Werner Baake

Werner Baake
Born	1 November 1918 Nordhausen
Died	15 July 1964 (aged 45) Heilsbronn
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	NJG 1
Commands held	I./NJG 1
Battles/wars	World War II Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Pilot for Deutsch Lufthansa

Werner Baake (1 November 1918 – 15 July 1964) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Baake claimed 41 nocturnal aerial victories in 195 combat missions. ^{[Note 1]}

Awards

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 September 1943)^[1]
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 16 January 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 2./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1^{[3][Note 2]}

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.
2. According to Fellgiebel as Staffelkapitän of the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1.^[4]

See also

• Lancaster Memorial (Beuningen, the Netherlands) with the story of one of Baake's combats and the remembrance of its casualties.

References

Citations

1. Obermaier 1989, p. 83.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 20.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 197.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 119.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939–1945
• Aces of the Luftwaffe