Niels Bätge
Encyclopedia
Niels Bätge was a German
Schnellboot commander in World War II
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Bätge was promoted to Kapitänleutnant on 1 September 1943. Shortly after his promotion he took command of the destroyer Z-35
on 25 September 1943. The destroyers Z-35 and Z-36
both ran into a German naval mine
in the Gulf of Finland
on 12 December 1944. Bätge as well as 24 members of the crew managed the save themselves in a life boat
. However they all froze death and were later washed ashore near the Åland Islands
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Schnellboot commander in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Bätge was promoted to Kapitänleutnant on 1 September 1943. Shortly after his promotion he took command of the destroyer Z-35
German destroyer Z35
Z35 was a Type 1936B destroyer of the German Kriegsmarine. She was laid down on 6 June 1941 at Deschimag in Bremen, launched on 2 October 1942 and commissioned on 22 September 1943. Her service was with the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in the Baltic Sea under the command of Kapitänleutnant Niels Bätge...
on 25 September 1943. The destroyers Z-35 and Z-36
German destroyer Z36
Z36 was a Type 1936B destroyer of the German Kriegsmarine. She was laid down on 15 September 1941 at Deschimag in Bremen, launched on 15 May 1943 and commissioned on 19 February 1944. Her service was with the 6th Destroyer Florilla in the Baltic Sea under the command of Kapitan Kommendant Fredric...
both ran into a German naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
on 12 December 1944. Bätge as well as 24 members of the crew managed the save themselves in a life boat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
. However they all froze death and were later washed ashore near the Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
.
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (15 September 1940)
- 1st Class (11 June 1941)
- Destroyer War BadgeDestroyer War BadgeDestroyer War Badge is a German military decoration instituted on June 4, 1940 by admiral Erich Raeder and awarded to officers and crew for the service on Kriegsmarine destroyers...
(12 January 1941) - Fast Attack Craft War BadgeFast Attack Craft War BadgeThe E-Boat War Badge is a German military decoration awarded to Kriegsmarine members for service on fast attack craft or torpedo boats worn on the lower part of the left breast pocket of the naval service tunic, underneath the 1st class Iron Cross if awarded, or equivalent grade award...
(30 March 1941) - Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
(1939) (7 October 1940) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
(4 January 1942) as chief of the 4. Schnellbootflottille - Mentioned in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 25 November 1941