Leutnant Herbert Bareuther

[Leo Etgen]

Hello

I have read that Leutnant Herbert Bareuther (55 victories, RK, killed in action 30 April 1945) of 3./JG 51 was shot down in aerial combat over Warsaw and forced to bale out wounded whereupon he was captured by partisans but freed by German troops in August 1944. My question is if there is any evidence in I./JG 51 loss records for August 1944 of this event having occurred and if so on what date? If this incident does not appear to be recorded in the official records I would find that information to be very useful as well. Many thanks.

Horrido!

Leo

[Larry deZeng]

According to the personnel diary of Günther Josten of 3./JG 51, Bareuther was hit and returned to base with his Bf 109 on fire where he promptly baled out before his plane crashed. He landed safely aside from a broken arm and was taken to the Fliegerhorst dispensary. He was never in the hands of the partisans or Polish resistance.

What we still do not know is the date of this occurrence and obtaining this date from Matti S. or one of the other loss specialists would be greatly appreciated by a German author who is nearly completion of an extensive article on Luftflotte 6 and the Warsaw Uprising.

L.

[Matti Salonen]

Unfortunately there is no NVM made of this incident. Therefore the date is unknown to me.

Matti

[Rottler]

Lt Bareuther returned to combat duty serving with IV./JG 3 on the Eastern front. On April 30, 1945 he was hit by Russian flak in the Pasewalk area.

Prien, chronicle "IV./Jagdgeschwader 3":
page 363: victories 45 to 55 14./JG 3,

page 349:
30.04.45 14./JG 3 Lt Herbert Bareuther Staffelkapitän vermisst Tiefangriffe, Flak, bei Pasewalk durch Baumberührung abgestürzt, 100% Fw 190.

Regards
Leo

[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to the Luftwaffe loss summary database, I./JG 51 had the following total losses in August 1944:
03/08/1944: 1 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy
05/08/1944: 1 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy
05/08/1944: 1 aircraft destroyed without enemy action on operational flight
08/08/1944: 1 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy
11/08/1944: 2 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy
14/08/1944: 1 aircraft missing due to enemy action
14/08/1944: 1 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy

Maybe by eliminating all known losses, you will find a date.

But the circumstances of the loss (aircraft on fire and pilot bailing out near base) will usually be listed in the category "destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy". There is no such entry for I./JG 51 in August 1944. There is in September, on the 16th, so possibly could have been that day too. But as Bareuther claimed 5 victories in June and 5 in July, and nothing (AFAIK) after 21 July, that he was wounded on 16 September without having scored for two months would be surprising.

Note: in July, there is another "destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy" on the 10th, but Bareuther scored his five victories of the month between the 18th and the 21st, so could not have done that with a broken arm I guess.

[Larry deZeng]

Thank you all for your help.

I have just learned from the same German author who, in the meantime, has been in contact with others who have private papers in their collections that Herbert Bareuther was one of the two 5 August 1944 losses, probably the first one listed by Laurent Rizzotti. None of them disputed the Günther Josten account.

Thanks again,

L.