Barkhorn Gerd
JG2
JG44
JG52
JG6


Gerhard Barkhorn
Nickname(s): Gerd
Born 20 March 1919
Königsberg, Free State of Prussia
Died 8 January 1983 (aged 63)
Frechen/Cologne, West Germany
Allegiance
Service/branch
Years of service
  • 1937–45
  • 1956–75
Rank
Unit JG 2, JG 52, JG 6 and JV 44
Commands held 4./JG 52, II./JG 52, JG 6,
Jagdbombergeschwader 31 Boelcke

 

Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn (20 March 1919 – 8 January 1983) is credited with being the second most successful fighter ace of all time after fellow Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann.

Recently researched information has shown that Barkhorn and/or Gunther Rall may have actually scored more confirmable victories than Hartmann, whose claim % has proven to be quite bad.

Barkhorn joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 and completed his training in 1939.Barkhorn flew his first combat sorties over Belgium and France during the Battle of France and later over southern England during the Battle of Britain, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109E.On 1 August 1940 Barkhorn was transferred to 6./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52).He did not have any success, although he flew some 21 combat sorties and was shot down in the English Channel on 29 October by RAF fighters.

Shortly thereafter he was rewarded with the Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse (Iron Cross First Class). In the Staffel, he flew alongside another promising pilot, Hans-Joachim Marseille.

Victories Achieved:

Barkhorn claimed 301 victories in 1,104 operational sorties. His total included 110 Yak fighters, 87 LaGG fighters, 21 Il-2s and 12 twin-engined medium bombers. He was shot down 9 times, bailed out once and was wounded 3 times.

In 1941, JG 52 was transferred to the east and participated in Operation Barbarossa, the Invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June 1941.Subsequently, Gerhard Barkhorn scored his first victory by shooting down a Red Air Force DB-3 bomber on 2 July, flying his 120th combat sortie. This success seemed to have a reassuring effect on Barkhorn, who had finally found his 'shooting eye'.

Gerd received the frontflug-spange fur jager in gold in early July 1941 for completion of his 120th mission....

By November his tally had reached 10 victories and he was promoted to Oberleutnant on 11 November 1941.

On July 20, 1942, shortly after taking down his 56th opponent, he would receive the Luftwaffe Trophy of Honor.

five days later, he was wounded in combat while piloting his Bf 109F-4, which earned him 2 months in the hospital.

On 19 December 1942, Barkhorn had raised his score to 101 victories. That day, he became the 32nd Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the Century Mark of 100 kills.

On 9 January 1943, Barkhorn claimed his 103rd & 104th kill. His victims included Lieutenant Vasiliyev, and Hero of the Soviet Union Podpolkovnik Lev Shestakov of the 236 IAP Fighter Regiment.

Barkhorn strafed both of their Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters until they caught fire. Both pilots survived.

Kuberke railway station/Simovniki sector. 236 IAP. Said to be Lev Shestakov and Mladshiy Leytenant Vasiliyev. both bellylanded and managed to escape before Barkhorn strafed the wrecks.

The very next day, Barkhorn shoots down Lev Shestakov a second time in two successive combat sorties.

Barkhorn was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 11 January 1943 for 105 victories.

In September, Barkhorn, now a Hauptmann with 164 victory credits, was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 52 on 1 September 1943.

 On 5 September he shot down and killed Hero of the Soviet Union and Soviet fighter ace Nikolay Klepikov, an ace with 10 personal and 32 shared victories. This was offset by the loss of II./JG 52's 173-kill ace Oberleutnant Heinz Schmidt.

The main German fighter unit covering the Crimea and Kuban was his II./JG 52, and in the three months between December 1943 and 13 February 1944, the unit claimed 350 victories of which 50 were claimed by Barkhorn personally.

On December 28th, 1943, Gerhard Barkhorn would have his name mentioned all throughout the Eastern Front...

He claims 7 aircraft shot down throughout the day, and shoots down several Russian Aces in combat that day...

    
    St.Lt. Naumov 6 kills
    Ml.Lt. Moskalev 4 kills
    Kpt. Pechony 18.5 kills
    St.Lt. Kankoshev 14 kills

During the second week in February 1944, with the mythical 250th kill on the horizon, Barkhorn stepped up his mission count and on February 12th 1944, he elevated himself to one of the greatest fighter pilots in the wo

On 2 March 1944 he was awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross. He attended the wedding of fellow ace Erich Hartmann as best man. Barkhorn was promoted to major on 1 May 1944..

 On 31 May, on 273 victories, he was shot down by Soviet P-39 Airacobras.

Flying his sixth mission of that day he intercepted some Soviet bombers but failed to notice the escorting fighters.

His Bf 109G-6 was severely damaged and despite severe wounds to his right shoulder and leg he managed to crash-land behind his own lines, but was hospitalized for four months.

It has not been possible to identify the Soviet pilot who shot him down, but it was not, as some sources suggest, high scoring Soviet ace Aleksandr Pokryshkin who was not in the area at the time.

Eventually returning to his unit the psychological damage and combat stress on Barkhorn became apparent; sitting in his cockpit he became overcome with anxiety, and even when flying with friendly aircraft behind him he felt intense fear. It took several weeks for him to overcome this condition

Over the next few weeks Barkhorn added another 26 kills, scoring his 301st (and final) victory on 5 January 1945.

On January 4th, 1945, Barkhorn gets into combat with a gaggle of La-5's and shoots down 3 of them, and later that day, shoots down a Yak-9 for his 300th victory claim..

Defense of the Reich

On 16 January 1945, Barkhorn was assigned as Geschwaderkommodore to Jagdgeschwader 6 (JG 6), a unit assigned to defend the Reich and equipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D (although he preferred to retain his Bf 109G as well).

JG 6 was a unit consisting mostly of new recruits and former Bf-110 pilots; it suffered heavy losses against the American air fleets. Barkhorn did not last long in this position and was forced to take a medical absence because of severe physical and mental strain.

After his hospitalization, Barkhorn was invited by Adolf Galland to join the elite Jagdverband 44 (JV 44) flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet-fighter. He found flying the Me 262 over the western front difficult and he did not score any victories in it.

On 21 April 1945, he flew his 1104th and last mission. One of the engines of his aircraft flamed out as he was approaching an enemy bomber formation and he was forced to make an emergency landing.

🇺🇸As he approached the airfield, his jet was attacked by several prowling P-51 Mustang fighters.

Barkhorn managed to land his burning plane though he received a slight wound as a result of this action when the cockpit canopy - which he slid back prior to crash landing - slammed forward on his neck.

Taken prisoner by the Western Allies while still in hospital, he was released from Allied captivity in September 1945.

Barkhorn claimed 301 victories in 1,104 operational sorties. His total included 110 Yak fighters, 87 LaGG fighters, 21 Il-2s and 12 twin-engined medium bombers. He was shot down 9 times, bailed out once and was wounded 3 times.

Later life and service...

Barkhorn, after he was released as a prisoner of war, found work in the automobile industry. Following the decision of the Cabinet of Germany to rearm the Federal Republic of Germany, Barkhorn joined the military service of the Bundesluftwaffe in 1956.

From 1 April 1957 to 31 December 1962, he commanded the Jagdbombergeschwader 31 "Boelcke" (JaBoG 31—Fighter-Bomber Wing 31). In 1964 he was posted to the staff of Luftwaffen-Erprobungskommando (Air Force Test Command) holding the rank of Oberst.

Barkhorn was promoted to Brigadegeneral (brigadier general) in 1969 and to Generalmajor (major general) in 1973.

His last position was Chief of Staff of the Second Allied Tactical Air Force, a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe.

He retired from active service on 30 September 1975.

⚰On 6 January 1983, during a winter storm on an autobahn near Cologne, he and his wife Christl were involved in a car crash. His wife died instantly and Barkhorn, without regaining consciousness, died in hospital in Frechen/Cologne on 8 January 1983.

They were buried in Tegernsee, Bavaria.

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