Rudolf Bacherer

Rudolf Bacherer
Born (1895-06-19)19 June 1895
Pforzheim
Died 6 July 1964(1964-07-06) (aged 69)
Bad Krozingen
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1919)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Army
Years of service 1914–19
1935–45
Rank Oberst of the Reserves
Commands held Infanterie-Regiment 234
Grenadier-Regiment 234
Infanterie-Regiment 1026
Grenadier-Regiment 1049
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II

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

Rudolf Bacherer (19 June 1895 – 6 July 1964) was a highly decorated Oberst of the Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II who held several regimental commands. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

In June 1944 Bacherer was commanding the 1049th Infantry Regiment on the Western Front when Major General Rudolf Stegmann, commander of the 77th Infantry Division was killed in American air raid. Bacherer was immediately promoted to command the Division and enjoyed some early successes, capturing 250 American prisoners on 17 June and the following day broke through US lines to link up with the remnants of the LXXXIV Corps near La Haye-du-Puits.[1] The Division however, which was already understrength when Bacherer made his advance soon suffered heavy losses as the Americans forged ahead.[2] Bacherer was captured by American forces following the fall of Saint-Malo in 1944 and was held as a POW until 1947.

Awards and decorations

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Samuel W. Mitcham Jr, Rommel's Last Battle: The Desert Fox and the Normandy Campaign, Jove Books, 1991, pp. 123-124
  2. ↑ Mitcham, Rommel's Last Battle, p. 153
  3. 1 2 Thomas 1997, p. 13.
  4. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 20.
  5. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102.
  6. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 73.

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. 
  • 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. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 
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