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Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Bartels

Β© 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:
πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ 49 of his 99 victories were claimed on the Eastern Front with JG 5.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ 50 of his 99 victories were registered with JG 27 on the Mediterranean Front and in the Defence of Germany.
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.
πŸ’― He was officially credited with 99 victories.
πŸ”°According to Nick Hectors’ research of loss records, we find a total of 42 claims that are verifiable through available records.
24 out of his 42 claims are verified βœ…, while 18 victories are proven overclaims ❌.
A disappointing 57.1% accuracy…
πŸ›‘With the additional research provided by Valery Smirnov and Paulo Santos, we can add in another 25 claims, of which ONLY 8 can be confirmed. This includes an additional 17 overclaims. …
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…..
πŸ“ŒBorn in Austria and working as a baker to his late teenage years, it wasn’t long before his life would change.
Austria’s unification with Nazi Germany in 1938 happened, and Bartels was drafted into the Luftwaffe.
πŸ’Bartels’ wife’s name was Marga (Margo), and they had one son, Heinz.
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….
πŸ¦… Bartels served with the ErgΓ€nzungsstaffel (Training/Supplement Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 26 “Schlageter” from the early summer of 1941 onward.
Heinrich completed his training as a pilot in late July 1941.
πŸ’₯πŸ‡«πŸ‡·πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ During late summer, he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 26 (Fighter Wing 26β€”JG 26) on the Channel Front which was tasked with intercepting Royal Air Force (RAF) incursions over occupied France and Belgium.
🎯 He achieved his first confirmed aerial victory on 19 August 1941, a RAF Spitfire.
πŸ’₯1.
19.8.1941
Spitfire
Erg./JG 26
πŸ“ŒBartels claimed his second Spitfire shot down on 27 August, 1941.
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°Claims Research Verification by
Nick Hector
πŸ›‘πŸ›‘πŸ›‘Research posted by Valery Smirnov
2.
πŸ”°27.8.41/1145
3.Erg/JG 26
Spitfire IIA
Wedumer-Alten Probably P8726 of 403 sqn RCAF. F/L E C Cathels POWβœ…
πŸ’₯πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ On the 24th of January 1942, Bartels claims a Mig-3 destroyed while ferrying a Bf 109 to his forward airbase in Russia.
It was not a confirmed victory.
πŸ’₯24.1.1942
8./JG 5
MiG-3
πŸ›‘24 Jan 42❌
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.
πŸ“Œ Bartels was officially transferred to 11./JG 1 on 27 January 1942, on the Eastern Front, where he would be awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for 46 aerial victories.
Victory #’s 3 – 49 were scored during 1942. (47 total victories)
On 10 March 1942, 11./JG 1 was officially redesignated 8./JG 5.
πŸ† Bartels was to become one of the most successful pilots of 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).
πŸ”°26.4.42/0950
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.Gβœ…
πŸ›‘26 Apr 42❌
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).
πŸ”°14.5.42/1835
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)βœ…
πŸ›‘14 May 42❌
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.
πŸ”°πŸ”°29.7.42/1015 and 1016
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 dateβœ…βœ…
πŸ›‘29 Jul 42βœ…βœ…
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.StaffelkapitΓ€n Oblt Hartwein claimed a Hurricane, but by the time we can see he did not claim against these aircraft.
πŸ”°πŸ”°5.8.42/1240 and 1245
2 x Curtiss P-40s
Schonguy-Murmash 195 IAP. Losses include Starshina Aleksey Nikitovich Trushin KIAβœ…βŒ
πŸ›‘5 Aug 42βœ…βœ…
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.
πŸ›‘10 Aug 42βœ…βœ…βŒ
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.
πŸ›‘11 Aug 42❌
1x Hurricane (20h20) NW of Murmansk
No losses registered on this day.
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°13.8.42/1506 to 1520
1 x I-153 and 2 x Curtiss P-40s
Known to be overclaims❌❌❌
πŸ›‘13 Aug 42βŒβœ…βŒ
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.
πŸ“ŒServing with 8./JG 5, Bartels scored 21 victories in September 1942 alone.
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°2.9.42/1115 to 1125
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)βœ…βŒβœ…
πŸ›‘2 Sept 42βœ…βœ…βœ…
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??
πŸ“ŒDuring this period, overclaims were made by both sides. JG 5 claimed some 72 victories in August 1942, but Soviet records indicate 24 Soviet aircraft lost with another 7 damaged and 13 aircraft missing, and another 4 were shot down by ground fire.
πŸ₯‡Bartels recorded 47 Russian aircraft shot down in 100 missions in this Theatre, including 21 victories in September 1942 alone.
πŸ›‘5 Sept 42❌
1x Hurricane (08h25), 2x I-61 (08h30, 40) all in the Murmansk vicinity
On this day there were no registered fighter losses.
πŸ›‘8 Sept 42βœ…βŒβœ…
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.
πŸ›‘9 Sept 42❌
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.
πŸ›‘11 Sept 1942βœ…βŒβŒ
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.
πŸ›‘22 Sept 1942βŒβœ…βŒβŒβœ…βŒ
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.
πŸ›‘29 Sept 1942❌
2x I-180 (12h55, 56) E of Murmansk
Heinz Beyer also made 1 claim.
On this day there were no registered fighter losses.
πŸ›‘20 Oct 1942❌
2x I-61 (13h25, 28) N of Murmansk
There were no registered losses on this day.
πŸ›‘29 Oct 1942βŒβœ…βŒ
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.
πŸ’₯Bartles makes another unconfirmed claim over a Russian LaGG-3 on 5 November 1942.
πŸ’₯5.11.1942
1055
8./JG 5
LaGG-3
36 Ost/2928
πŸ›‘5 Nov 1942❌
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…….
πŸ†πŸ₯‡Bartels is awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for scoring a total of 46 confirmed aerial victories on 13 November 1942.
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ’₯Just before his unexpected transfer to Greece, Bartels scored 3 more victories on 23 March 1943.
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°23.3.43/1415 – 1420
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)βœ…βŒβœ…
πŸ›‘23 Mar 1943βœ…βœ…βœ…
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.
πŸ“ŒIn the Spring of 1943, Bartels was hastily and unexpectedly transferred to JG 27 based in the Balkan Front/Mediterranean Theatre (AFRIKA), assigned to the Greek airfield of Kalamaki…
βš”According to Walter Schuck’s book “Abschuss”, Bartels was famous for pranks and drinking, but after getting his Knight’s cross, he apparently went a bit too far and was transferred to JG 27 following a court martial involving a disciplinary problem, after excessive consumption of alcohol.
🍾πŸ₯‚πŸ» In Petsamo, November 1942:
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:
πŸ“ŒFirst, he tried to steal a truck, but the driver had taken the key. The driver woke up and pulled the drunken Bartels out of the cabin and started beating him up.
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.
πŸ“ŒThe original culprit meanwhile had the upper bed and hid successfully…
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.
🐴🐎 Still not ready to call it a night, Bartels went into the stables, and pulled out one of the mules.
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.
πŸŽπŸ’©πŸ’©As Bartels was a Butcher in Civilian life, he knew how to treat animals, and the poor mule emptied its bowels over the sleeping Feldwebel, covering him and the entire bed with MULE SHIT!!!
After that, Bartels finally went to sleep.
❌This was too much even for JG 5, where it was pretty usual to fire pistols through walls at snoring people and Gruppenkommandeur Horst Carganico had to report him for court martial.
βš”πŸ†βš”Highly decorated as he was, Bartels escaped degradation and was just transferred from the Artic to Greece.
From August 1943 he served with 15 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 (15./JG 27). He had 49 victories to his credit at this time.
πŸ›© His Bf109F β€œBlack 13” was named Marga in honour of his Wife.
πŸ“ŒOn 1 October 1943, during one of his first flights in the Mediterranean, Bartels shoots down a pair of Bostons off of Kos.
He scores his 50th and 51st victories.
πŸ’₯50.
1.10.1943
Boston
11./JG 27
NW Kos
πŸ’₯51.
1.10.1943
Boston
11./JG 27
NW Kos
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ On 5 Oct 1943, Bartels claims to shoot down 2 x B-24 Liberators on a routine intercept, both within 10 minutes.
πŸ”°πŸ”°5.10.43/1223 and 1233
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 POWβœ…βŒ
52.
5.10.1943
12:23
B-24
11./JG 27
MΓ‘rikon
53.
5.10.1943
12:33
B-24
11./JG 27
PetrΓ‘lona
πŸ’₯πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Bartels gained 14 victories in October 1943 alone, including THREE USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighters shot down on 8 October 1943 (54-56).
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°8.10.43/1350 – 1355
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)βœ…βœ…βŒ
54.
8.10.1943
13:15
P-38 11./JG 27 20km S LevΓ‘hdia
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.
πŸ”°23.10.43/1311
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)βœ…
57.
23.10.1943
13:11
Spitfire 11./JG 27 SSW Podgorica
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Bartels register’s a further THREE P-38 Lightnings shot down and a Whitley bomber on 25 October 1943 (58 – 61).
πŸ’₯58.
25.10.1943
13:17
Whitley 11./JG 27 S Bar
πŸ’₯59.
25.10.1943
13:20
P-38 11./JG 27 S Bar
πŸ’₯60.
25.10.1943
13:22
P-38 11./JG 27 S Bar
πŸ’₯61.
25.10.1943
P-38 11./JG 27 N Kap Rodonit
πŸ”°πŸ”°31.10.43/1515 and 1520
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
πŸ’₯64.
2.11.1943
13:47
Spitfire 11./JG 27 WSW Skutari
πŸ’₯65.
2.11.1943
Spitfire 11./JG 27 WSW Skutari
πŸ’₯66.
4.11.1943
16:25
Boston 11./JG 27 W Durazzo
πŸ“ŒBartels had another big day when he scored FOUR victories on 15 November (67-70), all P-38 fighters shot down on one mission over Greece, within FOUR minutes.
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°15.11.43/1310 to 1314
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….)βœ…βŒβŒβœ…
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
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ On 17 November 1943, Bartels claimed another triple kill, 3 x aircraft destroyed once again.
This time, it was 2x B-25s and a P-38 Lightning, ALL WITHIN 8 MINUTES.
πŸ”°πŸ”°17.11.43/1250 and 1252
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)βœ…βŒ
πŸ”°7.11.43/1258
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
πŸ“ŒBy the end of the year 1943, his tally would reach 73 confirmed victories, 24 of these victories in 6 weeks; among them FOUR each on 25 October 1943 and 15 November 1943.
He was then sent to Reichsverteidigung duties and operated in these duties during April and May 1944.
πŸ’₯74.
11.4.1944
16:32
P-38 11./JG 27 20 km NW Graz
πŸ’₯75.
23.4.1944
8:20
Spitfire 11./JG 27 10 km SW Cilli
πŸ’₯76.
23.4.1944
8:22
Spitfire 11./JG 27 15 km SW Cilli
πŸ’₯77.
23.4.1944
8:23
Spitfire 11./JG 27 20 km SW Cilli
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ On 24 April 1944, after noon, Bartles gets into a fast moving dogfight with a handful of P-51D Mustangs of the 357th FS, 355th FG, 10 km W MΓΌhldorf, and promply and supposedly quite easily shoots down 2 of them.
πŸ“ŒLater that day, he claims his 3rd P-51, N of Waldkraiburg.
πŸ”°πŸ”°24.4.44/1345 and 1347
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 Bartelsβœ…βŒ
78.
24.4.1944
13:45
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km W MΓΌhldorf
79.
24.4.1944
13:47
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km W MΓΌhldorf
80.
24.4.1944
P-51 11./JG 27 N Waldkraiburg
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯Four days later on 28 April 1944, Heinrich once again gets into a serious dogfight over Laibach and quickly destroys 2 x Mustangs of the 352nd FG, one of them Lieutenant Colonel Clark.
πŸ”°πŸ”°28.4.44/1038 and 1039
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 KIAβœ…βœ…
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
πŸ’₯83.
19.5.1944
13:25
P-47 11./JG 27 15 km SW Quenstedt
πŸ’₯84.
19.5.1944
13:27
P-47 11./JG 27 Quedlinburg
πŸ’₯85.
19.5.1944
13:30
P-51 11./JG 27 S Aschersleben
πŸ“ŒHe claimed 12 victories, including three victories in a day on two occasions, before deploying to the Invasion front and fought in the Normandy Campaign from June to August 1944.
πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°πŸ”°14.6.44/0728 to 0805
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)βœ…βœ…βœ…βŒ
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
πŸ’₯90.
16.6.1944
20:47
P-47 11./JG 27 W Dives-sur-Mer
πŸ’₯91.
16.6.1944
20:48
P-47 11./JG 27 Dives-sur-Mer
πŸ’₯92.
22.6.1944
14:10
Spitfire 11./JG 27 WSW Caen
πŸ’₯93.
22.6.1944
14:17
P-51 11./JG 27 10 km SW Caen
πŸ’₯πŸ’₯πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ On 24 June, Bartels once again shows his affinity for fighter to fighter combat, when he claims 2 more Mustangs shot down.
πŸ”°πŸ”°24.6.44/1505 and 1508
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
πŸ’₯96.
25.6.1944
9:05
P-38 11./JG 27 15 km SE Blois
πŸ†πŸ₯‡πŸπŸ For these achievements, Bartel’s personal tally rose to 96 and he was nominated for the Oak Leaves of the Knight’s Cross.(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub).
❌But Bartels NEVER actually received the Oak Leaves in the end.
πŸ’₯97.
8.12.1944
9:50
P-51 15./JG 27 NW Achmer
πŸ’₯98.
18.12.1944
13:48
P-51 15./JG 27 Eifelraum
⚰ On 23 December 1944, while supporting German forces in the Battle of the Bulge, he took off at 11:00 am with his flight. His wingman was OberfÀhnrich Rolf Brand.
Gaining altitude they flew to the KΓΆln – Bonn area.
πŸ“ŒOver Bonn, at 7500 metres, they saw fuel tanks dropping in front of their noses. Those drop tanks came from P-47 fighters of the USAAF 56th Fighter Group “Red Noses” in pursuit of the aircraft flown by Heinz Rossinger.
Bartels promptly bounced and shot down one of the American P-47 Thunderbolt fighters on the tail of Rossingers’ Bf109….
πŸ’― It was his 99th and last victory. πŸ’―
⚰Heinrich Bartels was never seen or heard from again.
πŸ”°23.12.44
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 KIAβœ…
99.
23.12.1944
P-47 15./JG 27 near Bad Godesberg
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸŽ―πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ This was also the very same day that the 56th FG claimed 34 enemy aircraft destroyed, with David Shilling shooting down FIVE aircraft in the same meele, including 3 x Bf109s.
πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ⚰ No one saw Bartels get hit, crash or die.
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) β€œYellow 13” was found at Villip near Bad Godesberg.
πŸ“ŒIn its cockpit was Bartels’ remains and the remains of his uniform jacket with his Iron Cross 1st Class still attached, his wedding band with his wifes name inscribed inside, and his intact parachute, which is currently on display at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.
πŸ“šπŸ“–πŸ“š The following passage from Werner Girbig’s “Six Months To Oblivion” gives a brief and chilling account of his loss:
“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.
πŸ“ŒIt was the Bf 109G-10 of Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Bartels, who had destroyed a Thunderbolt just before he was himself shot down.
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)
πŸ“šπŸ“–πŸ“š From Ring and Girbig pp.302-303
β€˜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!
πŸ›‘Heinz Roesinger describes his last mission once again:
β€œOn 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 β€œRed-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.
πŸ“ŒBut then I became so busy myself that I completely lost sight of him and the others.
During the wild dogfight, my β€˜mill’ was shot in flames and I baled out over Meckenheim.”
πŸ† Heinrich Bartels flew about 500 combat missions and shot down 99 enemy aircraft:
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 β€œMacky” Steinhoff.
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ 56th FG pilots were credited with a total of 32 German aircraft destroyed in the air this day;
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.
πŸ“Œ
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.
πŸ€΅πŸ’πŸ‘° A wedding band was discovered with the wedding date and “Marga” inside the ring. That makes it pretty sure it was his aircraft, but markings are purely speculative including the style and placement of the gelbe 13.
πŸ₯‰Awards :
Ehrenpokal (5 October 1942)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (20 October 1942)
Ritterkreuz (13 November 1942)
βš”Units :
Erg./JG 26, JG 1, JG 5, JG 27
πŸ“ŒInteresting Story I found involving
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 Β© 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 | β€˜Dan & Nicks’ Luftwaffe Aces’ Biographies/Claims Vault’.

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