Date of birth:

May 15th, 1907 (Aurich/Hannover, Germany)

Date of death:

April 2nd, 1944 (Orinin/Ukrain, Soviet Union)

Nationality:

German

Promotions:
1924: Grenadier
1926: Obergrenadier
1928: Gefreiter
1929: Unteroffizier
1931: Feldwebel
1934: Leutnant
1934: Oberleutnant
1937: Hauptmann
1941: Major
1943: Oberstleutnant

Karl Baacke joined the I.R. in 1924. 16 a. On April 1, 1934 he was promoted to lieutenant and from 1936 led the I.R. 37. In 1937 he took over as captain of the 6. / I.R. 37. In May 1940 he was transferred to the Führerreserve of the OKH and then the 72nd I.D. assigned. He became head of the advance division of the division, which he also led in the Balkans. With the department he succeeded in taking the village of Molos and thus opening the way to Athens, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross on June 30, 1941. He was
Commander of the G.R. 226, which he led in the battles for Orel, Gomel and southeast of Kiev. On the way to the front, Baacke was ordered to set up a regiment from vacationers to help the German troops trapped near Kanev-Korsun, including his G.R. 226, to be horrified. After hard fighting, the regiment was encircled at Orinin itself. When the regiment broke out, Lieutenant Colonel Baacke fell with the rearguard of his regiment.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 14th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 21st, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Kommandeur, III., Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 124, 72.Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

April 27th, 1941

"The captain of an infantry regiment Baacke, distinguished himself in the battles at Thermopylae. He deployed a maneuverable detachment and opened a vital narrow passage in a tough overnight battles against a well prepared enemy position and captured 24 guns."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Captain)

Unit:

Kommandeur, III., Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment 124, 72.Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

June 30th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

Kommandeur, Radfahr-Abteilung 72, 72. Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

July 15th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

Führer, Grenadier-Regiment 266, 72. Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

February 28th, 1943

Award 322/2.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 266 Grenadier-Regiment, 72.Infanterie-Division, III.Panzer-Korps, 8.Armee, Heeresgruppe Süd

Awarded on:

December 10th, 1943

The following press article (dated 16.12.1943) describes why Baacke was awarded the Oakleaves…

“As the battle of the moselländischen 72. Infanterie-Division (named in the Wehrmachtbericht of the 06.12.1943) in Cherkassy came to a head, and the city itself was temporarily encircled, Oberstleutnant Baacke broke the Soviets’ encirclement ring and thereby enabled both the evacuation of the wounded and the influx of important supply goods. On the next day, once again surrounded on all sides, he broke the attack of strong infantry and tank forces and thereafter restored contact with the outside by storming a particularly heavily fortified strongpoint of the enemy. Oberstleutnant Baacke led his Grenadier-Regiment from the foremost line during all these battles, and throughout this time he inspired his Grenadiers to high achievements despite their having been engaged in continuous combat for 14 days.”

352nd Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 18th, 1940

in bronze

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 2nd, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 23rd, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major

Unit:

Kommandeur, Radfahr-Abteilung 72, 72. Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

June 21st, 1942

"At Sevastopol, the commander of a bicycle department, Major Baacke his squadron leader Lieutenant Kupsch and the head of a pioneer company Lieutenant Stier, have distinguished themselves by exceptional bravery."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 2nd, 1936

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Wehrkundearchiv
• Photo: Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv
  
• - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1987.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
  - Dörr M., Die inhaber der Anerkennungsurkunde des Oberbefehlshabers des Heerses 1941-1945, Ossnabrück, 1993, ISBN 3-7648-2426-3
  - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
  - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
  - Lexikon der Wehrmacht
  - Axis History Biographical Research via Axis History Forum