Like Walter Krupinski, Gerhard Barkhorn was another slow starter who struggled to shoot down only nine enemy aircraft since his first, a VVS DB-3 bomber on 2 June 1941. Over the following twelve months he slowly increased his score with another 22 Abschüsse during which time he became fully acclimatized and an accomplished dogfighter.

In June 1942 Oblt. Barkhorn shot down no less than 31 VVS aircraft. On this day, 22 June, after experiencing heavy rains that softened up their airfield drastically curtailing flying operations, the day finally turned out for the better when the Germans opened their Summer offensive "Unternehmen Fridericus II".

As a part of that the trust towards Kupyansk the II. Gruppe, in addition to fighter sweeps, also flew escort for reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighters and bombers. On a day that would be a special one for him, Barkhorn took-off in the early morning hours to escorting He 111 bombers from KG 55.

A few minutes later a formation of LaGGs was sighted heading towards the bombers. Soon they were engaged by the II. Gruppe in a hard fight with Barkhorn downing three of the LaGG-3s within five minutes. And on his way home he spotted another enemy machine and promptly downed his forth LaGG.

After landing at Grakowo to refuel and rearm his 'White 5' he took off for a second mission before noon. During this sortie he would score his fifth, another LaGG-3 that raised his victory tally to 26 confirmed victories. In all Hptm. Steinhoff´s II. Gruppe claimed 19 victories this day, all without any own losses.

With his 26 Abschüsse Oblt. Gerhard Barkhorn was now ranked as the fifth-most successful pilot in the Gruppe after Hptm. Steinhoff (65), Lt. Waldemar Semelka (41), Hptm. Rudolf Resch (33), and Lt. Heinz Schmidt with 32 confirmed victories. A month later on 24 July Barkhorn had increase his score to 64 Abschüsse.

However on the debit side this was the day when he was wounded in combat and hospitalized. Flying in his trusty old 'White 5' during a slow and low altitude escort mission for a Fieseler 'Storch' his aircraft was hit suddenly by ground-fire with bullets slamming into the cockpit and wounding him seriously.

Using all his skill and utmost concentration he finally landed his damaged crate at Morozov. Given the serious nature of his wounds he was quickly transported back to Germany. The command of his 4. Staffel was passed over to the unit's most successful pilot, Lt Waldemar Semelka.

When the war ended Major Gerhard Barkhorn would record a total of 301 confirmed victories in 1104 combat missions, including over 250 fighters, making him the second most successful fighter pilot in the world, surpassed only by Erich "Bubi" Hartmann.

'White 5' has a slightly modified gray camouflage scheme with an irregular pattern of RLM 76 on the fuselage sides. It was the first to have the name of Barkhorn's girlfriend "Christl" displayed beneath the cockpit.