Otto Baum

Otto Baum
Born	(1911-11-15)15 November 1911 Stetten
Died	18 June 1998(1998-06-18) (aged 86) Hechingen-Stetten
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1934 – 1945
Rank	Oberführer
Commands held	16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS 2nd SS Division Das Reich
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Otto Baum, (15 November 1911 in Hechingen-Stetten – 18 June 1998 in Hechingen-Stetten) was an SS-Oberführer (Senior Colonel/Brigadier General) of the Waffen-SS. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Awards

• Wound Badge in Silver (21 August 1943)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (25 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (15 June 1940)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Tank Destruction Badge
• Infantry Assault Badge (3 October 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 26 December 1941 as SS-Sturmbannführer in the III./SS-Infanterie-Regiment 3
• Demyansk Shield (31 December 1943)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 8 May 1942 as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of the III./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3
  • 277th Oak Leaves on 22 August 1943 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf"
  • 95th Swords on 2 September 1944 as SS-Standartenführer and commander 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 29 July 1944

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
29 July 1944 (Addendum)	In den schweren Kämpfen im Raum St. Lo – Lassay haben sich in den letzten Wochen in Abwehr und Gegenangriff besonders ausgezeichnet: Die 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" unter Führung ihres schwer verwundeten Kommandeurs Brigadeführer Ostendorff und seines Vertreters Standartenführer Baum, die 353. Infanterie-Division unter Führung ihres Divisionskommandeurs Generalleutnant Mahlmann, das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 unter seinem Kommandeur Major Heinz Becker, das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 9 unter seinem Kommandeur Major Kurt Stephani und das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15 unter seinem Kommandeur Oberstleutnant Gröschke.	In the heavy fighting of the recent weeks in the St. Lo - Lassay area have particularly distinguished themselves in defense and counter-attacks: The 17th SS-Panzer- Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" led by their severely wounded commander Brigadeführer Ostendorff and his representative Standartenführer Baum, the 353rd Infantry Division, led by their divisional commander Lieutenant General Mahlmann, the Parachute Regiment 5 under his commander Major Heinz Becker, the Parachute Regiment 9 under his commander Major Kurt Stephani and the Parachute Regiment 15 under its commander Lieutenant Colonel Gröschke.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian: Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (With oak leaves and swords: the highest decorated soldiers of World War II). Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5. (German)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2001). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (The holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 1939–1945). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5. (German)
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS (in German). Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag GmbH. ISBN 3-920677-43-9.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit: Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (The German Cross 1930–1945: History and holders, vol. 2). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X. (German)
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz and Wegmann, Günter (1987). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 1: A–Be (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-1153-6.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.
• Yerger, Mark C (1997). Waffen-SS Commanders: The Army, Corps and Divisional Leaders of a Legend: Augsberger to Kreutz. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-0356-2. 
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

External links

• Otto Baum @ lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de (German)

Military offices
Preceded by SS-Standartenführer Otto Binge	Commander of 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen 18 June 1944 – 1 August 1944	Succeeded by SS-Standartenführer Otto Binge
Preceded by SS- Standartenführer Christian Tychsen	Commander of 2nd SS Division Das Reich 28 July 1944 – 23 October 1944	Succeeded by SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding
Preceded by SS-Gruppenführer Max Simon	Commander of 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS 24 October 1944 – 8 May 1945	Succeeded by None