| Heinz (Oskar-Heinrich) Bär | |
|---|---|
| 21 March 1913 – 28 April 1957 (aged 44) | |
 Heinrich Bär |
|
| Nickname | Pritzl or Reeste |
| Place of birth | Sommerfeld |
| Place of death | Braunschweig |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1935-1945 |
| Rank | Oberst (Colonel) |
| Unit | JG 51, JG 77, JGr. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) This is a list of military figures by Nickname. 0-9 "31-Knot" — Arleigh Burke, U This is a list of military figures by Nickname. 0-9 "31-Knot" — Arleigh Burke, U Braunschweig, known as Brunswiek in Low German, is a city of 245810 people (as of 31 December 2007 located in Lower Saxony, Germany. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77 Herz As {Ace of Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. Süd, JG 1, JG 3, EJG 2 and JV 44 |
| Commands held | 12. Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3 Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter - wing of World War II. Jagdverband 44 (JV 44 was a special fighter unit of top German fighter ace pilots in the Luftwaffe during the last months of World /JG 51, I. Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders JG 77, JGr. Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77 Herz As {Ace of Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. Süd, II. /JG 1, JG 3, III. Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3 Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter - wing of World War II. /EJG 2 and JV 44 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten |
Colonel Heinz (Oskar-Heinrich) "Pritzl" Bär (21 March 1913 – 28 April 1957) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace who served through the whole of World War II. Jagdverband 44 (JV 44 was a special fighter unit of top German fighter ace pilots in the Luftwaffe during the last months of World World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II The African Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre of World War II encompasses naval land and air campaigns between Allied and Axis forces Unternehmen Bodenplatte (German "Operation Baseplate" or "Operation Ground Plate" launched on January 1 1945, was an attempt by the The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy Aircraft during aerial combat World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including He had a total of 221 victories,[1] fighting in all the major German theaters of war, including the Western Front, Mediterranean and Eastern front. The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, The African Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre of World War II encompasses naval land and air campaigns between Allied and Axis forces The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign He was shot down 18 times during the course of flying about 1000 combat missions.
Contents |
Early life
Bär was born in Sommerfeld near Leipzig. This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong In 1935 he joined the Reichswehr, before joining the Luftwaffe and becoming a transport aircraft pilot in 1937, mostly flying the Junkers Ju-52/3m. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject In 1938 Bär requested a transfer to the fighter arm, and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51, which was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters, as an NCO transport pilot. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout At first he received unofficial training on the Bf 109E, before officially becoming a fighter pilot.
World War II
Stationed on the border with France, Bär got his first victory on 25 September 1939 during the phoney war air skirmishes with the Allied air force. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Phoney War, also called the Twilight War by Winston Churchill, der Sitzkrieg in German ("the sitting war" a During the Battle of France he scored 2 more victories, and added 10 more during the Battle of Britain. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and 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. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Even at this early stage of his combat career Bär showed an 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 additional 4 victories against the Royal Air Force bringing his total to 17.
In 1941 JG 51 was transferred east to take part in Operation Barbarossa. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II As most skilled German pilots, Bär had a field day against the inexperienced pilots of the Soviet Air Force and his tally rose to 27. The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы ( Voenno-Vozdushnye He was promoted to Leutnant and awarded the Ritterkreuz on 2 July. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival On 14 August he was awarded the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz for 60 victories, and on 30 August he became a "ace in one day" by shooting down 6 Soviet aircraft. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. He was also promoted to Oberleutnant. Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
In early 1942 Bär was promoted to Hauptmann, appointed Staffelkapitän of 12. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as Captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies Staffelkapitän is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank that is the equivalent of Royal Air Force / US Air Force Squadron Leader. /JG 51,[2] and received the Schwerter to his Ritterkreuz on 16 February as his tally rose to 90. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols In early May Bär was transferred to take command over I. /JG 77, commanded by Gordon Gollob, to support the hard fighting over the Kerch straits on the Crimean peninsula. Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77 Herz As {Ace of Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. Gordon M Gollob ( 16 June 1912 &ndash 8 September 1987) was an Austrian fighter pilot and Flying ace Kerch (Керч Керчь Keriç Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ Ancient Greek: Pantikapaion) is a city (2001 pop 157000 on the Kerch Peninsula Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым The JG 77 led by such able experten as Bär and Gollob, "took over" the air space over the Kerch-Taman area. With Gollob a disciplinarian pro-Nazi and Bär being anti-authoritarian, there was mutual animosity between the two aces and an intense rivalry ensued. By end of May Bär's score had risen to 103.
In June JG 77 was moved to the Mediterranean area. At first it took part in the air battles over Malta, later it was relocated to Tunisia. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. After achieving his 149 aerial victory General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim submitted Bär for the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross for the first time. Hans-Jürgen von Arnim ( 4 April, 1889 &ndash 1 September, 1962) was a German Colonel-general of Cavalry Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring ignored this request and denied Bär the Diamonds. Reichsmarschall (Marshal of the Empire or Imperial Marshal in English) was the highest rank in the Armed forces of Nazi Germany during Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member The reason for this remains uncertain but it is believed that Göring disliked Bär for his insubordinate character combined with Bär strong Low Saxon dialect which Göring hated to so much[3]. German dialect is dominated by the geographical spread of the High German consonant shift, and the Dialect continuum that connects the German with 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. Johannes Steinhoff ( September 15, 1913 – February 21, 1994) was a German Luftwaffe Fighter ace of Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Staffelkapitän is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank that is the equivalent of Royal Air Force / US Air Force Squadron Leader. He took over command of an operational training unit, Jagdgruppe Süd.
In early 1944 Bär, now a Major, was given command of II. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country /JG 1. JG 1 was tasked with Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) and equipped with the Focke Wulf 190 A-7 fighter. Defense of the Reich ( German language: Reichsverteidigung) refers to the defensive aerial battles fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In June he was promoted to Oberstleutnant and appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3. Geschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position (not rank that is the equivalent of a Royal Air Force Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3 Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter - wing of World War II. During 1944 Bär's score rose to 203.
Bär's 204th and 205th victories were achieved on 1 January 1945 during Unternehmen Bodenplatte, a Luftwaffe mass attack against Allied airfields in the Benelux area. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Unternehmen Bodenplatte (German "Operation Baseplate" or "Operation Ground Plate" launched on January 1 1945, was an attempt by the The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe that includes three neighboring monarchies, '''Be'''lgium, the '''Ne'''therlands, and The operation resulted in hundreds of aircraft lost on both sides. Bär's JG 3 raided Eindhoven in Holland shooting down about half a dozen RAF fighters and destroying many aircraft on the ground. Eindhoven ( is a Municipality and a city located in the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. A maritime and economic power in the 17th century Holland today consists of the Dutch provinces of
In February Bär was transferred to command the Jet fighter training unit III. /EJG 2. In March the unit was equipped with the Messerschmitt Me 262 fighter, and sent into battle. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout On 23 April Bär transferred to the elite Jet Experten unit JV 44, led by Adolf Galland. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Jagdverband 44 (JV 44 was a special fighter unit of top German fighter ace pilots in the Luftwaffe during the last months of World Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland ( 19 March 1912 9 February 1996) was a World War II German fighter On 26 April he assumed command of the unit when Galland was wounded. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. With the JV 44 he scored the final 4 victories (3 P-47s and 1 Mosquito), bringing his total to 221. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout All told he had 16 victories in the Me 262, making him the second most successful Jet Expert of the war. [4] He finished the war as a Oberst.
During the war Bär had shot down a total of 124 Western Allied aircraft, second only to Hpt. The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. Hans-Joachim Marseille with 158 claims. Hans-Joachim Marseille (13 December 1919&ndash30 September 1942 German /hants joːaxɪm maʀsɛj/ was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot and
After the war
Bär did various work as an aviation consultant, and was killed while performing aerobatics in a light plane LF-1 Zaunkönig over Braunschweig on 28 April 1957. Braunschweig, known as Brunswiek in Low German, is a city of 245810 people (as of 31 December 2007 located in Lower Saxony, Germany. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar)
Awards
- Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
- German Cross in Gold (27 May 1942)
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1000"
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
- "Africa" Cuffband
- Eisernes Kreuz 2. Wound Badge (das Verwundetenabzeichen was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Reichswehr, Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service The German Cross (Deutsches Kreuz was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 16 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class The Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe (Frontflugspange was awarded in Bronze Silver and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds The Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe was a Luftwaffe award established on February 27 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia and 1. Klasse (July 1940)
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern
- Ritterkreuz (2. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross July 1941)
- 31. Eichenlaub (14. August 1941)
- 7. Schwerter (16. February 1942)
- Mentioned two times in the Wehrmachtbericht
Three times Heinz Bär was recommended for the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily report made by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross Three times the request was denied by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. Reichsmarschall (Marshal of the Empire or Imperial Marshal in English) was the highest rank in the Armed forces of Nazi Germany during Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Bär shot down a further 130 enemy aircraft after he had received the Swords[5].
References
- ^ Some older sources claims he got 220 victories, but 221 seems to be correct based on his log-book and personal file.
- ^ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
- ^ Kurowski
- ^ For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces
- ^ Kurowski 2007, p. The following is a complete list of German World War II jet aces. 154
- Berger, Florian, Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Kurowski, Franz. Oberstleutnant Heinz Bär Als Jagdflieger an allen Fronten. Würzburg, Germany: Flechsig Verlag, 2007. ISBN 978-3-88189-730-3.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
External links
- http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/bar.html
- http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/bar/bar.htm
- http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodenplatte
- Heinz Bär's plane
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Oberst Walter Oesau |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 Oesau 12 May 1944-20 May 1944 |
Succeeded by Oberst Herbert Ihlefeld |
| Preceded by Major Friedrich Karl Müller |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 3 Udet 1 June 1944-13 February 1945 |
Succeeded by Major Werner Schröer |
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Adolf Galland |
Commander of Jagdverband 44 April 26, 1945 - May 8, 1945 |
Succeeded by none |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bär, Heinrich |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Heinz |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | German World War II fighter pilot |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 21, 1913 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sommerfeld |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 28, 1957 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Braunschweig, Germany |
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