TracesOfWar needs your help! Every euro, pound or dollar you contribute greatly supports the continuation of this website. Go to stiwot.nl and donate!

Barkhorn, Gerhard (JG 52)

Date of birth:
March 20th, 1919 (Königsberg/East Prussia, Germany)
Date of death:
January 11th, 1983 (Frechen/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Promotions:
01.11.1937: Fahnenjunker
01.08.1939: Oberfähnrich
27.08.1939: Leutnant
01.11.1941: Oberleutnant
01.04.1943: Hauptmann
01.04.1944: Major
19.06.1956: Major (Bundeswehr)
28.04.1958: Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
28.09.1960: Oberst (Bundeswehr)
10.09.1969: Brigadegeneral (temporarily)
14.05.1970: Brigadegeneral (Bundeswehr)
01.10.1973: Generalmajor (Bundeswehr)

Career:
01.04.1937: RAD, Arbeitsdienstabteilung 6/12
01.11.1937: Fahnenjunker, joined the Luftwaffe
00.03.1938: Luftkriegsschule 2, Gatow
01.08.1939: promoted to Oberfähnrich
27.08.1939: promoted to Leutnant
01.09.1939: Jagdfliegerschule Schleißheim
01.12.1939: Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Merseburg
10.01.1940: 3. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"
01.04.1940-30.06.1940: Kompanie-Führer, Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment 10
00.06.1940: contracted scarlett fever, sent to Lazarett
01.07.1940: 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52
18.08.1940: 6. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52
29.10.1940: his Bf 109 E-7 Werknummer 5922 took numerous hits, forcing him to make an emergency landing in the English Channel
02.07.1941: Lt, 1st aerial victory, 1 Ilyushin DB-3 bomber
28.07.1941: Lt, 2nd victory, a Polikarpov I-16 fighter
29.07.1941: Lt, 3rd victory, a DB-3 bomber
01.03.1942: Oberleutnant, Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, JG 52
24.07.1942: severely WIA when his Bf 109 F-4/R1 Werknummer 13.388 took a hit from anti-aircraft artillery, resulting in a forced landing near Morosow and hospitalized in Berlin
25.09.1942: Olt, Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, JG 52
19.12.1942: Olt, 101st victory
27.02.1943: Olt, 120th victory
28.02.1943-23.04.1943: on leave
01.09.1943: Gruppenkommandeur, II. Gruppe, JG 52
30.11.1943: 200th air victory
23.01.1944: first German pilot to achieve 1000 combat missions
13.02.1944: 250th air victory
31.05.1944: 273rd air victory, WIA when shot down by Soviet fighters - hospitalized
01.10.1944: Gruppenkommandeur, II. Gruppe, JG 52, severely WIA when shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 Werknummer 163.195 by a P-39 fighter and hospitalized
14.11.1944: 275th air victory
05.01.1945: 301st and last air victory
23.01.194524.03.1945: Geschwaderkommodore, Jagdgeschwader 6
31.03.1945: joined Jagdverband 44
21.04.1945: flew his 1104th and last mission, force-landed and slightly WIA
04.05.1945: US POW in a prisoner of war camp near Bad Aibling
09.05.1945: flown to England for interrogation near London
00.06.1945: French POW in Foucarville, Manche, France
03.09.1945: released
02.01.1956: joined the newly created German Air Force
00.07.1956: Major, squadron leader, 1. Staffel, Waffenschule der Luftwaffe 30 (Jagdbombergeschwader 33)
01.07.1957: Major, commander of the weapons school, Büchel Air Base
01.09.1957-16.12.1962: Major, Kommodore, Jagdbombergeschwader 31 "Boelcke"
00.05.1961-00.06.1961: Oberst, 4. Staffel of the Waffenschule der Luftwaffe 10
01.01.1963: Oberst, transferred to the Führungsstab der Luftwaffe
00.00.1964: staff of Luftwaffen-Erprobungskommando
00.10.1964-00.11.1965: headed the six-man Bundesluftwaffe contingent, Tripartite Kestrel Evaluation Squadron, RAF West Raynham, Norfolk, England
13.10.1964: crash-landed a Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1, XS689, No. 9, at RAF West Raynham, that he commented being his 302nd air victory
00.04.1968: transferred to the Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) and the AIRBALTAP, Allied Forces Baltic Approaches, Karup, Denmark
00.00.1974-30.09.1975: Generalmajor, Chief of Staff, Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF), NATO Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Ramstein Air Base

Achieved 301 victories during the Second World War in 1104 sorties.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Rank:
Oberfähnrich
Awarded on:
May 3rd, 1939
Flugzeugführerabzeichen
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
October 23rd, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
December 3rd, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
April 20th, 1941
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Silber
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
August 27th, 1941
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
July 24th, 1942
WIA 24.07.1942
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
July 20th, 1942
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
August 31st, 1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
August 21st, 1942
awarded for having destroyed 30 soviet aircrafts

Award 8/99.
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
August 23rd, 1942
Awarded after 59 aerial victories.

529th award.

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 6th, 1942
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold mit Anhänger
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
Unit:
Stafflekapitän, 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
January 11th, 1943
Awarded after 120 aerial victories.

175th Award
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
March 15th, 1943
Krimschild (Stiftungs ausführing)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
August 17th, 1943
Za Zasluhy II.Class
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
Unit:
Gruppenkommandeur, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
December 2nd, 1943
Original text:
"Hauptmann Barkhorn, Gruppenkommandeur in einem Jagdgeschwader, erzielte seinen 200. Luftsieg."
Tanslation:
"Hauptmann Barkhorn, Group commander in a fighter wing, achieved his 200th aerial victory."
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
Unit:
Gruppenkommandeur, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
February 14th, 1944
Wehrmachtbericht
Original text:
"Der Gruppenkommandeur eines Jagdgeschwaders Eichenlaubträger Hauptmann Barkhorn errang am 13. Februar 1944 an der Ostfront seinen 250. Luftsieg."
Translation:
"Group commander of a fighter wing, Oak Leaves wearer Hauptmann Barkhorn achieved his 250th aerial victory on the Eastern front."
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
Unit:
Kommandeur, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
March 2nd, 1944
Awarded after 250 aerial victories. Presentation of the award by Adolf Hitler made at the Führerhauptquartier the 24.03.1944.

52nd Award
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Major (Squadron Leader)
Unit:
Geschwaderkommodore, Jagdgeschwader 6
Awarded on:
February 11th, 1945
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold mit Anhänger und Einzatszahl

With pennant '1.100'
Rank:
Major
Awarded on:
June 18th, 1956
Pilot Wing (Fleet Air Arm)

Sources

Photo