Moving Barkhorn story . . .

[Nikita Egorov]

Barkhorn used to finish belly-landed planes on the ground. I don't think he showed some mercy towards those in the air.

[yogybär]

Nikita, if that is true, it would fit into a picture of a "real warrior" who fights until total victory. Somewhere I read that Barkhorn had an astonishingly bad eyesight for a fighter pilot. But once his wingman showed him the enemy, he almost always "bit into the enemy (like a predator), until he went down" (translation of "sich in den Gegener verbeißen, bis er fällt"). Additionally, it also fits with the extremely high number of combat missions which Barkhorn flew - THE workaholic in JG52...

PS: "if that is true,..." does not mean that I have any reason to doubt in your statement .

[Nikita Egorov]

Hi, Joerg,

The majority of German aces tried to finish off the plane on the ground, if there was an opportunity to do so. Little of them shot the hanging parachutes. I have several cases with no clear indication who particularly did this.
As regards to Barkhorn, maybe he was so sentimental, however, I'am doubtful of this. If Mr. Barbas has the exact date when it happened I can point out Soviet pilot, who was "saved".

Originally Posted by yogybär

Nikita, if that is true, it would fit into a picture of a "real warrior" who fights until total victory. Somewhere I read that Barkhorn had an astonishingly bad eyesight for a fighter pilot. But once his wingman showed him the enemy, he almost always "bit into the enemy (like a predator), until he went down" (translation of "sich in den Gegener verbeißen, bis er fällt"). Additionally, it also fits with the extremely high number of combat missions which Barkhorn flew - THE workaholic in JG52...

PS: "if that is true,..." does not mean that I have any reason to doubt in your statement .

[harrison987]

mmmmmm...but people change...

The camaraderie of the German Pilots was higher than any other air force. For most of the aces, htey were simply aircraft pilots first and foremost.

Having met quite a few of them, situations like that noted above were more common than you think.

Franz Stigler was an amazing man, and joined the war as an instructor. He switch to a fighter pilot to avenge his brother's death...but then saved a B-17 crew later in the war...and subsequently stopped placing victory marks on his tail. He realized that were are human beings...doing inhumane things to each other...and it needed to stop.

German pilot's would also try to count parachutes after downing a bomber to make sure everyone got out okay.

There are also numerous stories (factual), of captured US and British pilots who they would sit with and share combat stories with.

Finnish pilots were also similar.

I am fairly sure these type of situations were much more common with the long-timers, as opposed to the last ditch efforts of the newbies.

Mike

[Jim Oxley]

Originally Posted by harrison987

German pilot's would also try to count parachutes after downing a bomber to make sure everyone got out okay.
Mike

Pilots counting parachutes had a practical action, not so much for humanitarian concern (although there may have been that element too). In a pilots 'after action' report the number of parachutes, and the region, would be passed on to the local Heer command; so that the Army would know where and how many fliers they would be looking for to round up.

It was a common practice too by the RAF in the Battle of Britain.

[Juha]

Originally Posted by Nikita Egorov

Hi, Joerg,

The majority of German aces tried to finish off the plane on the ground, if there was an opportunity to do so. Little of them shot the hanging parachutes. I have several cases with no clear indication who particularly did this...

IIRCone condition of accepted kill in LW was that the enemy plane was destroyed. There was a sound military logic behind that if the plane bellylanded onto its own side. IMHO morally there was a difference if the strafer wanted to kill also the pilot/crew or not. But after all it was a war and the killing of able-body enemy soldier who had not surrendered was legal.

Juha

[harrison987]

Actually, the Law of Armed Conflict states that it is illegal to shoot at anyone who does not have the ability to defend themselves/shoot back (so not legal if he is simply able-body).

Originally Posted by Juha

IIRCone condition of accepted kill in LW was that the enemy plane was destroyed. There was a sound military logic behind that if the plane bellylanded onto its own side. IMHO morally there was a difference if the strafer wanted to kill also the pilot/crew or not. But after all it was a war and the killing of able-body enemy soldier who had not surrendered was legal.

Juha

[Oberst]

Originally Posted by harrison987

Actually, the Law of Armed Conflict states that it is illegal to shoot at anyone who does not have the ability to defend themselves/shoot back (so not legal if he is simply able-body).

Paratroopers are 'legal' targets. They carry weapons but have no way of defending themselves while parachuting to earth.

[ahafan]

Originally Posted by Nikita Egorov

Barkhorn used to finish belly-landed planes on the ground. I don't think he showed some mercy towards those in the air.

Funny when WW2" crops up-(WHAT DO I HEAR-NAZI) in WW1 tiger jones did say he shot parachutes.in my opinion he was intitled too.
but that he never made a habit out of it...
''GET A LIFE!!