Franz Barten

Infobox Military Person
name=Franz Barten
born=birth date|1912|1|26|df=y
died=dda|1944|8|4|1912|1|26|df=y
placeofbirth=Saarbrücken, Germany
placeofdeath=near Reinsehlen
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Deutsches Reich, Großdeutsches Reich
branch=
serviceyears=
rank=Hauptmann
commands=
unit=JG 77, JG 51, JG 53
battles=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)
laterwork=

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 is credited for shooting down a total of 55 Allied aircraft. [http://www.luftwaffe.cz/barten.html Franz Barten] ]

ervice

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.

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.

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 parachutefact|date=May 2008. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Hauptmann.

Awards

Franz Barten received a total of three awards and one of them was awarded posthumously.
*Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (awarded on 20 October 1941)
*German Cross in Gold (awarded on 22 May 1942)
*Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (awarded posthumously on 24 October 1944)

ee also

*List of World War II aces from Germany

Notes

References

* [http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Luftwaffe/B/Ba/Barten-Franz.htm Ritterkreuzträger Franz Barten] de icon

Further reading

* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.