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 Waffen-SS. Within each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient.
The Supreme Command of the Armed Forces maintained separate records of Knight's Cross recipients for each branch: Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), and Waffen-SS. This system allowed for tracking and recognition of individual achievements within each branch.