Helmut Wick

Infobox Military Person
name=Helmut Wick
lived=birth date|1915|8|5|df=y — death date and age|1940|11|28|1915|8|5|df=y


caption=Helmut Wick
placeofbirth=Mannheim
placeofdeath= MIA-English Channel
nickname="Sigfried"
allegiance=Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1936-1940
rank=Major
commands=JG 2
unit=JG 333, JG 53, JG 2
battles=World War II
*Battle of France
*Battle of Britain
awards="Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub"
laterwork=

Major Helmut Wick (August 5, 1915 – November 28, 1940) a German Luftwaffe Ace and holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.He scored all of his 56 kills against the Western Allies flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Early Life - Pre-War Service

Helmut Paul Emil Wick was born in Mannheim, Germany; youngest of three children of a civil engineer Karl Wick. Due to the demand for his father’s skills and expertise, young Helmut spent most of his childhood traveling throughout the German Reich. The Wick family moved to Hanover in 1919 and later then to Danzig and Königsberg in East Prussia, finally settling in Berlin in 1935. The same year, upon graduating from high school, Helmut applied to the officer candidate course of the new German Air Force. He was accepted and joined the German military on April 6, 1936 at the Luftwaffe officer candidate school in Dresden. After successfully passing officer training courses, Wick started special pilot training at the Fighter Training facility at Werneuchen in summer 1938. On completion of his training, Wick was assigned to "Jagdgeschwader 333" under Oberstleutnant Max Ibel, flying obsolete Arado Ar 68 biplane fighters. On November 8, 1938 Wick was promoted to Leutnant and on January 1, 1939 was transferred to 1. Staffel of "Jagdgeschwader 133" which was later renamed JG 53. It was there Helmut Wick began flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter planes under the tutelage of Werner Mölders, already the greatest German fighter Ace of the time.

Outbreak of WWII

On August 31, 1939 Wick was transferred to "Jagdgeschwader 2" - "Richthofen", based in Döberitz near Berlin under the command of Oberst Gerd von Massow and was assigned Me 109 E-3 with the tactical code "Yellow 3". On September 1, 1939 he joined its "3. Staffel" and served with the unit in the air defense of Berlin during the Polish Campaign. Following the German victory in Poland JG 2 was transferred to Frankfurt-Rebstock and tasked with protection of Germany’s Western border. Leutnant Wick claimed his first, and the "Geschwader’s" second, victory on November 22, 1939, when he shot down a French Curtiss Hawk 75 fighter near Nancy, piloted by Sergent Saillard of the Groupe de Chasse II/4 Armée de l’Air who was killed in action. For this feat, Wick received the Iron Cross, Second Class.

Battle of France

On May 10, 1940 German forces launched offensive in Western Europe, but Wick remained on the ground while his aircraft, Bf 109 "Yellow 2," underwent an engine change. Finally, seven days later, he was back in the air recording 3 victories over French LeO 45 bombers in one mission. By June 6, Wick had 10 confirmed and two unconfirmed victories, including 4 French Bloch 151/152 fighters shot down on June 5 to record his fifth through eight victories. The two unconfirmed victories were the Royal Navy’s Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers claimed on May 19th and for which he had no witnesses. He was also awarded the Iron Cross, First Class by Oberstleutnant Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp. By the end of the French Campaign, Wick's total stood at 14 confirmed victories, trailing only Hauptmann Mölders of JG 53 with 25 victories and Hauptmann Balthasar of JG 27 with 23 victories as top scorer of the Luftwaffe.

Knight's Cross and the Oak Leaves

Throughout the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 Wick rose quickly in rank and in profile both on the battlefield and as a public figure back home in Germany. On July 21, 1940 the just promoted Oberleutnant also became leader of the "3. Staffel" succeeding Major Henning Stümpell. Although the fighting in the air grew increasingly difficult, Wick kept adding victories to his tally. He recorded his 20th victory on August 24 and added two more fighters a day later. For this achievement Wick was awarded the Knight’s Cross on August 27, 1940 at Karinhall by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. Upon his return back to France, Wick was promoted to Hauptmann and on September 9 was officially named "Gruppenkommandeur" of "I. Gruppe" JG 2 . During September Wick continued accumulating victories over the RAF and on October 5 gained his 41st combat victory on his way to overtake his two closest rivals Major Galland and Oberstleutnant Mölders. He also became the 4th member of the armed forces to receive the Eichenlaub ("Oak Leaves") to his Knight's Cross directly from Hitler at Berghof in Bavaria on September 8, 1940.

Major and Commander of JG 2

On October 19, 1940 Wick was promoted to Major and succeeded Major Wolfgang Schellmann, who had left to command JG 27, as the commander of Jagdgeschwader 2. At the age of 25, he became the youngest Major and "Kommodore" in the Luftwaffe. Under his command, on November 16, the Geschwader achieved its 500th aerial victory. Wick continued adding to his combat victories, reaching number 55 and 56 on November 28, 1940. These were also his last. On the same day, around 5 p.m., Wick’s Bf 109 E-4 (W.Nr. 5344) was shot down, probably by Flight Lieutenant John Dundas of 609 Squadron, RAF in the vicinity of Isle of Wight. Wick was seen to bail out, but was never found and is missing to the present day. The Luftwaffe declared Wick MIA, presumed dead on December 4, 1940.

Family

On August 5, 1939 Helmut Wick married Ursel Rolfs (1916-1968) and had two children Walter (born in 1939) and a girl born after his death in 1941.

References

* unknown - Helmut Wick - das Leben eines Fliegerhelden - Scherl, Berlin for "Der Adler", 1943
* unknown - Horrido - Walter Zuerl, München, 1940
* Ringlstetter,Herbert - Helmut Wick, An Illustrated Biography Of The Luftwaffe Ace And Commander Of Jagdgeschwader 2 During The Battle Of Britain (ISBN 0-7643-2217-6) - Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA, 2005
* Nauroth,Holger- Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen", A Photographic History (ISBN 0-7643-2094-7) - Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA, 2005

External links

* [http://www.aviartnutkins.com/images/specials/Helmut-Wick-by-G.Nutkins.jpgPainting depicting Helmut Wick's last mission] by Geoff Nutkins