Major Heinz "Pritzl" Bär - What happened exactly?

[Broncazonk]

Major Heinz "Pritzl" Bär is one of my favorite German Aces: 221 Aerial Victories: 60 Western Front - 96 Eastern Front - 65 Mediterranean Front - 1000+ Combat Sorties in the Bf 109E/F/G - Fw 190A-7/A-8 - Me 262A-1a - Awards: Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Hauptmann Bär transferred to the Mediterranean and became the Gruppenkommandeur of I/JG 77 "Herzas" on May 1, 1942. Then something caused Bär to be relieved of command and sent home. (Later he becomes a top Me-262 jet ace.)

I've read several different vague accounts of happened to Bar in North Africa, but never the specifics. What, exactly happened to Heinz?? This inquiry is made with all due respect. (I asked this question on another forum and I got a "Wife No. 3 is Still Grieving" response from some guy who claimed to be a distantly-related family member, kinda like we are all related to Atilla the Hun, but this guy is still acting all busted up over the event.)


The various accounts:


1) From Warbirds Resource Group: www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org - Luftwaffe Resource Center - Luftwaffe Aces

"Hauptmann Bär transferred to the Mediterranean Front to become the Gruppenkommandeur of I/JG 77 "Herzas" on May 1, 1942. He flew the Bf 109F and later the Bf 109G models. The strain of constant battle and knowledge of inevitable defeat of Axis forces in the Mediterranean later caused the stressed-out Bär to be relieved from command back to Germany in disgrace."

2) From Wikipedia: Heinrich Bär - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Over North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre, Bär had increased his tally to 179, but, fighting a losing battle against ever-increasing Allied air superiority, Bär lost his fighting spirit, and suffered severe mental and physical exhaustion. After several arguments with JG 77's new Commander Colonel Johannes Steinhoff and Hermann Göring, in the summer of 1943 Bär was transferred to France "for cowardice before the enemy" and demoted to Squadron Leader. He took over command of an operational training unit, Jagdgruppe Süd.[26][27]"

3) The book Luftwaffe Aces describes Bar's great relationship with (and devestation over) Major Joachim Muncheberg's death. And when Major Steinhoff arrived, things changed....

4) From: WW II ACE STORIES

"Soon after this exciting point in the irrivalry, in June of 1942, Bär's JG 77 was moved to MTO area. While leading I./JG 77, 'Pritzl' downed several British fighters over Malta . On 13 October 1942 his victims were three "Spitfires" (two of 185 Sgn and one of 1435 Sqn RAF). Another "Spitfire" was shot down four days later (17 October 1942) near La Valetta. Then Heinz Bär took part in combat missions in the hot African sky. In Tunisia, he scored his next 61 Allied aircraft victories (Nos 118-179). But the density of air activity from the start of the war combined with the hard battle conditions in Africa to seriously undermine Bär's fighting spirit, and exhaust him both physically and mentally. In effect, this famous ace was removed from command and sent back to Germany for 'rehabilitation'."

5) Luftwaffe Fighter Aces has Bar going down to malaria and a stomach ulcer...

I do not believe that this was a "mental breakdown" or "combat fatigue" issue. Major Muncheberg's death and the arrival of Major Steinhoff are central here, something changed, but I don't know what.

But does anyone have specifics on what exactly what was said or exactly what happened?

Thanks!

Bronc