Albert Bach
Encyclopedia
Albert Bach was an Austria
n soldier, at last in the rank of a Generalmajor, and skier. In 1936 he was also leader of the national Olympic military patrol team
, which finished fourth at the 1936 Winter Olympics
.
as son of a farmer. After visiting the Realgymnasium in Villach
, he joined the former Bundesheer on September 1, 1931. On October 26, 1931 he became member of the NSDAP (No. 612,639). He also was a member of the NS-Soldatenring. After September 30, 1932 he passed his officer training in Enns
and at the Theresian Military Academy
in Wiener Neustadt. For his deployment during the Austrian Civil War
he was awarded with the Bronze Medal for Service to the Republic of Austria. On September 1, 1935 he was advanded to the rank of a Leutnant, and was transformed to the Infanterieregiment Nr. 7 (infantry regiment) in Klagenfurt
.
, got the rank of an Oberleutnant
and was company commander in the Gebirgsjäger
regiment 139 in Villach. In the beginning of 1939 he was chosen for the general staff officer training at the Kriegsakademie
, but he could not take part because of the beginning of World War II
. During the Invasion of Poland
he served as an ordnance officer in the Gebirgsjägerregiment 139. In January 1940 he was transferred to the staff of the 3rd Mountain Division for the general staff officer pre-training. For his engagement during the Battles of Narvik
he was awarded with the Iron Cross
, both classes. From autumn of 1940 to 1041 in the rank of a Hauptmann
he visited the general staff officer training at the Kriegsakademie
in Berlin. During the Balkans Campaign he served as liaison officer
of the 12th Army, and took part in the preparation for the Battle of Crete
, which he later observed in order of Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List. During the campaign against the Soviet Union
in 1941 he was 2nd general staff officer of the 30th Infanteriedivision. He held this position until August 1942, and was involved in the Demyansk Pocket
, although he became 1st general staff officer of an army corps in spring of 1942 formally, he was made Major
i. G.
in November of the same year, and took part in the defence battles in Demyansk. In May 1943 he became 1st general staff officer of the 30th Infanterie-Division, was advanced to the rank of a Oberstleutnant
i. G. and also awarded with the Golden German Cross
, and was deployed in separate battles in north-western Russia. After September 1944 he served as 1st general staff officer of the 16th Army in the battles of Riga and in Courland
, before he was captured by the Soviets on May 9, 1945. Shortly before and after the declaration of German independence of the provisional Austrian government (April 27, 1945), he became Oberst
and Commander in Chief of the 16th Army.
. He joined today's Bundesheer on July 26, 1956, where he served primarily as leader of the organization department of the BMLV (Federal Ministry of Defence) in the rank of Oberstleutnant (VB), after March 14, 1957 Oberstleutnant (dhmD). On May 1, 1958 he became deputy leader of the Section II under General Erwin Fussenegger, and was advanced to the rank of Oberst
(dhmD) on January 1, 1959. On July 1, 1961 he became commander of the new Staff Academy (today Landesverteidigungsakademie) in Vienna. On July 15, 1963 he was made Commander in Chief of the Group II (Styria and Carinthia
), became Generalmajor on January 1, 1964 and General der Infanterie
on January 1, 1969.
Bach could not agree with the planned 1970 Federal Army Reform and asked for his retirement in 1972. He was awarded for his services with the Gold Decoration for Service to the Republic of Austria, and was retired on January 1, 1973. He died in Graz
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n soldier, at last in the rank of a Generalmajor, and skier. In 1936 he was also leader of the national Olympic military patrol team
Military patrol at the 1936 Winter Olympics
At the 1936 Winter Olympics, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1936, a military patrol competition was held. The International Olympic Committee refused admission of this sport into the Olympic Program, but the expressed desires of Adolf Hitler forced the IOC to make this program a...
, which finished fourth at the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
.
Biography
Bach was born in TreffenTreffen
Treffen is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in Carinthia in south central Austria....
as son of a farmer. After visiting the Realgymnasium in Villach
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
, he joined the former Bundesheer on September 1, 1931. On October 26, 1931 he became member of the NSDAP (No. 612,639). He also was a member of the NS-Soldatenring. After September 30, 1932 he passed his officer training in Enns
Enns
Enns may refer to:* Enns , Upper Austria, Austria* Enns , a surname* Enns , a southern tributary of the Danube River...
and at the Theresian Military Academy
Theresian Military Academy
The Theresian Military Academy is an academy, where the Austrian Armed Forces train their officers. The Academy is located in the castle of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.- History :...
in Wiener Neustadt. For his deployment during the Austrian Civil War
Austrian Civil War
The Austrian Civil War , also known as the February Uprising , is a term sometimes used for a few days of skirmishes between socialist and conservative-fascist forces between 12 February and 16 February 1934, in Austria...
he was awarded with the Bronze Medal for Service to the Republic of Austria. On September 1, 1935 he was advanded to the rank of a Leutnant, and was transformed to the Infanterieregiment Nr. 7 (infantry regiment) in Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
.
Service in the German Wehrmacht during World War II
On March 13, 1938 he was assumed by the German WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, got the rank of an Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
and was company commander in the Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
regiment 139 in Villach. In the beginning of 1939 he was chosen for the general staff officer training at the Kriegsakademie
Kriegsakademie
Kriegsakademie may refer to:* War Academy of the Royal Bavarian Army, located in Munich * Prussian Military Academy of the Royal Prussian Army, located in Berlin- See also :* military academy...
, but he could not take part because of the beginning of 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...
. During the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
he served as an ordnance officer in the Gebirgsjägerregiment 139. In January 1940 he was transferred to the staff of the 3rd Mountain Division for the general staff officer pre-training. For his engagement during the Battles of Narvik
Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April-8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War....
he was awarded with the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The 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....
, both classes. From autumn of 1940 to 1041 in the rank of a Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
he visited the general staff officer training at the Kriegsakademie
Kriegsakademie
Kriegsakademie may refer to:* War Academy of the Royal Bavarian Army, located in Munich * Prussian Military Academy of the Royal Prussian Army, located in Berlin- See also :* military academy...
in Berlin. During the Balkans Campaign he served as liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
of the 12th Army, and took part in the preparation for the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, which he later observed in order of Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List. During the campaign against the Soviet Union
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
in 1941 he was 2nd general staff officer of the 30th Infanteriedivision. He held this position until August 1942, and was involved in the Demyansk Pocket
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
, although he became 1st general staff officer of an army corps in spring of 1942 formally, he was made Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
i. G.
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
in November of the same year, and took part in the defence battles in Demyansk. In May 1943 he became 1st general staff officer of the 30th Infanterie-Division, was advanced to the rank of a Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
i. G. and also awarded with the Golden German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
, and was deployed in separate battles in north-western Russia. After September 1944 he served as 1st general staff officer of the 16th Army in the battles of Riga and in Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
, before he was captured by the Soviets on May 9, 1945. Shortly before and after the declaration of German independence of the provisional Austrian government (April 27, 1945), he became Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
and Commander in Chief of the 16th Army.
Service in the Bundesheer of the second Austrian Republic
In the end of July 1948 he was released and worked at his brother-in-law's firm in Sankt Johann im PongauSankt Johann im Pongau
St. Johann im Pongau or St.Johann/Pg. is a small town in the middle of the province of Salzburg in Austria. It is the capital of the district of Pongau.-History:On 24 June 2000 the town of St...
. He joined today's Bundesheer on July 26, 1956, where he served primarily as leader of the organization department of the BMLV (Federal Ministry of Defence) in the rank of Oberstleutnant (VB), after March 14, 1957 Oberstleutnant (dhmD). On May 1, 1958 he became deputy leader of the Section II under General Erwin Fussenegger, and was advanced to the rank of Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
(dhmD) on January 1, 1959. On July 1, 1961 he became commander of the new Staff Academy (today Landesverteidigungsakademie) in Vienna. On July 15, 1963 he was made Commander in Chief of the Group II (Styria and Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
), became Generalmajor on January 1, 1964 and General der Infanterie
General der Infanterie
General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer and refers to:* General of the Infantry * General of the Infantry...
on January 1, 1969.
Bach could not agree with the planned 1970 Federal Army Reform and asked for his retirement in 1972. He was awarded for his services with the Gold Decoration for Service to the Republic of Austria, and was retired on January 1, 1973. He died in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
.
Awards
- Bronze Medal for Services to the Republic of AustriaDecoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaThe Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria...
- Iron Cross, I and II class
- German Cross, Gold
- Honour Ring of Styria (No. 048)
- Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaDecoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaThe Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria...