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HEINZ BAKE

JG 3 "Udet"

30 March 1922 – 3 July 2001

 Horst Krueckemeier of Rinteln wrote recently to announce the death of Heinz Bake aged 80 years old . Horst has sent an obituary from the local Aero club Newsletter where Heinz had been a founder member  & Treasurer for the best part of thirty years which is reproduced below . Like his former Staffelkapitaen Willi Unger, Heinz Bake was a keen glider pilot post war. 

Heinz Bake flew with IV./JG 3 from September through to December 1944.  As the Luftwaffe fighter arm's premier air defence unit  the  pilots of the Sturmgruppe IV./JG3 faced impossible odds  on an almost daily basis during this period. The unit was slowly overwhelmed  by the might of the Allied air fleets. The losses of November heralded the end of the Sturmgruppe as a bomber destroyer wing and from early December on , now based at Gütersloh, IV./JG 3 would essentially fly missions in support of German ground forces defending German territory on the western Front.  As an Unteroffizier Heinz Bake flew Jabojagd missions with the Sturmgruppe's 14 Staffel supporting the German counter offensive through the Ardennes. December 23 saw a particularly fierce battle against B-26 units attacking transport and communications installations with the 387th Bombardment Group being cited for extraordinary heroism in the face of a furious Sturm type assault by IV./JG 3. Once again IV./JG 3  flying in the Sturm wedge and attacking from the rear claimed some 30 'kills'.

Bake shot down a B-17 on 24 December as the USAAF launched a further major effort to neutralise German air bases following the serious interference of the Luftwaffe on the 23rd December. The 8th Air force put over 2,000 bombers into the air that morning, the largest single operation in its history.

".... IV Gruppe JG 3 was one of the first German formations to close the tightly packed bombers . Behind every control column sat a pilot known to be well versed in air defence ..once again the men of 13,14 and 15 Staffeln were determined to give the enemy a really warm welcome."  Girbig, Six Months To Oblivion   

 ( Lt General Castle, one of the 8th Air Force's ablest commanders was in one of the 487th BG B-17s set upon by  a gaggle of IV./JG 3 Sturmböcke )   

Uffz Heinz Bake flew the 01 January 1945 Bodenplatte raid against Eindhoven airfield as the Gruppen of JG 3 put some 60 machines in the air. Bake's last mission with the Sturmgruppe took place on 14 January 1945.  Erwin Bacsila had recently taken over as the Sturmgruppe's new Kommandeur. It was to be the last mission  of IV (Sturm) ./JG 3 in the the West and a catastrophic day for the Jagdwaffe as the British and US Air Forces overwhelmed the defenders with huge numbers. IV./JG 3 led in the air by Oskar Bösch put up just twelve Fw 190 Sturmböcke ! The Gruppe was annihilated as all 12 fighters were shot down. US fighters claimed 155 'kills' as elements of Jagddivision 1, JG300 and JG 301 in particular, were decimated. Bake flying Fw 190 A8 'black 3' fell to a P-51 over Holland but parachuted out and was hospitalised in Bocholt.    

 Heinz Bake with his 1 Wart. The Fw 190 is likely to be Bake's schwarze 3, possibly a Fw 190A-8/R8 variant . The MG 131's are removed and fairings installed.

Dear Neil,

sorrowful I must send to you the message that Heinz Bake has died at the 3rd of June 2001, I found your letter in his papers. I think that he was not able to answer you before he died

First some words about my person. I am Horst Krueckemeier. I have known Heinz since 15 years, because my mother in law was his life companion after Heinz wife died in 1985.

I am very proud, that you are interested in the history of my fathers and grandfathers. But I think also about your heroes of the "Battle of Britain" who stopped the German aggression and guaranteed the freedom of Europe.

By the way, after the celebration of burial, I sit together with Willy Unger. He was the latest "Staffelkapitaen" of Heinz Bake. He impressed me very much.

Kind regards

Horst Krueckemeier