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Helmut Wick - Pilot Profile - Helmut Wick

Helmut Wick

No Photo Available

Victories : 56
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 28th November 1940

This pilot scored 5 or more victories during the Battle of Britain, 10th July - 31st October 1940.

Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron CrossAwarded Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross
Knights
Cross
Oak Leaves

At the outbreak of war Helmut Wick was an experienced Leutnant with 1./JG53. During the Battle of Britain his meteoric rise and remarkable career saw him promoted Staffelkapitan of 3./JG53 in July 1940, Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG2 on 7th September, achieve his 40th victory on 6th October, and promoted to Kommodore of JG2 on 20th October. With 56 victories to his credit in a period of intense action on the Western Front, on 28th November 1940 he was shot down over the English Channel, parachuted into the sea, but his body was never recovered. Together with Molders and Galland he had been the most successful Luftwaffe fighter pilot during the autumn of 1940, and had been awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.

Click here for artwork signed by this Ace!


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 Wick

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

JG2


Country : Germany
Founded : 1st May 1939
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG2
JG2

Jagdgeschwader 2 was formed from parts of Jagdgeschwader 131 Richthofen on 1 May 1939 in Döberitz and its first commander was Oberst Robert Ritter von Greim. At the outbreak of the war JG 2 was tasked with defence of the Reich and based in the Berlin area under Luftgaukommando III. Stab and II. Gruppe were equipped with the Bf 109E and were located at Döberitz with 10.(N) staffel flying the Bf 109D in Straussberg.

10.(N) Staffel was one of the first night fighter units formed in the Luftwaffe. Later this staffel was expanded into IV.(N) Gruppe. This Gruppe gained the Luftwaffe’s first night kill over the RAF Bomber Command on the night of 25/26 on April 1940 when Ofw Förster shot down a Handley Page Hampden.

The unit saw little combat until the Western offensive against France and the Low Countries from 10 May 1940 onwards. During the campaign against France, JG 2 was tasked with escorting raids and defending German airspace to the south of Heinz Guderian's Panzer forces which were encircling the French and the British Expeditionary Force further north. Leutnant Helmut Wick, who later became part of a trio of outstanding aces (including Adolf Galland from Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) and Werner Mölders from Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51)) in the Battle of Britain, attained his first and the Geschwader's second kill on 22 November 1939, a French Curtiss Hawk Model 75. The first victory for the JG 2 was scored by Oberfeldwebel Kley (3. Staffel) at the same day.

JG 2 took part in the Battle of Britain, operating Bf 109Es over the South Coast of England and the English Channel from bases in Cherbourg and Normandy. Major Helmut Wick emerged as one of the Battle’s top Luftwaffe aces, claiming 31 kills for a personal total of 56, before being killed (MIA) in action versus Spitfires of No. 609 Squadron in November 1940. Wick was seen to bail out successfully but was not found by German Air/Sea Rescue attempts. The Spitfire who dispatched him was immediately shot down by Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz. Ofw. Schnell, Ofw. Machold and Olt. Hans Assi Hahn also claimed heavily during this period, with 16 kills each. Some 42 JG 2 pilots were killed or made POW during the battle.

JG53


Country : Germany
Founded : 1937
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG53
JG53

Pik-As was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean. Jagdgeschwader 53 - or as it was better known, the Pik As (Ace of Spades) Geschwader - was one of the oldest German fighter units of World War II with its origins going back to 1937. JG53 flew the various models of Bf-109 throughout the second world war.

Known Victory Claims - Helmut Wick

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

22/11/1939Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Hawk 75Bitsch-Phalsbourg-Sarre12.2Western Front
20/05/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2LeO 451Cambrai-St. Quentin14Western Front
20/05/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2LeO 451Cambrai-St. Quentin14.05Western Front
05/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151Ham/Péronne17.3Western Front
05/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151Ham/Péronne17.25Western Front
05/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151Ham/Péronne17.2Western Front
05/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151Ham/Péronne17.17Western Front
06/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151Ham/Péronne12.26Western Front
06/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151Ham/Péronne12.17Western Front
08/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151SW Soissons21Western Front
08/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2Bloch 151SW Soissons21.1Western Front
09/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2BlenheimNE Soissons21.35Western Front
13/06/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2BattleMontdidier-Provins21.1Western Front
17/07/1940Ltn. Helmut Wick3JG 2SpitfireS. Insel Wight15.07Western Front
11/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2CurtissE. Weymouth11.3Western Front
11/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2Spitfire-11.34Western Front
11/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2Spitfire40km vor Portland: 7000m11.45Western Front
16/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2HurricaneE. Portsmouth: 4000m14.35Western Front
25/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2HurricanePortland18.25Western Front
25/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2SpitfirePortland18.3Western Front
26/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2HurricanePortsmouth17.35Western Front
26/08/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick3JG 2HurricanePortsmouth17.3Western Front
05/09/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick6JG 2Spitfire-16.1Western Front
06/09/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick6JG 2Spitfire-9.5Western Front
07/09/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick6JG 2Spitfire-18.25Western Front
08/09/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick6JG 2Hurricane-13.2Western Front
08/09/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick6JG 2Hurricane-13.3Western Front
08/09/1940Oblt. Helmut Wick6JG 2Hurricane-13.4Western Front
25/09/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2Spitfire-14.3Western Front
26/09/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2Spitfire-17.4Western Front
27/09/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2SpitfireE. Portland13Western Front
28/09/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2HurricaneSelsey Bill15.4Western Front
30/09/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2Spitfire-12.3Western Front
30/09/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2Spitfire-12.35Western Front
01/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2SpitfireS. Swanage11.4Western Front
01/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2SpitfireS. Swanage11.45Western Front
05/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2HurricaneS. Bournemouth14.58Western Front
05/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2HurricaneBournemouth15Western Front
05/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2HurricaneBournemouth15.03Western Front
05/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2SpitfireE. Insel Wight18.35Western Front
05/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2SpitfireE. Insel Wight18.4Western Front
15/10/1940Hptm. Helmut WickStab I.JG 2SpitfirePortsmouth13.45Western Front
29/10/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricanePortsmouth15.29Western Front
29/10/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfirePortsmouth15.33Western Front
05/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfireNE Portland [Southampton]14.4Western Front
05/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricaneNE Portland14.37Western Front
05/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricaneNE Portland14.35Western Front
06/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricaneSouthampton15.35Western Front
06/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfireE. Insel Wight15.48Western Front
06/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfireE. Insel Wight15.46Western Front
06/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfireE. Insel Wight15.45Western Front
06/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricaneSouthampton15.37Western Front
07/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricaneS. Portsmouth15.25Western Front
10/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2HurricaneE. Portland15.43Western Front
28/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfireBournemouth17.13Western Front
28/11/1940Major Helmut WickStabJG 2SpitfireNE Insel Wight15.1Western Front

Known Claims : 56

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