List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (J)


The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 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 acceptance by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients. Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht—the Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe —as well as the Waffen-SS, the Reich Labour Service and the Volkssturm. There were also 43 foreign recipients of the award.
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 a 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 during the final days of World War II left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process.
Listed here are the 142 Knight's Cross recipients whose last names start with "J", ordered alphabetically. Fellgiebel himself delisted one and Scherzer has challenged the validity of four more of these listings. 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, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. 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, 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 and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, 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 for the Heer, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe 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 142 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "J", 14 were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and two the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords; 15 presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 85 of the medals, nine went to the Kriegsmarine, 42 to the Luftwaffe, and six 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 and are therefore denoted in parentheses.






NameServiceRankRole and unitDate of awardNotesImage
+Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot and Staffel officer in the 2./Zerstörergeschwader 761 October 1940Awarded 430th Oak Leaves 24 March 1944
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannGruppenkommandeur of the III./Sturzkampfgeschwader 329 February 1944——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantChief of the 1./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 713 September 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 2./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 14313 June 1941——
Heer13-HOberleutnantDeputy leader of the I./Jäger-Regiment 20410 March 1943——
Heer03-HGefreiterGroup leader in the 6./Füsilier-Regiment 2211 March 1945——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 1./Kampfgeschwader 7719 September 1942——
Heer04-HObergefreiterGroup leader in the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 43126 December 1943——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 7./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 113 April 1943*Killed in action 19 March 1943—
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantPilot in the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"14 May 1942——
!Kriegsmarine10-MObersteuermannCoxswain on 9 May 1945——
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1421 September 1944—
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantZugführer in the I./Flak-Regiment 23 5 July 1941——
?Heer15-HMajorCommander of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 826 May 1940——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 41823 February 1942——
+Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 1674 August 1943Awarded 786th Oak Leaves 16 March 1945—
Luftwaffe13-LOberarzt Troop doctor in the assault group "Beton" of the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Abteilung "Koch" 13 May 1940——
Heer15-HMajorCommander of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 50216 March 1944——
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantPilot in the III./Sturzkampfgeschwader 318 May 1943——
Luftwaffe17-LOberstGeschwaderkommodore of Transportgeschwader 119 August 1944——
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 389. Infanterie-Division9 October 1942——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 4./Schlachtgeschwader 128 March 1944——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierPanzer commander in the Panzer-Jäger-Kompanie 13495 March 1945——
Kriegsmarine14-MKapitänleutnantCommander of 30 April 1943——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 1./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 5318 February 1945——
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 5./Grenadier-Regiment 57220 April 1944——
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 387. Infanterie-Division22 December 1942——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 14117 September 1941——
+Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 1054 March 1942Awarded 681st Oak Leaves 18 December 1944—
+Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 2./Sturzkampfgeschwader 7727 April 1942Awarded 615th Oak Leaves 30 September 1944—
Heer06-HUnteroffizierZugführer in the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 3914 March 1942*Killed in action 27 January 1942—
+Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the Divisions-Panzer-Jäger-Kompanie 36114 May 1944Awarded 752nd Oak Leaves 24 February 1945—
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantChief of the 6./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 39 June 1944—
Heer15-HMajorLeader of a Kampfgruppe in the 62. Infanterie-Division15 June 1943——
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 15923 February 1944——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannStaffelkapitän of the 7./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"16 November 1942——
Heer04-HObergefreiterIn the 9./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2830 April 1945——
+Luftwaffe16-LOberstleutnantCommander of FlakRegiment 12 31 October 1944Awarded 726th Oak Leaves 1 February 1945—
Heer13-HOberleutnantAide-de-camp in Panzergrenadier-Regiment 12815 May 1944——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierCompany troop leader of the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 48026 January 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 7./Jäger-Regiment 4912 August 1944——
Luftwaffe15-LMajorGeschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 431 October 1944——
Luftwaffe04-LObergefreiterGroup leader of the 1./Jäger-Regiment 42 5 November 1944——
?Heer12-HLeutnantAdjutant of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 629 May 1945——
Heer12-HLeutnantLeader of the 8./Jäger-Regiment 3824 September 1942——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the I./Transportgeschwader 39 February 1945——
+Heer17-HOberstCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 90 4 December 1941Awarded 295th Oak Leaves 7 September 1943—
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 24923 April 1945——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierZugführer in the 5./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 522 April 1943——
Heer15-HMajorCommander of Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 309 June 1944——
+Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division4 May 1944Awarded 733rd Oak Leaves 10 February 1945—
Luftwaffe11-LStabsfeldwebelPilot in the II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 7727 November 1942——
+Waffen-SS20-WSS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Polizei and Waffen-SSHöherer SS- und Polizeiführer Ostland und Rußland-Nord and leader of a lett. SS-Polizei-Kampfgruppe27 August 1944Awarded 802nd Oak Leaves 8 March 1945
Luftwaffe09-LFeldwebelPilot in the 1./Kampfgeschwader 10014 March 1943——
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelTroop leader in the 6./Sturm-Regiment 1415 April 1944*Killed in action 8 March 1944—
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 14614 May 1944——
Heer12-HLeutnantLeader of the 1./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 144 May 1944——
Kriegsmarine13-MOberleutnant zur SeeCommander of 7 October 1940——
Heer17-HOberst of the ReservesCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 7569 December 1944——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannStaffelkapitän of the 12./Jagdgeschwader 3002 February 1945——
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantPilot in the 1./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"5 December 1943*Missing in action 26 July 1943
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 2./Festungs-Infanterie-Bataillon VI./99926 November 1944——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the Stab I./Grenadier-Regiment 50229 April 1945——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the 6./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"29 February 1944——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 2./Kampfgeschwader 2629 October 1942——
Waffen-SS01-WSS-KanonierRadio troop leader in the 5./SS-Freiwilligen-Artillerie-Regiment 54 "Nederland"18 December 1944——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 4./Grenadier-Regiment 4468 August 1944*Missing in action 24 April 1943—
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannCommander of the I./Flak-Regiment 291 25 November 1944——
Heer05-HStabsgefreiterMessenger in the 2./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 127 October 1944——
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesLeader of Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1185 March 1945——
Luftwaffe18-LGeneralmajorChief of the general staff of the Luftwaffe27 October 1939—
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the II./Sturm-Regiment 21530 April 1945——
Kriegsmarine13-MOberleutnant zur See of the ReservesCommander of a Minensuchboot in the 8. Minensuchflottille5 September 1944——
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Panzer-Regiment 3618 January 1942—
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelZugführer in the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 29 4 June 1944——
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 43228 February 1945——
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the Stab/Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"3 September 1942——
Heer14-HHauptmannChief of the 7./Grenadier-Regiment 90 19 September 1943——
Heer06-HUnteroffizier of the ReservesGroup leader in the 1./Pionier-Bataillon 29028 April 1945——
+Heer21-HGeneraloberstChef des Wehrmachtführungsstabes im OKW7 May 1945Awarded Oak Leaves 7 May 1945?
Heer20-HGeneral der GebirgstruppeCommanding general of the XIX. Gebirgskorps13 January 1945—
Heer14-HHauptmann of the ReservesCommander of leichte Artillerie-Abteilung 426 14 May 1944——
Luftwaffe15-LMajorGruppenkommandeur of the I./Kampfgeschwader 3 "Lützow"5 February 1944——
Waffen-SS16-WSS-ObersturmbannführerCommander of niederländ. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 48 "General Seyffardt"21 April 1944——
Kriegsmarine06-MBootsmannsmaat of the ReservesFlakleiter auf einem Transporter im Mittelmeer 17 February 1943—
Heer06-HUnteroffizierZugführer in the 12./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10417 March 1945——
Luftwaffe09-LFeldwebelPilot in the 1./Schlachtgeschwader 1029 October 1944*Killed in action 11 July 1944—
Kriegsmarine17-MKapitän zur SeeCommander of destroyer Hermes7 December 1942——
+Heer13-HOberleutnantLeader of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 50316 May 1942Awarded 329th Oak Leaves 18 November 1943—
Heer15-HMajorCommander of Pionier-Bataillon 2929 January 1944——
Kriegsmarine13-MOberleutnant Chief engineer on 31 March 1945——
Kriegsmarine14-MKapitänleutnantChief of the 5. Schnellbootflottille14 June 1944——
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantRadio operator in the I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 620 March 1945——
Heer18-HGeneralmajorCommander of the 292. Infanterie-Division20 December 1943——
Heer09-HFeldwebelCompany troop leader in the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 4454 May 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 20918 November 1944——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 9./Grenadier-Regiment 66730 October 1943——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 629 October 1944——
Heer09-HFeldwebel of the ReservesZugführer in the 3./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 11028 July 1943*Died of wounds 14 July 1943—
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelführer of the 9./Lehrgeschwader 15 June 1944*Killed in action 12 February 1944—
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Schützen-Regiment 522 November 1941——
Heer15-HMajor of the ReservesCommander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 2117 March 1945—
+Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot in the 2./Kampfgeschwader 4030 December 1940Awarded 431st Oak Leaves 24 March 1944
+Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 5116 September 1940Awarded 11th Oak Leaves 23 April 1941—
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the I./Infanterie-Regiment 20327 May 1942——
Heer17-HOberst of the ReservesCommander of Jäger-Regiment 25 17 March 1945——
+Heer17-HOberstCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 495 June 1940Awarded 59th Oak Leaves 16 January 1942
64th Swords 20 April 1944		—
Heer16-HOberstleutnant im Generalstab Ia in the 72. Infanterie-Division22 February 1945——
Heer14-HHauptmannChief of the 4./Artillerie-Regiment 3210 September 1944——
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 916 August 1943*Killed in action 2 August 1943—
Heer06-HSanitäts-UnteroffizierZugführer in the 4./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 6611 January 1944——
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 4./Feldersatz-Bataillon 10724 June 1944——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 2565 April 1944*Killed in action 23 February 1944—
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 7531 March 1942——
+Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"5 February 1944Awarded 810th Oak Leaves 28 March 1945—
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelPilot in the 9./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"29 February 1944——
Waffen-SS14-WSS-HauptsturmführerCommander of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Germania"12 September 1943*Killed in action 13 August 1943—
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantPilot in the Stab I./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor"9 November 1944——
Heer09-HFeldwebelCompany troop leader in the 4./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1044 October 1944*Killed in action 14 August 1944—
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the II./Schützen-Regiment 216 June 1940——
?Waffen-SS14-WSS-HauptsturmführerCommander of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 49 May 1945——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 734 September 1940——
Luftwaffe15-LMajorCommander of the II./Flak-Regiment 23 9 June 1944——
Waffen-SS15-WSS-SturmbannführerCommander of the I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 "Hitlerjugend"16 October 1944——
Heer01-HBau-PionierIn the 5./Pionier-Bau-Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bataillon 3 Crossen 5 February 1945*Killed in action 5 February 1945—
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 462 February 1944——
+Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 3814 December 1941Awarded 622nd Oak Leaves 18 October 1944
141st Swords 5 April 1945		—
Luftwaffe18-LGeneralmajorCommanding general of the II. Jagdkorps9 June 1944——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannGruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 5412 November 1943*Killed in action 30 July 1943—
Heer14-HHauptmannCommander of Feldersatz-Bataillon 92 and Divisions-Kampfschule28 December 1943——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesLeader of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 794 May 1944——
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 6./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"9 October 1943——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierCommander of a 8.8-cm FlaK in Greifenhagen13 March 1945——
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 5./Artillerie-Regiment 15429 December 1944——
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannGruppenkommandeur of the III./Kampfgeschwader 3 "Lützow"3 September 1943*Killed in action 22 April 1943—
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 11./Infanterie-Regiment 41 30 August 1941——
Kriegsmarine13-MOberleutnant zur SeeCommander of U-Jäger 143010 September 1944——
?Luftwaffe15-LMajorCommander of Fallschirm-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 129 May 1945——
Heer12-HLeutnantZugführer in the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 102614 January 1945——
Heer11-HStabsfeldwebelLeader of the 14./Jäger-Regiment 4928 April 1943——
Heer06-HUnteroffizierZugführer in the 3./Grenadier-Regiment 4822 August 1943——
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the Stabskompanie/Grenadier-Regiment 4317 February 1943—

Citations