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

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]

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.

More information Name, Country ...

Name	Country	Rank	Role and unit	Date of award	Notes	Picture
Isoroku Yamamoto	Japan	Admiral[7]	Commander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet[8]	27 May 1943*[9]	Killed in action 18 April 1943[7]

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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.

More information Name, Country ...

Name	Country	Rank	Role and unit	Date of award	Notes	Picture
Mihail Lascăr	Romania	Major General (General de divizie)[10]	Commander of the Romanian 6th Infantry Division of the 3rd Romanian Army[2]	22 November 1942[11]	—
Agustín Muñoz Grandes	Spain	Lieutenant General[12]	Commander of the Spanish Blue Division (250. Infantry Division)[2]	13 December 1942[11]	—
Isoroku Yamamoto	Japan	Admiral[7]	Commander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet[2]	27 May 1943*[13]	Awarded Swords 27 May 1943
Corneliu Teodorini	Romania	Brigadier General (General de brigadă)[14]	Commander of the Romanian 6th Cavalry Division[2]	8 December 1943[13]	—
Petre Dumitrescu	Romania	Lieutenant General (General de armată)[15]	Commander-in-chief of the Romanian 3rd Romanian Army[2]	4 April 1944[16]	—
Mineichi Koga	Japan	Admiral[17]	Japanese Chief of Fleet[2]	12 May 1944*	Killed in action 31 March 1944[17]
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	Finland	Marshal of Finland[18]	President and Commander-in-chief of Finnish Defense Forces[2]	5 August 1944[19]	—
Léon Degrelle	Belgium	SS-Sturmbannführer[1]	Commander of 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien[2]	27 August 1944[2]	—

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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).

More information Name, Country ...

Name	Country	Rank	Role and unit	Date of award	Notes	Picture
Ion Antonescu	Romania	General (General de armată)[20]	Commander-in-chief of the Military of Romania[21]	6 August 1941[16]	First non-German to receive this award
Ugo de Carolis	Italy	Brigadier General (Generale di Brigata)[22]	Commander of the Italian 52nd Infantry Division "Torino"[21]	9 February 1942*[16]	Killed in action 12 December 1941[22]
Ugo Cavallero	Italy	General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata)[23]	Chief of the Italian Supreme Command[21]	14 February 1942[16]	—
Corneliu Dragalina	Romania	Lieutenant General (General de divizie)[24]	Commanding general of the Romanian 6th Army Corps[21]	6 August 1942[21][Note 2]	—
Ioan Dumitrache	Romania	Major General (General de brigadă)[15]	Commander of the Romanian 2nd Romanian Mountain Division[21]	21 November 1942[16]	—
Petre Dumitrescu	Romania	General (General de armată)[15]	Commander-in-chief of the 3rd Romanian Army[21]	1 September 1942[16]	Awarded Oak Leaves 4 April 1944[16]
Emilio Esteban Infantes	Spain	Lieutenant General[25]	Commander of the Spanish Blue Division (250. Infantry Division)[21]	3 October 1943[16]	—
Carlo Fecia di Cossato	Italy	Frigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata)[26]	Commander of the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli[21]	19 March 1943[16]	—
Italo Gariboldi	Italy	General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata designato d'Armata)[27]	Commander-in-chief of the 8th Italian Army[21]	1 April 1943[16]	—
Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia	Italy	Corvette Captain (Capitano di Corvetta)[28]	Commander of the Italian submarine Archimede[21]	26 May 1943*[16]	Killed in action 24 May 1943[28]
Ermil Gheorghiu	Romania	Major General (General de escadră)[29]	Chief of General Staff of the Romanian Air Force[21]	4 April 1944[16]	—
Fedele De Giorgis	Italy	Major General (Generale di Divisione)[1]	Commander of the Italian 55 Infantry Division Savona[21]	9 January 1942[16]	—
Enzo Grossi	Italy	Frigate Captain (Capitano di Fregata)[30]	Commander of the Italian submarine Barbarigo[21]	7 October 1942[16]	—
Erik Heinrichs	Finland	General of the Infantry[31]	Chief of Finnish General Staff[21]	5 August 1944[16]	—
József Heszlényi	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal (Altábornagy)[32]	Leader of the 3rd Hungarian Army[21]	28 October 1944[16]	—	—
Nikolaus von Horthy und von Nagybánya	Hungary	Admiral (Tengernagy)[33]	Commander-in-chief of the Military of Hungary[21]	10 September 1941[16]	—
Ioan L. Hristea	Romania	Colonel[34]	Commander of the Romanian 2nd Călărași Cavalry Regiment[21]	28 March 1943[16]	—	—
Mihály von Ibrányi	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal (Altábornagy)[35]	Commander of the Hungarian 1st Cavalry Division[36]	26 November 1944[19]	—
Gusztáv Jány	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal (Altábornagy)[37]	Commander-in-chief of the 2nd Hungarian Army[36]	31 March 1943[19]	—
Emanoil Ionescu	Romania	Major General (General de escadră)[38]	Commanding general of the Romanian Air Force's Corpul I Aerian[36]	10 May 1944[19][Note 3]	—
Mineichi Koga	Japan	Admiral[17]	Japanese Chief of Fleet[36]	12 May 1944*[19]	Oak Leaves 12 May 1944[11]
Radu Korne	Romania	Colonel[39]	Commander of the Romanian 8th Cavalry Division[36]	18 December 1942[19]	—
Geza Lakatos Edler de Csíkszentsimon	Hungary	Colonel General (Vezérezredes)[40]	Commander-in-chief of the 1st Hungarian Army[36]	24 May 1944[19]	—
Mihail Lascar	Romania	Major General (General de brigadă)[10]	Commander of the Romanian 1st Mountain Brigade[36]	18 January 1942[19]	Awarded Oak Leaves 22 November 1942[11]
Dezső László	Hungary	Colonel General (Vezérezredes)[10]	Commander-in-chief of the 1st Hungarian Army[36]	3 March 1945[19]	—
Horia Macellariu	Romania	Rear Admiral (Contraadmiral)[41]	Commander-in-chief of the Romanian Naval Forces[36]	21 May 1944[19]	—
Augustín Malár	Slovakia	Major General[42]	Commander of the Slovak Fast Division[36]	23 January 1942[19]	—
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	Finland	Field Marshal[18]	Commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defense Forces[36]	30 August 1941[19]	Awarded Oak Leaves 5 August 1944[19]
Gheorghe Manoliu	Romania	Lieutenant General (General de divizie)[18]	Commander of the Romanian 4th Mountain Division[36]	30 August 1942[19]	—	—
Giulio Martinat	Italy	Brigadier General (Generale di Brigata)[43]	Chief of Staff of the Italian Alpini Corps (Corpo d'Armata Alpino)[36]	3 April 1943*[19]	Killed in action 26 January 1943[43]
Giovanni Messe	Italy	Lieutenant General (Generale di Corpo d'Armata)[44]	Commanding general of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia[36]	23 January 1942[19]	—
Béla Miklós de Dálnok	Hungary	Lieutenant field marshal (Altábornagy)[45]	Commanding general of the Hungarian Fast Corps[36]	4 December 1941[19]	—
Leonard Mociulschi	Romania	Major General (General de brigadă)[46]	Commander of the Romanian 3rd Mountain Division[47]	19 December 1943[19]	—
Agustín Muñoz Grandes	Spain	Lieutenant General[12]	Commander of the Spanish Blue Division (250. Infantry Division)[36]	12 March 1942[19]	Awarded Oak Leaves 13 December 1942[11]
Ioan Pălăghiţă	Romania	Major[48]	Commander of the Romanian I./Infantry Regiment 94[36]	7 April 1943[19]	—
Ioan Mihail Racoviţă	Romania	General of the Cavalry (General de corp de armată)[49]	Commander-in-chief of the 4th Romanian Army[50]	8 July 1944[19]	—
Edgar Rădulescu	Romania	Major General (General de brigadă)[51]	Commander of the Romanian 11th Infantry Division[50]	3 July 1944[19]	—	—
Gheorghe Răscănescu	Romania	Major[52]	Commander of the Romanian I./Infantry Regiment 15[50]	4 December 1942[19]	—
Zoltán Szügyi	Hungary	Colonel (Ezredes)[53]	Commander of the Hungarian Infantry Division Szent László[54]	12 January 1945[19]	—
Nicolae Tătăranu	Romania	Major General (General de divizie)[55]	Commander of the Romanian 20th Infantry Division[50]	17 December 1942[19]	—	—
Corneliu Teodorini	Romania	Colonel[14]	Commander of the Romanian 6th Cavalry Division[56]	27 August 1943[13]	Awarded Oak Leaves 8 December 1943[11]
Jozef Turanec	Slovakia	Major General[57]	Commander of the Slovak Fast Division[56]	7 August 1942[13]	—	—
Isoroku Yamamoto	Japan	Admiral[7]	Commander-in-chief of the IJN Combined Fleet[54]	27 May 1943*[13]	Awarded Oak Leaves 27 May 1943 Awarded Swords 27 May 1943[13]

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