Ernst-Günther Baade

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Ernst-Günther Baade
Ernst-Günther Baade, Schwerter.jpg
Birth date 20 August 1897(1897-08-20)
Place of birth Gut Falkenhagen near Pritzwalk, Kreis Ostprignitz, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date ᛣ⚔ 8 May 1945 (aged 47)
Place of death Lazarett Bad Segeberg, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, German Reich
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
War Ensign of the Reichswehr, 1919 - 1935.png Reichswehr
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1914–1920
1924–1945
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held 90th Light Infantry Division
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Relations ∞ 1926 Alexandra Behncke, née Jenisch

Ernst-Günther Baade (20 August 1897 – 8 May 1945) was a German officer of the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Lieutenant General and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords in World War II.

Life

Reichswehr officer Baade
Regimental commander Baade in North Africa
Baade with Panzer ace Captain Wolfgang Wahl, commander of the II. Battalion/Panzer-Regiment 8
Oak Leaves for Baade
Divisional commander Baade in Italy
Baade (left) and a captain in the area of Rimini–Ancona in May 1944
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross award ceremony (Ritterkreuzverleihungszeremonie) for Martin Mitschke
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross award ceremony for Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel
A few years after the Second World War broke out, Baade was assigned to the Führerreserve, before taking command of the 115th Rifle Regiment, 15th Panzer Division on April 15, 1942. At the time, the regiment was serving in Cyrenaica and Libya. While there, he took part in the Battle of Bir Hakeim in May 1942. After the engagement, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions. Although he continued to serve alongside his men, it was only a day after being issued his medal that Baade was wounded in the fighting at El-Alamein on July 28, 1942 and taken back to Germany to recover. Sometime after he was cleared to return to duty, Ernst-Günther Baade was given command of the forces defending the Straits of Messina during the German evacuation of Sicily in August 1943. Soon after, he was put in charge of the 90th Light Infantry Division during the Battle of Monte Cassino, the Allied attempt to break through the Winter Line and push their troops further into Italy and, then, Rome. During his time with the 90th, Baade took it upon himself to single-handedly destroy an enemy tank with an infantry weapon. For this, he was awarded the Tank Destruction Badge. Although he was a well-accomplished officer, what Baade was best-known for was his eccentric clothing choices, behavior and weapons. He first built this unusual reputation while serving with the Afrika Korps. Ernst-Günther Baade’s clothing of choice was a Scottish kilt, a far cry from the typical uniform of a German officer. His headgear consisted of a black beret, adorned with a tartan ribbon that matched his kilt. Only adding to his appearance was the claymore, a Scottish broadsword, which he carried at his side, instead of the typical Luger pistol that was widely used throughout the war. If he did decide to carry a gun, Baade reportedly hung it around his neck. It was no secret that the former international equestrian star was very fond of the United Kingdom. He spoke English perfectly, with some going so far as to call him an Anglophile. Despite his apparent affections for the enemy, he was dedicated to his country, watching battles from the front while carrying a monk’s robe as an emergency disguise. By the time the war was coming to a close, Ernst-Günther Baade had earned himself a popular reputation among his troops. He frequently visited the frontlines to inspect his men, rather than hiding from danger. It also helped that he had previously served as a “grunt” in the First World War, only making him more respected. Baade wouldn’t survive the war. The kilt-wearing Generalleutnant was wounded on April 24, 1945 while traveling in his staff car near Neverstaven, Germany, when a British fighter aircraft set its machine guns on him. Although the attack didn’t kill Baade, he was sent to hospital in Bad Segeberg, where he died of gangrene on May 8, 1945, the day of the German surrender.[1]

Chronology

  • Easter 1906 to Easter 1908 Gymnasium Wittstock
  • Easter 1908 to August 1914 Gymnasium Eberswalde
  • 18 August 1914 Joined the Replacement Squadron of the 2. Pommersches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 9 as a war volunteer
    • as a good horsemen since a youth, he of course joined the cavalry.
  • 25 August 1914 Sworn-in
  • 18 November 1914 Transferred to the mobile 2. Pommersches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 9 serving in the field
  • 9 March 1915 Military hospital Culm due to frozen feet
  • 4 June 1915 Transferred to the Replacement Squadron of the 2. Pommersches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 9
  • 16 June 1915 Transferred to the Replacement Squadron of the Dragoon Regiment "King Karl I of Romania" (1st Hanoverian) No. 9
  • 11 July to 28 August 1915 Commanded to the 5. Fahnenjunker-Lehrgang in Döberitz (officer candidate course)
  • 11 March 1916 Transferred to the mobile Dragoon Regiment "King Karl I of Romania" (1st Hanoverian) No. 9 serving in the field
  • 28 May 1916 Passed Fähnrich exams with the Senior Military Examination Commission at the 33. Kavallerie-Brigade
  • 16 July to 31 August 1916 Commanded to the officer maturity examination course with the Garde-Reserve-Schützen-Bataillon
  • 29 September to 8 November 1916 Commanded to the Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment Nr. 2, then return to his regiment
  • 12 March 1917 Appointed leader of the Signals Platoon/Fernsprech-Abteilung Nr. 231
  • 6 February 1918 Transferred back to the Dragoon Regiment "King Karl I of Romania" (1st Hanoverian) No. 9 and commanded to the 231st Infantry-Brigade as an orderly officer
  • 16 June 1918 Fit for duty again after hospitalization and recovery, return to the brigade
  • 22 July to 30 August 1918 Transferred to the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 444, gas poisoning
  • 30 October 1918 Transferred to the Replacement Squadron of the Dragoon Regiment "King Karl I of Romania" (1st Hanoverian) No. 9
  • 7 November 1918 Transferred to the Dragoon Regiment "King Karl I of Romania" (1st Hanoverian) No. 9
  • 30 January 1919 Transferred to the Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 5
  • 1 May 1919 Commanded to the Paderborn Riding School as a student
  • 15 May 1920 Dismissed due to army reduction
    • return to his father's estate
  • 31 March with effect from 1 April 1924 Rejoined the Reichswehr with the 4th (Prussian) Squadron (stationed in Schleswig) of the 14. Reiter-Regiment
    • later transferred to the 1. (Mecklenburgisches) Eskadron in Ludwigslust
  • 11 April 1924 Newly sworn-in
  • 1 October 1927 to 1 October 1929 Rider at the Hanover Cavalry Riding School
  • 5 August with effect from 1 October 1929 Transferred to the 5th Squadron/10. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment in Torgau
  • 1 September with effect from 1 October 1932 Again assigned to the Hanover Cavalry Riding School, this time as a specialist at the show jumping stable
  • 1 October 1934 Appointed commander of the 1. Eskadron/Reiter-Regiment Rathenow in Stendal
    • 15 October 1935 renamed Reiter-Regiment 3
    • 1 July 1936 renamed Kavallerie-Regiment 3
  • 9 December 1938 with effect from 1 January 1939 Commanded to a course at the gas protection school
  • 26 August 1939 Appointed commander of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17 (Poland Campaign)
  • 14 December with effect from 15 December 1939 Appointed commander of the 1st Battalion/Reiter-Regiment 22 (Battle of France and Operation Barbarossa)
  • 15 October with effect from 30 September 1941 Appointed commander of the Radfahr-Abteilung 1/1. Kavallerie-Division
  • 15 December with effect from 1 December 1941 Appointed commander of the Kradschützen-Bataillon 4
  • 25 March with effect from 6 March 1942 Führerreserve
  • 31 March with effect from 1 April 1942 Commanded to the 15. Panzer-Division in North Africa for the purpose of training as a commander of a rifle regiment
  • 15 May with effect from 15 April 1942 Appointed commander of the 115th Rifle Regiment/15th Panzer Division
    • In June 1942, his regiment was involved in heavy defensive battles, during which Colonel Baade led several successful counterattacks. The regiment then took part in the storming of Bir Hacheim. For the successful capture of the fortress he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
    • 5 July 1942 renamed Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 115
    • 28 July 1942 wounded by shrapnel in the fighting for El Alamein; had to be flown to the military hospital in Rome.
  • 23 December with effect from 1 December 1942 Assigned to the German general at the headquarters of the Italian Army (Deutscher General im Hauptquartier der italienischen Wehrmacht in Rom), where he became a staff officer at the German general command under Enno von Rintelen.
  • 30 June with effect from 23 April 1943 Appointed commander of the of the Italian Operations Staff
    • After the Allied invasion of Sicily and the subsequent German withdrawal, Baade became commander of the Messina Road in May 1943 and was therefore responsible for the evacuation of the German units from Sicily.
  • 28 October 1943 Führerreserve in Italy
    • In November 1943, he served as deputy leader of the 65th Infantry Division.
  • 20 December 1943 Delegated with the leadership of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division (Source: BArch PERS 6/422)
  • 12 February with effect from 1 February 1944 Officially appointed commander of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division
  • 9/10 December 1944 Führerreserve (OKH/X)
  • 5 January to 1 February 1945 Commanded to the 3rd course for commanding generals
  • 1 March 1945 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the LVIII. Panzer-Korps (58.) for the commanding general Walter Krüger who had been granted leave.
    • originally delegated with the deputy leadership of the corps by Oberbefehlshaber West was Fritz Hermann Bayerlein, but in fact this order did not take effect for Bayerlein, instead Ernst-Günther Baade was entrusted with the leadership, but this order did not take effect either. Krüger never returned. Apparently Walter Hugo Botsch took over the corps on 23 March 1945 which capitulated on 16 April 1945 in the Ruhr pocket.[2]
  • 4 March 1945 Delegated with the deputy leadership of the LXXXI. Armee-Korps (81.) which stood between Aachen and Cologne
    • at the same time combat commandant of Cologne for a few days
      • On 6 March 6, 1945, rumors that the Hohenzollern Bridge was about to be blown up frightened German officers: this would cut off their own people's route of retreat. Lieutenant General Baade was quickly driven from the cathedral bunker to Tacitusstraße. In the Gauleitung's command post he met an SS-Oberführer. Baade asked the commander to prevent the explosion. When he refused, Baade pulled out his pistol and shot him for disobeying orders in the face of the enemy.[3]
  • 22 March 1945 Fell ill and was on leave after a new attack of malaria
    • The rest of the retreating LXXXI. Armee-Korps, subordinated to the 15th German Army/Army Group H under Walter Model, pushed on north to the Ruhr pocket where it would be detroyed in April 1945.
  • 21 April with effect from 18 April 1945 Placed at disposal of the Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest
    • at this time still in treatment at the Tropical Institute Hamburg

Wounds and sickness

  • 9 March 1915 Frozen feet (military hospital Culm)
  • 1 June 1918 Wounded (Kriegslazarett Arlon)
  • 30 August 1918 Gas poisoning (bayerisches Kriegslazarett 62)
  • 3 June 1940 Seriously wounded in the fighting in La Rochelle
  • 15 August 1941 Wounded again with the Reiter-Regiment 22
  • 28 July 1942 Wounded by shrapnel in the fighting for El Alamein
  • 12 June 1944 Ill with malaria, stayed with his division
  • 3 July 1944 Seriously ill with malaria
    • 28 July 1944 Four weeks of treatment at the Reserve Military Hospital IV in Dresden-Bühlau/Weißer Hirsch
  • 6 January 1945 Muscular rheumatism
  • 22 March 1945 Fell ill and was on leave after a new attack of malaria (Tropeninstitut Hamburg)
  • 24 April 1945 Severely wounded (ᛣ⚔ 8 May 1945)

Wehrmachtbericht

8 February 1944:

"In the tough defensive battles lasting several days northwest of Cassino, the 44th Reichsgrenadier Division "Hoch- und Deutschmeister" under the leadership of Lieutenant General Franek with a subordinate battalion of the Grenadier Regiment (mot.) 8 and a combat group under the leadership of Colonel Baade particularly distinguished themselves."

27 May 1944:

"In the fighting of the last few days, the 90th Panzergrenadier Division, which had already proven itself at Cassino, under the leadership of Major General Baade with subordinate units of the Heer and the Luftwaffe, has once again particularly distinguished itself."[4]

Knight's Cross

Knight's Cross:

“On the 27 May 1942, Oberst Baade was able to prevent a strong enemy armoured attack in the rear of the division through a combination of superior leadership, initiative and personal bravery in the foremost line. By doing so he laid the groundwork for the division’s success on this day. Later, on the 11 June 1942, he personally led a reinforced battalion of the Schützen-Regiment 115 against Hachheim’s fortified defense system. His unit was the first to enter these hostile positions, and under his leadership it was able to break the garrison’s tough resistance following 24 hours of uninterrupted combat. Oberst Baade’s superior leadership and personal bravery thus brought about victory at Hachheim.”

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves:

“[…] Generalmajor Baade has once again particularly distinguished himself during the heavy combat in southern Italy as the commander of a panzergrenadier division. It is largely to his credit that all enemy efforts to take control of the hotly contested Cassino massif have so far failed. In order to instantly adjust his decisions to the situation at the front-line, Generalmajor Baade repeatedly occupied forward command posts between the infantry and foremost batteries with only his orderly officer and a few messengers. From here, and despite the heavy enemy fire, he repeatedly intervened in the combat wherever it was most necessary and thereby reinforced the will to resist of his soldiers […]”

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords:

Awarded for distinguishing himself with his 90. Panzergrenadier-Division during the combat along the Italian front in 1944.[5]

Death

When his new orders came in, Baade was still at the Tropical Institute in Hamburg which was still in use, although badly damaged by enemy bombs. He had been placed at disposal of the Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest (former Army Group H, now Army Group Northwest) under Commander-in-Chief Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch. Orders were orders, whether senseless or not. His travels began at night. It can be assumed that he at least had a driver and adjutant with him, but this remains uncertain as it is not documented.

Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest's headquarters were in Kollerup near Flensburg. Northeast of Hamburg was his estate Gut Neverstaven. He decided to take a little detour to see his beloved wife one last time. On the morning of 24 April 1945 – it is not known if he was arriving at the estate or leaving it northwards after a short stay – General Baade was shot (strafed) in his service car (Kübelwagen) by low-flying aircraft of the Royal Air Force near his estate. He was wounded in the neck and lower leg by phosphorus shots. He was then taken to a field hospital in Bad Segeberg (which would imply he was leaving Neverstaven already some distance north of the estate, otherwise he would have been brought south to Bad Oldesloe), and operated on.

When a British armored scout vehicle rolled into the city on 2 May 1945, he noted this in his diary. German military doctors had asked the British for penicillin, but they refused. There was probably a shortage among them too. He died on 8 May 1945 from complications caused by the phosphorus, as well as sepsis due to gangrene and an overcrowded field hospital. 2nd Lieutenant (ret.) Martin Mitschke wrote after the war, that the British military administration respected the general, transported the body to his estate and buried him with military honors in the estate park in the presence of his wife and stepdaughter.

Commemoration

In front of the Leezen church in the Segeberg district there is a large wooden cross with the inscription as a memorial to the German fallen. In the anteroom of the church there are two large memorial plaques with names written in gold on a black background: The inscription and 65 names from the First World War as well as a name plaque (above inscription) for the Second World War with 179 names. Lieutenant General Baade is also commemorated on this second plaque.

Family

Alexandra "Alix" Baade in a 1934 painting by Christian Schad (1894–1982)

Ernst-Günther was the son of Ernst Baade, lord of the manor (Gut Falkenhagen), and his wife Dora, née Bülow (d. 18 April 1927).

Marriage

On 13 November 1926, 1st Lieutenant Baade received permission to marry. On 18 December 1926 in Bad Oldesloe, Baade married Alexandra "Alix", divorced Behncke, née Jenisch, daughter of Major (retired) Alexander Jenisch, lord of the manor of the estate Gut Tralau (with Neverstaven in Travenbrück, Tralau and Vinzier). Alix was a well-known dressage rider and horse breeder (working horses for agriculture and the military, but also thoroughbreds for equestrian sports). She had left her unfaithful husband, estate administrator (Gut Schönfeld near Mühleneichsen, Mecklenburg) Rittmeister (ret.) Behncke, in 1925 and divorced him in July 1926.

Alix' former brother-in-law, 1st Lieutenant Behncke, served in the 4th, later 1st Squadron/14. Reiter-Regiment in Ludwigslust. Not only did 1st Lieutenant Baade meet this officer in his regiment, but the ex-husband and former Rittmeister of the regiment and family members of the Behnckes also visited the regiment again and again. This became so unbearable for Baade, as he was obviously treated with hostility, that in 1929 he requested to be transferred to another regiment.

Nonetheless, Alix and Ernst-Günther were one heart and one sole. He treated Alix' daughter Rosmarie "Rosi" (b. 14 December 1920 in Schleswig), who Alix had brought with her into the marriage, with utmost affection and care. Like wife Alix, Ernst-Günther was an internationally respected equestrian, taking part in many competitions (show jumping, show hunting, eventing). During the show jumping tournament in Lucerne in 1933, he suffered a complicated collarbone fracture and rib fractures.

Nevertheless, his superior allowed him to visit the competitions in Aachen and Verden in civilian clothes (putting on the uniform hurt too much), not yet healthy and only weeks later in late August 1933 in Halle an der Saale, he was once again on horseback and even came in third place (show hunting). Alix was wealthy, and therefore so was Ernst-Günther, she had inherited Gut Neverstaven near Bad Oldesloe after the death of her father. Her older brother inherited Gut Tralau with the castle-like residence.

Promotions

Ernst-Günther Baade IV.jpg
  • 18 August 1914 Kriegsfreiwilliger (War Volunteer)
  • 10 June 1915 Fahnenjunker(-Unteroffizier) (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 28 May 1916 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 22 August 1916 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) without Patent
    • 16 December 1918 received Patent from 10 September 1916
    • 1 April 1924 received new Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 December 1918 after his return to the Reichswehr
  • 1 December 1925 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 1 August 1933 Rittmeister
  • 31 July 1937 Major with effect from 1 August 1937
    • 5 January 1939 received new Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 October 1936
  • 29 February 1940 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect from 1 March 1940
  • 16 March 1942 Oberst (Colonel) with effect from 1 April 1942
  • 12 February 1944 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect and RDA from 1 February 1944
  • 8 August 1944 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect and RDA from 1 August 1944

Awards and decorations

Reiter, Streiter und Rebell. Das ungewöhnliche Leben des General Ernst-Günther Baade, 1976.jpg

Gallery

  • General Baade (BArch PERS 6-422).jpg
  • Baade IV.jpg
  • Baade II.jpg
  • Baade I.jpg
  • Ernst-Günther Baade Landser.jpg
  • Ernst-Günther Baade und Martin Mitschke, Landser.jpg

Further reading

External links

References

  1. ↑ Rosemary Giles: German Generalleutnant Ernst-Günther Baade Wore a Kilt Into Combat During WWII, 2023
  2. ↑ Botsch taking over on or even before 23 March 1945 is presumed right, he also wrote for the Operational History (German) Section of the Historical Division of the United States Army. The name of his written treatise: Das LVIII. Panzerkorps im Ruhrkessel, 23.3. – 16.4.1945
  3. ↑ Das dramatische Protokoll. So fiel Köln: Jahrestag des 6.März 1945 – Stunde für Stunde, Express, 2020
  4. ↑ Baade, Ernst-Günther, lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de
  5. ↑ Baade, Ernst-Günther, tracesofwar.com
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