Barkhorn, Gerhard
- Date of birth:
- March 20th, 1919 (Königsberg/East Prussia, Germany)
- Date of death:
- January 11th, 1983 (Frechen/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
- Nationality:
- German
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.
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Flugzeugführerabzeichen
- Rank:
- Oberfähnrich
- Awarded on:
- May 3rd, 1939
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
- Unit:
- 6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- October 23rd, 1940
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
- Unit:
- 6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- December 3rd, 1940
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
- Unit:
- 6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- April 20th, 1941
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
- Unit:
- 6. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- August 27th, 1941
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
- Unit:
- Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- July 24th, 1942
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
- Unit:
- Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- July 20th, 1942
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- August 31st, 1942
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
- Unit:
- 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- August 21st, 1942
Award 8/99.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
- Unit:
- Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- August 23rd, 1942
529th award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- October 6th, 1942
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
- Unit:
- Stafflekapitän, 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- January 11th, 1943
175th Award
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- March 15th, 1943
Za Zasluhy II.Class
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- August 17th, 1943
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Gruppenkommandeur, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- December 2nd, 1943
"Hauptmann Barkhorn, Gruppenkommandeur in einem Jagdgeschwader, erzielte seinen 200. Luftsieg."
Tanslation:
"Hauptmann Barkhorn, Group commander in a fighter wing, achieved his 200th aerial victory."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Gruppenkommandeur, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52
- Awarded on:
- February 14th, 1944
"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."
Red za Zasluge 2nd Class Cross
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 52, Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- March 2nd, 1944
52nd Award
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Major (Squadron Leader)
- Unit:
- Geschwaderkommodore, Jagdgeschwader 6
- Awarded on:
- February 11th, 1945
With pennant '1.100'
Pilot Wing (Fleet Air Arm)
- Rank:
- Major
- Awarded on:
- June 18th, 1956
Magyar Bronz Érdemérem
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Sources
- Photo 1: Wehrkundearchiv/Norbert Beyerlein
- Photo: Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv
- Pop-up gravetext: Norbert Beyerlein - - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- OBERMAIER, E., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe, Hoffmann, 1989.
- PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
- PATZWALL, K. D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- Berger, F., Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern – Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges, Selbstverlag Florian Berger, Wien, Österreich, 2002/03
- Obermayer E., Die Ritterkreuztrager Der Luftwaffe 1939-1945, Band 1, Verlag Dieter Hoffman
- Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945
- Kommodore
Photo
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