Distribution Statistics
Knight's Cross 1939-1945
Rank on Day of Award |
Heer |
Waffen-SS |
Kriegsmarine |
Luftwaffe |
Foreigners |
Total |
Generalfeldmarschall / Großadmiral |
|
|
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
Generaloberst / Generaladmiral |
9 |
|
1 |
2 |
6 |
18 |
General d. Inf. usw. / Admiral |
66 |
6 |
3 |
13 |
5 |
93 |
Generalleutnant / Vizeadmiral |
191 |
4 |
8 |
18 |
9 |
230 |
Generalmajor / Konteradmiral |
134 |
7 |
10 |
29 |
11 |
191 |
Oberst / Kapitän zur See |
420 |
23 |
33 |
49 |
4 |
529 |
Oberstleutnant / Fregattenkapitän |
258 |
40 |
8 |
31 |
2 |
339 |
Major / Korvettenkapitän |
539 |
87 |
52 |
127 |
3 |
808 |
Hauptmann / Kapitänleutnant |
932 |
83 |
118 |
390 |
|
1523 |
Oberleutnant / Oberleutnant zur See |
630 |
69 |
64 |
462 |
|
1225 |
Leutnant / Leutnant zur See |
414 |
30 |
7 |
246 |
|
697 |
Stabsfeldwebel / Stabswachtmeister |
24 |
|
4 |
6 |
|
34 |
Hauptfeldwebel / Hauptwachtmeister |
5 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
Oberfähnrich |
11 |
1 |
|
7 |
|
19 |
Oberfeldwebel / Oberwachtmeister |
384 |
22 |
5 |
261 |
|
672 |
Feldwebel / Wachtmeister |
253 |
29 |
|
105 |
|
387 |
Unteroffizier / Oberjäger |
284 |
23 |
4 |
20 |
|
331 |
Stabsgefreiter |
6 |
|
|
|
|
6 |
Obergefreiter |
145 |
7 |
|
8 |
|
160 |
Gefreiter |
66 |
5 |
|
10 |
|
81 |
Schütze usw. |
6 |
2 |
|
|
|
8 |
Grand Totals |
4777 |
438 |
318 |
1785 |
43 |
7361 |
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves 1940-1945
Rank on day of award |
Heer |
Waffen-SS |
Kriegsmarine |
Luftwaffe |
Foreigners |
Totals |
Generalfeldmarschall / Großadmiral |
6 |
|
1 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
Generaloberst / Generaladmiral |
11 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
15 |
General d. Inf. usw. / Admiral |
50 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
|
64 |
Generalleutnant / Vizeadmiral |
77 |
6 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
91 |
Generalmajor / Konteradmiral |
43 |
9 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
59 |
Oberst / Kapitän zur See |
78 |
12 |
5 |
8 |
|
103 |
Oberstleutnant / Fregattenkapitän |
47 |
19 |
3 |
19 |
|
88 |
Major / Korvettenkapitän |
73 |
9 |
11 |
53 |
1 |
147 |
Hauptmann / Kapitänleutnant |
68 |
6 |
24 |
76 |
|
174 |
Oberleutnant / Oberleutnant zur See |
19 |
4 |
5 |
40 |
|
68 |
Leutnant / Leutnant zur See |
11 |
1 |
|
21 |
|
33 |
Stabsfeldwebel / Stabswachtmeister |
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Oberfeldwebel / Oberwachtmeister |
17 |
|
|
7 |
|
24 |
Feldwebel / Wachtmeister |
5 |
|
|
4 |
|
9 |
Unteroffizier / Oberjäger |
3 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Grand totals |
509 |
74 |
53 |
246 |
8 |
890 |
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves & swords 1941-1945
Rank on day of award |
Heer |
Waffen-SS |
Kriegsmarine |
Luftwaffe |
Foreigners |
Totals |
Generalfeldmarschall / Großadmiral |
4 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
6 |
Generaloberst / Generaladmiral |
8 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
10 |
General d. Inf. usw. / Admiral |
21 |
4 |
|
1 |
|
26 |
Generalleutnant / Vizeadmiral |
13 |
3 |
|
2 |
|
18 |
Generalmajor / Konteradmiral |
12 |
4 |
|
|
|
16 |
Oberst / Kapitän zur See |
7 |
6 |
|
7 |
|
20 |
Oberstleutnant / Fregattenkapitän |
8 |
4 |
|
6 |
|
18 |
Major / Korvettenkapitän |
3 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
|
18 |
Hauptmann / Kapitänleutnant |
1 |
|
4 |
15 |
|
20 |
Oberleutnant / Oberleutnant zur See |
|
1 |
|
5 |
|
6 |
Leutnant / Leutnant zur See |
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
Oberfeldwebel / Oberwachtmeister |
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
Grand Total |
77 |
24 |
5 |
53 |
1 |
160 |
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, swords & Diamonds 1941-1945
Rank on day of award |
Heer |
Waffen-SS |
Kriegsmarine |
Luftwaffe |
Totals |
Generalfeldmarschall / Großadmiral |
2 |
|
|
1 |
3 |
Generaloberst / Generaladmiral |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
General d. Inf. usw. / Admiral |
4 |
|
|
|
4 |
Generalleutnant / Vizeadmiral |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
3 |
Generalmajor / Konteradmiral |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
Oberst / Kapitän zur See |
2 |
|
|
2 |
4 |
Oberstleutnant / Fregattenkapitän |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
Major / Korvettenkapitän |
|
|
2 |
2 |
4 |
Hauptmann / Kapitänleutnant |
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
Oberleutnant / Oberleutnant zur See |
|
|
|
3 |
3 |
Grand Totals |
11 |
2 |
2 |
12 |
27 |
Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds 1941-1945
The Knight's Cross with Golden Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds was the highest single grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and was awarded only once during WWII.
It was awarded to Hans Ulrich Rudel in honor of his unrivaled heroism as a Luftwaffe Stuka pilot. Rudel was responsible for the destruction of 530 Soviet tanks, enough tanks for five complete Soviet Tank Corps! He also destroyed 150 anti-aircraft and anti-tank positions, 800 motor vehicles, the Soviet Battleship Marat, a Soviet Cruiser, a Soviet Destroyer, 70 Soviet landing craft, and numerous bridges and bunkers. He also heavily damaged another Soviet Battleship, the October Revolution. Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions, claimed 11 air victories in his Stuka, and was shot down 30 times.
Hans Ulrich Rudel
