HEINZ BAER

Heinz Baer was born on the 25th of March 1913. Baer was born to fly and he joined a glider club in 1928 at the age of 15. He wanted to be a Lufthansa pilot and so in order to do this he joined a program know as the Clandestine German training program. Baer was never to join Lufthansa though as the impending War beckoned. Baer found himself a member of 1/JG51 and he scored his  first victory on the 25th of September a French Curtiss Hawk. By July 1941 Baer had 27 victories to his credit and he was awarded the Ritterkreuz. Baer was then transferred to the East for the impending Russian invasion. His performance was so outstanding that he was awarded the Eichenlaub on the 14th of August. The Schwerten followed for his 90th victory. Baer spent a gruelling ten months fighting the Russians, he was then transferred to I/JG77 on the 1st of May 1942 where he would spend 18 months fighting through Italy, Sicily, North Africa and Malta he reached his 100th victory mark on the 19th of May 1942. He was transferred again in December 1943 to defend his homeland against the never ending onslaught of Allied bombers. 

By the 28th of April 1944 Heinz Baer had reached his 200th victory. By now his was promoted to Major and was transferred to Geschwaderstab of JG 3. Baer spent the last months of the War flying Jet fighters in which he scored 16 victories. Heinz Baer fought in front line operations throughout the War, he flew over 1,000 missions was shot down 18 times, sustained wounds on many occasions. He epitomized the fighter pilot image. After the War Baer became an aviation consultant, in 1974 he was demonstrating a light plane when it suddenly spun in from an altitude of 150 feet killing Baer instantly. Heinz Baer finished the War with 220 victories and is the Luftwaffe's eighth highest scoring Ace.

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