BANER (BANNER, BANTER), JOHAN (1596-1641)  , Swedish soldier in the Thirty Years' War, was born at Djursholm Castle on the 23rd of June 1596 . Entering the Swedish army, he served with distinction in the wars with Russia and Poland, and had reached high rank when, in 163o, Gustavus Adolphus landed in Germany . As one of the king's chief subordinates, Bailer served in the campaign of north Germany, and at the first battle of Breitenfeld he led the right wing of Swedish horse . He was present at the taking of Augsburg and of Munich, and rendered conspicuous service at the Lech and at Donauworth . At the unsuccessful assault on Wallenstein's camp at the Alte Veste Bailer received a wound, and, soon afterwards, when Gustavus marched towards Lutzen, his general was left in command in the west, where he was opposed to the imperial general Aldringer . Two years later, as Swedish field-marshal, Bailer, with 16,000 men, entered Bohemia, and, combined with the Saxon army, marched on Prague . But the complete defeat of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar in the first battle of Nordlingen stopped his victorious advance . After this event the peace of Prague placed the Swedish army in a very precarious position, but the victories won by the united forces of Bailer, Wrangel and Torstensson, at Kyritz and Wittstock (4th Oct . 1636), restored the paramount influence of Sweden in central Germany . Even the three combined armies, however, were decidedly inferior in force to those they defeated, and in 1637 Balser was completely unable to make headway against the enemy . Rescuing with great difficulty the beleaguered garrison of Torgau, he retreated beyond the Oder into Pomerania . In 1639, however, he again overran northern Germany, defeated the Saxons at Chemnitzand invaded Bohemia itself .

The

winter of 164o-1641 Bailer spent in the west . His last achievement was an audacious coup-de-main on the Danube . Breaking camp in mid-winter (a very rare event in the 17th century) he united with the French under the comte de Guebriant and surprised Regensburg, where the diet was sitting . Only the break-up of the ice pre-vented the capture of the place . Baner thereupon had to retreat to Halberstadt . Here, on the loth of May 1641, he died, after designating Torstensson as his successor . He was much beloved by his men, who bore his body with them on the field of Wolfenbuttel . Bailer was regarded as the best of Gustavus's generals, and tempting offers (which he refused) were made him by the emperor to induce him to enter his service . His son received the dignity of count . See Baners Bref till Axel Oxenstjerna (Stockholm, 1893) ; B . P. von Chemnitz, Koniglichen Schwedscher in Deutschland gefuhrten Kriegs; Martin Veibull, Sveriges Storhedsted (Stockholm, 1881); Lundblad, Johan Batter (Stockholm, 1823) ; Ardwisson, Trittioariga Krigets rnaerkvaerdigaste personer (Stockholm, 1861) .