Heinrich Bär

Heinrich Bär
Heinrich Bär
Birth name	Oskar-Heinz Bär
Nickname(s)	Pritzl or Reeste
Born	(1913-05-25)25 May 1913 Sommerfeld, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Died	28 April 1957(1957-04-28) (aged 43) Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	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	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Crimean Campaign Eastern Front Mediterranean theater Unternehmen Bodenplatte Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Other work	test pilot

Oskar-Heinz (Heinrich) "Pritzl" Bär (pronounced [ˈhaɪnʁɪç bɛːɐ̯]; 25 May 1913 – 28 April 1957) was a German Luftwaffe flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe.^[1] Bär flew more than one thousand combat missions, and fought in all major German theaters of the war, including the Western, Eastern and Mediterranean fronts. On 18 occasions he survived being shot down, and he was credited with 220 or 221 aerial victories,^{[Note 1][5]} around 16 of which were in a Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter.

Bär, a Saxon with a strong accent, joined the Reichswehr in 1934 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. Serving first as a mechanic, then as a pilot on 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 kills, a feat that earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for 90 aerial victories in February 1942.

During the remainder of World War II, Bär was credited with 130 other aerial victories, including 16 while flying one of the first jet fighters, the Me 262, an achievement which would normally have earned him the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.^[4][6] Hermann Göring's personal dislike of Bär, coupled with Bär's insubordinate character and lack of military discipline, deprived him of this award.^[7] After World War II, Bär continued his career as an aviator. He was killed in a flying accident on 28 April 1957 near Braunschweig.

Early life

Bär was born on 25 May 1913 in Sommerfeld near Leipzig in the Kingdom of Saxony, a federated state of the German Empire.^{[Note 2]} His parents were farmers, and in 1916, his father was killed in action on the Western Front of World War I. Bär attended the Volksschule, a combined primary and lower secondary school, in Sommerfeld. Initially, he planned on taking over the family farm in Engelsdorf and following graduation attended the agriculture school in Wurzen. Aged 15, he became a glider pilot, joining the glider club on the "Schwarzer Berg" (Black Mountain) at Taucha.^[8] Bär then wanted to become a forester, for everything associated with wildlife and forests interested him. His first sight of a Junkers transport aircraft changed his mind and convinced him that he should become an aviator.^[9] As a teenager, he had ambitions to become an airline pilot with Deutsche Luft Hansa.^[10]

The Great Depression prevented Bär from gaining a civil pilot license. In 1934, he joined the Reichswehr and was assigned to the 3. Kompanie of Kraftfahrabteilung 4 (3rd Company of the 4th Motor Vehicle Battalion) as a mechanic. He served in this position until the following year, when he was transferred to a combat wing of the Luftwaffe. A few months later, he was accepted for pilot training, receiving his transport aircraft pilot's training.^{[Note 3]} From 1 November 1937 to 31 March 1938, Bär attended the flight school at Oldenburg and was then transferred to the flight school at Hildesheim. He was transferred again, attending the flight school at Ludwigslust where he attained his Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein), also known as 'C'-Certificate, confirming proficiency on multi-engine aircraft, on 16 May 1938. Bär then attended the blind flying school Blindflugschule 2 (BFS 2—2nd blind flying school) at Neuburg an der Donau from 7 July to 14 August 1938.^[11] He was transferred to I./Jagdgeschwader 135, the core of the future Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51), on 1 September 1938, usually flying the Junkers Ju 86.^{[Note 4][10]} The Squadron Leader (Staffelkapitän) Douglas Pitcairn noticed Bär's flying talents and tried to convince Bär to become a fighter pilot. Initially Bär refused, but after he illegally conducted some aerobatics in the Ju 86 leading to an engine failure, he reluctantly accepted and became a fighter pilot.^[12][13]

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 Armée de l'Air (French air force), earning him the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 27 September 1939.^[14] During the Battle of France, he was credited with two more aerial victories before adding a further 10 during the Battle of Britain. During this time, he had several emergency landings with badly damaged planes and was shot down over the English Channel on 2 September 1940 by a Spitfire. Bär was summoned to appear before Hermann Göring and report on this battle.^{[Note 5]} When Göring asked him what he was thinking about while in the water, Bär immediately replied, "Your speech, Herr Reichsmarschall, in which you said that England is no longer an island!", alluding to an address that Göring had made before the German fighter pilots.^[15] Incidents like this are testimony to his often blatant disregard for higher authority, a trait that frequently landed him in trouble.^[17] In early 1941, he was credited with an additional four aerial victories against the Royal Air Force (RAF), bringing his total to 17.^[15][18]

Eastern Front

In June 1941, JG 51 was transferred East to take part in Operation Barbarossa. JG 51 at the time was part of the 2nd Air Corps, operating in the central sector of the Eastern Front. Bär claimed five aerial victories on 30 June 1941, bringing his total to 22.^[19] 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.^[20][21] 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 on 2 July, followed by 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 for 60 victories, and on 30 August he became an "ace-in-a-day" by shooting down six Soviet aircraft. On 31 August, Bär was shot down by an Ilyushin Il-2 some 50 kilometers (31 mi) behind Soviet lines, near Novgorod-Seversky. He suffered injuries to his back and feet while bailing out, but was able to walk back to the German lines; his wounds necessitated a lengthy hospital treatment.^[22][23]

Bär was promoted to Hauptmann in late 1941 and appointed Squadron Leader of 12./JG 51 in early 1942. His longtime wingman at the time was Heinrich Hoffmann.^[24] He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 16 February as his tally rose to 90. This achievement was mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht (the propaganda report by the OKW) on 12 February 1942, his first of three references during the course of the war. 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) flying wing. 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 (Experten) Gollob and Bär, JG 77 took over the air space above Kerch-Taman as Gollob and Bär shot down two and three LaGG-3s respectively, raising Bär's victory total to 93.^[25] Mutual animosity between the two men, Gollob, a disciplinarian pro-Nazi, and Bär, an anti-authoritarian, ensured an intense rivalry.^[25] On 19 May 1942, Bär claimed five further aerial victories; his victory total now stood at 103. He was the 9th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.^[26] That same day, Inspector of Fighters (General der Jagdflieger) Adolf Galland arrived to inspect Bär's I./JG 77 and JG 77 surpassed 2,000 victories.^[27][28] This flying achievement earned Bär a second mention in the daily Wehrmachtbericht on 20 May 1942.^[29]

Mediterranean theater

Tail of Bär's Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 with the Stab I./JG 77

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. On 25 January 1943, Bär claimed two Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters shot down, taking his total to 149 aerial victories.^[30] 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. 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.^[31] On 27 January 1943, Bär surpassed the 150 aerial victory mark after he claimed three more P-40s shot down.^[30]

Bär and his I. Gruppe of JG 77 operated from Fatnassa, Tunisia, in early March 1943. On 1 March, Bär claimed a Spitfire shot down, then in the evening 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.^[33]

Over North Africa and the Mediterranean theater, Bär had 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'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.^[34][35]

Defense of the Reich

Bär inspecting his 184th aerial victory, a Boeing B-17F of 91st Bomb Group on 21 February 1944. His wingman Leo Schuhmacher is standing to his right.^[36]

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 1. Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) Wing Commander (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".^[35][37]

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. Morale of the group soared following his appointment. He was considered the unofficial leader of the group and the best officer in the entire Geschwader.^[38] On 11 April 1944, Bär achieved his 199th aerial victory over a B-17 Flying Fortress near Fallersleben. His 200th aerial victory, a B-24 Liberator, was claimed on 22 April accompanied by his regular wingman Warrant Officer (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.^[36][39] Bär had just landed at Störmede airfield from a II./JG 1 intercept when a smoking United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) B-24 of the 458th Bombardment Group passed overhead. Bär and his wingman quickly got into their aircraft and intercepted the B-24. The bomber's gunners had already bailed out of the aircraft, making it an easy aerial victory.^[40] Bär returned to Störmede airfield to the congratulations of his men. This double century victory earned Bär his third and final reference in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 April 1944. After Oesau's death on 11 May 1944, Bär was made acting Wing Commander of JG 1. In June, he was appointed Wing Commander of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) following the death of Friedrich-Karl Müller. By the end of 1944, Bär's score had risen to 203.^[34][41]

Bär's 204th and 205th victories, against two Hawker Typhoons, 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 losses on both sides. Bär's JG 3 contributed by raiding Eindhoven in the Netherlands, shooting down about six RAF fighters and destroying many aircraft on the ground.^[34][42] One of Bär's 'aerial kills' may not have been airborne. Historian Norman Franks states both aircraft, from No. 438 Squadron RAF, were taxiing when hit. Flight Lieutenant Pete Wilson was wounded and later died from his injuries after Bär's strafing attack. The second Typhoon did get airborne. Its pilot, Flight Officer Ross Keller was killed.^[43] This version of events is contradicted by a witness, Pilot Officer 'Bill' Harle, who thought both aircraft were airborne.^[44]

Combat in the Me 262

In February, Bär was transferred to command the jet fighter training unit III./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 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 B-17 and the B-24, 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. 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 the non-commissioned officer NCO (Unteroffizier) Franz Köster when the trio engaged American fighters over Riem; Bär claimed one aerial victory.^[45] While not flying operationally, Bär spent most of his time giving hasty instruction to the new pilots still being assigned to JV 44.^[46] With JV 44, he achieved his final four aerial victories (3 P-47s and 1 Mosquito) on 28 April,^[47] 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 Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant).^{[Note 6][48][47]}

Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a - EJG 2 - Major Heinz Bär

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.^[49] 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.^[50]

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.^[51]

After the war

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 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.^[4][34][52]

Summary of career

Heinrich Bär, call sign "Bussard 1", flew more than 1,000 combat missions. His 220 confirmed aerial victories place him eighth on the overall list of Experten.^{[Note 1][Note 7]} 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 occurred in Africa. He achieved four victories during the Battle of France, 13 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 claimed against British- and American-flown aircraft over Europe, 16 of these while flying the Me 262 jet fighter. Also among these 75 aerial victories are 21 US heavy bombers and one Mosquito. Bär crash-landed or bailed out 18 times and was wounded three times in combat.^{[4][34][53][54]}

Awards

• Wound Badge (1939) in Silver^[55]
  • in Black (26 November 1941)^[56]
• German Cross in Gold on 27 May 1942 as Hauptmann in the I./JG 77^[57][58]
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1000"^[18]
  • in Gold (25 May 1942)^[59]
• Combined Pilots-Observation Badge^[18]
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 8 June 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur^{[60][Note 8]}
• Eastern Front Medal (23 August 1943)^[61]
• "Africa" Cuffband^[18]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (29 September 1939)^[62][63]
  • 1st Class (6 July 1940)^[62][63]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 2 July 1941 as pilot and Leutnant in the 1./JG 51 after 27 aerial victories^{[55][64][65][Note 9]}
  • 31st Oak Leaves on 14 August 1941 as Leutnant and pilot in the 1./JG 51 after 60 aerial victories^{[55][66][67][Note 9]}
  • 7th Swords on 16 February 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 1./JG 51 after 90 aerial victories^{[55][68][69][Note 10]}
• Mentioned three times in the Wehrmachtbericht

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.^[70]

Dates of rank

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

• Heinrich Bär in the German National Library catalogue

Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Recipients of 1940 Eduard Dietl (Swords) Werner Mölders (Swords & Diamonds) Adolf Galland (Swords & Diamonds) Helmut Wick Günther Prien Otto Kretschmer (Swords) Joachim Schepke
Recipients of 1941 Martin Harlinghausen Walter Oesau (Swords) Erwin Rommel (Swords & Diamonds) Hermann-Friedrich Joppien Joachim Müncheberg (Swords) Heinrich Liebe Engelbert Endrass Herbert Schultze Herbert Ihlefeld (Swords) Wilhelm Balthasar Siegfried Schnell Rudolf Schmidt Werner Baumbach (Swords) Oskar Dinort Walter Storp Viktor Schütze Heinz Guderian Hermann Hoth (Swords) Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen Günther Lützow (Swords) Josef Priller (Swords) Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn Horst Niemack (Swords) Heinrich Bär (Swords) Hans Hahn Hans Philipp (Swords) Ludwig Crüwell Karl-Gottfried Nordmann Heinrich Hoffmann Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow Gordon Gollob (Swords & Diamonds) Erbo Graf von Kageneck Ernst-Felix Krüder Sepp Dietrich (Swords & Diamonds) Heinrich Eberbach Franz Scheidies Ernst-Georg Buchterkirch Bernhard Rogge Dietrich Peltz (Swords) Adelbert Schulz (Swords & Diamonds) Josef-Franz Eckinger Günther Hoffmann-Schönborn Karl Eibl (Swords) Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock Otto Weiß Georg Freiherr von Boeselager (Swords) Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach Josef Harpe (Swords) Reinhard Suhren (Swords) Hubertus Hitschhold
Recipients of 1942 Oskar von Boddien Hans Jordan (Swords) Karl-Wilhelm Specht Hans Freiherr von Wolff Hans-Valentin Hube (Swords & Diamonds) Karl-Heinz Noak Joachim Helbig (Swords) Otto Hitzfeld (Swords)? Wilhelm Wegener (Swords) Hans Traut Werner von Gilsa Hermann Breith (Swords) Rolf Kaldrack Heinrich Borgmann Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (Swords) Georg-Hans Reinhardt (Swords) Walter Model (Swords & Diamonds) Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp Walter Wessel Walter Hagen Albert Kesselring (Swords & Diamonds) Gerhard Köppen Kurt Ubben Max-Hellmuth Ostermann (Swords) Franz Eckerle Wolf-Dietrich Huy Hans Strelow Wilhelm Spies Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (Swords) Erich Topp (Swords) Theodor Eicke Reinhard Hardegen Wolfgang Späte Alfred Wünnenberg Theodor Scherer Hermann Graf (Swords & Diamonds) Adolf Dickfeld Eberhard von Mackensen Leopold Steinbatz (Swords) Hans-Joachim Marseille (Swords & Diamonds) Helmut Lent (Swords & Diamonds) Robert-Georg Freiherr von Malapert Ludwig Wolff Friedrich Geißhardt Heinrich Setz Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt Rolf Mützelburg Adalbert Schnee Erwin Clausen Viktor Bauer Franz-Josef Beerenbrock Anton Hackl (Swords) Traugott Herr (Swords) Werner Kempf Gerhard Kollewe Johannes-Rudolf Mühlenkamp Walter Gorn (Swords) Kurt Brändle Johannes Steinhoff (Swords) Walter Sigel Johann Zemsky Alfred Druschel (Swords) Ernst Bormann Gerhard Hein Werner Ziegler (Swords) Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (Swords) Klaus Scholtz Heinz Schmidt Heinrich Bleichrodt Friedrich-Karl Müller Wilhelm Crinius Wolfgang Tonne Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild Hans Beißwenger Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (Swords) Karl Torley Johannes Kümmel Günther Rall (Swords) Ludwig Kirschner Konrad Hupfer Max Stotz Heinrich Schweickhardt Wolfgang Schenck Hermann Seitz Josef Zwernemann Wolfgang Lüth (Swords & Diamonds) Werner Töniges Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz (Swords & Diamonds) Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Swords & Diamonds) Josef Wurmheller (Swords) Karl-Friedrich Merten Friedrich Lang (Swords) Alwin Boerst (Swords) Ekkehard Kylling-Schmidt Ernst Nobis Wolfgang Fischer Karl Allmendinger Heinrich Paepcke Hermann Balck (Swords & Diamonds) Walter Heitz Hermann Fegelein (Swords)? Helmuth von Ruckteschell Felix Steiner (Swords) Hubert Lanz Helmuth Schlömer Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim (Swords) Hartwig von Ludwiger Harald von Hirschfeld Josef Bremm (Swords)? Helmut Thumm Helmuth von Pannwitz Martin Fiebig
Recipients of 1943 Reiner Stahel (Swords) Fritz Feßmann (Swords) Friedrich Guggenberger Heinz Frank Ernst Kupfer (Swords) Bruno Dilley Gerhard Barkhorn (Swords) Wend von Wietersheim (Swords) Johann Mohr Friedrich Paulus Karl Willig Günther von Kluge (Swords) Waldemar von Gazen (Swords) Hans Kreysing (Swords) Reinhard Günzel Hugo Primozic Willy Riedel Georg Michael Gustav Pressler Carl Rodenburg Reinhold Knacke Erwin Fischer Hermann Hogeback (Swords) Helmut Bruck Alfons König (Swords) Kurt Meyer (Swords) Paul Gildner Werner Streib (Swords) Ludwig Becker Werner Baumgarten-Crusius Fritz Witt Hans Mikosch Walter Scheunemann Gustav Schmidt Eberhard Zahn Johann Mickl Wilhelm von Malachowski Bruno Kohnz Georg Lassen Erich von Lewinski (Swords) Georg Rietscher Karl Langesee Josef Kult Walter Hörnlein Theodor Nordmann (Swords) Georg-Wilhelm Postel (Swords) Robert Ritter von Greim (Swords) Hans-Karl von Scheele Heinrich Schüler Helmut Hudel Hinrich Schuldt (Swords) Otto Kumm (Swords) Rudolf Schlee Karl Dönitz Albrecht Brandi (Swords & Diamonds) Gerhard von Kamptz Siegfried Wuppermann Erich Klawe Peter Frantz Hans-Ulrich Rudel (Golden Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds) Paul-Werner Hozzel Georg Dörffel Egon Mayer (Swords) August Dieckmann (Swords) Otto von Bülow Willibald Borowietz Hans-Günther Stotten Paul Laux Gustav Höhne Karl-Adolf Hollidt Gerhard von Schwerin (Swords) Wilhelm Niggemeyer Franz Griesbach (Swords) Erich Bärenfänger (Swords) Richard Grünert Ernst Kruse Georg Bochmann (Swords) Karl Löwrick Martin Grase Friedrich Kemnade Robert Gysae Hans von Obstfelder (Swords) Karl Göbel Friedrich Höhne Günter Klappich Gustav Rödel Carl Emmermann Werner Henke Fritz Bayerlein (Swords) Walther von Hünersdorff Bernhard Sauvant Paul Hausser (Swords) Franz Bäke (Swords) Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld Manfred Meurer Heinrich Ehrler Theodor Weissenberger Joachim Kirschner Werner Schröer (Swords) Hajo Herrmann (Swords) Bruno Kahl Lothar Rendulic (Swords) Dietrich von Müller (Swords) Georg von Küchler Ernst Busch Georg Lindemann Paul Conrath Otto Baum (Swords) Hans Freiherr von Funck Alexander Conrady Erhard Raus Dietrich von Saucken (Swords & Diamonds) Hans Gollnick Alfred Eidel Paul Schultz Walter Krüger (Swords) Rolf Rocholl Hartmann Grasser Wolf-Udo Ettel Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (Swords) Hans Zorn Horst Großmann Walter Nowotny (Swords & Diamonds) Joachim Lemelsen Erich Jaschke Heinz Harmel (Swords) Hermann Prieß (Swords) Friedrich Hoßbach Siegfried Thomaschki Walter Lange Günther Pape Theodor Tolsdorff (Swords & Diamonds) Sylvester Stadler (Swords)? Ulrich Kleemann Kurt Student Alfred-Hermann Reinhardt (Swords) Hans Fritsche Bodo Spranz Josef Schreiber Hans-Gotthard Pestke Julius Ringel Rudolf Freiherr von Roman Ernst Voß Herbert Otto Gille (Swords & Diamonds) Albert Graf von der Goltz Eugen König Hermann Recknagel (Swords) Siegfried Grabert Heinrich Kiesling Otto von Knobelsdorff (Swords) Maximilian de Angelis Erich Brandenberger Otto-Ernst Remer Georg Christiansen Hans Dorr (Swords) Josef Heindl Willy Johannmeyer Karl-Friedrich Brill Johannes Block Hasso von Manteuffel (Swords & Diamonds) Gotthard Heinrici (Swords) Hans Schmidt Karl Mauss (Swords & Diamonds) Hans-Henning Freiherr von Beust Dietrich Hrabak Wilhelm Lemke Otto Schünemann Walter Hartmann (Swords) Ernst-August Fricke Ernst Wellmann Alfred Druffner Anton Grasser Kurt Walter Adolf Weitkunat Walter Elflein Willy Langkeit Andreas Thorey Sigfrid Henrici Heinrich Voigtsberger Christian Tychsen Alfred Müller Hans-Joachim Kahler Ernst Kühl Kurt von der Chevallerie Wilhelm Schmalz Albert Frey Heinrich Ochs
Recipients of 1944 Bernd Klug Klaus Feldt Walter Krauß Horst Hannig Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt Maximilian Fretter-Pico Hans Schlemmer August Schmidt Friedrich Wiese Walter Krüger Karl Koetz Hugo Kraas Eduard Hauser Joachim Peiper (Swords) Walter Fries (Swords) Michael Wittmann (Swords) Bernhard Flachs Richard Heidrich (Swords) Walther Nehring (Swords) Botho Kollberg Erich Löwe Günther Hilt Fritz Breithaupt Robert Martinek Josef Schneider Walter Möse Friedrich Kirchner (Swords) Hans Källner (Swords) Theodor Wisch (Swords) Heinrich-Walter Bronsart von Schellendorff Karl Lorenz Meinrad von Lauchert Josef Karl Ferdinand Schörner (Swords & Diamonds) Wilhelm Stemmermann Theo-Helmut Lieb Robert Kaestner Ernst-Günther Baade (Swords) Rudolf Kolbeck Maximilian Wengler (Swords) Walter Mix Otto Benzin Werner Forst Helmuth Weidling (Swords) Friedrich Mieth Hermann Hohn (Swords) Erich Walther (Swords) Ludwig Heilmann (Swords) Kurt Bühligen (Swords) Horst Ademeit Walter Krupinski August Geiger Hans-Dieter Frank Johannes Wiese Reinhard Seiler Erich Hartmann (Swords & Diamonds) Hermann-Heinrich Behrend (Swords) Gustav Stühmer Fritz von Scholz, Edler von Rarancze (Swords) Willi Thulke Josef Rettemeier Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz (Swords) Josef Bregenzer Friedrich Schulz (Swords) Werner Mummert (Swords) Hans-Joachim Jabs Bernhard Jope Wilhelm Schmitter Maximilian Otte Hansgeorg Bätcher Georg Koßmala Georg Grüner Eduard Tratt Fritz Petersen Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin Ludwig Müller Heinz Wittchow von Brese-Winiary Herbert Schwender Hans Kroh (Swords) Günther Radusch Johannes Frießner Alfred Grislawski Erich Rudorffer (Swords) Emil Lang Otto Kittel (Swords) Rudolf Schoenert Wilhelm Herget Anton Hafner Johannes Mayer (Swords) Heinrich Hogrebe Rudolf Geisler Heinrich von Vietinghoff Egon von Neindorff Karl-Lothar Schulz (Swords) Günther Schack Otto Pollmann Hans-Karl Stepp Martin Möbus Albin Wolf Heinz Vinke Karl Decker (Swords)? Erich Lorenz Wilhelm Eggemann Theodor von Lücken Otto Deßloch Leopold Münster Max Sachsenheimer (Swords) Martin Hrustak Johann Schwerdfeger Emil Vogel Rudolf Freiherr von Waldenfels Kilian Weimer Karl Ullrich Karl Henze Willy Marienfeld Ferdinand Wegerer Wolf Hagemann Hans Strippel Friedrich Hochbaum Ernst-Eberhard Hell Alfons Hitter Wolfgang Pickert Gottfried Weber Horst Niederländer Georg Bonk Ernst-Wilhelm Hoffmann Edwin Stolz Rudolf Petersen Götz Freiherr von Mirbach Diddo Diddens Ernst Sieler Erich Marcks Albert Brux Horst Kaubisch Hendrik Stahl Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (Swords & Diamonds) Adolf Glunz Eduard Skrzipek Reinhard Egger Herbert Huppertz Clemens-Heinrich Graf von Kageneck Werner Kolb Martin Unrein Erich Abraham Fritz-Hubert Gräser (Swords)? Friedrich Dollmann Gerd von Rundstedt (Swords) Hermann Wulf Erich Buschenhagen Heinz-Otto Fabian Karl Palmgreen Heinrich Hoffmann Heinz-Georg Lemm (Swords) Wilhelm Batz (Swords) Willy Kientsch Heinz Strüning Karl-Heinz Weber Otto Weßling Rudolf Frank Herbert Lamprecht Wilhelm von Salisch Gerhard Kruse Otto Carius Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski (Swords) Rudolf Demme Paul Schulze Kurt von Tippelskirch Willy Wesche Carl Hilpert Heinrich Nickel Curt Schille Martin Strahammer Gerhard Simons Max Wünsche Dietrich Kraiß Rudolf Bacherer Andreas von Aulock Hermann Siggel Gerhard Pick Heinz Macher Hinrich Warrelmann Rudolf Wulf Werner Schulze Walter Melzer Hellmuth Mäder (Swords) Rudolf Holste Kurt Pflugbeil Wilhelm Bittrich (Swords)? Eugen Meindl (Swords)? Hermann Flörke Martin Bieber Jakob Gansmeier Walter Misera Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz (Swords)? Heinz Greiner Christian Sonntag Hellmuth Pfeifer Rudolf Flinzer Walter Neitzel Richard Seuss Otto Lasch Alois Weber Gerhard Lindemann Johannes Bölter Gustav Reimar Otto Kähler Erich Pietzonka Walter Gericke Heinrich Trettner Hans Thurner Paul Zorner Hans von der Mosel Rudolf Haen Otto Schury Werner Marcks Ehrenfried-Oskar Boege Hellmuth Becker Johannes-Rudolf Mühlenkamp Friedrich-August Schack Ernst König Ernst Philipp Wolfgang Kretzschmar (Swords) Otto Meyer Hermann Scharnagel Konrad Sauer Jörg Burg Gerhard Behnke Gerhard Kunert Wilhelm Kohler Heinz Reinefarth Erich Straube Georg Graf von Rittberg Mortimer von Kessel Willi Koch Friedrich Strohm Theodor Krancke Georg Jakob Walter Schuck Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte Herbert Bauer Franz Kieslich Diether Lukesch Wilhelm Bleckwenn Arthur Jüttner (Swords) Johann-Georg Richert Werner Gust Othmar Kreuzinger Franz Weller Karl Thieme (Swords)? Hans-Christian Stock Gustav Schubert Johann Schalanda Helmut Leicht Günther Tonne Benno Reuter Paul Freiherr von Hauser Fritz-Rudolf Schultz Heinrich Busse Eduard Brunner Max Simon Johannes Blaskowitz (Swords) Klaus Hilgemann Gerhard Friedrich Maximilian Felzmann Johann-Heinrich Eckhardt Werner Hartmann Walter Weiß Gustav-Adolf von Zangen Gerd Ruge Wilhelm Weidenbrück Helmut Dörner (Swords) Albrecht Krügel Emil Badorrek Klaus Mietusch Heinz Meyer Wilhelm Antrup Heinrich Höfer Gerhart Schirmer Hans Seidemann Hans Hoßfeld Hubert Pölz Rudolf Witzig Georg-Peter Eder Rudolf Rennecke Otto Dommeratzky Karl Kennel Gerhard Michalski Gerhard Bremer Klaus von Bismarck Artur Phleps Otto Wöhler Helmuth Reymann Curt Ehle Kurt Maier Georg Sattler Walther Hahm Christian Braun Gerhard Engel Jürgen Wagner Friedrich Jakob Harry Hoppe Eduard Crasemann Andreas Kuffner Paul Klatt Günther-Eberhardt Wisliceny (Swords)? Otto Weidinger (Swords)?
Recipients of 1945 Heinrich Baron von Behr Kurt-Hermann Freiherr von Mühlen Walter Lucht Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth Kurt Gröschke Kurt Herzog Alois Eisele Volprecht Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach Joachim Brendel Wilhelm Hasse Claus Breger Bruno Streckenbach Max Reinwald Richard Henze Walther Risse Alexander Löhr Gerhard Schmidhuber Wilhelm Schöning Herbert Kündiger Albert Henze Erich Reuter Kurt Dahlmann Kurt Plenzat Herbert Rollwage Max Schäfer Hellmuth Böhlke Walter Süß Wilhelm Spindler Karl Arndt Joachim Rumohr August Zehender Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch Walther Dahl Ernst Jansa Jürgen Harder Joachim Sander Georg Graf von Plettenberg Maximilian von Weichs Wilhelm Osterhold Georg Jauer Karl-Heinz Oesterwitz Herbert Wittmann Herbert Schramm Anton-Otto Frank Eduard Zorn Günther Blumentritt Georg Gebhardt Ernst Knebel Fritz Klasing Edmund Blaurock Ludwig Schulz Rolf Hermichen Hans Krebs Heinz-Martin Ewert Fritz-Georg von Rappard Horst Warschnauer Ernst-August Krag Traugott Kempas Arthur Kullmer Michael Pössinger Othmar Pollmann Bern von Baer Hans Reichardt Werner Ebeling Hermann Niehoff (Swords)? Heinrich Götz Rudolf von Bünau Bruno Karczewski Erich Schneider Kurt Welter Helmut Renschler Wolfgang Rust Friedrich Sixt Kurt Witschel Clemens Betzel Franz Rogalski Ernst Kutschkau Egon Aghta Wilhelm Schröder Karl-Heinz Becker Heinz Rökker Robert Weiß Werner Pötschke Alfred Matern Fritz Vogt Karl-Heinz Jaeger Max Wandrey Hans Engelien Heinrich Ruhl Bruno Frankewitz Paul Scheuerpflug Martin Becker Ernst-Georg Kedzia Kuno von Meyer Walter Prüß Günther Konopacki Hans-Georg Herzog Rudolf Trittel Karl Wanka Harald Freiherr von Elverfeldt Friedrich Jeckeln Fritz Fullriede Johannes Spielmann Heinrich Keese Lothar Berger Helmuth Hufenbach Erich Schroedter Horst von Usedom Günther Josten Wilhelm Stähler Gerhard Stüdemann Walter Girg Horst von Mellenthin Martin Steglich Rudolf Neubert Friedrich Richter Ernst Kuppinger Otto Paetsch Hans von Tettau Gerhard Thyben Theodor Burchardi August Thiele Bruno Richter Otto Skorzeny Ernst-Anton von Krosigk Helmut Borchardt Carl Becker Kurt Röpke Friedrich Rögelein Alfred Simm Gerhard Raht Max Hansen Herbert Lütje Helmut Lipfert Josef Kraft Martin Drewes Hermann Greiner Paul Semrau Adolf Raegener Hans-Peter Knaust Eberhard Rodt Joachim Ziegler Hans-Joachim Kappis Karl Schrepfer Josef Prentl Rolf Thomsen Hans-Günther Lange Heinrich Hax Hanns Laengenfelder Richard Daniel Wolfgang von Bostell Gerhard Mokros Werner Ostendorff? Rudolf Lehmann? Karl Kreutz? Alfred Jodl? Adalbert von Blanc? Hermann Plocher? Franz Graßmel? Friedrich Lier? Oskar-Hubert Dennhardt? Matthias Kleinheisterkamp? Alfred Montag? Hans Meier? Alfons Rebane? Erich Schmidt? Joachim von Siegroth? Georg Störck? Franz Sensfuß? Joseph von Radowitz?
Foreign recipients (as individuals in the military of allies of the Third Reich) Mihail Lascăr Agustín Muñoz Grandes Isoroku Yamamoto (Swords) Corneliu Teodorini Petre Dumitrescu Mineichi Koga Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
in chronological order   This along with the ? (question mark) indicates doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.

German World War II flying aces with 100+ aerial victories
300+	Erich Hartmann (352) Gerhard Barkhorn (301)
250–299	Günther Rall (275) Otto Kittel (267) Walter Nowotny (258)
200–249	Wilhelm Batz (237) Erich Rudorffer (222) Heinrich Bär (220) Hermann Graf (212) Heinrich Ehrler (208) Theodor Weissenberger (208) Hans Philipp (206) Walter Schuck (206) Anton Hafner (204) Helmut Lipfert (203)
150–199	Walter Krupinski (197) Anton Hackl (192) Joachim Brendel (189) Max Stotz (189) Joachim Kirschner (188) Kurt Brändle (180) Günther Josten (178) Johannes Steinhoff (176) Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (174) Günther Schack (174) Emil Lang (173) Heinz Schmidt (173) Horst Ademeit (166) Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (162) Hans-Joachim Marseille (158) Heinrich Sturm (158) Gerhard Thyben (157) Hans Beißwenger (152) Peter Düttmann (152) Gordon Gollob (150)
100–149	Fritz Tegtmeier (146) Albin Wolf (144) Kurt Tanzer (143) Friedrich-Karl Müller (140) Karl Gratz (138) Heinrich Setz (138) Rudolf Trenkel (138) Franz Schall (137) Walter Wolfrum (137) Horst-Günther von Fassong (136)? Otto Fönnekold (136) Karl-Heinz Weber (136) Joachim Müncheberg (135) Hans Waldmann (134) Alfred Grislawski (133) Johannes Wiese (133) Adolf Borchers (132) Erwin Clausen (132) Adolf Dickfeld (132) Wilhelm Lemke (131) Gerhard Hoffmann (130) Heinrich Sterr (130) Walther Dahl (129) Franz Eisenach (129) Franz Dörr (128) Rudolf Rademacher (126)? Josef Zwernemann (126) Dietrich Hrabak (125) Wolf-Udo Ettel (124) Herbert Ihlefeld (123) Wolfgang Tonne (122) Heinz Marquardt (121) Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (121) Robert Weiß (121) Friedrich Obleser (120) Erich Leie (118) Franz-Josef Beerenbrock (117) Hans-Joachim Birkner (117) Jakob Norz (117) Walter Oesau (117) Heinz Wernicke (117) August Lambert (116) Wilhelm Crinius (114) Werner Schröer (114) Hans Dammers (113) Berthold Korts (113) Helmut Lent (113) Kurt Bühligen (112) Kurt Ubben (110) Franz Woidich (110) Reinhard Seiler (109) Emil Bitsch (108) Hans Hahn (108) Bernhard Vechtel (108) Viktor Bauer (106) Werner Lucas (106) Günther Lützow (105) Eberhard von Boremski (104) Adolf Galland (104) Heinz Sachsenberg (104) Hartmann Grasser (103) Siegfried Freytag (102) Friedrich Geißhardt (102) Egon Mayer (102) Max-Hellmuth Ostermann (102) Josef Wurmheller (102) Rudolf Miethig (101) Werner Mölders (101) Josef Priller (101) Ulrich Wernitz (101)   This along with the ? (question mark) indicates doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.

German World War II jet aces
Kurt Welter (20+) Heinrich Bär (16) Franz Schall (14) Hermann Buchner (12) Georg-Peter Eder (12) Erich Rudorffer (12) Karl Schnörrer (11) Erich Büttner (8) Helmut Lennartz (8) Rudolf Rademacher (8) Walter Schuck (8) Günther Wegmann (8) Hans-Dieter Weihs (8) Theodor Weissenberger (8) Alfred Ambs (7) Heinz Arnold (7) Karl-Heinz Becker (7) Adolf Galland (7) Franz Köster (7) Fritz Müller (6) Johannes Steinhoff (6) Helmut Baudach (5) Heinrich Ehrler (5) Hans Grünberg (5) Joseph Heim (5) Klaus Neumann (5) Alfred Schreiber (5) Wolfgang Späte (5)
See also List of German World War II aces