Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Bartels
© Dan & Nick’s Collaborative Experten Biographies

[photo credits | alchetron.com]
1943, The ‘Red 13’. A Me 109 G-6 (Wnr 27169).

[photo credits | Aces of the Luftwaffe]
Kalamaki airfield.
His 70th victory, a P-38 on the 15th of November.
Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Bartels flew approximately 500 combat missions and shot down 99 enemy aircraft:



His score included NINE P-47 Thunderbolts, ELEVEN P-51 Mustangs and FOURTEEN P-38 Lightnings…
Bartels was born 13 July 1918 in Linz, Austria and killed in action 23 December 1944 near Villip, Southwest of Bonn. He was 26 years old.


24 out of his 42 claims are verified
, while 18 victories are proven overclaims
.


A disappointing 57.1% accuracy…

So for a better overall picture, Bartles has 67 verifiable victories. Of those 67 claims, 32 are positively identified. With a total of 35 overclaims, this gives him a dismal 47.7% accuracy…..

Austria’s unification with Nazi Germany in 1938 happened, and Bartels was drafted into the Luftwaffe.

There is a photo of Heinrich Bartels of 8./JG 5 after his 100th combat mission on 11 September 1942. His Bf109F “Black 13” was named Marga, in honour of his Wife….

Heinrich completed his training as a pilot in late July 1941.





19.8.1941
Spitfire
Erg./JG 26




Nick Hector



2.

3.Erg/JG 26
Spitfire IIA
Wedumer-Alten Probably P8726 of 403 sqn RCAF. F/L E C Cathels POW



It was not a confirmed victory.

8./JG 5
MiG-3


According to info on www.Luftwaffe.cz , he claimed a MiG-3 on this date. But according to his unit (11/JG 1) info on www.ww2.dk, his unit only moved from the Channel Front to Trondheim, Norway in February, and then to Petsamo, in the Northern Front in April. I think there is a mix-up with this date.

Victory #’s 3 – 49 were scored during 1942. (47 total victories)
On 10 March 1942, 11./JG 1 was officially redesignated 8./JG 5.

This unit was under the command of Hauptmann Hermann Segatz (40 victories, DK-G) and was based on the Northern or Polar front (ARTIK).

Hurricane
Ura Guba 769 IAP. Slight overclaiming, only one loss: Starshiy Politruk Leonty Anokhin baled out safely. (Also claimed by Oskar Timm)
Another Hurricane of 769 IAP was hit and force landed on Arktika a/f. Pilot Ml Lt Berezovsky V.G



1x Hurricane (09h50) near Ura-Guba – way too far from all locations below
Day’s losses : 2 GSAP lost 2 Hurricanes (Lt. S.G. Polyakov [10h33], b/out safely, near Murmansk) and 769 IAP lost 3 Hurricanes (St. Politruk L.A. Anokhin [10h58], b/out safely, Ml. Lt. V.G. Berezovsky [10h45] b/landing, Sgt. Yu.A. Zhilin, hit by AA friendly fire, b/out safely, all near Murmashi)
(In Valery’s list Lt V.P. Pokrovsky was shot down on 26 Apr 1942. Valery’s mistake. He was shotdown on the 28th).

Curtiss
P-40 (“Hurricane”)
Titowka Day’s losses include Alexei Stepanovich Khlobystov of 20 GIAP, rammed a Bf109 in P-40E-1 41-24879. Unit also suffered Mladshiy Leytenant Pshenev damaged in combat (Heinz Beyer also claimed around this time)



1x Hurricane (18h35) near Titovka
Day’s losses : 2 GSAP lost 3 Hurricanes (Kaps V.N. Alagurov [19h15] and P.I. Orlov [19h15], both safe and Sgt. A.F. Garashchenko [19h15], KIA) and 78 IAP SF lost 1 I-16 (St. Sgt. D.V. Budkin [19h15], safe). All 4 losses were near Mishukovo, over 70km from where he claimed.


2 x Hurricane IIBs? (“I-61s”)
N of Murmansk @ 4000m 769 IAP, 122 IAD lost Lt. Grigorii D Ogoltsov and Hurricane IIB BG933 of Serzhant S F Kramor KIA in air combat this date






2x I-61 (10h15, 16) N of Murmansk
Day’s losses : 769 IAP lost 3 Hurricanes (Lt. G.D. Ogoltsov [17h29], St. Sgt. S.F. Kramor [17h29], both KIA and St. Sgt. I.M. Klyutchenko [17h29], b/out safely, 5 km W of Murmansk). at 17:38, 6.Staffelkapitän Oblt Hartwein claimed a Hurricane, but by the time we can see he did not claim against these aircraft.


2 x Curtiss P-40s
Schonguy-Murmash 195 IAP. Losses include Starshina Aleksey Nikitovich Trushin KIA






2x P-40 (12h40, 45) area between Murmansk and Murmashi
Day’s losses : 78 IAP SF lost 1 Hurricane (St. Lt. E.M. Dilonyan [13h30], b/out wounded (would lose his arm), near Vayenga-2 A/f), 767 IAP lost 1 Hurricane (St. Sgt. N.V. Babonin [13h30], b/out safely, SW of Murmansk) and 768 IAP (Kap. V.I. Ivanov [13h30], safe, over Gryaznaya Guba). Hermann Segatz also made 1 claim in the same misson.




3x Hurricane (18h50, 55, 19h05) NW of Murmansk
Day’s losses : 197 IAP lost 3 Hurricanes (Lt. V.K. Rutkovskiy [19h24], Mia and Kapt. V.A. Pavlov [19h24], made E/L safely, St. Sgt Chentsov [19h24], made E/L at home airfield, all in the Murmansk area) and 760 IAP lost 1 Hurricane (Kap. A.A. Semenov [17h30], KIA, near Louhi, Karelia). The last should not be counted because it was too far south, near the White Sea area. During this mission 9 claims were made overall.


1x Hurricane (20h20) NW of Murmansk
No losses registered on this day.



1 x I-153 and 2 x Curtiss P-40s
Known to be overclaims









1x I-153 (15h06) near Vayenga
2x P-40 (15h15, 20) near Vayenga
Day’s losses : 27 IAP lost 1 I-16 (Sgt. N.E. Lebedev [15h55], b/out safely, near Vayenga-1 A/f) and 255 IAP had 1 LaGG-3 damaged (St. Sgt. P.T. Popov [16h20], safe, action took place over the frontline but he makes it back to Vayenga-2 A/f). Josef Kaiser and Kurt Dylewski also claimed one I-153 each.




1 x P-39, 1 x I-180 and 1 x Curtiss P-40
27 IAP or VVS 14th Army. Actual losses were only one I-16 and one P-40. Pilots were Serzhant Silayev and Serzhant Yemelyanov. Additionally, two P-40s and one I-16 were damaged (versus ca. 12 claims)









1x P-39 (11h15), 1x I-180 (11h15), 1x P-40 (11h25), all S of Murmashi
Day’s losses : 20 IAP SF lost 2 Yak-1s (Sgt. K.P. Sulimov, KifA, Sgt. B.P. Mitin, KIA shotdown by LaGG.-3, both near Vayenga-1 A/f), 19 GIAP lost one P-40E plus 2 heavily damaged (Sgt. V.V. Silayev [11h46], b/out safely, near Magnetity, Lt G.F.Dmitryuk heavily damaged,[ 19 GIAP CO] Maj A.A. Novozhilov [11h46], belly landed back at base), 197 IAP lost one Hurricane (Kap. V.A. Pavlov [08h08], b/out safely near Murmashi), 27 IAP lost 2x I-16 (Sgts. V.N. Yemelyanov [12h05) and I.S. Yedush [12h05], both belly landed, Murmansk area).
Of these we may probably exclude both Yaks and the 197 IAP Hurricane. So we are left with 5 losses for a total of 8 claims. There were 2 I-16 but no claims for them. Misidentification??




1x Hurricane (08h25), 2x I-61 (08h30, 40) all in the Murmansk vicinity
On this day there were no registered fighter losses.




In two missions he made 3 claims.
1x P-39 (11h35) W of Murmansk
Hermann Segatz also claimed (P-40)
2x P-40 (15h08, 09) W of Murmansk
Ofw. Herzog and Uffz. Vettermann also claimed one each, and Weissemberger also made 1 claim.
Day’s losses : 2 GSAP lost one Hurricane (Kapt. S.G.Kourzenkov (12h30), engine failure, makes E/L at Vayenga), 20 IAP SF lost one Yak-1 (Sgt V.A.Bourmatov [12h30], damaged, b/landed back at base Vayenga), 255 IAP SF lost one LAGG-3 (Ml Lt K.A.Bagrayev [12h45], b/out (probably hit by Weinitschke), Vayenga), 837 IAP lost one Hurricane (St.Lt B.S. Antonenko [15h33], KIA, Murmashi a/f), 197 IAP lost two Hurricanes (Sgt A.M.Brovtsev [15h37], WIA, C/L, died the following day. Murmashi a/f, Sgt M.N.Ivantsov [15h37], b/out WIA, Murmashi a/f)
So, for the 1st mission we have 2 claims for 2 (possibly only one) losses. For the 2nd mission we have 5 claims for two losses.


1x P-39 (10h35) W of Murmansk
Day’s losses : 19 GIAP lost one P-39 (Lt. E.A. Krisvosheyev, KIA, rammed a Bf-109 of Ogf Guenther Hoffmann). Reportedly they were damaged but all landed. There was a total of 4 claims at this time.




1x I-180 (15h30), 2x I-61 (15h35, 37) area N of Vayenga (Severomorsk)
Day’s losses : 255 IAP SF lost one LaGG-3 (St. Lt. I.I. Voinov [19h00], KIA, near Luostari A/f). This loss was near one of the German A/fs which is over 100km away from where he claimed…….But it was found 20km W of Murmansk in 1999.







During two missions made 6 claims.
4x Hurricane (12h07, 08, 13, 15) area E of Murmansk
2x I-61 (15h12, 21) area E of Murmansk
Kurt Dylewski and Heinz Beyer also made 1 claim each.
Day’s losses :
Overall 609 IAP lost one LaGG-3 (Maj. P.F. Yelizariev, KifA, Afrikanda A/f), 2 GSAP lost one P-40 (Sgt. V.N. Yemelyanov [12h30], safe , near Vayenga-1 A/f), presumably hit by Weissenberger.
255 IAP SF lost one LaGG-3 (St. Sgt. G.V. Makarenko [15h55], KIA, near Vayenga-1 A/f), presumably hit by Weissenberger, 837 IAP lost one Hurricane (Starshina V.A. Bishutin [15h47], b/out, KIA, near Murmashi).
Of these 609 IAP’s LaGG may be excluded because it was lost in an accident and it was far south of where all the claims were made and it was a non-combat loss. In all, 3 losses to 9 claims throughout the day plus 2 by Weissenberger.


2x I-180 (12h55, 56) E of Murmansk
Heinz Beyer also made 1 claim.
On this day there were no registered fighter losses.


2x I-61 (13h25, 28) N of Murmansk
There were no registered losses on this day.




3x LaGG-3 (13h45, 45, 45)
Day’s losses : 835 IAP lost one Hurricane (Stna. Nazarov [13h00], b/out safely, near Gremyakha), 255 IAP SF lost two LAGG-3s (Stna. S.D. Filippov [14h30], KIA and Kap. I.I. Sevryukov [14h30], safe, both near Vayenga-2 A/f).
Because of the time difference we can exclude 835 IAP’s machine. Overall 5 claims were made for 2 losses.


1055
8./JG 5
LaGG-3
36 Ost/2928


1x LaGG-3 (10h55) near Murmashi
Day’s losses : 2 GSAP lost one P-40 (Maj. I.K. Tumanov, KifA, Vayenga-1 A/f). Total of 3 claims. Aircraft lost in accident…….








1 x P-39 and 2 x Curtiss P-40s
122 IAD had at least two losses: Maj. Aleksandr P Olisekh (name possibly incorrectly translated or copied) of unit unknown KIA and Serzhant Viktor Gusev of 767 IAP KIA (versus 5 possible claims)









1x P-39 (14h15), 2x P-40 (14h18, 20)
Day’s losses : 122 IAD HQ lost one Yak-7B (Maj. A.P. Olisov [16h04], KIA), 767 IAP lost three Hurricanes (St. Sgt. V.M. Gusev [16h04], KIA, St. Sgts. N.V. Babonin [16h04] and G.P. Tretyakov [16h04], both safe, all in the Murmashi area). Stepfan Mayer also made one claim.





First he woke up Schuck, and made him drink Cognac, each time pouring the liquor over his new Knight’s cross, to “baptize” it.
Meanwhile Kurt Dylewski, his inseparable Wingman (also very drunk) started playing the guitar extremely loud and extremely false.
After leaving Schuck (and three empty cognac bottles) Bartels went on a drunken rampage:

After realizing whom he was beating up, the driver panicked and ran into the enlisted quarters, went to bed and pretended to sleep.
Bartels followed him and searched the barracks for the drivers wet boots, finally finding them and then promptly beating the crap out of the guy in the bed, next to the boots.

After that, Bartels and Dylewski went to the civilian quarters and invaded the billet of the Lapland women who were employed in cleaning and washing duties in Petsamo.
He lifted every blanket and each time he shouted (in broad austrian dialect):
“Pfui Teifi, A so a brutaler Wahnsinn, s’stinkt furchtbor noch Kas! Ois Kas, gonz a oiter Kas!”
(Roughly translated “Wow, it really smells like cheese under here, terrible old cheese!”)
The semi-nomadic laplanders had a bit of a strong smell apparently.


He then led the mule to the billet of the “Spie” (Company Sergeant) of his staffel, and made it stand halfly on the sleeping man’s bed.



After that, Bartels finally went to sleep.




From August 1943 he served with 15 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 (15./JG 27). He had 49 victories to his credit at this time.


He scores his 50th and 51st victories.

1.10.1943
Boston
11./JG 27
NW Kos

1.10.1943
Boston
11./JG 27
NW Kos





2 x B-24 Liberators
Salonika sector
Bartels is credited with 41-24035 “The Gremlin” of 376th BG. Crew of Charles A Petty, 8 KIA and 2 POW



52.
5.10.1943
12:23
B-24
11./JG 27
Márikon
53.
5.10.1943
12:33
B-24
11./JG 27
Petrálona





3 x P-38 Lightnings
Lebedaia sector
82nd FG. – P-38G-10-LOs 42-13062 James P Shawver KIA (definite JG 27 victim) and 43-2332 Clayton A Bennett evaded (the latter came from 95th FS, also definitely to JG 27 over Greece)





54.
8.10.1943
13:15
P-38 11./JG 27 20km S Leváhdia
55.
8.10.1943
13:52
P-38 11./JG 27 1km SW Kap Vourlas
56.
8.10.1943
13:55
P-38 11./JG 27 5km W Kap Velanida
57.

Italian Co-Belligerent Re2002 (“Spitfire”)
SSW of Podgorica airfield @ 2000m 208 sq. 5 Stormo. Ten. Ugo Bassi MIA and Serg. Aldrovandi POW (Kirschner claimed 2 as well)

57.
23.10.1943
13:11
Spitfire 11./JG 27 SSW Podgorica







25.10.1943
13:17
Whitley 11./JG 27 S Bar

25.10.1943
13:20
P-38 11./JG 27 S Bar

25.10.1943
13:22
P-38 11./JG 27 S Bar

25.10.1943
P-38 11./JG 27 N Kap Rodonit


2 x P-38Fs
Kap Rodoni sector 12th or 15th AAF. Believed to be overclaiming, no known losses



62.
31.10.1943
15:15
P-38 11./JG 27 Kap Rodonit
63.
31.10.1943
15:20
P-38 11./JG 27 SW Kap Rodonit

2.11.1943
13:47
Spitfire 11./JG 27 WSW Skutari

2.11.1943
Spitfire 11./JG 27 WSW Skutari

4.11.1943
16:25
Boston 11./JG 27 W Durazzo





4 x P-38s SE of Kalamaki
Overclaiming, several sources say only 2 P-38s lost this day:
P-38F-15-LO 43-2184 of 71st FS, 1st FG (definitely to IV./JG 27, James A McClure KIA) and P-38G-10-LO 42-13238 of 82nd FG, but have also found 42-13275 of 5 PRG (12th AAF)
(There were 13 claims in total….)







67.
15.11.1943
13:10
P-38 11./JG 27 SE Kalamaki
68.
15.11.1943
13:10
P-38 11./JG 27 SE Kalamaki
69.
15.11.1943
13:11
P-38 11./JG 27 SE Kalamaki
70.
15.11.1943
13:12
P-38 11./JG 27 SE Kalamaki




This time, it was 2x B-25s and a P-38 Lightning, ALL WITHIN 8 MINUTES.


2 x B-25s
NE of Kalamaki
Day’s only known loss was B-25C-20 Mitchell 42-64540 of 486th BS, 340th BG. 4 KIA, 1 POW, 1 evaded (It was likely one of Bartels’ claims as it was lost near Kalamaki)
(versus 5 claims in total)




P-38
E off of Marathon 12th or 15th AAF. Likely overclaiming, no known losses

71.
17.11.1943
12:50
B-25 11./JG 27 NE Kalamaki
72.
17.11.1943
12:52
B-25 11./JG 27 NE Kalamaki
73.
17.11.1943
12:58
P-38 11./JG 27 E Marathon

He was then sent to Reichsverteidigung duties and operated in these duties during April and May 1944.

11.4.1944
16:32
P-38 11./JG 27 20 km NW Graz

23.4.1944
8:20
Spitfire 11./JG 27 10 km SW Cilli

23.4.1944
8:22
Spitfire 11./JG 27 15 km SW Cilli

23.4.1944
8:23
Spitfire 11./JG 27 20 km SW Cilli







2 x P-51 Mustangs
10km W of Muehldorf
Joe Baugher attributes 42-106433/(OS-R?) of 357th FS, 355th FG Lt. Robert L Norman KIA to Bartels



78.
24.4.1944
13:45
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km W Mühldorf
79.
24.4.1944
13:47
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km W Mühldorf
80.
24.4.1944
P-51 11./JG 27 N Waldkraiburg




2 x P-51 Mustangs
15km NE of Laibach HQ of 352nd FG lost 42-103316/PZ- of LtCol. Eugene L Clark KIA.
Also 42-103295/D7- of 503rd FS, 339th FG, Lt. Robert F Mulvey KIA



81.
28.4.1944
10:38
P-51 11./JG 27 15 km NE Laibach
82.
28.4.1944
10:39
P-51 11./JG 27 15 km NE Laibach

19.5.1944
13:25
P-47 11./JG 27 15 km SW Quenstedt

19.5.1944
13:27
P-47 11./JG 27 Quedlinburg

19.5.1944
13:30
P-51 11./JG 27 S Aschersleben





4 x P-47 Thunderbolts
Argentan-Falaise sector Most likely 377th FS, 362nd FG. Includes 42-8498/E4- of 2/Lt. John J Drabek force landed POW ; 42-26148/E4- of 1/Lt. Richard M Hoff KIA and 42-75583/E4- of 2/Lt. John C Larkin evaded capture (all attributed to Fw190s near Elbeuf)







86.
14.6.1944
7:28
P-47 11./JG 27 Argentan
87.
14.6.1944
7:29
P-47 11./JG 27 Falaise
88.
14.6.1944
7:30
P-47 11./JG 27 Argentan
89.
14.6.1944
8:05
P-47 11./JG 27 15 km SW Paris

16.6.1944
20:47
P-47 11./JG 27 W Dives-sur-Mer

16.6.1944
20:48
P-47 11./JG 27 Dives-sur-Mer

22.6.1944
14:10
Spitfire 11./JG 27 WSW Caen

22.6.1944
14:17
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km SW Caen





2 x P-51 Mustangs
Flers sector
8th or 9th AAF. Likely overclaiming. Only two known losses this date were from 363rd FG, neither of them directly attributable to these combats



94.
24.6.1944
15:05
P-51 11./JG 27 S Flers
95.
24.6.1944
15:08
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km SW Flers

25.6.1944
9:05
P-38 11./JG 27 15 km SE Blois






8.12.1944
9:50
P-51 15./JG 27 NW Achmer

18.12.1944
13:48
P-51 15./JG 27 Eifelraum

Gaining altitude they flew to the Köln – Bonn area.

Bartels promptly bounced and shot down one of the American P-47 Thunderbolt fighters on the tail of Rossingers’ Bf109….




P-47D Thunderbolt
Bad Godesberg area
56th FG. Was this 44-19767/LM-M of 62nd FS? Lt. Charles E Carlson KIA.
Or 44-20615/LM-B “West o’ the Rockies” also of 62nd FS? Lt. Lewis R Brown POW.
63rd FS also lost 44-19911/UN-R of F/O John E Lewis KIA

99.
23.12.1944
P-47 15./JG 27 near Bad Godesberg





Heinrich Bartels failed to return and was declared missing.
24 years later, on 26 January 1968, Bartels’ Bf 109 G-10 (W.Nr. 130 359) “Yellow 13” was found at Villip near Bad Godesberg.




“Only a few hundred yards away, near the moated castle of Gudenau, a Messerschmitt struck with an incredibly violent impact and buried itself deep in the frozen ground. No parachute was seen, and it was to be 24 years, almost to the day (26 January 1968- LMR), before more was known about this crash.

This was the 99th kill scored by this 26-year-old holder of the Knight’s Cross from Linz on the Danube, who had been flying with IV./JG27 since May 1943.” (Girbig, p. 72)



‘Flying with Bartels is halfway life-insurance’ the airmen say. A cloud of invulnerability surrounds him. He is a moral support to the young pilots. That is why it strikes the Geschwader especially painfully when at noon on the 23 December, it is established: Oberfeldwebel Heinz Bartels has not returned from a mission against the enemy!

“On this day I was a Rottenfuehrer in Heinz’s Schwarm. If I remember correctly, Oberfaehnrich Brand was his Kaczmarek. The scramble was at 11 O’clock. Because my machine would not start, I jumped into a machine that was standing on the edge of dispersal, which did not have a working high-altitude supercharger as it later turned out.
I flew after the Staffel as it was forming up and still managed to reach my Schwarm. We were constantly climbing in the direction of Cologne-Bonn. Over Bonn at 7500m, the drop-tanks from Thunderbolts tumbled down in front of us.
The “Red-snouts” were above us. During the constantly-climbing dogfight which resulted, I lagged more and more behind my Schwarm.
Four Thunderbolts promptly banked in behind me. I was still able to see how Hein did a sharp left bank back to me and shot down a Thunderbolt.

During the wild dogfight, my ‘mill’ was shot in flames and I baled out over Meckenheim.”

49 on the Eastern front with JG 5 and 50 with JG 27 in the Mediterranean and in Defence of Germany. His score included nine P-47s, eleven P-51s and fourteen P-38s!
Bartels is buried in the cemetery of Wachtberg, Villip. close by is the grave of Oberst Johannes “Macky” Steinhoff.



All of them were Fw 190s, except for 4 x Bf 109s, credited to Lt. Eugene M. Beason (1), Lt. William C. Daley (1), Capt. Felix D. Williamson (1), and Col. David C. Schilling (3).
In the confusion of battle it’s possible that some Bf 109s were misidentified as Fw 190s, or vice versa.

Uwe Benkel
, noted historian and aircraft recovery expert, also did a second recovery excavation of Heinrich Bartels G-10.There was some yellow paint flecks perhaps indicating that was the “13”, although no definitive or partial figures were found.
However, there were no indication or proof that the aircraft had rudder markings or his wife’s name (Marga) like his earlier G-6.




Ehrenpokal (5 October 1942)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (20 October 1942)
Ritterkreuz (13 November 1942)

Erg./JG 26, JG 1, JG 5, JG 27

Jerry Crandall
and a gentleman unnamed as of right now…The Gift.
“In July of 2001, I was fortunate to be able to attend the IPMS/USA National Convention in Chicago, IL and meet many, many friends there…among whom were Jerry and
Judy Crandall
of Eagle Editions.I’ve known them for some time, and Jerry had been mentioning to me for the preceding few months that he had a gift for me the next time he saw me.
I wasn’t entirely sure what he might have in mind, but when I did finally meet up with them at the convention, nothing could have prepared me for what he brought.
Jerry handed me a package wrapped in bubblewrap, and I couldn’t quite figure out what it was at first. As I opened up the package, though, a chill ran through me…
I recognized what it was immediately, the aft corner of the starboard panel of an “Erla Haube”, and one which had clearly seen better days. Stunned, I asked if he knew where it came from.
“Bartels” was all he said.
There are few times in my life that I’ve been at a complete loss for words…this was one of them.
Heinrich Bartels’ last earthly moments were spent looking through this canopy. I still get a chill holding the piece, knowing its story.
I am deeply grateful to Jerry and Judy for their generosity and friendship, and am still inspired by their unrelenting generosity and good cheer.”
The Canopy Piece.
The piece itself is quite substantial; the most surprising aspect is the thickness of the Plexiglas. Note also that a hand-engraved serial number (beginning with 109, appropriately enough) appears on the upper aft edge of the piece.
In looking at the scarring present on the piece, there are several gouges which look as though a high-speed drill were run against the Plexiglas, causing a semi-circular melted area to appear… it is possible that these might be nicks from .50 caliber bullets, as the size seems to be consistent with a .50 cal slug.
Further evidence to support this would be the manner of Bartels’ crash…the 109 went straight in at maximum velocity, indicating that Bartels had been hit or killed prior to impact.
Whatever the cause, this very historic artifact speaks volumes of the ferocity of the crash, and it’s sobering to know that Heinrich Bartels spent his last seconds of life looking through this canopy…
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owners © Dan & Nick’s Collaborative Experten Biographies.
AWG Team would like to thank Dan Case & Nick Hector for their contribution and continuous support for our Project.
More Biographies from Dan Case and Nick Hector | ‘Dan & Nicks’ Luftwaffe Aces’ Biographies/Claims Vault’.