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|unit=
|unit=
|battles=[[World War II]]
|battles=[[World War II]]
*[[Invasion of Poland (1939)|Polish campaign]]
*[[Invasion of Poland (1939)]]
*[[Operation Weserübung]]
*[[Operation Weserübung]]
*[[Battle of the Netherlands]]
*[[Battle of the Netherlands]]

Revision as of 00:45, 7 November 2016

Joachim Helbig
The head and shoulders of a young man, shown in semi-profile. He wears a peaked cap and a pilot's leather jacket with a fur collar, with an Iron Cross displayed at the front of his shirt collar. His nose is long and straight, and his facial expression is a determined and confident smile; his eyes gaze into the distance.
Joachim Helbig
Born(1915-09-10)10 September 1915
Börln, Dahlen, Saxony
Died5 October 1985(1985-10-05) (aged 70)
Malente
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1935–45
RankOberst
Commands heldI./LG 1, LG 1
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Other workManager at a brewery

Joachim Helbig (10 September 1915 – 5 October 1985) was a German bomber pilot in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was credited with the destruction of 182,000 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping accomplished in 480 missions during World War II.[1]

Helbig joined the Luftwaffe in 1936. He participated in the Invasion of Poland, the Norwegian Campaign, the Battles of the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Britain. For his contributions in these campaigns, Helbig received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 November 1940. He was then transferred to the Mediterranean theater where he bombed Malta, the British Mediterranean Fleet and flew in support of the Afrika Korps. Helbig became the 20th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 28 September 1942 for the support of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's 1942 summer offensive and the sinking of 182,000 tons of Allied shipping.

Helbig was then banned from further combat flying and worked on the staff of the Inspector of Combat Flight, the senior officer responsible for the Luftwaffe's bomber force. In August 1943 the ban was reversed and he was appointed wing commander of an air unit operating against the Allied forces in Italy. In the last weeks of the war in Europe, Helbig commanded a combat unit on the Eastern Front. After the war he worked in a civilian profession. Helbing died in Malente on 5 October 1985 following a car accident on vacation in Spain.

Early life and military career

Joachim Helbig was born on 10 September 1915 in Dahlen, Saxony. He volunteered for military service on 1 April 1935 and initially served one year with the an artillery regiment.[2] In the fall of 1936, he transferred to the Luftwaffe and entered the Kampffliegerschule (Bomber Flying School) in Lechfeld. After completing his training as an observer and aerial gunner on 20 April 1937, he was posted the 3rd Group (III. Gruppe) of Kampfgeschwader 152 "Hindenburg" in Schwerin. III./KG 152 became II. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 on 1 November 1938, where he started pilot training,[3][4][5] earning his flying certificate on multi-engine aircraft.[2][4]

Campaigns in Western Europe and over Britain

At the beginning of World War II in September 1939, Helbig held the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant) and was serving as an observer in a He 111 reconnaissance aircraft. On the third day of the invasion, while on a recon mission over Poland as an observer, Helbig shot down a Polish reconnaissance aircraft with his aircraft's defensive armament. The next day he was injured in a motorcycle accident, which prevented him from seeing further combat in this campaign; nevertheless, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class.[6] In October 1939, he participated in a number of uneventful missions against the British Home Fleet in the North Sea.[3]

By 9 April 1940, when the Germans invaded Norway (Operation Weserübung), Helbig had completed pilot training. As part of II. Gruppe, he flew missions supporting the German ground forces, particularly in the Åndalsnes area, conducting maritime interdiction missions and bombing civilian targets. During one of these missions on 2 May, his unit sank the Norwegian SS Dronning Maud, that was flying Red Cross flags and carrying medical personnel. Following their attack on Dronning Maud the German aircraft proceeded to bomb nearby Gratangen, destroying several houses and killing two civilians.[7] Helbig received the Narvik Shield for his participation in the campaign.[3][8]

When the campaign against the Netherlands, Belgium, and France began on 10 May, Helbig was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel (4th Squadron) of LG 1, a position he held until 5 November 1941. 4./LG 1 was now equipped with the Junkers Ju 88. On one mission during the Battle of Dunkirk, Helbig's aircraft was intercepted by Allied fighters. One engine was knocked out and three crew members, including Helbig, were wounded. For his actions in the French campaign, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class.[3]

Following the defeat of France, Helbig received an early promotion to Hauptmann (captain) on 19 July 1940.[9] His unit remained in France to participate in the Battle of Britain. On 15 August 1940, Helbig and his Staffel (Squadron), consisting of nine Ju 88s, took off from Orléans at 4:45 pm, with the primary target RAF Worthy Down. Over the English coast the German formation consisting of Ju 88s from LG 1, Ju 87s from Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1; 1st Dive Bomber Wing) escorted by elements of Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2; 2nd Heavy Fighter Wing), Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27; 27th Fighter Wing) and Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53; 53rd Fighter Wing), were intercepted by British fighters from No. 10 Group RAF and No. 11 Group RAF. The combined attacking force of more than 200 German aircraft were intercepted by 14 British fighter squadrons totaling 170 fighter aircraft. This mission turned out to be disastrous for 4th Staffel; only Helbig and his crew returned.[10][11] The majority of his men, 32 members of the 4th Staffel, were taken prisoner by the British.[4] During the battle, Helbig reported that his badly damaged Ju 88 was flying on one engine when he was intercepted by a Spitfire out-to-sea. The RAF pilot did not fire, but instead flew alongside the crippled bomber until the French coast was in sight, waved and flew away. It is suggested that perhaps this might have been Pilot Officer Richard Hardy from No. 234 Squadron RAF.[12]

As the Battle of Britain progressed, Helbig developed into an industrial target specialist. As a result of his success during more than 100 combat missions, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. By the time Helbig received the coveted decoration, he had flown 122 combat missions.[13]

North African and Mediterranean campaign

A twin engine propeller powered aircraft in flight and viewed from the right side. The aircraft bears multiple markings including a black and white cross on its side and swastika on the tail fin.
Junkers Ju 88 similar to those flown by Joachim Helbig

The Gruppe flew to Sicily in early January 1941 and attacked targets in Malta as well as British ships in the Mediterranean. On one of these missions they badly damaged the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious on 16 January while she was docked for repairs in Grand Harbour after she had been damaged by German dive bombers. The unit was transferred to Bulgaria in early April in preparation for Operation Marita, the German invasions of Greece and Yugoslavia, where it participated in the bombing of Belgrade, Yugoslavia on 6 April.[14] Two weeks later, on 21 April 1941, II./LG 1 attacked the shipping in the port of Patras. They claimed to have sunk two freighters totalling 10,000 gross register tons (GRT),[15] The small passenger liner SS Ellenis of 876 GRT, carrying 278 wounded, was sunk on 20 April in Patras and SS Ioanna of 1,192 GRT was sunk on 21 April in the same harbour.[16] It is not clear whether Ioanna was sunk by LG 1. The Regia Aeronautica ground attack pilot Major Giuseppe Cenni, commanding the Junkers 87-equipped 238 Squadriglia is also a candidate for sinking the ship.[17]

The unit remained in the Mediterranean for the rest of the year, attacking targets in Egypt and Libya. On 5 November Helbig became Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I./LG 1, succeeding Hauptmann Kuno Hoffmann. I./LG 1 was redeployed to Fliegerführer Afrika from 10th Air Corps on 21 November and for five days assisted III./LG 1 in halting the British Operation Crusader. He was slightly wounded by during a Royal Air Force bombing raid on the airfield at Benina, Libya on 29 November, as his unit was staging through en route back to Greece. Helbig commanded the unit on operations against the Sidi Barrani–Alexandria rail line on the 3 and 4 December. On the 10 December the unit flew interdiction operations against the British Army south of Tobruk. Thereafter, the unit flew mine-laying operations off the Libyan coast.[18][19] On 16 January 1942 Helbig became the 64th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves after having completed 300 combat missions.[20]

Five Ju 88s from I./LG 1 took off on an armed reconnaissance patrol over the sea to the south of Crete on 11 May. The crew of Oberfeldwebel Otto Leupert was searching roughly 100 kilometers (62 mi) south of Crete when they detected four British destroyers, Jervis, Kipling, Jackal and Lively, before noon. The destroyers approached the sea between Crete and Tobruk at around noon and were again spotted by a German reconnaissance aircraft at 12:35 pm. The first wave of 14 Ju 88s from I./LG 1 attacked the destroyers later that afternoon and, despite the protection of escorting British aircraft, sank Lively and crippled Jackal. A second wave failed to find the destroyers, but the third wave of seven Ju 88s, led by Helbig, attacked the destroyers with the setting sun behind them. Helbig selected Kipling as his target and his bombs sank her at 32°23′N 26°11′E / 32.39°N 26.19°E / 32.39; 26.19 while Jackal later had to be scuttled.[21][22]The attack was successful despite the presence of defending Bristol Beaufighters from No. 272 Squadron RAF.[23]

This achievement earned Helbig his first of two references in the Wehrmachtbericht on 13 May 1942. The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily propaganda radio report made by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of the Armed Forces). He also developed a reputation among his opponents: The British called his squadron "The Helbig Flyers".[24][25][26] In June 1942, British commandos targeted his unit at their base in Heraklion, and succeeded in blowing up seven of his Ju 88s.[27] On 28 September 1942 he was awarded the 20th Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.[28]

High command

In January 1943, Helbig was transferred to the staff of the General der Kampfflieger (Commander of Bombers). In March 1943 he was appointed the General der Kampfflieger and in this role he received a preferential promotion to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) on 1 September.[29] After numerous difficulties and clashes with his superiors, including Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, he returned to LG 1 as its Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) on 14 August.[30]

When his Geschwader was transferred to Italy to operate against the Allied beachheads at Anzio and Nettuno in Italy after the landings there (Operation Shingle) on 22 January 1944, Helbig was appointed as the commander of all bomber units in Italy. On the night of 23/24 January, his aircraft sank the destroyer HMS Janus with a torpedo and damaged severely Jervis with a Henschel Hs 293 glider bomb at the cost of 11 aircraft.[31] After successful operations against Allied airfields on the isle of Corsica, he was mentioned a second time in the Wehrmachtbericht on 28 May 1944.[1] The Corsica operation was a success and these long-range operations destroyed 23 aircraft and damaged 90.[32]

Final war years and post military career

On 6 June 1944, LG 1 was ordered to transfer to Belgium for air defense during the Allied invasion of France. Helbig ordered the transfer postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions over Southern France and fearing that the intensive Allied fighter operations in the area would render any movement impossible without sustaining high losses. Helbig was accused of disobeying orders by Luftflotte 2 (2nd Air Fleet) and was later court martialed. Nevertheless, Helbig relocated the Geschwader as soon as the low-pressure area dissipated, arriving in Belgium at dusk without losing a single aircraft.[33]

The court martial proceedings against Helbig, which had already begun, were dropped, because he was able to prove that his actions had been of decisive importance in preserving the Geschwader and its operational readiness. It was at this time that Helbig received the promotion to Oberst (colonel) on 1 July 1944 which Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram von Richthofen had proposed some time earlier.[29] Helbig then led his Geschwader with some success in the battles against the invasion fleet. However the ever present Allied fighter aircraft over the invasion front inflicted heavy losses on LG 1.[33]

He formed a combined ground support and reconnaissance battle group as part of the Luftwaffe's defensive operations against the Allied bombing campaign on 10 September 1944. Visiting one of the ground support squadrons at Vogelsang in the Eifel, he was severely wounded by strafing Allied aircraft. Due to his injuries Helbig had to surrender command of the Gefechtsverband Helbig, as the battle group was referred to, to the commander and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 2 (KG 2), Oberstleutnant Rudolf Hallensleben.[34] Shortly before the end of World War II, he led a small battle group made up of LG 1 and Kampfgeschwader 200. He was ordered by Generalmajor Franz Reuß, commanding general of the 4. Flieger-Division (4th Air Division), on 30 April 1945 to lead a small formation of Fieseler Fi 156 Storch light aircraft. The unit was to fly into Berlin-Wannsee and evacuate at least ten high-ranking German officials who were from Adolf Hitler's inner circle. Nine aircraft headed for Berlin, but were forced to abandon the mission due to strong defensive anti-aircraft fire.[35]

The city of Hamburg was declared an open city on 3 May 1945 and I./LG 1 abandoned their positions in southern Hamburg and relocated to Barmstedt near Elmshorn, roughly 30 kilometers (19 mi) north of Hamburg, on 4 May 1945. Helbig received the order to leave his Geschwader to serve as a courier, flying vital documents and secret orders from the Flensburg government to the senior command staff of Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand Schörner, the new Commander-in-Chief of the German Army (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres), in Czechoslovakia.[36] After delivering his reports, he departed early on the evening of 8 May 1945. Flying west, he avoided capture by the Red Army and escaped from Czechoslovakia. He was taken prisoner of war (POW) by the Americans and was taken to the Sennelager POW camp from where, according to Florian Berger, he escaped on 9 June.[1]

After the war Helbig built a civilian life and became a manager of the Schultheiss Brewery on the Kreuzberg in Berlin. He died on 5 October 1985 in Malente, following a road accident on his way to vacation in Spain two days earlier.[1]

Awards

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Berger 1999, p. 121.
  2. ^ a b Stockert 1996, p. 322.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Berger 1999, p. 120.
  4. ^ a b c Schumann 2007, p. 80.
  5. ^ Taghon 2004a, pp. 22–23.
  6. ^ a b Thomas 1997, p. 265.
  7. ^ Hafsten 1991: 43
  8. ^ De Zeng, Stankey and Creek 2008, p. 359
  9. ^ Stockert 1996, p. 323.
  10. ^ Bergström 2015, pp. 123–128.
  11. ^ Mason 1969, pp. 250–264.
  12. ^ Bergström 2015, p. 128.
  13. ^ Miller 2007 [1997], p. 35.
  14. ^ De Zeng, Stankey and Creek 2008, p. 360
  15. ^ Taghon 2004a, p. 209.
  16. ^ Shores, Brian Cull 1992, p. 405.
  17. ^ Smith 2011, p. 218.
  18. ^ Taghon, 2004a, p. 290; Weal 2009, p. 54.
  19. ^ De Zeng, Stankey and Creek 2008, pp. 354–55, 361.
  20. ^ Miller 1997, p. 35.
  21. ^ Taghon 2004b, pp. 11–12.
  22. ^ De Zeng, Stankey and Creek 2008, pp. 355.
  23. ^ Goss 2007, p. 102.
  24. ^ Williamson 2004, p. 46.
  25. ^ Taghon 2004b, p. 12.
  26. ^ Weal 2009, p. 7.
  27. ^ Hooton 1997, p. 212.
  28. ^ a b c d Scherzer 2007, p. 378.
  29. ^ a b Schumann 2007, p. 88.
  30. ^ Taghon 2004b, p. 231.
  31. ^ Langtree 2002, p. 168; Taghon 2004b, pp. 286–88
  32. ^ Hooton 1997, p. 240.
  33. ^ a b Brütting 1974, p. 99.
  34. ^ Taghon 2004b, p. 372.
  35. ^ Brütting 1974, p. 100.
  36. ^ Taghon 2004b, p. 439.
  37. ^ "Joachim Helbig". World War 2 Awards. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  38. ^ MacLean 2007, p. 229.

Bibliography

  • Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Bergström, Christer (2015). The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited. Casemate: Oxford. ISBN 978-1612-00347-4.
  • Brütting, Georg (1974). Das waren die deutschen Kampfflieger-Asse – 1939–1945 [Those were the German Bomber Aces – 1939–1945] (in German). Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-345-2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Bungay, Stephen (2000). The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain. London: Aurom Press. ISBN 978-1-85410-801-2.
  • De Zeng, H.L.; Stankey, D.G.; Creek, E.J (2008). Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933–1945; A Reference Source, Volume 2. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903223-87-1.
  • Goss, Chris (2007). Sea Eagles Volume Two: Luftwaffe Anti-Shipping Units 1942-45. Classic Publications. ISBN 978-1-9032-2356-7
  • Hafsten, Bjørn; Ulf Larsstuvold; Bjørn Olsen; Sten Stenersen (1991). Flyalarm – luftkrigen over Norge 1939–1945 (in Norwegian) (1st ed.). Oslo: Sem og Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-058-3.
  • Hooton, E. R. (1997). Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-343-1.
  • Kaiser, Jochen (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger—Band 1 (in German and English). Bad Zwischenahn, Germany: Luftfahrtverlag-Start. ISBN 978-3-941437-07-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Langtree, Charles (2002). The Kelly's: British J, K, and N Class Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-422-9.
  • MacLean, French L (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8.
  • Mason, Francis (1969). Battle Over Britain. McWhirter Twins, London. ISBN 978-0-901928-00-9
  • Miller, David A. (1997). Die Schwertertraeger Der Wehrmacht: Recipients of the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords. Merriam Press. ISBN 1-57638-025-4.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Schumann, Ralf (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 des LG 1 (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel [de]. ISBN 978-3-86619-013-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Shores, Christopher, Brian Cull and Maria Malizia (1992). Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete: 1940–41. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-07-0.
  • Stockert, Peter (1996). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1 (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-9802222-7-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Smith, Peter C (2011). The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka: A Complete History. London: Crecy Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-0-85979-156-4.
  • Taghon, Peter (2004a). Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1—Band 1—1936 – 1942 (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-85-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Taghon, Peter (2004b). Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1—Band 2—1942 – 1945 (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nicke. ISBN 978-3-925480-88-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Weal, John (2009). Junkers Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader in North Africa and the Mediterranean. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-888-4.
  • Williamson, Gordon; Bujeiro, Ramiro (2004). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1939–40. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-641-6.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
Military offices
Preceded by Geschwaderkommodore of Lehrgeschwader 1
14 August 1943 – 2 March 1945 		Succeeded by

Template:KCwithOLandSW Template:Knight's Cross recipients of LG 1

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