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Helmut Mertens - Pilot Profile - Helmut Mertens

Helmut Mertens

No Photo Available

Victories : 97
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 1984


Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
Knights
Cross


Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
 In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command.  These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy.  On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck.  At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles.  The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship.  The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape.  As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941.  Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.
 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940.  Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.
 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster.  Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks.  For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.
 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944.  Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine.  Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came.  He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Helmut Mertens

Squadrons for : Helmut Mertens
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Helmut Mertens. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

JG3


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG3
JG3

Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. The Geschwader operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet in 1942.

Commanders of IV./JG 3

Major Franz Beyer, 1. June 1943
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 February 1944
Major Friedrich-Karl Müller, 26 February 1944
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 April 1944
Major Wilhelm Moritz, 18 April 1944
Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer, 5 December 1944
Major Erwin Bacsila, 5 January 1945
Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, 17 February 1945
Hauptmann Gerhard Koall, 25 April 1945
Hauptmann Günther Schack, 1 Mai 1945

LG2


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of LG2
LG2

Full profile not yet available.

Known Victory Claims - Helmut Mertens

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

19/05/1940Ltn. Helmut Mertens1.(J)LG 2HurricaneNW Lille12.17Western Front
03/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Mertens1.(J)LG 2CurtissParis14.44Western Front
26/10/1940Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3Hurricane--Western Front
26/06/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-3-16.25Eastern Front
29/06/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3V-11-14.4Eastern Front
01/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-15NE Rowne14.25Eastern Front
08/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3SB-2-17.15Eastern Front
08/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3SB-2-17.17Eastern Front
10/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-3-13.45Eastern Front
11/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-3-10.36Eastern Front
12/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-16-7.4Eastern Front
13/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-15-6.2Eastern Front
13/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-3-11.12Eastern Front
16/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-153Starischtsche12.2Eastern Front
16/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-153Starischtsche12.21Eastern Front
16/07/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-153Starischtsche12.24Eastern Front
09/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-16-9.25Eastern Front
10/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3I-153-16.12Eastern Front
11/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3SB-2-5.3Eastern Front
11/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3SB-2-5.33Eastern Front
19/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-3-13.31Eastern Front
20/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-3-16.45Eastern Front
23/08/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3DB-35km SE Talnoje9.07Eastern Front
13/09/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3SB-3-14.12Eastern Front
02/10/1941Ltn. Helmut Mertens9JG 3SB-2-13.1Eastern Front
06/04/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStabJG 3Il-2SE Jellisewo16.4Eastern Front
03/06/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3LaGG-3-5.04Eastern Front
14/06/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3I-153-14.48Eastern Front
16/06/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3I-153-11.26Eastern Front
19/06/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3Il-2-15.41Eastern Front
28/06/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3P-2-19.11Eastern Front
01/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3LaGG-3Stary Oshkol17.21Eastern Front
01/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3LaGG-3Stary Oshkol: 5500m17.26Eastern Front
02/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab III.JG 3Douglas A-20-12.12Eastern Front
09/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab I.JG 3MiG-1-5.02Eastern Front
20/07/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3LaGG-339 334: 1000m12.45Eastern Front
21/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab I.JG 3LaGG-3-8.58Eastern Front
21/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab I.JG 3LaGG-3-9.08Eastern Front
26/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab I.JG 3LaGG-3-13.15Eastern Front
26/07/1942Oblt. Helmut MertensStab I.JG 3LaGG-3-16.16Eastern Front
27/07/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3LaGG-339 332: 2000m5.32Eastern Front
27/07/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3LaGG-339 332: 5000m13.52Eastern Front
27/07/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3LaGG-339 334: 5500m13.52Eastern Front
29/07/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3LaGG-339 411: 3000m17.14Eastern Front
01/08/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3LaGG-339 332: 800m11.2Eastern Front
01/08/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3Jak-139 412: 6000m11.27Eastern Front
19/08/1942Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3MiG-140 773: 1500m4.58Eastern Front
30/07/1943Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3B-176km NNE Fritzlar: 7000m9.28Western Front
17/08/1943Oblt. Helmut Mertens1JG 3B-17ST: 6000m12.27Western Front
20/02/1944Hptm. Helmut Mertens7JG 3B-24--Western Front

Known Claims : 50

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