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 in the final days of World War II in Europe left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process.
Listed here are the 188 Knight's Cross recipients whose last name starts with "E". Scherzer has challenged the validity of three 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 (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. 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. 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). 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.
Recipients
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (E)
Service
Number of presentations
Posthumous presentations
Heer
126
6
Kriegsmarine
6
0
Luftwaffe
41
3
Waffen-SS
15
2
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) kept separate Knight's Cross lists, one for each of the three military branches, Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force) 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 188 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "E", 22 were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and two the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords; eleven presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 126 of the medals, six went to the Kriegsmarine, 41 to the Luftwaffe, and 15 to the Waffen-SS.
This along with the + (plus) indicates that a higher grade of Knight's Cross was awarded as well. This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously. This along with the? (question mark) indicates that author Veit Scherzer has expressed doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.
↑For an explanation of the various naming schemes used by the Luftwaffe, Heer, Kriegsmarine and Waffen-SS refer to nomenclature used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
1234The brackets around the doctor title [Dr.] denotes that the academic title was attained after the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded.
↑According to Scherzer as pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter".
↑According to Scherzer as commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Bataillon "Narwa".
↑According to Scherzer as Richtschütze (gunner) in the 1./SS-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 12.
↑According to Scherzer as commander of Verteidigungs-Abschnitt (defensive sector) "F" (Spandau/Charlottenburg)/Verteidigungsbereich (defensive area) Berlin.
↑According to Scherzer as leader of the 1./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 11.
↑No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. Veit Scherzer was denied access to files, which could help clarify the case, of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) on the grounds of the Bundesarchivgesetz (German Archive Law). Paul Egger was a member of the AKCR.
↑According to Scherzer as chief of the 3./Flak-Regiment 64 (motorized/all-terrain).
12According to Scherzer as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and chief of the 13.(IG)/Infanterie-Regiment 490.
12According to Scherzer name is Johann Eichmeier who received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as commander of leichte Flak-Abteilung 854 (verlegefähig).
↑According to Scherzer as Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 8./Grenadier-Regiment 97.
↑The brackets around the professor and doctor title [Prof. Dr.] denotes that the academic title was attained after the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded.
↑Hans-Egon von Einem's nomination by the corps was never forwarded or was lost due to the military situation. A second nomination was submitted after the evacuation of East Prussia and after the German capitulation. This nomination was never processed. The order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) never addressed this case. The presentation date is an assumption by Walther-Peer Fellgiebel.
↑According to Scherzer in the 3./Jäger-Regiment 38.
↑According to Scherzer as chief of the 8./Grenadier-Regiment 366.
↑According to Scherzer as reconnaissance troop leader in the 1./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 23.
↑No evidence of the award to Karl Eisgruber can be found in the German Federal Archives. According to Walther-Peer Fellgiebel the presentation was made on 1 June 1945 by the Armee-Oberkommando 6 (6th Army), which was not authorized to do so.
↑According to Scherzer as observer in the 14.(Eis/Nord)/Kampfgeschwader 27 "Boelcke".
↑According to Scherzer as commander of Küstenflieger-Gruppe 806.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer[in German] (2000). 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. ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
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. ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
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