List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords or Diamonds recipients of the Luftwaffe fighter force

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () and its variants were the highest military award in Nazi Germany. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. During World War II, 453 German day and bomber destroyer (Zerstörer) pilots, 85 night fighter pilots, including 14 crew members, were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Among them, 130 pilots received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), 34 the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), and nine won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).

Background The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment, 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 of 3 June 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment 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 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, 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.

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds is based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 to reward those servicemen who had already been awarded the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Ultimately, it would be awarded to twenty-seven German soldiers, sailors and airmen, ranging from young fighter pilots to field marshals. Nine recipients were fighter pilots.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes Picture 1 Oberst Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 51 2 Oberst Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" 3 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77 4 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 27 5 Oberleutnant of the Reserves Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 8 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 54 15 Oberstleutnant Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 18 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 21 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords is also based on the enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613) of 28 September 1941 to reward those servicemen who had already been awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The list is initially sorted by the chronological number assigned to the recipient.

Number Name Rank Unit Date of award Notes Picture 1 Oberstleutnant Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" Awarded 2nd Diamonds 28 January 1942 2 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 51 Awarded 1st Diamonds 15 July 1941 3 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 4 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 7 Hauptmann Staffelkapitän of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" 8 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 54 9 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 77 10 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 7./Jagdgeschwader 54 11 Leutnant of the Reserves Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 Awarded 5th Diamonds 16 September 1942 12 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 27 Awarded 4th Diamonds 3 September 1942 13 Hauptmann Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77 Awarded 3rd Diamonds 30 August 1942 14 Oberfeldwebel pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 * Killed in action 15 June 1942 19 Hauptmann deputy Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 51 23 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" 32 Major Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 Awarded 15th Diamonds 31 July 1944 34 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 52 37 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 54 Awarded 8th Diamonds 19 October 1943 43 Oberst Inspekteur der deutschen Luftverteidigung 44 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 * Killed in action 21 January 1944 51 Oberstleutnant Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" * Killed in action 2 March 1944 52 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 52 54 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 73 Oberstleutnant Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" 75 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 Awarded 18th Diamonds 25 August 1944 78 Major Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 11 82 Oberstleutnant Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77 84 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 Awarded 21st Diamonds 16 October 1944 88 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" 108 Hauptmann Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" * Killed in action 22 June 1944 113 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54 126 Major Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 54 130 Oberleutnant Staffelkapitän of the 14./Jagdgeschwader 27 Major Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" Major Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 52

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940. The last officially announced number for the Oak Leaves was 843.