Wilhelm Balthasar

Infobox Military Person
name=Wilhelm Balthasar
lived=birth date|1914|2|2|df=y — death date and age|1941|7|3|1914|2|2|df=y


caption=
placeofbirth=Fulda
placeofdeath= KIA - near St. Omer, France
allegiance=Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1933-1941
rank=Major
commands=JG 2
unit=Condor Legion, JG 1, JG 27, JG 3, JG 2
battles=Spanish Civil War
World War II
*Invasion of Poland
*Battle of France
*Battle of Britain
awards="Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten"
"Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub"
laterwork=

Major Wilhelm Balthasar (February 2, 1914 – July 3, 1941) was German WWII Luftwaffe Ace, commander of JG 2 and a winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.

Early life

Balthasar was born in Fulda, Hesse-Nassau. As his father, who was KIA on Western Front in World War I, Wilhelm served in the Reichswehr as an artillery officer from 1933 until his transfer to the Luftwaffe in 1935. In November 1936, he volunteered to join "Sonderstab W" for deployment in the Spanish Civil War.

Legion Kondor

Following his arrival to Spain, Balthasar served with "Kampfgruppe" K/88 and "Aufklärungsgruppe" A/88 flying bomber and reconnaissance missions in Junkers Ju 52 and Heinkel He 70. On November 23, 1936, he brought back information that enabled German forces to successfully bomb the port city of Cartagena and also gained his first victory when he shot down a Spanish Republican Air Force I-16 on January 20, 1937.

On March 16, 1937 Balthasar made an emergency landing at Almorox airfield. As he landed his crippled He-70, 3.J/88s fighters were taking off on a train strafing mission. Spotting an experimental Heinkel He-112 fighter nearby Balthasar, claiming to be an experienced fighter pilot, received permission to fly the monoplane fighter. Balthasar took off and using the Heinkel's 20mm cannon blew up an ammunition rail-car. On his way back to the airfield, he also claimed a Loyalist tank destroyed. Upon landing, Balthasar was initially reprimanded by the commanding officer. However, when the commander learned of his escapade, he was given command of "Aufklärungsgruppe" A/88, a detachment of He-45 biplanes and the He-112 fighter tasked with armed reconnaissance, ground attacks and artillery spotting missions.

In September 1937, Wilhelm Balthasar joined "Jagdgruppe" J/88 and claimed six more victories (including four SB-2 bombers in one mission on 7 February 1938) flying He-51 and the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109. He returned back to Germany in March 1938. For his bravery and leadership in Spain he became one of only 28 men to be awarded the "Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten".

World War II

At the outset of World War II, Balthasar was "Staffelkapitän" of 1./Jagdgeschwader 1, which was in July 1940 renamed 7./Jagdgeschwader 27. The squadron did not see any action during the 1939 operation "Fall Weiß", as it was tasked with the air defense of Berlin. On May 10, 1940 German forces launched the offensive in Western Europe and it was there Balthasar made his mark. On his first mission, May 11 1940, he claimed three Belgian Air Force Gloster Gladiator fighters and a French Morane 406. He also recorded 9 victories in two days between June 5 and 6, 1940, which brought his WWII tally to 21. For this achievement, on June 14, 1940, Hauptmann Balthasar was awarded the "Ritterkreuz", becoming only the second Luftwaffe fighter pilot (after Werner Mölders), to be so decorated. Ultimately, Balthasar was the most successful German fighter pilot of the French campaign with 23 victories.

On September 1, 1940, Balthasar was appointed "Gruppenkommandeur" of III/ Jagdgeschwader 3, hunting in the skies above London. On September 4 he was seriously wounded in the leg during a dogfight with several "222 Squadron" Spitfires over Canterbury and although still on crutches, Balthasar was flying operationally again some 14 days later. On September 23, 1940 he claimed two Spitfires and had three more victories before returning for hospital treatment in November 1940.

On February 16, 1941 Hauptmann Balthasar took over the "Richthofen Geschwader", succeeding Hauptmann Greisert who assumed temporary command following the loss of Helmut Wick . Between June 22 and June 27, 1941 he claimed another nine RAF aircraft, including five Bristol Blenheim bombers on June 23, which brought his victory total to 40. For this milestone, he was awarded "Eichenlaub" (Oak Leaves) to his "Ritterkreuz" on July 2, 1941.

Unfortunately, Wilhelm Balthasar was killed only a day later during an aerial combat with RAF fighters over Aire, France. As he was diving violently in his Bf 109 F-4, the wing of his aircraft malfunctioned and he crashed to his death near St Omer. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major and buried at a World War I cemetery in Flanders alongside his father.

During his Luftwaffe career, Wilhelm Balthasar was credited with 47 victories (7 in Spain) and 13 aircraft on the ground. Between 1939-41 he flew about 300 combat missions in addition to 465 he flew during the Spanish Civil War.

ummary of Luftwaffe career

Dates of rank

* Leutnant:
* Oberleutnant: June 1938
* Hauptmann: December 1939
* Major: posthumously in 1941

Notable decorations

* Iron Cross Second (?) and First (1940) Classes
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (1940)
* Oak Leaves (1941)
* Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (1938)
* Pilot Badge (?)

ee also

*List of Spanish Civil War air aces

References

*cite web|title=Aces of the Luftwaffe|work=Wilhelm Balthasar|url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/balthasar.html|accessdate=22 May|accessyear=2007
*cite web |title=Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945|work=Wilhelm Balthasar|url=http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Luftwaffe/B/Ba/Balthasar-Wilhelm.htm|accessdate=22 May|accessyear=2007
* Ringlstetter, Herbert. "Helmut Wick, An Illustrated Biography Of The Luftwaffe Ace And Commander Of Jagdgeschwader 2 During The Battle Of Britain". Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA, 2005. ISBN 0-7643-2217-6.
* Nauroth, Holger. "Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen", A Photographic History". Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA, 2005. ISBN 0-7643-2094-7.