# 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.

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

### 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 | 26 December 1941 | — |
| 17 | Erich Topp | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-552 | 17 August 1942 | — |
| 18 | Reinhard Suhren | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-564 | 1 September 1942 | — |
| 29 | Wolfgang Lüth | 14-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-181 | 15 April 1943 | Awarded 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943 |
| 66 | Albrecht Brandi | 14-MFregattenkapitän | Commander of U-380 | 9 May 1944 | Awarded 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944 |

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

### 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 | Commander of U-47 | 18 October 1939 | Awarded 5th Oak Leaves 20 October 1940 |
| 2 | Herbert Schultze | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-48 | 1 March 1940 | Awarded 15th Oak Leaves 12 June 1941 |
| 3 | Karl Dönitz | 18-MKonteradmiral | Befehlshaber der U-Boote (B.d.U.) | 21 April 1940 | Awarded 223rd Oak Leaves 6 April 1943 |
| 4 | Werner Hartmann | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-37 | 9 May 1940 | Awarded 645th Oak Leaves 5 November 1944 |
| 5 | Otto Schuhart | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-29 | 16 May 1940 | — |
| 6 | Wilhelm Rollmann | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-34 | 31 July 1940 | killed in action 5 November 1943 |
| 7 | Otto Kretschmer | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-99 | 4 August 1940 | Awarded 6th Oak Leaves 4 November 1940 5th Swords 26 December 1941 |
| 8 | Heinrich Liebe | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-38 | 14 August 1940 | Awarded 13th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941 |
| 9 | Fritz-Julius Lemp | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-30 | 14 August 1940 | killed in action 9 May 1941 |
| 10 | Hans-Rudolf Rösing | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Chief of the 7. Unterseebootsflottille and commander of U-48 | 29 August 1940 | — |
| 11 | Fritz Frauenheim | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-101 | 29 August 1940 | — |
| 12 | Engelbert Endrass | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-46 | 5 September 1940 | Awarded 14th Oak Leaves 10 June 1941 |
| 13 | Günter Kuhnke | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-28 | 19 September 1940 | — |
| 14 | Joachim Schepke | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-100 | 24 September 1940 | Awarded 7th Oak Leaves 1 December 1940 |
| 15 | Hans Jenisch | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-32 | 7 October 1940 | — |
| 16 | Victor Oehrn | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-37 | 21 October 1940 | — |
| 17 | Gerd Suhren | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-37 | 21 October 1940 | — |
| 18 | Heinrich Bleichrodt | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-48 | 24 October 1940 | Awarded 125th Oak Leaves 23 September 1942 |
| 19 | Wolfgang Lüth | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-138 | 24 October 1940 | Awarded 142nd Oak Leaves 13 November 1942 29th Swords 15 April 1943 7th Diamonds 9 August 1943 |
| 20 | Reinhard Suhren | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | 1st watch officer on U-48 | 3 November 1940 | Awarded 56th Oak Leaves 31 December 1941 18th Swords 1 September 1942 |
| 21 | Heinrich Petersen | 11-MStabsobersteuermann | Watch officer and coxswain on U-99 | 5 November 1940 | — |
| 22 | Viktor Schütze | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-103 | 11 December 1940 | Awarded 23rd Oak Leaves 14 July 1941 |
| 23 | Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-65 | 14 January 1941 | — |
| 24 | Karl-Heinz Moehle | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-123 | 26 February 1941 | — |
| 25 | Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-96 | 26 February 1941 | Awarded 51st Oak Leaves 31 December 1941 |
| 26 | Jürgen Oesten | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-106 | 26 March 1941 | — |
| 27 | Georg-Wilhelm Schulz | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-124 | 4 April 1941 | — |
| 28 | Erich Zürn | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-48 | 23 April 1941 | — |
| 29 | Herbert Kuppisch | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-94 | 14 May 1941 | killed in action 27 August 1943 |
| 30 | Herbert Wohlfarth | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-556 | 15 May 1941 | — |
| 31 | Georg Schewe | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-105 | 23 May 1941 | — |
| 32 | Claus Korth | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-93 | 29 May 1941 | — |
| 33 | Erich Topp | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-552 | 20 June 1941 | Awarded 87th Oak Leaves 11 April 1942 17th Swords 17 August 1942 |
| 34 | Günter Hessler | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-107 | 24 June 1941 | — |
| 35 | Jost Metzler | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-69 | 28 July 1941 | — |
| 36 | Adalbert Schnee | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-201 | 30 August 1941 | Awarded 105th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942 |
| 37 | Rolf Mützelburg | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-203 | 17 November 1941 | Awarded 104th Oak Leaves 15 July 1942 |
| 38 | Ernst Mengersen | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-101 | 18 November 1941 | — |
| 39 | Friedrich Guggenberger | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-81 | 10 December 1941 | Awarded 171st Oak Leaves 8 January 1943 |
| 40 | Klaus Scholtz | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-108 | 26 December 1941 | Awarded 123rd Oak Leaves 10 September 1942 |
| 41 | Gerhard Bigalk | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-751 | 26 December 1941 | killed in action 17 July 1942 |
| 42 | Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-74 | 31 December 1941 | — |
| 43 | Robert Gysae | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-98 | 31 December 1941 | Awarded 250th Oak Leaves 31 May 1943 |
| 44 | Reinhard Hardegen | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-123 | 23 January 1942 | Awarded 89th Oak Leaves 23 April 1942 |
| 45 | Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-331 | 27 January 1942 | — |
| 46 | Nicolai Clausen | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-129 | 13 March 1942 | killed in action 16 May 1943 |
| 47 | Ernst Bauer | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-126 | 16 March 1942 | — |
| 48 | Johann Mohr | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-124 | 27 March 1942 | Awarded 177th Oak Leaves 13 January 1943 |
| 49 | Otto Ites | 13-KOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-94 | 28 March 1942 | — |
| 50 | Robert-Richard Zapp | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-66 | 23 April 1942 | — |
| 51 | Werner Winter | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-103 | 5 June 1942 | — |
| 52 | Peter-Erich Cremer | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-333 | 5 June 1942 | — |
| 53 | Karl-Friedrich Merten | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-68 | 13 June 1942 | Awarded 147th Oak Leaves 16 November 1942 |
| 54 | Hans-Werner Kraus | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-83 | 19 June 1942 | — |
| 55 | Erwin Rostin | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-158 | 28 June 1942 | — |
| 56 | Heinz-Otto Schultze | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-432 | 9 July 1942 | killed in action 25 November 1943 |
| 57 | Georg Lassen | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-160 | 10 August 1942 | Awarded 208th Oak Leaves 7 March 1943 |
| 58 | Helmut Rosenbaum | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-73 | 12 August 1942 | — |
| 59 | Adolf Piening | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-155 | 13 August 1942 | — |
| 60 | Heinrich Schonder | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-77 | 19 August 1942 | killed in action 28 June 1943 |
| 61 | Karl Thurmann | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-553 | 24 August 1942 | missing in action 28 January 1943 |
| 62 | Ernst Kals | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-130 | 1 September 1942 | — |
| 63 | Werner Hartenstein | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-156 | 17 September 1942 | killed in action 8 March 1943 |
| 64 | Günther Krech | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-558 | 17 September 1942 | — |
| 65 | Otto von Bülow | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-404 | 20 October 1942 | Awarded 234th Oak Leaves 26 April 1943 |
| 66 | Helmut Witte | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-159 | 22 October 1942 | — |
| 67 | Siegfried Strelow | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-435 | 27 October 1942 | killed in action 15 July 1943 |
| 68 | Fritz Poske | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-504 | 6 November 1942 | — |
| 69 | Carl Emmermann | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-172 | 27 November 1942 | Awarded 256th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943 |
| 70 | Günther Müller-Stöckheim | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-67 | 27 November 1942 | killed in action 16 July 1943 |
| 71 | Wilhelm Dommes | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-431 | 2 December 1942 | — |
| 72 | Hans Witt | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-129 | 17 December 1942 | — |
| 73 | Werner Henke | 13-MOberleutnant zur See zur Verwendung (for disposition) | Commander of U-515 | 17 December 1942 | Awarded 257th Oak Leaves 4 July 1943 |
| 74 | Hermann Rasch | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-106 | 29 December 1942 | — |
| 75 | Harro Schacht | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-507 | 9 January 1943 | killed in action 14 January 1943 |
| 76 | Albrecht Achilles | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-161 | 16 January 1943 | killed in action 27 September 1943 |
| 77 | Herbert Schneider | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-522 | 16 January 1943 | killed in action 24 February 1943 |
| 78 | Ulrich Heyse | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-128 | 21 January 1943 | — |
| 79 | Albrecht Brandi | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-617 | 21 January 1943 | Awarded 224th Oak Leaves 11 April 1943 66th Swords 9 May 1944 22nd Diamonds 24 November 1944 |
| 80 | Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-402 | 9 February 1943 | killed in action 13 October 1943 |
| 81 | Gerhard Bielig | 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-177 | 10 February 1943 | — |
| 82 | Erich Würdemann | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-506 | 14 March 1943 | killed in action 14 July 1943 |
| 83 | Reinhart Reche | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-255 | 17 March 1943 | — |
| 84 | Hans-Hartwig Trojer | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-221 | 24 March 1943 | — |
| 85 | Harald Gelhaus | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-107 | 26 March 1943 | — |
| 86 | Karl Neitzel | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-510 | 27 March 1943 | — |
| 87 | Günther Seibicke | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-436 | 27 March 1943 | killed in action 26 May 1943 |
| 88 | Ulrich Folkers | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-125 | 27 March 1943 | killed in action 6 May 1943 |
| 89 | Hans Heidtmann | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-559 | 12 April 1943 | — |
| 90 | Helmut Möhlmann | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-571 | 16 April 1943 | — |
| 91 | Gunter Jahn | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-596 | 30 April 1943 | — |
| 92 | Wilhelm Franken | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-565 | 30 April 1943 | killed in accident 13 January 1945 |
| 93 | Klaus Bargsten | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-521 | 30 April 1943 | — |
| 94 | Günther Heydemann | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-575 | 3 July 1943 | — |
| 95 | Friedrich Markworth | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-66 | 8 July 1943 | — |
| 96 | Georg Staats | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-508 | 14 July 1943 | killed in action 12 November 1943 |
| 97 | Gerd Kelbling | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-593 | 18 August 1943 | — |
| 98 | Herbert Panknin | 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-106 | 4 September 1943 | |
| 99 | Dipl.-Ing. Willi Lechtenbörger* | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserves | Chief engineer on U-847 | 4 September 1943 | killed in action 27 August 1943 |
| 100 | Heinz Krey* | 12-MLeutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-752 | 4 September 1943 | killed in action 23 May 1943 |
| 101 | August Maus | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-185 | 21 September 1943 | — |
| 102 | Dietrich Schöneboom | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-431 | 20 October 1943 | killed in action 23 October 1943 |
| 103 | Carl-August Landfermann | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) of the Reserve | Chief engineer on U-181 | 27 October 1943 | — |
| 104 | Hellmut Rohweder | 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-69 and U-514 | 14 November 1943 | — |
| 105 | Egon-Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-453 | 19 November 1943 | — |
| 106 | Horst-Arno Fenski | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-410 | 26 November 1943 | — |
| 107 | Heinz Franke | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-262 | 30 November 1943 | — |
| 108 | Max-Martin Teichert* | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-456 | 19 December 1943* | killed in action 12 May 1943 |
| 109 | Siegfried Koitschka | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-616 | 27 January 1944 | — |
| 110 | Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-543 | 3 February 1944 | killed in action 2 July 1944 |
| 111 | Siegfried Lüdden | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-188 | 11 February 1944 | killed on active service 13 January 1945 |
| 112 | Johann-Friedrich Wessels | 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-198 | 9 March 1944 | — |
| 113 | Gustav Poel | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-413 | 21 March 1944 | — |
| 114 | Waldemar Mehl | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-371 | 28 March 1944 | — |
| 115 | Alfred Eick | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-510 | 31 March 1944 | — |
| 116 | Georg Olschewski | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-66 | 23 April 1944 | — |
| 117 | Walter Käding | 10-MObersteuermann | 3rd watch officer and coxswain on U-123 | 15 May 1944 | — |
| 118 | Horst Hofmann | 10-MObersteuermann | Coxswain and watch officer on U-672 | 20 May 1944 | — |
| 119 | Karl-Heinz Wiebe | 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-178 | 22 May 1944 | — |
| 120 | Horst von Schroeter | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-123 | 1 June 1944 | — |
| — | Johann-Otto Krieg | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Chief of the Kleinkampfmittel-Flottille 361 | 8 July 1944 | — |
| 121 | Reinhard König | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-123 | 8 July 1944 | — |
| 122 | Heinz Sieder | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-984 | 8 July 1944 | killed in action 20 August 1944 |
| 123 | Karl Fleige | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-18 | 18 July 1944 | — |
| 124 | Karl-Heinz Marbach | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-953 | 22 July 1944 | — |
| 125 | Hermann Stuckmann | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-621 | 11 August 1944 | killed in action 23 August 1944 |
| 126 | Heinrich Dammeier | 11-MStabsobermaschinist | Chief mechanic on U-270 | 12 August 1944 | — |
| 127 | Hans-Günther Lange | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-711 | 26 August 1944 | Awarded (853rd) Oak Leaves 29 April 1945 |
| 128 | Heinrich Timm | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-862 | 17 September 1944 | — |
| 129 | Gerhard Schaar | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-957 | 1 October 1944 | — |
| 130 | Hans-Joachim Förster | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-480 | 18 December 1944 | killed in action 24 February 1945 |
| 131 | Paul Brasack | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-737 | 30 October 1944 | — |
| 132 | Rudolf Mühlbauer | 08-MOberbootsmannsmaat | Brückenmaat (look out on the bridge) on U-123 | 10 December 1944 | — |
| 133 | Günther Pulst | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-978 | 21 December 1944 | — |
| 134 | Rolf Thomsen | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-1202 | 4 January 1945 | Awarded (852nd) Oak Leaves 29 April 1945 |
| 135 | Ernst Hechler | 15-MKorvettenkapitän | Commander of U-870 | 21 January 1945 | — |
| 136 | Dr. jur. Kurt Dobratz | 17-MKapitän zur See | Commander of U-1232 | 23 January 1945 | — |
| 137 | Johannes Limbach | 12-LLeutnant zur See | 1st watch officer on U-181 | 6 February 1945 | — |
| 138 | Hans-Georg Hess | 13-MOberleutnant zur See of the Reserves | Commander of U-995 | 11 February 1945 | — |
| 139 | Otto Westphalen | 13-MOberleutnant zur See | Commander of U-968 | 23 March 1945 | — |
| 140 | Philipp Lichtenberg | 14-MKapitänleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-516 | 31 March 1945 | — |
| 141 | Hans Johannsen | 13-MOberleutnant (Ing.) | Chief engineer on U-802 | 31 March 1945 | — |
| 142 | Heinrich Praßdorf | 09-MObermaschinist | Lead machinist on U-1203 | 21 April 1945 | — |
| 143 | Heinrich Schroeteler | 14-MKapitänleutnant | Commander of U-1023 | 2 May 1945 | — |
| 144 | Hans Lehmann | 13-MOberleutnant zur See of the Reserves | Commander of U-997 | 7 May 1945 | |

## 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.
| 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 | |