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


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 . 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 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 82 Knight's Cross recipients of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS whose last name starts with "C". The recipients are initially 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, 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 82 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "C", ten were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and five presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 51 of the medals, five went to the Kriegsmarine, 22 to the Luftwaffe, and four to the Waffen-SS.


NameServiceRankRole and unitDate of awardNotesImage
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 4086 April 1944
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 22012 February 1944
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannDeputy Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Kampfgeschwader 6630 November 1944
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 42423 February 1944
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 6./Jagdgeschwader 525 September 1941
+Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesZugführer in the 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 5024 May 1944Awarded 535th Oak Leaves 27 July 1944
Heer13-HOberleutnantLeader of the 11./Artillerie-Regiment 2699 May 1942
Kriegsmarine20-MAdmiralMarinegruppenbefehlshaber Ost 14 June 1940
Heer06-HUnteroffizierPanzer commander in the 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 50228 March 1945*Killed in action 26 January 1945
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 118 22 September 1941
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesLeader of the 9./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1423 February 1944
Heer10-HOberwachtmeisterVorgeschobener Beobachter in the 11./Artillerie-Regiment 156211 March 1945
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantPilot and observer in the Fernaufklärungs-Gruppe 410 October 1944
Luftwaffe17-LOberstGeschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 36 October 1940
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 15. Infanterie-Division15 August 1940
Waffen-SS14-WSS-HauptsturmführerChief of the 3./SS-Reiter-Regiment 129 October 1942
Heer18-HGeneralmajorCommander of the 13. Panzer-Division30 April 1943
+Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 99. leichte Division23 October 1941Awarded 357th Oak Leaves 19 December 1943
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the I./Infanterie-Regiment 40824 July 1941
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 122. Infanterie-Division25 October 1943
Heer04-HObergefreiterGroup leader in the 8./Grenadier-Regiment 200 18 November 1944
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of the III./Infanterie-Regiment 16 18 May 1940
Heer09-HFeldwebelZugführer in the 1./Grenadier-Regiment 178 August 1943
Luftwaffe16-LOberstleutnant im GeneralstabChief of the general staff of the VIII. Fliegerkorps21 October 1942
Heer14-HHauptmannCompany chief in Bau-Bataillon 1324 March 1942*Killed in action 3 March 1942
Waffen-SS03-WSS-SturmmannRichtschütze in the 2./SS-Panzer-Jagd-Abteilung 3 "Totenkopf"20 October 1941
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the II./Panzer-Regiment 3131 January 1941
+Kriegsmarine13-MOberleutnant zur SeeCommander of Schnellboot S-101 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille8 May 1941Awarded 326th Oak Leaves 13 November 1943
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannGruppenkommandeur of the III./Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel"18 March 1942
Luftwaffe10-LOberfeldwebelObserver in the 6./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor"5 April 1944
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 53022 August 1943
Waffen-SS06-WSS-UnterscharführerGroup leader in the 7./SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 24 "Danmark"11 July 1944
Heer15-HMajorCommander of I./Infanterie-Regiment 544 July 1940
Heer10-HOberwachtmeisterZugführer in the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 27712 November 1943
Heer15-HMajorCommander of Heeres-Artillerie-Abteilung 7745 April 1945
Kriegsmarine19-MVizeadmiralBefehlshaber der Schlachtschiffe21 March 1942
Heer06-HUnteroffizierGroup leader in the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 30513 November 1942
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 3./Pionier-Bataillon 3313 July 1940
Luftwaffe15-LMajorGruppenkommandeur of the I./Kampfgeschwader 10014 March 1943Killed in action 20 June 1943
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Infanterie-Regiment 51729 January 1943
Heer12-HLeutnantZugführer in the 14./Grenadier-Regiment 89927 August 1944
+Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 6./Jagdgeschwader 7719 May 1942Awarded 106th Oak Leaves 23 July 1942
Heer14-HHauptmannChief of the 2./Artillerie-Regiment 3016 April 1944
Kriegsmarine14-MKapitänleutnantCommander of 13 March 1942
Heer04-HObergefreiterPAK gunner in the 16./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 1330 September 1944
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannGruppenkommandeur of the II./Lehrgeschwader 118 November 1944*Killed in action 29 June 1944
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannChief of the 3./Flak-Regiment 4 4 May 1944
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 25. Infanterie-Division29 September 1940
Heer15-HMajor of the ReservesCommander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 26622 January 1944
Luftwaffe18-LGeneralmajorCommander of the 9. Flieger-Division12 July 1940
Heer15-HMajorCommander of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 679 December 1944
Waffen-SS16-WSS-ObersturmbannführerCommander of the SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49 "De Ruyter" 19 August 1944*Killed in action 29 July 1944
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Grenadier-Regiment 54719 February 1944
Heer14-HHauptmannLeader of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 65 April 1945
Luftwaffe17-LOberstGeschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 224 May 1940
Heer10-HOberfeldwebelShock troop leader in the 7./Infanterie-Regiment 3309 July 1941
+Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of the I./Infanterie-Regiment 118 17 October 1942Awarded 279th Oak Leaves 22 August 1943
+Luftwaffe17-LOberstCommander of Flak-Regiment "General Göring"4 September 1941Awarded 276th Oak Leaves 21 August 1943
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of Sturmgeschütz-Begleitkompanie 254 in the I./Grenadier-Regiment 4312 September 1944
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantPilot in the 9./Kampfgeschwader 3 "Lützow"12 June 1943
Heer14-HHauptmannDepartment leader of Panzer-Regiment 398 February 1943
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantZugführer in the 2./Flak-Regiment 64 20 June 1940
+Heer13-HOberleutnantLeader of the 1./Panzer-Regiment 358 September 1941Awarded 285th Oak Leaves 29 August 1943
Luftwaffe12-LLeutnantLeader of the 10./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 67 February 1945
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Panzer-Regiment 8 im DAK27 June 1941
Luftwaffe15-LMajorGruppenkommandeur of the II./Lehrgeschwader 118 September 1940
Heer15-HMajorCommander of Divisions-Füsilier-Abteilung 5811 April 1944
Heer13-HOberleutnant of the ReservesChief of the 10./Grenadier-Regiment 4163 March 1943
Heer19-HGeneralleutnantCommander of the 18. Infanterie-Division 29 June 1940
+Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Artillerie-Regiment 33 26 December 1941Awarded 683rd Oak Leaves 18 December 1944
Kriegsmarine14-MKapitänleutnantCommander of 5 June 1942
+Luftwaffe09-LFeldwebelPilot in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 5323 September 1942Awarded 127th Oak Leaves 23 September 1942
Heer16-HOberstleutnantCommander of Schützen-Regiment 815 July 1941
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannStaffelkapitän of the 5./Kampfgeschwader 3014 June 1940
+Heer18-HGeneralmajorCommander of the 11. Panzer-Division14 May 1941Awarded 34th Oak Leaves 1 September 1941
Heer13-HOberleutnantChief of the 4./Infanterie-Regiment 4533 May 1942
Heer10-HOberfähnrichDeputy leader of the 2./Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 2609 June 1944*Killed in action 29 March 1944
Heer17-HOberstCommander of Panzer-Regiment 3918 January 1942
Heer12-HLeutnant of the ReservesZugführer in the 1./Pionier-Bataillon 1025 January 1944
Luftwaffe14-LHauptmannStaffelkapitän of the 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" and adjutant of the I./Schlachtgeschwader 230 December 1942
Luftwaffe13-LOberleutnantStaffelkapitän of the 6./Kampfgeschwader 216 May 1941
Heer03-HGefreiterMachine gun leader in the 2./Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Großdeutschland"4 October 1944