JUNKERS Fw 190D-9
With an astounding tally of 301 aerial victories, the legendary German ace pilot Gerhard Barkhorn goes down as one of the most successful aces in history. His total is only surpassed by the 352 recorded by Erich Hartmann. Surprisingly, it took 120 combat sorties for Barkhorn to score his first victory and he himself was shot down 9 times. He also went scoreless during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. All 301 victories were recorded while flying over the eastern front. During this time, he became the first fighter pilot to complete 1,000 combat missions, a total that increased to 1,104 by the end of his career.
In early 1945, Gerhard Barkhorn flew as Geschwaderkommodore (Commander) of Jagdgeschwader 6 (JG 6). Armed with the Focke Wulf Fw190D-9 aircraft, the Reich defence unit was initially assigned to the Oder Front, flying ground strafing operations against advancing Soviet forces. As depicted in this scale model, the personal markings on Barkhorn’s Fw190D-9 included his wife’s name "Christl" and a small number "5", his lucky number
JUNKERS Fw 190D-9
With an astounding tally of 301 aerial victories, the legendary German ace pilot Gerhard Barkhorn goes down as one of the most successful aces in history. His total is only surpassed by the 352 recorded by Erich Hartmann. Surprisingly, it took 120 combat sorties for Barkhorn to score his first victory and he himself was shot down 9 times. He also went scoreless during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. All 301 victories were recorded while flying over the eastern front. During this time, he became the first fighter pilot to complete 1,000 combat missions, a total that increased to 1,104 by the end of his career.
In early 1945, Gerhard Barkhorn flew as Geschwaderkommodore (Commander) of Jagdgeschwader 6 (JG 6). Armed with the Focke Wulf Fw190D-9 aircraft, the Reich defence unit was initially assigned to the Oder Front, flying ground strafing operations against advancing Soviet forces. As depicted in this scale model, the personal markings on Barkhorn’s Fw190D-9 included his wife’s name "Christl" and a small number "5", his lucky number