Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke.jpg
Oskar-Heinz Bär
Nickname(s) "Pritzl"
Born 25 May 1913
Sommerfeld, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Died 28 April 1957 (aged 43)
Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Balkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service 1934–45
Rank Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant)
Unit JG 51, JG 77, JGr Süd, JG 1, JG 3, EJG 2 and JV 44
Commands held 12./JG 51, I./JG 77, JGr Süd, II./JG 1, JG 3, III./EJG 2 and JV 44
Battles/wars
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Other work test pilot

 Oberstleutnant Heinrich "Pritzl" Bär is considered by many to be the Luftwaffe's Greatest Ace of WWII.

Bär was a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe at the start of the War and flew over 1,000 missions between September 1, 1939 and May 8, 1945.


He flew on all fronts and against every type of allied aircraft and by war's end had amassed at least 220 victories.
He was second only to Hans-Joachim Marseille in shooting down Brits and Yanks with 124 victories in the West.
 Bär also shot down 21 four engine bombers and in 1945 scored 16 victories while flying the Me 262 Jet Fighter, making him the top scoring Day pilot in that type.
This kind of achievement would normally have earned him the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, or in German, Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten...
Hermann Göring's personal dislike of Bär, coupled with Bär's insubordinate character and lack of military discipline, deprived him of this award. 
Three times Heinz Bär was recommended for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
All three commendations were denied by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring.
Bär shot down a further 130 enemy aircraft after he had received the Swords. During the course of the war he was shot down 18 times with 14 forced landings and four parachute jumps.

Heinz was born on May 25, 1913 in Sommerfeld near Leipzig. His father was a farmer and Heinz grew up with a love of the outdoors. In the 1920's he became interested in flight and learned to fly gliders graduating to powered aircraft which he first flew in 1930.

He joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 in order to build hours and then become an airline pilot. At the start of WWII Bär was a Unteroffizer flying Me 109's with 1./JG 51.

Stationed on the border with France, Bär achieved his first victory—a Curtiss P-36 Hawk—on 25 September 1939 during the Phoney War air skirmishes with the Armée de l'Air (French air force), earning him the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 27 September 1939.

Victories Achieved:

  • * 4 Battle of France
  • * 13 Battle of Britain
  • * 96 Eastern Front
  • * 65 North Africa / Mediterranean Front
  • * 42 Western Front / Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich)


    • 16 of these while flying the Me 262 jet fighter.

    Also among these 42 Western Front aerial victories are 21 US heavy bombers and one Mosquito.

During the period between his 3rd and 4th claim ,between 23.5.40-20.8.40, he had several emergency landings in badly damaged aircraft and was shot down over the English Channel on 2 September 1940 by a Spitfire.

On September 2 1940, after claiming a Spitfire shotdown, he was nursing his damaged Me 109 back to France when a Spitfire finished him off. He bailed out into the English Channel and after swimming for two hours reached a buoy which he clung to until picked up by a German patrol boat later that evening.

On the morning of the 22 June 1941, Bär and his wingman Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Höfemeier were escorting a damaged Heinkel He 111 over German lines when they made contact with 18 Tupolev SB bombers from the 39 SBAP and 10 SAD. The German pilots attacked; Höfemeier claimed four, Bär two—though the former was wounded in the arm.

In early 1941, he was credited with an additional four aerial victories against the Royal Air Force (RAF), bringing his total to 17

In June 1941, JG 51 was transferred Eastern Front to take part in Operation Barbarossa with 1 Staffel. Its task was to support Panzer Group 2, which formed the right flank of Army Group Centre, advancing north east(bf109-f4) towards Moscow

 Within two weeks of combat against the Soviet Air Force, Bär's tally rose to 27, which earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 2 July 1941.

He finally gets his promotion to Oberleutnant on 1 August 1941.

On 14 August, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) for 60 victories.

On 30 August 1941, he became an "Ace-in-a-Day" by shooting down SIX Soviet aircraft, for his 44th-49th victories.

On this day JG 51 was credited with 113 aerial victories in total, among them their 1,000th aerial victory—the first unit to reach this figure—and Oberst Werner Mölders, with 82 aerial victories, surpassed Manfred von Richthofen in number of victories.

 The next day, 31 August 1941, he was shot down behind enemy lines by an Ilyushin Il-2 after claiming 2 shot down Pe-2s, some 50 kilometers (31 mi) behind Soviet lines, near Novgorod-Seversky, and was forced to bail out in high winds.

He was punished on landing and then was dragged on the ground for a football field or two before he managed to collapse his parachute. Though he had fractured his spine, he evaded capture for two days before making back to German lines. His injuries were so severe that he required an extended stay in hospital.

 Bär evaded Soviet patrols which rushed to the crash site. Bär remained in hiding through to the following night. He turned his leather jacket inside-out and discarded his flying boots to present himself as a Russian peasant.

Vanity prevented him from throwing away the Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves and he hid the items. Bär eventually made it to German lines but aggravated his injuries and spent two months in hospital.

After recovering, he returned to JG 51.

Bär was promoted to Hauptmann in late 1941 and appointed Squadron Leader of 12./JG 51 in early 1942

By the end of 1941, after Mölders (115), Lützow (100), Galland (96) and Gollob (85), Bär's 80 victory credits placed him among the leading pilots of the War.

From January 1942 he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of IV Gruppe JG51.

By February 1942, he had 90 victories and had been awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross.

On 11 May, Bär was transferred from IV./JG 51 on the Moscow front to take command of I. Gruppe of Gordon Gollob's Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) . Bär replaced Herbert Ihlefeld who had been transferred. JG 77 was tasked with supporting the hard fighting in the Crimean Campaign over the Kerch Strait on the Crimean Peninsula.

Led by the flying aces Gollob and Bär, JG 77 took over the air space above Kerch-Taman.

He was the 9th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.

In June 1942, JG 77 was moved to the Mediterranean theater and took part in the air battles over Malta before relocating to Tunisia and participating in the North African Campaign.

I./JG 77 soon transferred to North Africa and took part in the Tunisian Campaign. With the war heating up in the Mediterranean, Bär was transferred to Sicily and given command of JG 77 where he racked up 45 more victories before being assigned back to Germany to help battle the American heavy bomber threat.

On 1 January 1943 Bär submitted one of two claims against 12 Curtiss P-40 Warhawks of 3 Squadron RAAF. Flying Officer Ritchie and Sergeant Roediger were lost but Bär did not receive credit. Bär also claimed two B-25 Mitchell bombers and three P-40s on 14 January 1943 which do not appear to have been credited as well.

The Kittyhawks: 3 and 450 sqns RAAF plus 250 & 260 sqns. 3 sqn lost FL323 of S/L Bobby Gibbes (crashlanded), FL330 of P/O Les Weatherburn (baled out and POW), 41-14049/FL363 of Sgt. Norm Caldwell (crashlanded), FL346 of F/O William George Diehm and FL346 of F/O Allan Edward Henry Tonkin (KIA). Other losses were F/S Nickolson, Sgt. Frost, Sgt. Cameron, Sgt. Harrison, Sgt. Webster, and Sgt. Kirkman. Total of 11 Kittyhawks shot down. Also lost by 3 sqn was 41-14021/FL345. 41-13990/FL323 also lost this date The Mitchells: Is this a misidentification of B-26B-2 41-17890 "Swamp Angel" of 17th BG, shot down 12 miles W of Gabes this date? Or more likely 30 sqn SAAF Boston? Two claims for P-40s destroyed on the 18 January 1943 were also not granted. On January 21 1943, he shoots down 2x P-38's in a heated dogfight.

After Bär achieved his 149th aerial victory, General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim submitted him for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).

Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring ignored this request, denying Bär the "Diamonds". The reason for this remains uncertain, but it is believed that Göring disliked Bär for his insubordinate character and strong Saxon dialect, which Göring was known to detest.

After an uncredited claim on 24 February over a P-40, Bär accounted for five more victories two days later, on 26 February 1943. German fighter units claimed 13 against an actual 14 losses (possible 15) and several more damaged. Seven of the British pilots were unhurt.

later in the evening of March 1, he met Galland, who was making a surprise visit to I./JG 77. Galland was greeted by Major Joachim Müncheberg, who introduced Bär to Galland. Thus began a comradeship which outlasted World War II.

After several arguments with JG 77's new Commander Colonel Johannes Steinhoff and Hermann Göring, in mid-1943, Bär was transferred to France "for cowardice before the enemy" and demoted to Squadron Leader. He took over command of an operational training unit, Jagdgruppe Süd.

His combat skills were hard to overlook and hence Bär was transferred to II./Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) on 21 January 1944 as an ordinary pilot. He was assigned to 6./JG

Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) Geschwaderkommodore Colonel Walter Oesau welcomed him with a reminder that he had promised Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) Göring that Bär would not be given any command responsibilities. Although Bär accepted this with humor, he later commented to others that in the air he was the "Kommodore of his own crate".

On 15 March 1944, Bär, now a Major and rehabilitated from the demotion, was given command of II./Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1). This was after the death of Hauptmann Hermann Segatz on 8 March 1944.

JG 1 was tasked with Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) and equipped with the Focke Wulf 190 A-7 fighter.

After Oesau's death on 11 May 1944, Bär was made temporary acting Wing Commander of JG 1.

In June 1944, he was appointed Wing Commander of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) following the death of Friedrich-Karl Müller.

By the time the Allies invaded Normandy in June of 1944, Bär was in command of JG 3 "Udet". He led that unit for the rest of the year.

On December 24, 1944, Baer led JG 3 in an attack on American B-17 Flying Fortresses. Four of the heavy bombers were shot down. Among the American fliers killed in the battle was General Fredrick Castle, who remained at the controls so that his crew could bail.

On 23 April, Bär transferred to the elite Jet Experten unit Jagdverband 44 (JV 44), led by Adolf Galland. The following day Bär briefed JV 44 pilots in Galland's absence. The air defences had detected an incoming American formation and Bär instructed the jet pilots on the appropriate tactical approach to take when the interception was made.

Klaus Neumann, Walter Krupinski and Günther Lützow flew on the mission. Lutzöw was posted missing in action and remains missing to date.

On April 26th he was given command of the famed "Squadron of Experts" JV 44 after Galland was wounded.

On 23 April, Bär transferred to the elite Jet Experten unit Jagdverband 44 (JV 44), led by Adolf Galland. The following day Bär briefed JV 44 pilots in Galland's absence. The air defences had detected an incoming American formation and Bär instructed the jet pilots on the appropriate tactical approach to take when the interception was made.

All told, he had achieved 16 victories in the Me 262, making him the Most Successful Jet Expert of the War, which he finished as a Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant).

During the final days of the Second World War in Europe, Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) Adolf Galland attempted to surrender JV 44 to American forces from his hospital bed. At the same time Air General (General der Flieger) Karl Koller had ordered JV 44 to relocate to Prague and continue fighting.

Bär, as a Galland loyalist, attempted to ignore the order. Bär was further pressured to relocate JV 44 when Major General (Generalmajor) Dietrich Peltz, commander of IX. Fliegerkorps, and Colonel Hajo Herrmann, commander of 9. Flieger-Division (J), unexpectedly emerged at the control room in Maxglan on 2 May 1945.

 A heated and violent dispute erupted between Bär, Peltz and Herrmann, witnessed by Walter Krupinski. He later recalled that Bär responded with "Yes, sir, but we are under the command of Generalleutnant Galland, and I will only follow orders of Generalleutnant Galland!"—a final act of disobedience that Krupinski believed could have led to Bär being shot for insubordination.

In the early morning hours of 4 May 1945, Bär gathered the pilots of JV 44 for a final briefing. Bär ordered the remaining Me 262 destroyed before going into captivity and interrogation by US Intelligence officers of the 1st Tactical Air Force's Air Prisoner of War Interrogation Unit, based at Heidelberg, so that he might impart his knowledge of the Me 262 to them.

 

After being released, he settled in Braunschweig, where he continued his career in aviation, including a lead position for motor-powered flight with the Deutscher Aero Club. He also worked as a consultant and test pilot in the field of sport aviation, testing aircraft before they went on the market.

On 28 April 1957, while conducting a routine flight-check in a light aircraft, a LF-1 Zaunkönig, Bär put the aircraft into a flat spin, the final manoeuvre in the test process. The aircraft spun down to 50 meters (160 ft) then, unable to regain control, Bär was killed in the resulting crash at Braunschweig-Waggum.

Heinrich Bär, call sign "Bussard 1", flew more than 1,000 combat missions.

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