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Sophus Baagoe (4 March 1915 – 14 May 1941) was a German fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and fought during World War II. Baagoe was credited with fourteen aerial victories, making him a fighter ace. A fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.
Born in Flensburg, Baagoe joined the Luftwaffe and was trained as a fighter pilot. He was assigned to Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" (ZG 26—26th Destroyer Wing) and flew his first missions during the "Phoney War" period on the Channel Front. He claimed his first aerial victory during the Battle of France on 12 May 1940. He then participated in the Battle of Britain before transferring to the Mediterranean Front. On 20 April 1941, Baagoe became one of the pilots credited with shooting down the top Royal Air Force ace Marmaduke Pattle. On 14 May, Baagoe was shot down and killed in action at Heraklion, Crete. Posthumously, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Bagagoe participated in the Battle of France, where he claimed his first aerial victory on 12 May 1940. His opponent may have been Adjudant Piere Déchanet from Groupe de Chasse III/1 of the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) flying a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighter. In total, Baagoe was credited with four aerial victories during the Battle of France, including two Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane fighters.
On 29 July, Erprobungsgruppe 210, an experimental unit evaluating the Bf 110 in a ground attack role, attacked Convoy "Cat" off Harwich. The Bf 110 assault aircraft were intercepted by Hurricane fighters from No. 151 Squadron. The Hurricane fighters however were fended off by 8. Staffel of ZG 26 and Baagoe was credited with one of the Hurricane fighters shot down. On 18 August, a day that was later referred to as The Hardest Day, the Luftwaffe made an all-out effort to destroy RAF Fighter Command. Supporting this offensive operation, III. Gruppe flew combat air patrol missions. This resulted in fifteen aerial victories claimed for the loss of one of their own, including two Supermarine Spitfire fighters claimed by Baagoe. His 12th aerial victory was claimed on 3 September, probably over fighters from No. 229 or No. 238 Squadron.
Baagoe and his aerial gunner, Oberfeldwebel Daniel Becker, were killed in action on 14 May 1941 during the prelude of the Battle of Crete, shot down in their Bf 110 D-3 ( Werknummer 4290—factory number). There is some dispute over how Baagoe died; he was either killed by anti-aircraft fire from the ground or by RAF pilots. He may have been shot down by the New Zealand Gloster Gladiator pilot Derrick Fitzgerald Westenra of No. 112 Squadron. Baagoe was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 14 June 1941. He was the only Knight's Cross recipient of Balkans campaign.
| 1 | 12 May 1940 | 08:40 | M.S.406 | Wachtebeke | 3 | 27 May 1940 | 16:10 | Hawker Hurricane | Dunkirk |
| 2 | 27 May 1940 | 16:03 | Hurricane | Dunkirk | 4 | 3 June 1940 | 14:47 | Hawk 75 | Château-Thierry |
| 5 | 10 July 1940 | 15:04 | Spitfire | southwest of Dover | 10 | 31 August 1940 | 09:37 | Spitfire | southeast of Duxford |
| 6 | 10 July 1940 | 15:10 | Spitfire | southwest of Dover | 11 | 3 September 1940 | 11:20 | Spitfire | north of Southend-on-Sea |
| 7 | 29 July 1940 | 18:24 | Hurricane | south of Harwich | 12 | 3 September 1940 | 11:28 | Spitfire | north of Southend-on-Sea |
| 8 | 18 August 1940 | 14:24 | Spitfire | Kenley | 13 | 26 September 1940 | 17:37 | Spitfire | Southampton |
| 9 | 18 August 1940 | 14:30 | Spitfire | Kenley | |||||
| 14 | 20 April 1941 | Hurricane | vicinity of Athens |
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