Bf 109G-6, W.Nr. 15 909, Flown by Hptm. Gerhard Barkhorn, CO of II./JG 52, Eastern Front, September, 1943

The personal aircraft of Gerhard Barkhorn, the CO of II./JG 52, was manufactured by the Erla factory. At least a part of Erla G-6 production utilized the cowling designed for the G-5 version with an additional small bump on the right side. The name ‘Christl’ is a reference to Barkhorn´s wife Christa. The black double chevron identifies the Gruppe’s CO aircraft. Barkhorn achieved 301 aerial victories during WWII, all of them as a member of JG 52, putting him in second place among German fighter aces. The first victim was downed on July 2, 1940 and the last on January 5, 1945. In 1945, Barkhorn became the CO of JG 6 and flew Me 262 jet fighters as a member of JV 44 shortly before the German surrender. In the post war era he joined Bundesluftwaffe. Barkhorn was awarded the Knight´s Cross on August 23, 1942 with Oak Leaves (on January 11, 1944) and Swords (on March 2, 1944).