Werner Baake was a night fighter pilot fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross who served in the Nazi German Luftwaffe during World War II.
18 Facts About Werner Baake
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Werner Baake was the 36th most successful night fighter ace of World War II, and of aerial warfare.
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Werner Baake's total surpassed that of all Allied night fighter pilots; Branse Burbridge being the highest.
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Werner Baake was born on 1 November 1918 in Nordhausen, at the time in Thuringia of the German Empire.
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At the height of the Battle of the Ruhr, a concerted bomber offensive conducted by RAF Bomber Command, Werner Baake achieved his first success.
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Werner Baake remained airborne for nearly two hours before engaging and claiming a Handley-Page Halifax shot down northwest of Gorinchem at 02:43.
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At 01:10 on 25 June 1943, Werner Baake shot down another Wellington at Kerkdriel for his ninth victory.
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Branse Burbridge 8.
On 16 January 1944, Werner Baake was awarded the German Cross in Gold.
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On 22 January 1944, Werner Baake was appointed Staffelkapitan of 2.
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Werner Baake claimed a Lancaster shot down at 22:50 southwest of Aachen.
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Werner Baake claimed a Lancaster west of Haarlem at 23:37.
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Werner Baake achieved two interceptions resulting in the destruction of a Lancaster north of Tilburg at 00:26, and a Halifax west of Gorinchem at 02:18.
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Werner Baake shot down Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress M-Mother of No 78 Squadron RAF that had been by ground fire in the target area but was intercepted and finished off by Baake.
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On 12 and 23 May 1944, at 0:42 and 1:14 respectively, Werner Baake shot down a Lancaster; to take his total to 32.
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The former victory was over Lancaster JB733 of No 103 Squadron RAF, which crashed at Hallaar, northeast of Antwerp after Werner Baake fatally damaged it over Huckhofen.
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Werner Baake claimed a Halifax on 17 June 1944 and two Lancasters on 22 June, west of Aachen for his 33rd, 34th and 35th air victories.
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Werner Baake did not claim another bomber in the last four months of the war.
18.
Werner Baake was killed on 15 July 1964, when his Boeing 720 registration D-ABOP crashed near Ansbach during a training flight after he performed an unauthorised aerobatic manoeuvre.