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.
Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!
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, Band II, 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
Looking for reliable information or news facts about WW2? Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past? Or are you interested in war medals and their recipients? TracesOfWar.com tells you more!
More information
© STIWOT, 1999-2025. All rights reserved. Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright