Major Erich Bärenfänger (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50.Infanterie-Division) in a picture taken on 13 February 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Schwerter award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Bärenfänger formally received the Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 23 January 1944 for outstanding defensive leadership during the heavy fighting on the Kerch Peninsula in late 1943 and early 1944. Between 13 and 17 November and again from 4 to 6 December 1943 his battalion repeatedly repulsed successive Soviet assaults while he remained at the front despite sustaining his sixth and seventh wounds. When a fresh Soviet offensive opened on 10 January 1944, Bärenfänger personally led a counter-attack that recaptured the vital height 125.6 north of Kerch, specifically northeast of Bulganak. At the same time his men held the equally contested neighbouring height 133.3 with bitter determination through several days of close combat until the enemy was finally driven back. These actions, conducted under continuous pressure against superior forces, prevented a local breakthrough and stabilised the divisional sector at a critical moment. For this combination of personal bravery, tactical initiative and successful defence of key positions Bärenfänger was awarded the Schwerter as the 45th recipient overall and only the 16th officer of the Heer to receive the decoration, simultaneously being promoted to Oberstleutnant. The award recognised not a single isolated deed but the sustained excellence of his battalion command throughout the prolonged and costly fighting for the eastern Crimea.
Major Erich Bärenfänger (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50.Infanterie-Division) in a paradeanzug or waffenrock. Introduced on 29 June 1935 as the standard dress and ceremonial tunic for the German Heer, the Waffenrock revived traditional Prussian tailoring within the modern Wehrmacht military hierarchy. Crafted from fine feldgrau wool or superior tricot gabardine, the garment was cut thigh-length and form-fitting, purposely designed without external pockets to present a perfectly seamless, clean silhouette during formal gatherings and parades. It fastened down the center with an eight-button front closure and featured a stand-and-fall collar made of dark blue-green cloth, noticeably higher than standard field issue. Elaborate silver-white embroidered Litzen mounted on backing cloth in the wearer's Waffenfarbe adorned the collar, while decorative Ärmelpatten were stitched onto the dark green Swedish cuffs beneath dual cuff buttons. Branch-specific Waffenfarbe piping outlined the collar edge, front flap, cuffs, and scalloped rear skirt vent. Rank was denoted through Schulterklappen for enlisted soldiers and Unteroffiziere, while an officer wore woven aluminum Schulterstücke alongside an embroidered silver Brustadler. For grosser Gesellschaftanzug, soldiers paired the tunic with stone-gray trousers piped in branch colors, a Schirmmütze, aiguillette, white gloves, full medals, and a ceremonial dress sword or Seitengewehr, substituting the Stahlhelm and high marching boots for outdoor parades. Wartime economic restrictions caused official manufacturing to halt around 1940, yet existing pieces remained widely worn throughout the war. The picture was taken between June 1943 and January 1944.
Hauptmann Erich Bärenfänger (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 123 / 50.Infanterie-Division) in a picture taken in May/June 1943 by Walter Frentz, during Eichenlaub award ceremony with Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Bärenfänger formally received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 May 1943 for his outstanding leadership and personal bravery during the heavy fighting along the Terek river in the Caucasus and the subsequent withdrawal to the Kuban bridgehead. In the winter of 1942–1943 the division, operating under the 11. Armee, had advanced deep into the Caucasus but found itself increasingly isolated as Soviet forces launched powerful counter-offensives. Bärenfänger’s battalion repeatedly held critical positions under intense pressure, launching timely counter-attacks that disrupted enemy penetrations and prevented the collapse of local defensive lines. His tactical skill in coordinating infantry assaults, often at the head of his men in close combat, enabled the orderly extraction of German and allied units from the Terek sector toward the more defensible Kuban positions. On one notable occasion, when a neighbouring Romanian formation was overrun and the division’s flank threatened, he immediately organised a decisive counter-thrust that restored the situation and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers. These actions, carried out under constant artillery fire and against numerically superior forces, preserved the cohesion of the battalion and contributed significantly to the successful establishment of the Kuban bridgehead. For this combination of personal courage and effective command he was decorated with the 243rd award of the Eichenlaub and simultaneously promoted to Major. The recognition underlined his reputation as one of the most capable junior infantry leaders on the Eastern Front at that stage of the war.
Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/search.php?keywords=B%C3%A4renf%C3%A4nger&t=46430&sf=msgonly
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1637/B%C3%A4renf%C3%A4nger-Erich.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/
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