Ardennes Offensive
Promoted to Oberscharführer, the rank he held to the end of the war, Barkmann continued his successful career and took part in the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, where on December 25 he was seriously wounded. During the Ardennes Offensive, Barkmann's Panther Ausf G (Nr 401) drove into the group of American tanks from the US 2nd Armored Division. Despite being outnumbered, Barkmann managed to knock out a few Sherman tanks. One Sherman rammed Barkmann's Panther but did not cause much damage, although both tanks got stuck and the Panther's engine stalled. After a few minutes, Barkmann's mechanic managed to restart the engine and Panther retreated with a blocked turret. Despite the damage, Barkmann knocked out a pursuing Sherman and retreated to safety, although his Panther was beyond repair.
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