The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) 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.^[1] A total of 7,321 awards were made between its first presentation on 30 September 1939 and its last bestowal on 17 June 1945.^{[Note 1]} This number is based on the analysis and acceptance of the Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Presentations were made to 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 foreign recipients of the award.^[3]

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 been nominated for 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.^[4]

Listed here are the 428 Knight's Cross recipients of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS whose last name is in the range "Kn–Kz".^[5] Fellgiebel himself delisted one and Scherzer has challenged the validity of eight more of these listings.^[6][7] This is the second of two lists of all 717 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients whose last name starts with "K". The recipients whose last name is in the range "Ka–Km" are listed at List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (Ka–Km).^[8] 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 (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.^[9] 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.^[10] 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).^[11] 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.^[12]

Recipients

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Kn–Kz)

Service	Number of presentations	Posthumous presentations
Heer (incl. RAD)	293	22
Kriegsmarine	16	1
Luftwaffe	96	11
Waffen-SS	23	4

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) 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.^[13] Of the 428 awards made to servicemen whose last name is in the range "Kn–Kz", 43 were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and nine the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords; 38 presentations were made posthumously. Heer members, including the RAD, received 293 of the medals; 16 went to the Kriegsmarine, 96 to the Luftwaffe, and 23 to the Waffen-SS.^[5] 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 (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.^[14]

  This along with the + (plus) indicates that a higher grade of Knight's Cross was awarded as well.
  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously.
  This along with the ! (exclamation mark) indicates that author Walther-Peer Fellgiebel has expressed doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.
  This along with the ? (question mark) indicates that author Veit Scherzer has expressed doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Gerhard_Konopka
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Name	Service	Rank	Role and unit[Note 2]	Date of award	Notes	Image
Kurt Knaack	Heer	13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves[15]	Leader of the 2./Infanterie-Regiment 410[15][16]	5 November 1942[15]	—	—
Hans-Wolfram Knaak	Heer	13-HOberleutnant[17]	Chief of the 8./Lehr-Regiment z.b.V. 800 "Brandenburg"[16][17]	3 November 1942*[17]	Killed in action 26 June 1941[17]	—
Gustav-Georg Knabe	Heer	16-HOberstleutnant[17]	Commander of Kradschützen-Bataillon 15[16][17]	1 June 1941[17]	—	—
Konrad Knabe	Luftwaffe	14-LHauptmann[17]	Leader of a Kette ("chain" or flight of three) in Fernaufklärungs Staffel Lappland (1.(F)/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 124) (AOK 20. Gebirgsarmee)[18][Note 3]	16 April 1943[17]	—	—
Reinhold Knacke+	Luftwaffe	13-LOberleutnant[17]	Pilot in the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1[17][18]	1 July 1942[17]	Awarded 190th Oak Leaves 7 February 1943[17]	—
Walter Knaf	Luftwaffe	12-LLeutnant[17]	Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 8./Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 "Hermann Göring"[18][Note 4]	4 April 1944*[18][Note 4]	Killed in action 8 December 1943[18]	—
Franz Knapp	Heer	15-HMajor[17]	Commander of schwere Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 663[17][18]	10 September 1944[17]	—	—
Wilhelm Knapp	Luftwaffe	14-LHauptmann[17]	Staffelkapitän of the 3.(F)/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 123[18][Note 5]	2 November 1940[17]	—	—
Herbert Knappe	Heer	10-HOberfeldwebel[17]	Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 14./Jäger-Regiment 83[17][18]	15 May 1944[17]	—	—
Kurt Knappe	Luftwaffe	06-LUnteroffizier[17]	Pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"[17][18]	3 November 1942[17]	—	—
Ernst Knaul	Heer	06-HUnteroffizier[17]	Rifle leader in the 4.(schwere)/Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 96[17][19]	6 March 1944[17]	—	—
Ludwig Knaup	Heer	14-HHauptmann of the Reserves[17]	Chief of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 904[17][18]	4 October 1944[17]	—	—
Hans-Peter Knaust+	Heer	15-HMajor[17]	Commander of Kampfgruppe "Sonnenstuhl" with the II. SS-Panzerkorps[18][Note 6]	28 September 1944[17]	Awarded 843rd Oak Leaves 17 April 1945[17]	—
Dr. Wilhelm Knauth[Note 7]	Heer	12-HLeutnant of the Reserves[20]	Leader of the 3./Panzer-Abteilung 505[18][Note 7]	14 November 1943[20]	—
Ernst Knebel+	Heer	17-HOberst[20]	Commander of Feld-Ersatz-Regiment Panzer AOK 3 and Armeewaffenschule[18][Note 8]	27 August 1944[20]	Awarded 744th Oak Leaves 19 February 1945[20]	—
Rudolf von Knebel-Doeberitz?[Note 9]	Heer	15-HMajor im Generalstab (in the General Staff)[19]	Ia (operations officer) of the 24. Panzer-Division[19]	11 May 1945[19]	—	—
Siegfried Knemeyer	Luftwaffe	15-LMajor im Stabsamt des RLM[18][Note 10]	Gruppenkommandeur of Aufklärungs-Lehr-Gruppe of the OB.d.L.[18][20]	29 August 1943[20]	—
Wasmod von dem Knesebeck	Heer	16-HOberstleutnant im Generalstab (in the General Staff)[20]	Ia (operations officer) of the 306. Infanterie-Division[19][20]	14 May 1944[20]	—	—
Wilhelm Knetsch	Heer	15-HMajor[20]	Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 545[19][20]	8 October 1942[20]	—	—
Walter Kniep	Waffen-SS	15-WSS-Sturmbannführer[20]	Commander of SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 2 "Das Reich"[18][Note 11]	14 August 1943[20]	—	—
Walter Knirsch	Heer	09-HFeldwebel[20]	Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 14./Grenadier-Regiment 89[18][20]	21 December 1944[20]	—	—
Gustav Knittel	Waffen-SS	15-WSS-Sturmbannführer[20]	Commander of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"[22][Note 12]	4 June 1944[20]	—	—
Otto von Knobelsdorff+	Heer	19-HGeneralleutnant[20]	Commander of the 19. Panzer-Division[20][22]	17 September 1941[20]	Awarded 322nd Oak Leaves 12 November 1943 100th Swords 21 September 1944[20]	—
Leo Knobloch	Heer	06-HUnteroffizier[20]	Kompanietruppführer (company headquarters lsection eader) in the 1./Reiter-Regiment 32[20][22]	30 September 1944[20]	—	—
Heinz Knoche	Heer	15-HMajor[20]	Leader of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 33[20][22]	5 April 1945[20]	—	—
Fritz Knöchlein	Waffen-SS	16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer[23]	Commander of SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 "Norge"[22][Note 13]	16 November 1944[23]	—
Egon Knörrchen	Heer	14-HHauptmann of the Reserves[23]	Chief of the 4./Artillerie-Regiment 218[22][23]	28 March 1945[23]	—	—
Walter Knoespel	Heer	14-HHauptmann[23]	Company chief in Infanterie-Regiment 156 (motorized)[22][23]	17 January 1942[23]	—	—
Heinz Knoke	Luftwaffe	14-LHauptmann[23]	Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 11[22][23]	27 April 1945[23]	—	—
Karl-Heinz Knollmann	Heer	12-HLeutnant of the Reserves[23]	Company leader in Grenadier-Regiment 45[22][23]	21 March 1944[23]	—	—
Dr. med. dent. Rolf Knoop	Heer	15-HMajor[23]	Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 377[22][23]	26 July 1944[23]	—	—
Waldemar von Knoop	Heer	15-HMajor of the Reserves[23]	Commander of Radfahr-Abteilung 8[22][23]	26 March 1943[23]	—	—
Albert Knop	Heer	14-HHauptmann[23]	Commander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 118[22][23]	17 August 1943[23]	—	—
Karl-Heinz Knorr	Luftwaffe	14-LHauptmann[23]	Commander of the I./Flak-Sturm-Abteilung 7[24][Note 14]	28 February 1945*[23]	Died of wounds 9 February 1945[23]	—
Walter Knorr	Heer	06-HUnteroffizier[23]	Group leader in the 6./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 108[22][23]	6 March 1944[23]	—	—
Georg Knostmann	Heer	14-HHauptmann of the Reserves[23]	Regiment adjutant in Grenadier-Regiment 266[22][Note 15]	4 May 1944[23]	—	—
Josef Knotzer	Heer	15-HMajor[25]	Leader of Alarmeinheit (emergency unit) in the 9. Panzer-Division[22][Note 16]	23 March 1945[25]	—	—
Heinrich Knüppel	Heer	15-HMajor[25]	Commander of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 256[22][25]	7 August 1942[25]	—	—
Karl-Günther Knüppel	Heer	12-HLeutnant of the Reserves[25]	Zugführer (platoon leader) in the Stabskompanie/Grenadier-Regiment 51 (motorized)[22][25]	17 December 1943[25]	—	—
Karl Knüttel	Heer	10-HOberfeldwebel[25]	Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 200[22][25]	3 November 1944[25]	—	—
Friedrich-Karl Knust	Luftwaffe	16-LOberstleutnant[25]	Geschwaderkommodore of (K)/Lehrgeschwader 1[22][Note 17]	3 May 1942[25]	—	—
Friedrich-Wilhelm Knuth	Heer	15-HMajor[25]	Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 211[22][25]	6 March 1944[25]	—	—
Hermann Knuth	Kriegsmarine	17-MKapitän zur See[25]	Chief of the 1. Sicherungsdivision[22][25]	24 September 1944[25]	—	—
Gerhard Koall	Luftwaffe	14-LHauptmann[25]	Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./Jagdgeschwader 54[22][25]	10 October 1944[25]	—	—
Horst Koberling