Siegfried Barth
| Siegfried Barth | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Balbo |
| Born |
23 January 1916 Augsburg, Bavaria |
| Died | 19 December 1997 (aged 81) Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
|
| Service/ |
 Luftwaffe German Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1936–45, 1956–73 |
| Rank | |
| Unit | KG 51 |
| Commands held | IV./KG 51, KG 51, JaBoG 32 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Siegfried Barth (23 January 1916 – 19 December 1997) was a German bomber pilot in the Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of the fighter-bomber wing Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (JaBoG 32) of the German Air Force. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. As a Bundeswehr officer, he served at the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) from 1969 to 1972.
Barth was born 23 January 1916 in Augsburg, Bavaria and joined the military service in 1936. He was trained as a pilot before World War II and been a member of Kampfgeschwader 255 "Edelweiß" (KG 255—255th Bomber Wing), which was renamed Kampfgeschwader 51 (KG 51—51st Bomber Wing) on 1 May 1939. When II. Gruppe (2nd group) was formed on 1 April 1940, Barth joined the 4. Staffel (4th squadron) holding the rank of Leutnant (2nd lieutenant). He flew his first combat missions in the Battle of France, bombing airfields and shipping off Dunkirk for which he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 17 July 1940.
KG 51 was then relocated to airfields at Étampes-Mondésir and later to Paris-Orly in France. In the Battle of Britain he bombed British ports and London, Coventry and Portsmouth. Barth was promoted to Oberleutnant and following Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, flew in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. He bombed airfields, railway stations as well as tank and troop concentrations in the Proskurov, Lvov, Rostov and Taganrog areas. He was wounded in action on 25 June 1941 when his Junkers Ju 88 A-5 was hit by anti-aircraft fire in the vicinity of Darachow.
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