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Revision as of 19:31, 17 December 2008 by Nudve (talk | contribs) (split refs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Heinz (Oskar-Heinrich) Bär | |
|---|---|
| File:Lwbar.jpgHeinrich Bär | |
| Nickname(s) | Pritzl or Reeste |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1934–1945 |
| Rank | Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) |
| Unit | JG 51, JG 77, JGr. Süd, JG 1, JG 3, EJG 2 and JV 44 |
| Commands | 12./JG 51, I.JG 77, JGr. Süd, II./JG 1, JG 3, III./EJG 2 and JV 44 |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten |
Lieutenant Colonel Heinz (Oskar-Heinrich) "Pritzl" Bär (21 March 1913 – 28 April 1957) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He is credited with 220 aerial victories, claimed fighting in all the major German theaters of the war, including the Western Front, Mediterranean and Eastern front. He was shot down 18 times during the course of flying approximately 1000 combat missions.
Bär, a Saxon with a strong accent, joined the Reichswehr in 1934 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. Initially serving as a pilot on a transport aircraft, he was informally trained as a fighter pilot. He claimed his first aerial victory in September 1939 on the French border. By the end of the Battle of Britain his tally of victories had increased to 17. Transferred to the Eastern front to participate in Operation Barbarossa, he quickly accumulated further victories, a feat which earned him the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub and Schwertern (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords) for 90 aerial victories in February 1942.
During the remaining course of World War II, Bär would be credited with a further 130 aerial victories including 16 whilst flying one of the first jet fighters, the Me 262, an achievement which is believed should have earned him the coveted Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds). However, Hermann Göring's personal dislike of Bär coupled with Bär's insubordinate character and lack of military discipline, denied him this award. After World War II, Bär continued his career as an aviator and was killed in a flying accident on 28 April 1957 near Braunschweig.
Early life
Bär was born to a farmer in Sommerfeld near Leipzig on 25 May 1913. As a teenager, he became a glider pilot and had ambitions to become an airline pilot with the Lufthansa. He would later acquire the nickname Pritzl because of his affection for Pritzl candy bars.
The financial difficulties of the Great Depression era prevented him from fulfilling his ambition to gain a civil pilot license. In 1934, Bär joined the Reichswehr and was assigned to the Kraftfahrabteilung 4 as a mechanic. He served in this position until the following year, when he was transferred to a combat unit of the Luftwaffe. A few months later, he was accepted for pilot training, attaining his transport aircraft pilot's license in 1937. He was transferred to I./Jagdgeschwader 135, the core of the later to be Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51), on 1 September 1938, mostly flying the Junkers Ju-52/3m. After he illegally conducted some aerobatics on the Ju 52, he was secretly trained on fighter aircraft by Staffelkapitän Pitcairn, before officially becoming a fighter pilot.
World War II
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 French air force. During the Battle of France, he scored two more victories, before adding a further ten during the Battle of Britain. During this time, he had several emergency landings with a badly damaged plane, and was also shot down over the English Channel on 2 September 1940 by a Supermarine Spitfire. Presumably, Hermann Göring himself witnessed this aerial battle. Bär was summoned to Göring and asked what he thought about while in the water. Bär immediately replied, "Your speech, Herr Reichsmarschall that England is no longer an island!" It was incidences like this that is testimony of his often blatant disregard for higher authority; a trait that would land the young ace in trouble numerous times. In the spring of 1941, he scored an additional four victories against the Royal Air Force (RAF), bringing his total to 17.
Eastern front
In June 1941, JG 51 was transferred East to take part in Operation Barbarossa. JG 51 at the time was subordinated to the II. Fliegerkorps, operating in the central sector of the Eastern front. Bär claimed five aerial victories on 30 June 1941, bringing his total to 22; his twentieth being JG 51's unprecedented 1000th aerial kill. Within two weeks of combat against pilots of the Soviet Air Force, Bär's tally rose to 27, which earned him the Ritterkreuz on 2 July, followed by his promotion to Oberleutnant on 1 August 1941. On 14 August, he was awarded the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz for 60 victories, and on 30 August he became an "ace in one day" by shooting down six Soviet aircraft. On 31 August, Bär was shot down some 50 kilometres (31 mi) behind enemy lines. Bailing out, he suffered back injuries, but managed to walk back to German lines; his wounds necessitated a lengthy hospital treatment.
In early 1942, Bär was promoted to Hauptmann, appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 51, and received the Schwerter to his Ritterkreuz on 16 February as his tally rose to 90. This achievement was also mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht on 12 February 1942; his first reference of three during the course of the war. On 11 May, Bär was transferred from IV./JG 51 on the Moscow front to take command over I./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77), commanded by Gordon Gollob, to support the hard fighting over the Kerch straits on the Crimean peninsula. JG 77 led by such able Experten as Bär and Gollob, "took over" the air space over the Kerch-Taman by respectively shooting down three and two LaGG-3s, running Bär's victory total to 93. With Gollob a disciplinarian pro-Nazi and Bär being anti-authoritarian, there was mutual animosity between the two aces and an intense rivalry ensued. On 19 May 1942, Bär made five further aerial claims; his victory total now standing at 103. That same day, General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland arrived to inspect Bär's I./JG 77 and JG 77 surpassed its 2,000th victory mark. This flying achievement earned Bär second reference in the daily Wehrmachtbericht on 20 May 1942.
Mediterranean theatre
In June, JG 77 was moved to the Mediterranean area. At first it took part in the air battles over Malta, before it was relocated to Tunisia. After achieving his 149th aerial victory, General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim submitted Bär for the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross for the first time. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring ignored this request and denied Bär the Diamonds. The reason for this remains uncertain, but it is believed that Göring disliked Bär for his insubordinate character, combined with Bär's strong Low Saxon dialect which Göring was known to hate.
In Tunisia, Bär increased his tally to 179, but, fighting a losing battle against ever increasing Allied air superiority, Bär lost his fighting spirit, and suffered severe mental and physical exhaustion. After several arguments with JG 77 Commander Oberst Johannes Steinhoff and Hermann Göring, he was transferred to France "for cowardice before the enemy" in the summer of 1943 and demoted to Staffelkapitän. He took over command of an operational training unit, Jagdgruppe Süd.
Defense of the Reich
In early 1944, Bär, now a Major, was given command of II./Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1). JG 1 was tasked with Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) and equipped with the Focke Wulf 190 A-7 fighter. On 11 April 1944, Bär scored his 199th aerial victory over a B-17 Flying Fortress near Fallersleben. His 200th claim, a B-24 Liberator, was made on 22 April accompanied by is regular wingman Oberfeldwebel Leo Schuhmacher, who would be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 March 1945 as a fighter pilot in II./JG 1. This double century victory would earn Bär his third and final reference in the Wehrmachtberich on 24 April 1944. In June, he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3). By the end of 1944, Bär's score had risen to 203.
Bär's 204th and 205th victories, two Typhoon's, were achieved on 1 January 1945 during Unternehmen Bodenplatte, a Luftwaffe mass attack against Allied airfields in the Benelux area. The operation resulted in hundreds of aircraft lost on both sides. During this operation, Bär's JG 3 raided Eindhoven in the Netherlands, shooting down about half a dozen RAF fighters and destroying many aircraft on the ground.
In February, Bär was transferred to command the Jet fighter training unit III./Ergänzungsjagdgeschwader 2 (EJG 2). In March, the unit was equipped with the Messerschmitt Me 262 fighter, and sent into battle. Bär shot down 13 enemy aircraft, many of them heavy bombers like the Boeing B-17 and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, bringing his score to 217. On 23 April, Bär transferred to the elite Jet Experten unit Jagdverband 44 (JV 44), led by Adolf Galland. On 26 April, he assumed command of the unit when Galland was wounded. Pritzl Bär possibly flew his first operational sortie with JV 44 on 27 April 1945. Flying the Me 262 A-1/U5, a six MK 108 cannon prototype, he was accompanied by Major Wilhelm Herget and Unteroffizier Franz Köster, when the trio engaged American fighters over Riem, with Bär claiming one aerial victory. While not flying operationally, Bär spent most of his time giving hasty instruction to the new pilots still being assigned to JV 44. With JV 44, he scored his final four victories (3 P-47s and 1 Mosquito); bringing his total to 220. All told, he had achieved 16 victories in the Me 262, making him the second most successful Jet Expert of the war, which he finished as a Oberstleutnant.
After the war
Heinrich Bär did not return to his home in Sommerfeld after World War II. 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 the 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 metres (55 yd), where, unable to regain control, Bär was killed in the resulting crash.
Summary of career
Heinrich Bär, call sign "Bussard 1", flew over 1,000 combat missions. His 220 confirmed aerial victories place him eighth on the overall list of Experten. His claim of 124 aerial victories over Western-flown aircraft is second only to Hans-Joachim Marseille's total of 158, almost all of the latter's victories being scored in Africa. He scored four victories during the Battle of France, thirteen during the Battle of Britain and 61 over Libya and Tunisia. On the Eastern front he had claimed 96 aerial victories. At least 75 of his victories had been scored against British and American flown aircraft over Europe, of which sixteen whilst flying the Me 262 jet fighter. Among these 75 aerial victories are also 21 US heavy bombers and one Mosquito. Bär crash landed or bailed out 18 times and was wounded three times in combat.
Awards
- Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
- German Cross in Gold (27 May 1942)
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1000"
- Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (1 June 1942)
- "Africa" Cuffband
- Eisernes Kreuz
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class (July 1940)
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern
- Ritterkreuz on 2 July 1941 as pilot and Leutnant in the 1./JG 51 after 27 aerial victories
- 31st Eichenlaub on 14 August 1941 as pilot and Leutnant in the 1./JG 51 after 60 aerial vicories
- 7th Schwerter on 16 February 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 1./JG 51 after 90 aerial victories
- Mentioned three times in the Wehrmachtbericht
Three times Heinz Bär was recommended for the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Three times the request was denied by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. Bär shot down a further 130 enemy aircraft after he had received the Swords.
References in the Wehrmachtbericht
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 12 February 1942 | Hauptmann Baer, Staffelkapitän in einem Jagdgeschwader, errang seinen 89. und 90. Luftsieg. | Hauptmann Baer, squadron leader in a fighter wing, recorded his 89th and 90th aerial victory. |
| Wednesday, 20 May 1942 | Hauptmann Baer, Gruppenkommandeur in einem Jagdgeschwader, errang am gestrigen Tag seinen 99. bis 103. Luftsieg. | Hauptmann Baer, group commander in a fighter wing, recorded yesterday his 99th to 103rd aerial victory. |
| 24 April 1944 | Major Baer, Gruppenkommandeur in einem Jagdgeschwader, errang im Kampf mit britisch-nordamerikanischen Flugzeugen seinen 200. Luftsiege. | Hauptmann Baer, group commander in a fighter wing, recorded in combat with British-North American aircrafts his 200th aerial victory. |
Dates of rank
| 1 August 1940: | Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) |
| 1 August 1941: | Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) |
| September/October 1941: | Hauptmann (Captain) |
| 1 March 1943 | Major (Major) |
| 1 January 1945 | Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) |
Notes
Footnotes
- Some sources claim he is credited with 220 aerial victories, but 221 seems to be correct based on his log-book and personal file. Sources that list him with 220 include Luftwaffe Fighter Aces by Mike Spick, German Jet Aces of World War 2 by Hugh Morgan and John Weal. Sources that list him with 221 aerial victories include Luftwaffe Aces by Franz Korowski.
- For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
- For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces
- For a list of World War II aces see List of World War II air aces
Citations
- Schaulen 2003, p. 26.
- ^ Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 358.
- Bergström & Mikhailov 2000, p. 86.
- Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 359.
- ^ Berger 1999, p. 13.
- Spick 1996, p. 219.
- Bergström & Mikhailov 2000, p. 61.
- Kurowski 1996, pp. 83–87.
- Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 159.
- Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 160.
- Kurowski 1996, p. 92.
- Kurowski 1996, p. 96.
- ^ Berger 1999, p. 14.
- Weal 1996, p. 55.
- Weal 1996, p. 55
- Scherzer 2007, p. 688.
- Girbig 1997, p. 172.
- Forsyth 2008, p. 93.
- Forsyth 2008, p. 94.
- Kurowski 1996, pp. 117–121.
- ^ Kurowski 1996, p. 122.
- Kurowski 2007, p. 157.
- Spick 1996, pp. 220, 227.
- ^ Kurowski 2007, p. 156.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 199.
- Kurowski 2007, p. 154
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, p. 32.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, p. 136.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, p. 87.
- Spick 1996, p. 227.
- Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
References
- Berger, Florian (2006), Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (in German). Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
- Bergström, Christer & Mikhailov, Andrey (2000), Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume I, Operation Barbarossa 1941, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0-935553-48-7.
- Bergström, Christer & Mikhailov, Andrey (2001), Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume II, Resurgence January-June 1942, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0-935553-51-7.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Forsyth, Robert (2008). Jagdverband 44 Squadron of Experten. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-294-3.
- Girbig, Werner (1997). Start im Morgengrauen. Germany: Pietsch-Verlag Paul Pietsch Verlage GmbH + Co. ISBN 3-613-01292-8.
- Kurowski, Franz (1996). Luftwaffe Aces. Winnipeg, Canada: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-921991-31-2.
- Kurowski, Franz (2007). Oberstleutnant Heinz Bär Als Jagdflieger an allen Fronten (in German). Würzburg, Germany: Flechsig Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88189-730-3.
- Michulec, Robert (2002). Luftwaffe at War / Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-486-9.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 1-85532-634-5.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. & Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 - 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham - Huppertz. Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-20-3.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
- Toliver, Raymond F. and Trevor J. Constable (1998). Die deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939 - 1945 (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag, 1977. ISBN 3-87943-193-0.
- Weal, John (1996). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-595-0.
- Weal, John (2003). Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-084-6.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links
- Luftwaffe Resource Center
- World War II Ace Stories
- Heinz Bär's plane
- Details on demotion and transfer to JG 1
- Heinz Bär @ Ritterkreuzträger 1939 - 1945
- Heinz Bär @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byOberst Walter Oesau | Commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 Oesau 12 May 1944 – 20 May 1944 |
Succeeded byOberst Herbert Ihlefeld |
| Preceded byMajor Friedrich Karl Müller | Commander of Jagdgeschwader 3 Udet 1 June 1944 – 13 February 1945 |
Succeeded byMajor Werner Schröer |
| Preceded byGeneralleutnant Adolf Galland | Commander of Jagdverband 44 26 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 |
Succeeded bynone |
German World War II 
Template:German World War II jet aces
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