The Knights Cross was distributed in the following matter among the different branches of the Wehrmacht,
- Heer; 4524
- Luftwaffe; 1716
- Waffen SS; 438
- Kriegsmarine; 318
It is understandable that the Heer received the highest number of recipients as it had the greatest number of men at arms. In addition, ground forces were far more likely to be granted to opportunity to individually distinguish themselves, than for example Kriesmarine ship members. In all, the awards were fairly distributed among the different branches. There were, especially toward the end of the war, a few members of the Auxiliary forces who were awarded the Knights Cross. Choose a Wehrmacht branch from the table below to view recipient stories.
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Stalingrad
There were many acts of heroism conducted in the most horrendous of circumstances during the battle of Stalingrad. Many of the men who received the Knights Cross in these trying times were not able to escape the claws of the red army, and perished in that frozen hell. In all, one hundred nineteen members of the Wehrmacht, mostly officers, were awarded the Knights Cross between August 7th 1942 and January 31, 1943. There were also eleven Oak Leaves presented, and one Oak Leaves and Swords recipient. For a complete list of recipients, please follow the link below. (courtersy of Geert Rottiers)
