Erich Bärenfänger

Infobox Military Person
name=Erich Bärenfänger
lived=birth date|1915|1|12|df=y — death date and age|1945|5|2|1915|1|12|df=y
placeofbirth=Menden
placeofdeath=Berlin


caption=Erich Bärenfänger
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Heer
serviceyears=1936-1945
rank=Generalmajor
commands=III./GrenRgt 123
unit=98.InfDiv
battles=World War II
*Battle of Berlin
awards="Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords"
laterwork=

Erich Bärenfänger (12 January 1915 – 2 May 1945) was an officer in the German Army ("Wehrmacht Heer") during World War II.

Background

Bärenfänger was born on in Menden, Province of Westphalia, Germany. He was the son of an upper post office secretary.

Bärenfänger joined the Storm Troopers or "brownshirts" ("Sturmabteilung" or SA) in 1933.

In October 1936, Bärenfänger joined an infantry regiment and, after attending a reserve officer candidate training course, Barenfanfanger was promoted to Sergeant. In April 1939, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant of the Reserve.

From September 1939 to June 1940, Bärenfänger was a platoon leader during the Polish and French campaigns. In early 1941, he participated in the Campaign in the Balkans.

In June 1941, Bärenfänger was involved in the attack on the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa. On the Eastern Front, he fought on the Taman Peninsula at the Mius and in the Kuban position on the Crimean Peninsula.

In the Caucasus, he distinguished himself for bravery before the enemy and received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Bärenfänger also received several foreign bravery medals from nations allied to Germany. He was appointed the inspector of the Hitler Youth military training.

Berlin, 1945

Towards the end of World War II, Bärenfänger took part in the Battle for Berlin.

According to Read and Fisher in "The Fall of Berlin", German dictator Adolf Hitler promoted thirty-year-old Lieutenant Colonel ("Oberstleutnant") Bärenfänger to Major-General ("Generalmajor") on 22 April 1945. Bärenfänger acted briefly as Hitler's deputy during the one day that Hitler had personal command of the Berlin's defenses.

On 22 April and 23 April, the command of the Berlin garrison changed hands rapidly. From early March, Lieutenant General ("Generalleutnant") Helmuth Reymann had been in command. On 22 April, Reymann was replaced by Colonel ("Oberst") Ernst Kaether. Kaether, in command for less than a day, never physically took command and was functionally replaced by Hitler with Bärenfänger acting as the dictator's deputy. On 23 April, Hitler appointed General Helmuth Weidling to command Berlin's defenses shortly after cancelling his own orders for Weidling's execution. In the general confusion caused by Hitler's rapid changes, Bärenfänger, as Hitler's deputy commander, fits in between the commands of Reymann, Kaether, and Weidling.

It is understandable that the Germans defending Berlin were confused by the rapid succession of commanders. The following is from the diary of an officer with the "Müncheberg" Panzer Division and describes the evening of 26 April.

"From the Air Ministry comes news that Major-General Erich Bärenfänger has been relieved of his post of commander of the Berlin garrison. One hour later we hear that General Weidling is our new commander. Major-General of the Reserve ("Generalmajor der Reserve") Werner Mummert takes charge of the Tank Corps . . . "

As can be seen, the "news" was received by the troops several days after the event.

On 26 April, due to the direct command of Hitler, Bärenfänger was given command of defence sectors A and B. Bärenfänger mounted at least two unsuccessful armored attacks northwards up the Schönhauser Allee. The second was on 1 May. [Beevor, Antony. "Berlin: The Downfall 1945", Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5, Page 384]

Members of SS-Major-General ("Brigadeführer") Wilhelm Mohnke's "escape group" saw quite a sight thanks to Bärenfänger. The group left the Fuhrerbunker on 1 May. As they made good their escape, there before them they saw a "host" of new "Tiger Tanks" and "artillery pieces" arrayed around the Flak tower as if "on Parade." The young Major-General Bärenfänger was allegedly seated in the turret cupola of one of the "Tigers" thus arrayed. [O'Donnell, James. (2001). "The Bunker." Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80958-3]

On 2 May, Bärenfänger, a devoted Nazi, committed suicide with his young wife in a side street of Berlin. [Beevor, Antony. "Berlin: The Downfall 1945", Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5, Page 384]

Awards

* Infantry Assault Badge in Silver
* Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* German Cross in Gold (26 December 1941)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross (27 August 1942)
** Oak Leaves (17 May 1943)
** Swords (23 January 1944)
* Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht

ee also

* List of Knight's Cross recipients

References

* Berger, Florian, "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.

* Beevor, Antony. "Berlin: The Downfall 1945", Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5
* O'Donnell, James. (2001). "The Bunker." Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80958-3

Footnotes