dr. Franz Fritz August

Franz Bäke, born 28-02-1898 in Schwarzenfels, was a German Army officer and panzer ace. After attending school and receiving excellent grades, Bäke planned on a career in medicine. In August 1914, the outbreak of World War I he changed his plans. In May 1915, Bäke volunteered for the German Army. He was posted to Infanterie-Regiment Nr.3, based in Cologne After basic training, Bäke was transferred to Infanterie-Regiment Nr.11, which was in action on the Western Front. During his service with Infantry Regiment 11 he was awarded the Iron Cross 2^nd st class for bravery in combat in the battles near Verdun   for the towns of Fleury and Thiaumont. In mid-1916, Bäke accepted an offer to become an officer candidate and was briefly transferred to Infanterie-Regiment Nr.10. In November 1916 Bäke was transferred to the artillery arm and served with Artillerie-Regiment zu Fuß Nr.7. In early 1918 he was wounded twice and was only returned to the front in September. After the armistice, Bäke remained in the army until his demobilisation in January 1919  . ...

      After receiving his credentials, Bäke established his own dentistry practice in Hagen, which became quite successful.    Bäke remained immersed in his dental practice during the tumultuous events of 1933 to 1936, but in early 1937 he applied to join the reserves, being accepted on 01-04-1937. Bäke was given his World War I rank of officer cadet and posted to Aufklärungs Abteiling Nr 6, a reconnaissance unit. On 01-01-1938, Bäke was transferred to Panzer-Abteilung 65, where he served as platoon leader of the Abt's light column. During the bloodless Invasion of the Sudetenland, he acted as the deputy company commander for 3^rd  Panzer-Abteilung 65. On 10-05-1940, Bäke and his 6^th Panzer Regiment   took part in Fall Gelb, the invasion of Belgium, France and our Holland (see About). The 6^th Panzer Regiment formed a part of Panzergruppe Guderian, (see Heinz Gunther Guderian) (see Heinz Wilhelm Guderian) (see Kurt Guderian) an army-sized formation charged with attacking through the Ardennes. During the Blitzkrieg campaign, Bäke, in command of 1^st    Kompanie, seized an undamaged bridge over the Meuse ar Arques. In the following weeks in combat, he was wounded twice, on 17 and 19 May, receiving the Wound Badge in Gold. For his actions in securing the bridge, Bäke was awarded the Iron Cross first class.     The 6^{th  had famous commander s like}  had famous commanders like Generalleutnant Walther von Hünersdorff (see Hünersdorff), General der Panzertruppen Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma (see von Thoma), and General der Panzertruppen Werner Kempf (see Kempf). Following the campaign in the West, the 6^th Panzer Regiment was moved to East Prussia, for the coming offensive against the Soviet Union. In June, 6^{th had famous commander s like}   Panzer was attached to 4^th  Panzer Army under General Oberts Hermann Hoth (see Hoth). 4^{th had famous commander s like}   Panzer-Armee was to form the southern pincer of the attack on the Kursk sailent, Operation Citadel.

 

    Bäke led his Abt through fierce fighting against the entrenched soviet forces near Belgrorod. On 13-07-1943 he was wounded, but remained with the unit. On 14 July, the commander of the 11^th  Panzer-Regiment was severely wounded, and command of the regiment was temporarily delegated to Bäke. During the ferocious armored battles, Bäke led the regiment and proved himself a capable regimental commander. The offensive was cancelled on 13-08-1943, and Bäke's regiment saw heavy combat during the withdrawal to the Dniepr. For his actions during Operation Citadel, Bäke was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.

   On 01-11-1943 Bäke was promoted to Oberstleutnant of the Reserve and his command of the regiment was made official. In December 1943, he was ordered to begin formation of an ad-hoc reinforced tank regiment, titled Heavy Panzer Regiment Bäke. During the five-day battle, Bäke's regiment was credited with destroying 267 Soviet tanks for the loss of only 4 tanks. Bäke single-handedly destroyed three Soviet tanks during the battle with infantry weapons at close range, for which he received three Tank Destruction Badges, worn on his upper right sleeve. Next, the regiment was sent to the area of Korsun-Cherkassy, where Gruppe Stemmermann had been encircled in the Cherkassy Pocket. Together with a Kampfgruppe of the 1^st    SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, under SS Standarten Führer Joachim Peiper (see Peiper), Bäke's tanks opened a route of escape for the trapped Germans and held it open while many escaped. During this month his regiment was credited with the destruction of 500 soviet tanks and assault guns. For his actions during these battles, Bäke received the Swords to the Knight's Cross on 14-02-1944 as 49^th  Wehrmacht soldier. In March, the regiment was trapped in the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket along with the entire 1^st  Panzer Army. Bäke's regiment formed one of the spearheads moving west to break the encirclement, and effected a link up with II Panzer Corps under SS General Paul Hausser (see Hausser), creating an escape route for the army.  .   After the encirclement of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, the 6^th Panzer Regiment, now fully reformed, was sent to Ukraine to join Generaloberst Erich von Manstein's Army Group Don (see Manstein). Bäke had by now built himself a reputation as one of the army's most capable tank commanders. Bäke was ordered west to take command of the 106^th   Panzer Brigade Feldherrnhalle   , which was undergoing formation in Baden. The Feldherrnhalle formations were formed from a cadre of ex SA men, and as such Bäke was granted the honorary SA rank of SA-Sanitäts-Standartenführer. In battles against General George Patton's (see Patton) US Third Army  , Bäke's brigade fought with spirit, halting several attacks and destroying many American tanks.      Bäke was promoted to Major General and led the remains of his division in a successful breakout attempt towards the West and on 08-05-1945 surrendered to the American Forces. Bäke spent several years as a Prisoner of war, being released in 1950. He returned to Hagen and resumed his dental practice.

    He died, at the age of 80, in a car accident, on 12-12-1978. He is, buried on the Waldfriedhof Loxbaum in Hagen. The Bundeswehr provided an honour guard at his funeral.