# List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (X–Z)

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry. A total of 7,321 awards were made between its first presentation on 30 September 1939 and its last bestowal on 17 June 1945. This number is based on the analysis and acceptance of the order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht—the Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy) and Luftwaffe (Air Force)—as well as the Waffen-SS, the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD—Reich Labour Service) and the Volkssturm (German national militia). There were also 43 recipients in the military forces of allies of the Third Reich.
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 104 Knight's Cross recipients whose last name starts in the range of "X" to "Z". Veit Scherzer has challenged the validity of 2 of these listings. The recipients are 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

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) kept separate Knight's Cross lists for the 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 104 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts in the range of "X" to "Z", only Wolf-Dietrich Ritter und Edler von Xylander's last name starts with "X". Of these 104 recipients, eleven were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and one the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords; seven presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received seventy-four of the medals, three went to the Kriegsmarine, twenty-three to the Luftwaffe, and four to the Waffen-SS. The sequential numbers greater than 843 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.
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 or formal correctness of the listing.

### Last name starting with "X"

| Name | Service | Rank | Role and unit | Date of award | Notes | Image |
| Wolf-Dietrich Ritter und Edler von Xylander | Heer | Generalleutnant | Chief of the Generalstab of HeeresGruppe Mitte | 20 February 1945* | Killed in airplane crash 15 February 1945 | — |

### Last name starting with "Z"

| Name | Service | Rank | Role and unit | Date of award | Notes | Image |
| Edel-Heinrich Zachariae-Lingenthal | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the II./Panzer-Regiment 15 | 18 September 1943 | — | — |
| Erich Zähr | Luftwaffe | 15-HMajor | Commander of Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 172 | 23 December 1942 | — | — |
| Alfred Zahn | Heer | 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 96 | 17 March 1943 | — | — |
| Dr. rer. oec. Eberhard Zahn+ | Heer | 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 33 | 30 June 1941 | Awarded 204th Oak Leaves 6 March 1943 | — |
| Hilmar Zahn | Luftwaffe | 13-LOberleutnant | Chief of the 5./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 | 9 June 1944 | — | — |
| Lothar Zahn | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 30 (motorized) | 2 October 1943 | — | — |
| Willi Zahn | Heer | 10-HOberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 14.(Panzer-Jäger)/Grenadier-Regiment 507 | 18 July 1943* | Killed in action 16 July 1943 | — |
| Helmut Zander | Heer | 16-HOberstleutnant | Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 60 | 5 April 1945 | — | — |
| Gustav-Adolf von Zangen+ | Heer | 17-HOberst | Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 88 and leader of the 17. Infanterie-Division | 15 January 1942 | Awarded 647th Oak Leaves 5 November 1944 | |
| Albert Zapf | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Leader of the III./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 129 | 23 February 1944 | — | — |
| Robert-Richard Zapp | Kriegsmarine | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-66 | 23 April 1942 | — | |
| Max Zastrow | Heer | 03-HGefreiter | Machine gunner in the 2./Pionier-Bataillon 81 | 6 March 1944 | — | — |
| Franz Zauner | Luftwaffe | 15-LMajor | Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Kampfgeschwader 54 | 5 February 1944 | — | — |
| Paul Zebhauser | Luftwaffe | 10-LOberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 16./Transportgeschwader 1 | 18 November 1944 | — | — |
| Konrad Zecherle | Heer | 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 90 | 10 May 1943 | — | — |
| August Zehender+ | Waffen-SS | 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer | Commander of the SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 1 "Florian Geyer" | 10 March 1943 | Awarded 722nd Oak Leaves 1 February 1945 | |
| Eugen Zehnder | Heer | 06-HOberjäger | Group leader in the 1./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 13 | 7 March 1943 | — | — |
| Markus Zeidler | Luftwaffe | 15-HMajor | Commander of Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 600 | 9 May 1942 | — | — |
| Robert Zeiher | Heer | 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the 1./SS-Grenadier-Regiment "Radolfzell" | 16 January 1945 | — | — |
| Kurt Zeitzler | Heer | 17-HOberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) | Chief of the general staff of the Panzer-Gruppe 1 | 18 May 1941 | — | |
| Franz Zejdlik | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 51 | 4 October 1942 | — | — |
| Ernst Zeller | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 3./Artillerie-Regiment 114 | 16 November 1943 | — | — |
| Konrad Zeller+ | Heer | 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 380 | 5 January 1944 | Awarded 495th Oak Leaves 9 June 1944 | — |
| Willy Zeller | Heer | 12-HLeutnant | Leader of the 9./Grenadier-Regiment 380 | 7 February 1944 | — | — |
| Johann Zellner | Luftwaffe | 09-LFeldwebel | Pilot in the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | 20 July 1944 | — | — |
| Karl Zellner | Luftwaffe | 09-LFeldwebel | Pilot in the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | 29 February 1944* | Killed in flying accident 13 September 1943 | — |
| Walter Zellot | Luftwaffe | 12-LLeutnant | Pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53 | 3 September 1942 | — | — |
| Friedrich Zempel | Heer | 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 3./Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon (A.A.) 112 | 4 May 1944 | — | — |
| Johann Zemsky+ | Luftwaffe | 14-LHauptmann | Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 | 4 February 1942 | Awarded 117th Oak Leaves 3 September 1942 | — |
| Franz Zenker | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 12 | 10 September 1944 | — | — |
| Gottfried Zepf | Heer | 10-HOberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 3./Panzer-Regiment 36 | 26 November 1944 | — | — |
| Alois Zepner | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Leader of the III./Jäger-Regiment 38 | 10 September 1944 | — | — |
| Erich Zepper | Waffen-SS | 10-WSS-Hauptscharführer | Deputy leader of the 2./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 "Westland" | 2 December 1943 | — | — |
| Erich Zernin | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Leader of the 5./Panzer-Regiment 11 | 13 September 1943* | Killed in action 13 August 1943 | — |
| Jakob Zerth | Heer | 03-HGefreiter | Deputy group leader in the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 467 | 21 April 1944 | — | — |
| Rudolf Zettler | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 667 | 18 October 1943 | — | — |
| Friedrich Zickwolff | Heer | 19-HGeneralleutnant | Commander of the 113. Infanterie-Division | 2 June 1942 | — | — |
| Günter Zieger | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Chief of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 600 | 8 February 1944 | — | — |
| Arthur Ziegler | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Regiment adjutant in Grenadier-Regiment 974 | 23 August 1944 | — | — |
| Gerhard-Georg Ziegler | Heer | 16-HOberstleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 353 | 12 February 1944 | — | — |
| Heinz Ziegler | Heer | 19-HGeneralleutnant | Leader of a Kampfgruppe in the Stab of Heeresgruppe Afrika | 16 April 1943 | — | — |
| Joachim Ziegler+ | Waffen-SS | 18-WSS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS | Commander of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland" | 5 September 1944 | Awarded (848th) Oak Leaves 28 April 1945 | — |
| Karl Ziegler | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of the III./Jäger-Regiment 207 | 8 April 1943 | — | — |
| Werner Ziegler+ | Heer | 12-HLeutnant | Leader of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 186 | 31 December 1941 | Awarded 121st Oak Leaves 8 September 1942 102nd Swords 23 October 1944 | — |
| Leonhard Ziehr | Luftwaffe | 10-LOberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 13./Transportgeschwader 1 | 16 December 1944 | — | — |
| Alfred Ziemann | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Chief of the 1./schwere Panzer-Jagd-Abteilung 93 | 9 January 1944 | — | — |
| Ernst Ziemer+ | Heer | 10-HOberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) of 15./Infanterie-Regiment 94 | 14 December 1941 | Awarded 317th Oak Leaves 2 November 1943 | — |
| Otto Zierach | Luftwaffe | 13-LOberleutnant | Glider pilot in the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch" | 15 May 1940 | At the same time promoted to Hauptmann | — |
| Karl Zierhofer | Heer | 03-HGefreiter | Machine gunner in the 1./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 126 | 4 October 1944 | — | — |
| Erwin Zilger | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Chief of the 1./Panzer-Jagd-Abteilung 186 | 4 August 1943 | — | — |
| Karl Zillich | Luftwaffe | 13-LOberleutnant | Observer in the Stab of II./Kampfgeschwader 27 "Boelcke" | 20 July 1944* | Died from wounds on 14 April 1944 | — |
| Karl-Heinz Zillies | Heer | 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 10./Grenadier-Regiment 8 (motorized) | 11 December 1944 | — | — |
| Erich Zillmann | Heer | 11-HStabswachtmeister | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 245 | 8 August 1944 | — | — |
| Karl Zimmer | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Deputy leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 105 | 18 February 1945 | — | — |
| Richard Zimmer | Heer | 19-HGeneralleutnant | Commander 17. Infanterie-Division | 16 October 1944 | — | — |
| Ernst Zimmermann | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 105 | 21 May 1943 | — | — |
| Fritz Zimmermann | Luftwaffe | 14-LHauptmann | Commander of the I.(gem.)/Flaksturm-Regiment 241 (motorized) | 8 August 1944* | Died from wounds on 7 June 1944 | — |
| Hans Zimmermann | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Chief of the 8./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 | 22 January 1943 | — | — |
| Herbert Zimmermann | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 225 | 12 January 1945* | Killed in action 29 October 1944 | — |
| Herbert Zimmermann | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Chief of the 1./Panzer-Regiment 36 | 5 April 1945 | — | — |
| Hermann Zimmermann | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of the II./Schützen-Regiment 3 | 4 September 1940 | — | — |
| Jacob Zimmermann | Heer | 15-HMajor | Leader of the Grenadier-Regiment 509 | 1 February 1945 | — | — |
| Jakob Zimmermann | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 | 31 July 1943 | — | — |
| Manfred Zimmermann | Heer | 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves | Leader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 199 "List" | 14 May 1944 | — | — |
| Oskar Zimmermann | Luftwaffe | 12-LLeutnant | Pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" | 29 October 1944 | — | — |
| Otto Zimmermann | Heer | 09-HFeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 4.(MG)/Grenadier-Regiment 504 | 26 March 1944 | — | — |
| Robert Zimmermann | Luftwaffe | 14-LHauptmann | Commander of the I./Flak-Regiment 29 (motorized) | 1 April 1945 | — | — |
| Walter Zimmermann | Heer | 10-HOberwachtmeister | Vorgeschobener Beobachter (forward observer) in the 12./Artillerie-Regiment 205 | 10 February 1945 | — | — |
| Willy Zimmermann | Heer | 09-HFeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 80 | 23 October 1944 | — | |
| August Zingel | Waffen-SS | 06-WSS-Unterscharführer | Shock troops leader in the Kampfgruppe "Krauth" n the 15./Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1 | 4 October 1942 | — | — |
| Ludwig Zinsser | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the 8./Artillerie-Regiment 148 | 16 November 1944 | — | — |
| [Dr.] Franz Zintl | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Leader of the I./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 206 | 6 July 1942 | — | |
| Kuno Zipfel | Heer | 09-HFeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Jäger-Regiment 56 | 10 September 1944 | — | — |
| Willibald Zipfel | Luftwaffe | 09-LFeldwebel | Radio operator in the 3./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" | 6 December 1944 | — | — |
| Carl Ziran | Heer | 06-HUnteroffizier | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 461 | 29 November 1944 | — | — |
| Wilhelm Zischka | Heer | 09-HWachtmeister | Vorgeschobener Beobachter (forward observer) in the 6./Artillerie-Regiment 41 (motorized) | 23 October 1944 | — | — |
| Kurt Zitzen | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 177 | 4 August 1943 | — | — |
| Alois Zmugg | Heer | 06-HUnteroffizier | In the 3./Schützen-Regiment 114 | 18 October 1941 | — | — |
| Horst Zobel | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the Panzer-Abteilung in the Panzer-Division "Müncheberg" | 14 April 1945 | — | — |
| Heinz Zöllner | Luftwaffe | 14-LHauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 6./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor" | 5 April 1944 | — | — |
| Erhard Zoll | Heer | 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves | Chief of the 14.(Panzerjäger)/Grenadier-Regiment 437 | 18 January 1945 | — | — |
| Gerhard Zonewitz | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant | Chief of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 151 | 4 December 1941 | — | — |
| Gerhard Zoppoth? | Heer | 12-HLeutnant | Leader of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 732 | 9 May 1945 | — | — |
| Eduard Zorn+ | Heer | 17-HOberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) | Leader of the 189. Infanterie-Division | 25 December 1944 | Awarded 739th Oak Leaves 16 February 1945 | — |
| Gerhard Zorn | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 159 | 28 March 1945 | — | — |
| Hans Zorn+ | Heer | 18-HGeneralmajor | Commander of the 20. Infanterie-Division (motorized) | 27 July 1941 | Awarded 291st Oak Leaves 3 September 1943 | |
| Paul Zorner+ | Luftwaffe | 14-LHauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 | 9 June 1944 | Awarded 588th Oak Leaves 17 September 1944 | — |
| Heinrich Zubrod | Heer | 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves | Company leader in the Grenadier-Regiment 1213 | 18 January 1945 | — | — |
| Hermann Zühlsdorff | Heer | 10-HOberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 94 | 9 January 1942 | — | — |
| Erich Zürn | Kriegsmarine | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-48 | 23 April 1941 | — | — |
| Rudolf Zürn | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 65 | 16 June 1940 | — | — |
| Hermann Zürner | Heer | 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves | Leader of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 | 28 December 1944 | — | — |
| Günter Zugehör | Heer | 14-HHauptmann | Commander of the II./Artillerie-Regiment 19 (motorized) | 12 September 1941 | — | — |
| Hugo Zumfelde | Heer | 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves | Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 546 | 9 December 1944 | — | — |
| Alfred Zurin? | Heer | 12-HLeutnant | Leader of the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 189 | 9 May 1945 | — | — |
| Walter Zurmöhle | Luftwaffe | 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves | Chief of the 1./Pionier-Bataillon 6 (L) | 5 April 1944 | — | — |
| Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart | Luftwaffe | 10-LOberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54 | 22 January 1943 | — | — |
| Franz Zwer | Heer | 10-HOberfeldwebel | Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 530 | 6 April 1944 | — | — |
| Josef Zwernemann+ | Luftwaffe | 10-LOberfeldwebel | Pilot in 7./Jagdgeschwader 52 | 23 June 1942 | Awarded 141st Oak Leaves 31 October 1942 | |
| Rudi Zwesken | Luftwaffe | 10-LOberfeldwebel | Pilot in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 300 | 21 March 1945 | — | — |
| Hans Zwickenpflug | Heer | 15-HMajor | Commander of the II./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100 | 5 April 1945 | — | — |
| Heinrich Zwipf | Luftwaffe | 14-LHauptmann | Staffelkapitän of the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 | 31 December 1943 | — | — |
| Felix Zymalkowski | Kriegsmarine | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Chief of the 8. Schnellbootflottille | 10 April 1945 | — | — |