Franz Barten

Franz Barten
Born	26 January 1912 Saarbrücken, Germany
Died	4 August 1944 (aged 32) near Reinsehlen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	JG 77, JG 51, JG 53
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Battle of Britain Eastern Front Mediterranean theatre
Awards	Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (posthumous)

Franz Barten (26 January 1912 – 4 August 1944) was a World War II fighter ace from Germany. He was born on 26 January 1912 at Saarbrücken. Barten was credited with having shot down a total of 55 Allied aircraft.^[1]

Service

Barten was posted to Jagdgeschwader 77 on 1 July 1939. He served in the Invasion of Poland, Battle of France and Battle of Britain. Barten achieved his first victory on 14 September 1940 after shooting down a Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricane. On 21 November, 2./JG 77 was redesignated Jagdgeschwader 51. By the end of 1940, he had shot down three aircraft. Barten accompanied JG 51 to the Eastern Front and achieved his tenth victory on 12 July 1941 and twentieth victory on 10 September. By the end of 1941, he had 25 victories to his credit. His 30th victory came on 18 March 1942.^[1]

On 10 November 1942, Barten was injured forcing him to be absent from combat duty. After recovery, he returned to IV./JG 51 and achieved his 44th victory on 4 August. This was his last victory on the Eastern Front. On 1 June 1943, Barten was transferred as Staffelkapitän to 7./Jagdgeschwader 53 based in the Mediterranean theatre. He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 53 on 15 July 1943 and achieved his 50th victory on 3 September, when he shot down a United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator near Della Pecara.^[1]

Death

On 4 August 1944, Barten was shot down in a Messerschmitt Bf 109 in aerial combat with P-47 Thunderbolt belonging to the United States Army Air Forces near Rheinsehlen. He bailed out of his aircraft, but was shot while hanging in his parachute.^[2] He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Hauptmann.^[1]

Awards

Franz Barten received a total of three awards and one of them was awarded posthumously.

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe awarded on 20 October 1941^[2]
• German Cross in Gold awarded on 22 May 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 11./Jagdgeschwader 51^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross awarded posthumously on 29 October 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschader 53^{[4][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer on 24 October 1944 as Staffelkapitän in the III./Jagdgeschwader 53.^[5]

References

Citations

1. Franz Barten
2. Obermaier 1989, p. 85.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 25.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 122.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 203.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Nietrug, Gerd (2004). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Saarlandes 1939 - 1945. Zweibrücken: VDM Nickel. ISBN 3-925480-93-5.

External links

• Ritterkreuzträger Franz Barten (German)