Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language : " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) , or simply the Knight ' s Cross ( " Ritterkreuz " ) was a grade of the 1939 version of the Iron Cross ( " Eisernes Kreuz " ) , which had been created in 1813 . The Knight ' s Cross was the highest award made by Nazi Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or outstanding military leadership during World War II . In the military orders of the Third Reich , it was second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) , an award that was given only once , to Nazi leader and Hitler ' s second - in - command Hermann Göring . He was granted it as a result of his services in building up the Luftwaffe ( the German air force ) , and for serving as its commander - in - chief . The Knight ' s Cross was therefore functionally the highest order that German soldiers of all rank could obtain . The Knight ' s Cross grade of the Iron Cross was worn at the neck and was slightly larger but similar in appearance to the 1813 Iron Cross . It was legally based on the 1 September 1939 renewal of the Iron Cross . The order could be presented to German soldiers of all ranks and to the allies of the Third Reich . Its first presentation was made on 30 September 1939 , following the German Invasion of Poland , which marked the beginning of World War II in Europe . As the war progressed , some of the recipients distinguished themselves further , and a higher grade , the Oak Leaves to the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( ) , was instituted in 1940 . In 1941 , two higher grades of the Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves were instituted . These were the Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ( ) and the Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds ( ) . At the end of 1944 the final grade , the Knight ' s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub , Schwertern und Brillanten " ) , was created . The last legal presentation of the Knight ' s Cross , in any of its grades , had to be made before 23 : 01 Central European Time 8 May 1945 , the time when the German surrender became effective . A number of presentations were made after this date , the last on 17 June 1945 . These late presentations are considered " de facto " but not " de jure " awards . In post - World War II Germany , the Federal Republic of Germany prohibited the wearing of Nazi insignia . In 1957 the German government authorized a replacement Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , with an oak leaf cluster in place of the swastika , which could be worn by World War II Knight ' s Cross recipients . In 1986 , the Association of Knight ' s Cross Recipients ( AKCR ) acknowledged 7 , 322 presentations made to the 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 for a total of 7 , 365 recipients . Analysis of the German National Archives revealed evidence for 7 , 162 officially — " de facto " and " de jure " — bestowed recipients , including one additional presentation previously unidentified by the AKCR . The AKCR names 890 recipients of the Oak Leaves to the Knight ' s Cross , including the eight recipients who served in the military forces of allies of the Third Reich . The German National Archives do not substantiate 27 of these Oak Leaves recipients . The Swords to the Knight ' s Cross were awarded 160 times according to the AKCR , among them the posthumous presentation to the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto , 13 of which cannot be supported by the German National Archives . The Diamonds to the Knight ' s Cross were awarded 27 times , all of which are verifiable in the German National Archives . The final grade , the Golden Oak Leaves to the Knight ' s Cross was verifiably awarded once to Hans - Ulrich Rudel on 29 December 1944 . Historic background . The Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross ( " Eisernes Kreuz " ) at the beginning of the " Befreiungskrieg " ( War of Liberation ) as part of the Napoleonic Wars . Karl Friedrich Schinkel received the contract to design a silver - framed cast iron cross on 13 March 1813 . The decree was then backdated to 10 March 1813 , the birthday of the King ' s wife , Louise of Prussia , who had died in 1810 . Iron was a material which symbolised defiance and reflected the spirit of the age . The Prussian state had mounted a campaign steeped in patriotic rhetoric to rally their citizens to repulse the French occupation . To finance the military opposition against Napoleon I the king implored wealthy Prussians to turn in their jewels in exchange for a men ' s cast - iron ring or a ladies ' brooch , each bearing the legend " Gold I gave for iron " ( " Gold gab ich für Eisen " ) or alternatively , " Gold for defence , Iron for honour " ( " Gold zur Wehr , Eisen zur Ehr " ) . Initially , the Iron Cross award was of a temporary nature and could only be made when the country was in a state of war . A formal renewal procedure was required every time the award was to be presented . The renewal date , relating to the year of re - institution , therefore appears on the lower obverse arm of the Iron Cross . The Iron Cross was renewed twice after the Napoleonic Wars and prior to World War II . Its first renewal on 19 July 1870 was related to the Franco - Prussian War and its second renewal came on 5 August 1914 , with the outbreak of World War I . The 1914 Iron Cross remained a Prussian decoration but could be awarded in the name of the Kaiser ( as the King of Prussia ) to members of all the German states ' armies and of the " Kaiserliche Marine " ( Imperial Navy ) . The regulation was extended and from 16 March 1915 the award could also be presented to individuals in the military forces of allies of the German state . During this period the Iron Cross was only awarded in three grades ; the Iron Cross 2nd Class ( " Eisernes Kreuz 2 . Klasse " ) , Iron Cross 1st Class ( " Eisernes Kreuz 1 . Klasse " ) and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) leaving a large gap between grades . There was no nation - wide decoration placed between the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class , which could be awarded to soldiers of all ranks , and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross , which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign . This gap was partly filled by awards given from the Empire ' s member states . Among the best known of these awards are the Prussian Order Pour le Mérite and House Order of Hohenzollern , which could only be awarded to officers . For non - commissioned officers and soldiers the Prussian Golden Military Merit Cross ( " Goldenes Militär - Verdienstkreuz " ) was the highest achievable decoration . With the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II at the end of World War I the awards granted by the various royal households became obsolete . With the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939 , Adolf Hitler in his role as commander in chief of the German armed forces ( " Oberster Befehlshaber der deutschen Wehrmacht " ) decreed the renewal of the Iron Cross of 1939 . The decree was also signed by the Chief of the Armed Forces High Command , Wilhelm Keitel , the Minister of the Interior , Dr . Wilhelm Frick and by the State - Minister and Chief of the Presidential Chancellery of the Führer and Reich Chancellor , Otto Meißner . The renewal of 1939 also filled the gap between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross . Rather than using an unrelated award to bridge this gap , a new grade of the Iron Cross series was introduced , the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , without distinction , was awarded to officers and soldiers alike , conforming with the National Socialist political slogan : " One people , one nation , one leader " ( ) . The Knight ' s Cross grades of the Iron Cross . Adolf Hitler decreed on the first day of hostilities of World War II the renewal of the Iron Cross . " Nachdem ich mich entschlossen habe , das Deutsche Volk zur Abwehr gegen die ihm drohenden Angriffe zu den Waffen zu rufen , erneuere ich eingedenk der heldenmütigen Kämpfe , die Deutschlands Söhne in den früheren großen Kriegen zum Schutze der Heimat bestanden haben , den Orden des Eisernen Kreuzes . " Since I have decided to call the German people to arms to guard against the threat of attack , I now renew in memory of the heroic battles which Germany ' s sons have endured protecting the homeland in previous great wars , the order of the Iron Cross . The legal grounds for this decree had been established in 1937 . Paragraph § 3 of the German law of Titles , Orders and Honorary Signs ( " Gesetz über Titel , Orden und Ehrenzeichen " ) from 1 July 1937 ( " Reichsgesetzblatt I S . 725 " ) made the Führer and Reichskanzler the only person who was allowed to award orders or honorary signs . The re - institution of the Iron Cross was therefore a Führer decree based on the enactment ( " Reichsgesetzblatt I S . 1573 " ) of 1 September 1939 " Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes " ( Ordinance re - establishing the Iron Cross ) . This had certain political implication since the Treaty of Versailles had explicitly denied Germany the creation of a military decoration , order or medal . The re - institution was more than just a symbolic act . While the renewals of the Iron Cross of 1870 and 1914 had renewed a Prussian honorary sign , the renewal of 1 September 1939 in contrast for the first time had created an honorary sign of the entire German state . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks , including to a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle , or to a low - ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry . As the war progressed four additional grades were introduced to further distinguish those who had already won the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross or one of the higher grades and who continued to show merit in combat bravery or military success and the Knight ' s Cross was eventually awarded in five grades : Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves , Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords , Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds , Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds . The first award of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross was to Luftwaffe Field Marshal Hermann Göring in September 1939 . The Oak Leaves addition was first authorized in June 1940 and first awarded on 19 July 1940 to Army Lieutenant General Eduard Dietl ( at which time Göring received the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross and promotion to Reich Marshal ) . The Swords and Diamonds versions were both first formally authorized in September 1941 . However , Swords were actually first awarded in June 1941 ( to Luftwaffe Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Galland ) and Diamonds in July 1941 ( to Luftwaffe Colonel Werner Mölders ) . The golden clasp version was created to award heroes and commanders after the victory that never was and was to be limited to twelve awards . Subsequent events led to only a single award of the highest grade on 29 December 1944 . Knight ' s Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) . 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 " ( Ordinance re - establishing the Iron Cross ) . Its appearance was very similar to the Iron Cross . Its shape was that of a cross pattée , a cross that has arms which are narrow at the center and broader at the perimeter . The most common Knight ' s Crosses were produced by the manufacturer Steinhauer & Lück in Lüdenscheid . The Steinhauer & Lück crosses are stamped with the digits " 800 " , indicating 800 grade silver , on the reverse side . These digits can also be found on the band clip . The Steinhauer & Lück Knight ' s Cross are wide and high . Its weight , without band clip , is . Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves ( " mit Eichenlaub " ) . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) was based on enactment ( " Reichsgesetzblatt I S . 849 " ) of 3 June 1940 which augmented article 1 and 4 of the 1939 Ordinance re - establishing the Iron Cross . Before the introduction of the Oak Leaves only 124 members of the Wehrmacht had received the Knight ' s Cross . Prior to Case Yellow ( ) , the attack on the Netherlands , Belgium and France , just 52 Knight ' s Crosses had been awarded . In May 1940 the number of presentations peaked . The timing for the introduction of the Oak Leaves is closely linked to Case Red ( ) , the second and decisive phase of the Battle of France . Like the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross to which it was added , the Oak Leaves clasp could be awarded for leadership , distinguished service or personal gallantry . The Oak Leaves , just like the 1813 Iron Cross and Grand Cross of the Iron Cross , was not a National Socialist invention . The Oak Leaves originally appeared in conjunction with the Golden Oak Leaves of the Red Eagle Order ( " Roter Adlerorden " ) , which was the second highest Prussian order after the Black Eagle Order ( " Schwarzer Adlerorden " ) . The 1705 established Red Eagle Order had received the Oak Leaves with a cabinet of the king decree on 18 January 1811 . Friedrich Wilhelm III had also ordered the Oak Leaves to be part of the Iron Cross design in commemoration of his 1810 deceased wife , Queen Louise of Prussia . The king also awarded the Oak Leaves together with the Pour le Mérite since 9 October 1813 to honour the soldierly merit before the enemy . The decoration consisted of a cluster of three oak - leaves with the centre leaf superimposed on the two lower leaves . The middle of the Oak Leaves were decorated by a stylized letter " L " in memoriam of Louise of Prussia . The original clasp was die - struck from 900 grade silver and in diameter . The clasp had a pebbled matt finish , with the edges and central ribs of the leaves burnished . The official manufacturer of the Oak Leaves was exclusively the firm " Gebrüder Godet & Co . " ( Godet Brothers & Co . ) in Berlin . Godet & Co manufactured two variants of the Oak Leaves which mainly distinguished itself in the appearance of the Oak Leaves on the front right side . Additionally the second variant had a more massive appearance . The first variant was produced until mid 1943 . Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ( " mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern " ) . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern " ) was based on enactment ( " Reichsgesetzblatt I S . 613 " ) of 28 September 1941 which again augmented articles 1 and 4 . The Oak Leaves with Swords clasp was similar in appearance to the Oak Leaves clasp with the exception that a pair of crossed swords were soldered to the base of the Oak Leaves . The reverse side mounted band clip was slightly larger than the one attached to the Oak Leaves without swords . For added stability the swords were soldered to both the Oak Leaves and the clip . The swords are long . The entire Oak Leaves with Swords clasp was wide , high and had a weight of . Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds ( " mit Eichenlaub , Schwertern und Brillanten " ) . The Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub , Schwertern und Brillianten " ) is like the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords based on enactment ( " Reichsgesetzblatt I S . 613 " ) of 28 September 1941 . The first version was based on the design of the Oak Leaves with Swords clasp manufactured by the firm " Gebrüder Godet & Co . " in Berlin and had the same size . The clasp was drilled out to accept the Diamonds . This first version was awarded to the first two recipients , Werner Mölders and Adolf Galland , before production was transferred to the firm of " Otto Klein " in Hanau . The first soldier to receive the " Otto Klein " variant of the Diamonds was Gordon Gollob on 30 August 1942 . Presentation of the " Otto Klein " Diamonds came as a set and included the more elaborate A - piece and the quiet gift of a second clasp with rhinestones for everyday wear , the B - piece . The Diamonds were awarded 27 times during World War II . However three individuals never received a set of Diamonds . Hans - Joachim Marseille , the fourth recipient , was killed in an aircraft crash prior to its presentation . The deteriorating situation and the end of the war prevented its presentation to Dr . Karl Mauss , the 26th recipient and Dietrich von Saucken , the 27th and final recipient . Knight ' s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds ( " mit Goldenem Eichenlaub , Schwertern und Brillanten " ) . The Knight ' s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub , Schwertern und Brillianten " ) is based on enactment ( " Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S . 11 " ) of 29 December 1944 which augmented articles 1 , 2 and 4 . The firm " Otto Klein " from Hanau manufactured six sets of Golden Oak Leaves and delivered them to the " Präsidialkanzlei " ( Presidential Chancellery ) . Each set consisted of an A - piece , made of " 740 " gold ( 18 Carat ) with 58 real diamonds and a B - piece , made of " 585 " gold ( 14 Carat ) with 68 real sapphire s . One of these sets was presented to Hans - Ulrich Rudel on 1 January 1945 , the remaining five sets were taken to Schloss Klessheim , where they were captured by the US 3rd Infantry Division . The A - piece has a weight of , thus it is slightly lighter than the platinum made A - piece of the silver Diamonds . Award documentation . At first , the recipient of the Knight ' s Cross , or one of its higher grades , received a brief telegram informing him of the award of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross . Thereafter he received a " Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis " ( Preliminary Testimonial of Ownership ) . The wording was standardized reading " The Führer and commander in chief of the Armed Forces has awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross < recipients name > " and pre - printed format . The award was also noted in the recipients " Soldbuch " ( Soldiers Pay Book ) , his " Wehrpass " ( Military Identification ) and personnel records . The preliminary testimonial of ownership was followed by a more elaborate and formal award document , the " Ritterkreuzurkunde " ( Knight ' s Cross Certificate ) . The official award document that came with the Knight ' s Cross was hand - lettered on vellum and placed inside a large red leather binder embossed with a gold " Reichsadler " . Sometimes , Hitler ' s signature was a facsimile , but when time allowed , he did sign them . These documents for the Knight ' s Cross were used between 1939 and 1942 , when the number of recipients made it possible only for documents of this type to be made for the higher grades of the order . The document folder itself was designed by Frieda Thiersch . Nomination and approval procedure . Every presentation of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , or one of its higher grades , was preceded by one or multiple deeds , but also by a nomination ( " Verleihungsvorschlag " ) . Nominations for the Knight ' s Cross could be made at company level or higher . Commanders could not nominate themselves . In this instance the division adjutant made the recommendation . In the Luftwaffe the lowest level was the " Geschwader " and in the " Kriegsmarine " the respective flotilla was authorized to make the nomination . It was also possible to nominate subordinated foreign units . The nomination by the troop had to be submitted in writing and in double copy . The format and the content were predefined . Every nomination contained the personal data , the rank and unit at the time of the bravery - act , since when the soldier held this position , the employment status ( for example " of the Reserves " ) , the occupation ( if Reserves ) , the peacetime unit ( if professional soldier ) , the military service entry date , previous military decorations awarded and date of presentation , and the profession of the father . For enlisted soldier s and noncommissioned officer s the résumé had to be submitted as well . The nomination had to be forwarded in writing by a courier up the official command chain . Every intermittent administrative office or commander between the nominating unit and the commander - in - chief of the respective Wehrmacht branch ( commander - in - chief of the " Heer " , commander - in - chief of the " Luftwaffe " and commander - in - chief of the " Kriegsmarine " with their respective staff offices ) had to give their approval along with a short comment . In exceptional cases , such as the nominated individual had sustained severe injuries or that the command chain had been interrupted , a nomination could be submitted via teleprinter communication . Approval authority . 1 September 1939 to 20 April 1945 . Administration / Berlin ( preliminary decision ) → Chief of the Heerespersonalamt / Berlin ( preliminary decision ) → Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - Department / Berlin ( presenting ) → Hitler ( decision ) The Army Personnel Branch Office was split due to the deteriorating war situation and was moved to Marktschellenberg in the time frame 21 to 24 April 1945 . 25 April 1945 to 30 April 1945 ( Hitlers death ) . Administration / Marktschellenberg ( preliminary decision ) → deputy Chief of the Heerespersonalamt / Marktschellenberg ( preliminary decision ) → Chief of the HPA / Berlin ( preliminary decision ) → OKW - Department / Berlin ( presenting ) → Hitler ( decision ) 30 April 1945 onwards . The approval authority of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross became confusing after Hitler ' s death on 30 April 1945 . General Ernst Maisel , deputy chief of Army Personnel Office , was authorized by the Presidential Chancellery to approve presentations of the Knights Cross effective as of 28 April 1945 . Maisel , on 30 April , legally approved and conferred 33 Knight ' s Crosses , 29 nominations were rejected and four were deferred . Hitler ' s death ended Maisel ' s authority to approve nominations . The authority to approve and make presentations was passed on to Hitler ' s successor as " Staatsoberhaupt " ( Head of State ) Karl Dönitz , who held the title of " Reichspräsident " ( President ) and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces . 3 May 1945 . A teleprinter message dated 3 May 1945 was sent to the Commanders - in - Chief of those units still engaged in combat , empowering them to make autonomous presentations of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross themselves . The following decision making chains of command were possible at this time : Prerequisites . To qualify for the Knight ' s Cross , a soldier had to already hold the 1939 Iron Cross First Class , though the Iron Cross First Class was awarded concurrently with the Knight ' s Cross in some rare cases . Unit commanders could also be awarded the medal for the exemplary conduct of the unit as a whole . Also , U - boat commanders could qualify for sinking 100 , 000 tons of shipping and " Luftwaffe " pilots could qualify for accumulating 20 " points " ( with one point being awarded for shooting down a single - engine plane , two points for a twin - engine plane and three for a four - engine plane , with all points being doubled at night ) . It was issued from 1939 to 1945 , with the requirements being gradually raised as the war went on . Recipients . The Association of Knight ' s Cross Recipients ( AKCR ) names 7 , 322 recipients of the Knight ' s Cross in the three military branches of the " Wehrmacht " , consisting of the " Heer " ( Army ) , " Kriegsmarine " ( Navy ) and " Luftwaffe " ( Air force ) , the " Waffen - SS " , the " Reichsarbeitsdienst " ( RAD ) and the " Volkssturm " . The AKCR also lists 43 individuals in the military of allies of the Third Reich for a total of 7 , 365 recipients of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross . Of these 890 individuals received Oak Leaves ( 882 members of the " Wehrmacht " and 8 non - Germans ) ; 160 received Oak Leaves and Swords ( 159 members of the " Wehrmacht " and one honorary recipient , the Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto ) . Only 27 men were awarded the Diamonds grade of the Knight ' s Cross ( 3 field marshals , 10 generals , 3 colonels , 9 ace pilots and 2 U - boat captains ) ; Hans - Ulrich Rudel was the only recipient of the Knight ' s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves , Swords and Diamonds . Among those generally accepted 159 German recipients of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords are 13 recipients , whose Swords to the Knight ' s Cross do not meet the formal awarding criteria of the Knight ' s Cross . Twenty - four recipients of the Knight ' s Cross with Oak Leaves are also lacking sustainable evidence that their listing is justifiable . Otto Weidinger , Günther - Eberhardt Wisliceny , Sylvester Stadler and Wilhelm Bittrich received the Swords from SS " Obergruppenführer " Josef Dietrich , who was not legally authorized to present the award . Further , Hermann Fegelein was executed in the last days of the war for desertion , a charge which upon conviction would have legally deprived him of all rank and awards , including his Knight ' s Cross . However , his might have been an extralegal execution . According to the recollections of Wilhelm Mohnke , he and the three other general officers tasked with holding a court martial for Fegelein found him to be of such unsound mind that he was not competent to stand trial under military law . Fegelein subsequently disappeared in the hands of Gruppenführer Johann Rattenhuber , who had been one of the empaneled court - martial judges and the Führerbunker ' s Reichssicherheitsdienst security squad . Fegelein was executed by firing squad . Author Veit Scherzer concluded that every presentation of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , or one of its higher grades , made until 20 April 1945 is verifiable in the German National Archives . The first echelon of the " Heerespersonalamt Abteilung P 5 / Registratur " ( Army Personnel Office Department P 5 / Registry ) was relocated from Zossen in Brandenburg to Traunstein in Bavaria on this day and the confusion regarding who can be considered a legitimate Knight ' s Cross recipient began . Among the officers who participated in the plot to assassinate Hitler on 20 July 1944 were thirteen recipients of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross . In addition , 711 recipients of the Knight ' s Cross later served in the " Bundeswehr " , with 114 of them reaching the rank of general . Distribution by Rank . Oak Leaves . Hitler quite frequently made the presentations of the Oak Leaves to the bestowed himself in order to express his gratitude personally . The first presentations in 1940 and 1941 were made in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin or on the Berghof in Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden . Beginning with Operation Barbarossa , the German invasion of the Soviet Union , in the summer of 1941 the presentations were made at the " Führerhauptquartier " " Wolf ' s Lair " ( " Wolfschanze " ) near Rastenburg in East Prussia , from the summer 1942 until October 1942 in the " Führerhauptquartier " " Wehrwolf " near Vinnytsia in Ukraine and then again in the " Wolfschanze " . From early 1944 until mid July 1944 the ceremony was again held on the Obersalzberg . This was continued until about August 1944 , shortly after the July 20 plot , the failed assassination attempt of " Oberst " Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg . Later onwards the presentation were only made sporadically by Hitler himself . The last presentations by Hitler were made early in 1945 in the " Führerbunker " in Berlin . After the July 20 plot senior commanders like the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine ( " Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine " ) or the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe ( " Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe " ) and from the fall of 1944 also by the " Reichsführer - SS " Heinrich Himmler , made the presentations . Non - existent recipients . Since the end of World War II , numerous people have claimed to be unrecognised recipients of the Knight ' s Cross . The majority of these " recipients " are lacking any evidence to sustain their claims and are thus denied the right to consider themselves " legal recipients " . There are two cases where the legal proof of the award exists even though the recipients do not . These two " legally correct " recipients are Günther Nowak and Heinrich Scherhorn . Günther Nowak . Günther Nowak , " Hitlerjugend " , was awarded the Knight ' s Cross on 14 February 1945 for the destruction of eleven tanks in Hindenburg , Oberschlesien . It was always assumed that he was the youngest recipient of the Knight ' s Cross ; however , Günther Nowak never really existed — a deserting Commander of the " Volkssturm " was caught and claimed that , after the retreat of the " Wehrmacht " , he had destroyed five tanks single - handedly . Because of this , he was taken to a " Gauleiter " . Fearing that his lie would be unveiled , he created the story of Günther Nowak in order to lessen his own " feat " . This report was then sent to " Reichsleiter " Martin Bormann . Bormann immediately awarded the German Cross in Gold to the " Volkssturm " - Commander Sachs and the Knight ' s Cross to Nowak . Association of Knight ' s Cross Recipients . The Association of Knight ' s Cross Recipients ( AKCR ) ( German language : " Ordensgemeinschaft der Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes e . V . ( OdR ) " ) is an association of highly decorated front - line soldiers of both world wars . The association was founded in 1955 in Köln - Wahn . " Generaloberst " Alfred Keller , Knight of the Order " Pour le Mérite " and Recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , called upon the recipients of the highest combat decorations for bravery to organize an association for tradition . Later , the Recipients of the Prussian Golden Military Merit Cross , or the " Pour le Mérite " for enlisted personnel , were included . The memorandum of the AKCR incorporates the awarding of 7318 Knight ' s Crosses , as well as 882 Oakleaves , 159 Swords , 27 Diamonds , 1 Golden Oak Leaves and 1 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross for all ranks in the three branches of the " Wehrmacht " and the " Waffen - SS " . In 1999 , German Minister of Defense Rudolf Scharping banned all kinds of official contacts between the " Bundeswehr " and the Association of Knight ' s Cross Recipients , stating that the Association and many of its members shared neo - Nazi and revanchistic ideas which were not in conformity with the German constitution and Germany ' s postwar policies . Dönitz - decree . " Großadmiral " and President of Germany Karl Dönitz , Hitler ' s successor as Head of State ( " Staatsoberhaupt " ) and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces , had declared that " All nominations for the bestowal of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross and their higher grades which have been received by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht — staff of the Wehrmacht high command — until the capitulation becomes effective are approved , under the premise that all nominations are formally and correctly approved by the nominating authorities of the Wehrmacht , Heer including the Waffen - SS , Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe all the way to the level of the army and army group leadership . " This " Dönitz - decree " ( German : " Dönitz - Erlaß " ) is most likely dated from 7 May 1945 . Manfred Dörr , author of various publications related to the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , requested legal counsel on this decree in 1988 . The Deutsche Dienststelle ( WASt ) came to the conclusion that this decree is unlawful and bears no legal justification . This blanket decree is not in line with the law governing the bestowal of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross which requires a case by case decision . Law about Titles , Orders and Honorary Signs . The German Law about Titles , Orders and Honorary Signs ( German language : " Gesetz über Titel , Orden und Ehrenzeichen " ) ( " BGBl . I S . 334 " ) regulates the wearing of the Knight ' s Cross in post World War II Germany . The reason for this is that German law prohibits wearing a swastika , so on 26 July 1957 the West German government authorized replacement Knight ' s Crosses with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of the swastika , similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813 , 1870 and 1914 , which could be worn by World War II Knight ' s Cross recipients . Military slang . In the military slang of the German soldiers the Knight ' s Cross is often referred to as the " Blechkrawatte " ( tin - necktie ) . Glory - hungry soldiers seeking this medal ( which was worn conspicuously around the neck or throat ) were seen as suffering from " Halsschmerzen " : a cynical slang - term play on the word meaning " afflicted with throat trouble " , having a " neck rash " , " itching neck " or " sore throat " . ( Navy slang : " Draufgänger " : a U - boat commander who was viewed as a " daredevil " seeking to earn the Knight ' s Cross by being too aggressive in endangering his own submarine and crew in pursuit of enemy ships . Different degrees of the Iron Cross were awarded based upon the number and / or tonnage of enemy ships sunk . ) The term " Ritterkreuz - Auftrag " ( " Knight ' s Cross Mission " ) referred to a duty that was extremely aggravating , or a no - win situation .