Baasch, Johannes

Date of birth:: August 18th, 1905 (Kowall-Danzig/Western Prussia, Germany)
Date of death:: August 10th, 1944 (South of Valka, Latvia)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Johannes Baasch was killed on 10th August 1944 in the area South of Valka, Latvia, as Kommandeur III. / Infanterie--Regiment 410, with the rank of Hauptmann.

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Oberleutnant der Reserve (1st Lieutenant of Reserves)
Unit:: Chef 9. / Grenadier-Regiment 410 / 122.Infanterie-Division
Awarded on:: May 3rd, 1942

The following wartime excerpt describes why Baasch was awarded the Knight’s Cross…

“On the 01.04.1942 Oberleutnant Baasch had the mission of thrusting forward with his Kompanie to the Staraya-Russa—Demyansk road and taking control of the section of this road northwest of Ssytschewo. The Kompanie eventually succeeded in reaching this attack objective following a bitter struggle through very deep snow. After this Baasch decided on his own volition to carry on beyond his designated attack objective and into the forest north of Ssytschewo. This penetration by 9. Kompanie created a battlefield situation that enabled the I./Infanterie-Regiment 409 to capture the village of Ssytschewo from the south. This capture of this village was a particularly important success as it constituted the key point of the Demyansk road and was thusly of decisive operational importance for the relief effort towards the encircled II. Armee-Korps.”