]	7 October 1940[90]	—
16	Victor Oehrn	14-MKapitänleutnant[92]	Commander of U-37[93][92]	21 October 1940[92]	—
17	Gerd Suhren	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.)[34]	Chief engineer on U-37[94][34]	21 October 1940[34]	—
18	Heinrich Bleichrodt	14-MKapitänleutnant[45]	Commander of U-48[45][95]	24 October 1940[45]	Awarded 125th Oak Leaves 23 September 1942[45]
19	Wolfgang Lüth	13-MOberleutnant zur See[11]	Commander of U-138[96][11]	24 October 1940[11]	Awarded 142nd Oak Leaves 13 November 1942 29th Swords 15 April 1943 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943[11]
20	Reinhard Suhren	13-MOberleutnant zur See[34]	1st watch officer on U-48[94][34]	3 November 1940[34]	Awarded 56th Oak Leaves 31 December 1941 18th Swords 1 September 1942[34]
21	Heinrich Petersen	11-MStabsobersteuermann[97]	Watch officer and coxswain on U-99[98][97]	5 November 1940[97]	—
22	Viktor Schütze	15-MKorvettenkapitän[30]	Commander of U-103[73][30]	11 December 1940[30]	Awarded 23rd Oak Leaves 14 July 1941[30]
23	Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen	15-MKorvettenkapitän[99]	Commander of U-65[99][100]	14 January 1941[99]	—
24	Karl-Heinz Moehle	14-MKapitänleutnant[101]	Commander of U-123[102][101]	26 February 1941[101]	—
25	Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock	14-MKapitänleutnant[32]	Commander of U-96[103][32]	26 February 1941[32]	Awarded 51st Oak Leaves 31 December 1941[32]
26	Jürgen Oesten	14-MKapitänleutnant[104]	Commander of U-106[104][105]	26 March 1941[104]	—
27	Georg-Wilhelm Schulz	14-MKapitänleutnant[106]	Commander of U-124[107][106]	4 April 1941[106]	—
28	Erich Zürn	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.)[108]	Chief engineer on U-48[109][108]	23 April 1941[108]	—
29	Herbert Kuppisch	14-MKapitänleutnant[110]	Commander of U-94[111][110]	14 May 1941[110]	killed in action 27 August 1943[112]
30	Herbert Wohlfarth	14-MKapitänleutnant[113]	Commander of U-556[114][113]	15 May 1941[113]	—
31	Georg Schewe	14-MKapitänleutnant[115]	Commander of U-105[89][115]	23 May 1941[115]	—
32	Claus Korth	14-MKapitänleutnant[116]	Commander of U-93[117][116]	29 May 1941[116]	—
33	Erich Topp	13-MOberleutnant zur See[36]	Commander of U-552[118][36]	20 June 1941[36]	Awarded 87th Oak Leaves 11 April 1942 17th Swords 17 August 1942[36]
34	Günter Hessler	14-MKapitänleutnant[119]	Commander of U-107[120][119]	24 June 1941[119]	—
35	Jost Metzler	14-MKapitänleutnant[121]	Commander of U-69[122][121]	28 July 1941[121]	—
36	Adalbert Schnee	13-MOberleutnant zur See[42]	Commander of U-201[123][42]	30 August 1941[42]	Awarded 105th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942[42]
37	Rolf Mützelburg	14-MKapitänleutnant[39]	Commander of U-203[124][39]	17 November 1941[39]	Awarded 104th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942[39]
38	Ernst Mengersen	14-MKapitänleutnant[125]	Commander of U-101[126][125]	18 November 1941[125]	—
39	Friedrich Guggenberger	14-MKapitänleutnant[49]	Commander of U-81[49][127]	10 December 1941[49]	Awarded 171st Oak Leaves 8 January 1943[49]
40	Klaus Scholtz	14-MKapitänleutnant[43]	Commander of U-108[128][43]	26 December 1941[43]	Awarded 123rd Oak Leaves 10 September 1942[43]
41	Gerhard Bigalk	14-MKapitänleutnant[129]	Commander of U-751[129][130]	26 December 1941[129]	killed in action 17 July 1942[131]
42	Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat	14-MKapitänleutnant[132]	Commander of U-74[133][132]	31 December 1941[132]	—
43	Robert Gysae	14-MKapitänleutnant[59]	Commander of U-98[59][134]	31 December 1941[59]	Awarded 250th Oak Leaves 31 May 1943[59]
44	Reinhard Hardegen	14-MKapitänleutnant[38]	Commander of U-123[135][38]	23 January 1942[38]	Awarded 89th Oak Leaves 23 April 1942[38]
45	Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen	14-MKapitänleutnant[136]	Commander of U-331[137][136]	27 January 1942[136]	—
46	Nicolai Clausen	14-MKapitänleutnant[138]	Commander of U-129[139][138]	13 March 1942[138]	killed in action 16 May 1943[140]
47	Ernst Bauer	14-MKapitänleutnant[141]	Commander of U-126[142][141]	16 March 1942[141]	—
48	Johann Mohr	14-MKapitänleutnant[51]	Commander of U-124[143][51]	27 March 1942[51]	Awarded 177th Oak Leaves 13 January 1943[51]
49	Otto Ites	13-KOberleutnant zur See[144]	Commander of U-94[145][144]	28 March 1942[144]	—
50	Robert-Richard Zapp	15-MKorvettenkapitän[146]	Commander of U-66[147][146]	23 April 1942[146]	—
51	Werner Winter	14-MKapitänleutnant[148]	Commander of U-103[149][148]	5 June 1942[148]	—
52	Peter-Erich Cremer	14-MKapitänleutnant[150]	Commander of U-333[151][150]	5 June 1942[150]	—
53	Karl-Friedrich Merten	15-MKorvettenkapitän[47]	Commander of U-68[126][47]	13 June 1942[47]	Awarded 147th Oak Leaves 16 November 1942[47]
54	Hans-Werner Kraus	14-MKapitänleutnant[152]	Commander of U-83[153][152]	19 June 1942[152]	—
55	Erwin Rostin	14-MKapitänleutnant[154]	Commander of U-158[154][155]	28 June 1942[154]	—
56	Heinz-Otto Schultze	14-MKapitänleutnant[29]	Commander of U-432[70][29]	9 July 1942[29]	killed in action 25 November 1943[156]
57	Georg Lassen	13-MOberleutnant zur See[53]	Commander of U-160[157][53]	10 August 1942[53]	Awarded 208th Oak Leaves 7 March 1943[53]
58	Helmut Rosenbaum	14-MKapitänleutnant[158]	Commander of U-73[159][158]	12 August 1942[158]	—
59	Adolf Piening	14-MKapitänleutnant[160]	Commander of U-155[160][161]	13 August 1942[160]	—
60	Heinrich Schonder	14-MKapitänleutnant[162]	Commander of U-77[162][163]	19 August 1942[162]	killed in action 28 June 1943[164]
61	Karl Thurmann	15-MKorvettenkapitän[165]	Commander of U-553[165][137]	24 August 1942[165]	missing in action 28 January 1943[166]
62	Ernst Kals	15-MKorvettenkapitän[167]	Commander of U-130[167][168]	1 September 1942[167]	—
63	Werner Hartenstein	15-MKorvettenkapitän[169]	Commander of U-156[170][169]	17 September 1942[169]	killed in action 8 March 1943[171]
64	Günther Krech	14-MKapitänleutnant[172]	Commander of U-558[173][172]	17 September 1942[172]	—
65	Otto von Bülow	14-MKapitänleutnant[58]	Commander of U-404[174][58]	20 October 1942[58]	Awarded 234th Oak Leaves 26 April 1943[58]
66	Helmut Witte	14-MKapitänleutnant[175]	Commander of U-159[176][175]	22 October 1942[175]	—
67	Siegfried Strelow	14-MKapitänleutnant[177]	Commander of U-435[178][177]	27 October 1942[177]	killed in action 15 July 1943[179]
68	Fritz Poske	15-MKorvettenkapitän[180]	Commander of U-504[181][180]	6 November 1942[180]	—
69	Carl Emmermann	14-MKapitänleutnant[27]	Commander of U-172[86][27]	27 November 1942[27]	Awarded 256th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943[27]
70	Günther Müller-Stöckheim	14-MKapitänleutnant[39]	Commander of U-67[124][39]	27 November 1942[39]	killed in action 16 July 1943[182]
71	Wilhelm Dommes	14-MKapitänleutnant[183]	Commander of U-431[184][183]	2 December 1942[183]	—
72	Hans Witt	14-MKapitänleutnant[185]	Commander of U-129[176][185]	17 December 1942[185]	—
73	Werner Henke	13-MOberleutnant zur See zur Verwendung (for disposition)[62]	Commander of U-515[62][186]	17 December 1942[62]	Awarded 257th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943[62]
74	Hermann Rasch	14-MKapitänleutnant[187]	Commander of U-106[187][188]	29 December 1942[187]	—
75	Harro Schacht	15-MKorvettenkapitän[189]	Commander of U-507[190][189]	9 January 1943[189]	killed in action 14 January 1943[191]
76	Albrecht Achilles	14-MKapitänleutnant[192]	Commander of U-161[192][193]	16 January 1943[192]	killed in action 27 September 1943[194]
77	Herbert Schneider	14-MKapitänleutnant[195]	Commander of U-522[195][196]	16 January 1943[195]	killed in action 24 February 1943[197]
78	Ulrich Heyse	14-MKapitänleutnant[198]	Commander of U-128[199][198]	21 January 1943[198]	—
79	Albrecht Brandi	14-MKapitänleutnant[57]	Commander of U-617[200][57]	21 January 1943[57]	Awarded 224th Oak Leaves 11 April 1943 66th Swords 9 May 1944 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944[57]
80	Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner	14-MKapitänleutnant[201]	Commander of U-402[201][202]	9 February 1943[201]	killed in action 13 October 1943[Note 2]
81	Gerhard Bielig	14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.)[129]	Chief engineer on U-177[204][129]	10 February 1943[129]	—
82	Erich Würdemann	14-MKapitänleutnant[205]	Commander of U-506[206][205]	14 March 1943[205]	killed in action 14 July 1943[207]
83	Reinhart Reche	14-MKapitänleutnant[208]	Commander of U-255[208][209]	17 March 1943[208]	—
84	Hans-Hartwig Trojer	13-MOberleutnant zur See[210]	Commander of U-221[211][210]	24 March 1943[210]	—
85	Harald Gelhaus	14-MKapitänleutnant[212]	Commander of U-107[213][212]	26 March 1943[212]	—
86	Karl Neitzel	15-MKorvettenkapitän[214]	Commander of U-510[215][214]	27 March 1943[214]	—
87	Günther Seibicke	14-MKapitänleutnant[216]	Commander of U-436[217][216]	27 March 1943[216]	killed in action 26 May 1943[218]
88	Ulrich Folkers	14-MKapitänleutnant[201]	Commander of U-125[201][202]	27 March 1943[201]	killed in action 6 May 1943[219]
89	Hans Heidtmann	14-MKapitänleutnant[220]	Commander of U-559[221][220]	12 April 1943[220]	—
90	Helmut Möhlmann	14-MKapitänleutnant[101]	Commander of U-571[102][101]	16 April 1943[101]	—
91	Gunter Jahn	14-MKapitänleutnant[222]	Commander of U-596[222][223]	30 April 1943[222]	—
92	Wilhelm Franken	14-MKapitänleutnant[224]	Commander of U-565[225][224]	30 April 1943[224]	killed in accident 13 January 1945[226]
93	Klaus Bargsten	14-MKapitänleutnant[227]	Commander of U-521[228][227]	30 April 1943[227]	—
94	Günther Heydemann	14-MKapitänleutnant[229]	Commander of U-575[199][229]	3 July 1943[229]	—
95	Friedrich Markworth	14-MKapitänleutnant[230]	Commander of U-66[230][231]	8 July 1943[230]	—
96	Georg Staats	14-MKapitänleutnant[232]	Commander of U-508[233][232]	14 July 1943[232]	killed in action 12 November 1943[234]
97	Gerd Kelbling	14-MKapitänleutnant[235]	Commander of U-593[236][235]	18 August 1943[235]	—
98	Herbert Panknin	14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.)[237]	Chief engineer on U-106[238][237]	4 September 1943[237]
99	Dipl.-Ing. Willi Lechtenbörger*	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserves[239]	Chief engineer on U-847[103][239]	4 September 1943[239]	killed in action 27 August 1943[240]
100	Heinz Krey*	12-MLeutnant (Ing.)[241]	Chief engineer on U-752[77][241]	4 September 1943[241]	killed in action 23 May 1943[242]
101	August Maus	14-MKapitänleutnant[243]	Commander of U-185[244][243]	21 September 1943[243]	—
102	Dietrich Schöneboom	13-MOberleutnant zur See[245]	Commander of U-431[246][245]	20 October 1943[245]	killed in action 23 October 1943[247]
103	Carl-August Landfermann	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserve[248]	Chief engineer on U-181[248][249]	27 October 1943[248]	—
104	Hellmut Rohweder	14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.)[74]	Chief engineer on U-69 and U-514[75][74]	14 November 1943[74]	—
105	Egon-Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach	14-MKapitänleutnant[250]	Commander of U-453[250][251]	19 November 1943[250]	—
106	Horst-Arno Fenski	13-MOberleutnant zur See[252]	Commander of U-410[253][252]	26 November 1943[252]	—
107	Heinz Franke	14-MKapitänleutnant[224]	Commander of U-262[225][224]	30 November 1943[224]	—
108	Max-Martin Teichert*	14-MKapitänleutnant[254]	Commander of U-456[255][254]	19 December 1943*[254]	killed in action 12 May 1943[256]
109	Siegfried Koitschka	13-MOberleutnant zur See[257]	Commander of U-616[257][258]	27 January 1944[257]	—
110	Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel	14-MKapitänleutnant[259]	Commander of U-543[259][260]	3 February 1944[259]	killed in action 2 July 1944[261]
111	Siegfried Lüdden	14-MKapitänleutnant[262]	Commander of U-188[263][262]	11 February 1944[262]	killed on active service 13 January 1945[264]
112	Johann-Friedrich Wessels	14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.)[265]	Chief engineer on U-198[265][266]	9 March 1944[265]	—
113	Gustav Poel	14-MKapitänleutnant[267]	Commander of U-413[268][267]	21 March 1944[267]	—
114	Waldemar Mehl	14-MKapitänleutnant[269]	Commander of U-371[270][269]	28 March 1944[269]	—
115	Alfred Eick	13-MOberleutnant zur See[271]	Commander of U-510[272][271]	31 March 1944[271]	—
116	Georg Olschewski	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.)[273]	Chief engineer on U-66[105][273]	23 April 1944[273]	—
117	Walter Käding	10-MObersteuermann[274]	3rd watch officer and coxswain on U-123[275][274]	15 May 1944[274]	—
118	Horst Hofmann	10-MObersteuermann[276]	Coxswain and watch officer on U-672[277][276]	20 May 1944[276]	—
119	Karl-Heinz Wiebe	14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.)[278]	Chief engineer on U-178[279][278]	22 May 1944[278]	—
120	Horst von Schroeter	13-MOberleutnant zur See[280]	Commander of U-123[281][280]	1 June 1944[280]	—
—	Johann-Otto Krieg	13-MOberleutnant zur See[241]	Chief of the Kleinkampfmittel-Flottille 361[77][241]	8 July 1944[241]	—
121	Reinhard König	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.)[282]	Chief engineer on U-123[283][282]	8 July 1944[282]	—
122	Heinz Sieder	13-MOberleutnant zur See[284]	Commander of U-984[284][285]	8 July 1944[284]	killed in action 20 August 1944[286]
123	Karl Fleige	13-MOberleutnant zur See[287]	Commander of U-18[288][287]	18 July 1944[287]	—
124	Karl-Heinz Marbach	13-MOberleutnant zur See[289]	Commander of U-953[290][289]	22 July 1944[289]	—
125	Hermann Stuckmann	13-MOberleutnant zur See[291]	Commander of U-621[291][292]	11 August 1944[291]	killed in action 23 August 1944[293]
126	Heinrich Dammeier	11-MStabsobermaschinist[294]	Chief mechanic on U-270[294][295]	12 August 1944[294]	—
127	Hans-Günther Lange	14-MKapitänleutnant[68]	Commander of U-711[68][296]	26 August 1944[68]	Awarded (853rd) Oak Leaves 29 April 1945[68]
128	Heinrich Timm	15-MKorvettenkapitän[297]	Commander of U-862[297][118]	17 September 1944[297]	—
129	Gerhard Schaar	13-MOberleutnant zur See[189]	Commander of U-957[190][189]	1 October 1944[189]	—
130	Hans-Joachim Förster	13-MOberleutnant zur See[298]	Commander of U-480[299][298]	18 December 1944[298]	killed in action 24 February 1945[300]
131	Paul Brasack	14-MKapitänleutnant[301]	Commander of U-737[301][302]	30 October 1944[301]	—
132	Rudolf Mühlbauer	08-MOberbootsmannsmaat[303]	Brückenmaat (look out on the bridge) on U-123[304][303]	10 December 1944[303]	—
133	Günther Pulst	13-MOberleutnant zur See[305]	Commander of U-978[306][305]	21 December 1944[305]	—
134	Rolf Thomsen	14-MKapitänleutnant[66]	Commander of U-1202[307][66]	4 January 1945[66]	Awarded (852nd) Oak Leaves 29 April 1945[66]
135	Ernst Hechler	15-MKorvettenkapitän[308]	Commander of U-870[309][308]	21 January 1945[308]	—
136	Dr. jur. Kurt Dobratz	17-MKapitän zur See[55]	Commander of U-1232[71][55]	23 January 1945[55]	—
137	Johannes Limbach	12-LLeutnant zur See[310]	1st watch officer on U-181[310][311]	6 February 1945[310]	—
138	Hans-Georg Hess	13-MOberleutnant zur See of the Reserves[119]	Commander of U-995[120][119]	11 February 1945[119]	—
139	Otto Westphalen	13-MOberleutnant zur See[312]	Commander of U-968[266][312]	23 March 1945[312]	—
140	Philipp Lichtenberg	14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.)[25]	Chief engineer on U-516[78][25]	31 March 1945[25]	—
141	Hans Johannsen	13-MOberleutnant (Ing.)[313]	Chief engineer on U-802[313][314]	31 March 1945[313]	—
142	Heinrich Praßdorf	09-MObermaschinist[315]	Lead machinist on U-1203[315][69]	21 April 1945[315]	—
143	Heinrich Schroeteler	14-MKapitänleutnant[280]	Commander of U-1023[281][280]	2 May 1945[280]	—
144	Hans Lehmann	13-MOberleutnant zur See of the Reserves[239]	Commander of U-997[103][239]	7 May 1945[Note 3]

Legally disputed Knight's Cross recipients

Großadmiral Karl Dönitz ordered a cease of all promotions and awards as of 11 May 1945. Nevertheless, a number of Knight's Crosses were awarded after this date and are considered "illegal" hand-outs. One sailor of the U-boat service is often listed as a recipient of the Knight's Cross but falls outside of the Dönitz-decree. Karl Jäckel received his Knight's Cross confirmation after 11 May 1945 and is therefore a de facto but not de jure recipient.^[2]

Number	Name	Rank	Unit	Date of award	Notes
144	Karl Jäckel	Ober-Steuermann	Coxswain on U-29, U-160 and U-907	1 June 1945