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Helmut Wick
| Major Helmut Wick (deceased) 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. |
Items Signed by Major Helmut Wick (deceased) |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Major Helmut Wick (deceased) |
| Squadrons for : Major Helmut Wick (deceased) | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Major Helmut Wick (deceased). A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
Country : Germany Founded : 1st May 1939 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. | |
Country : Germany Founded : 1937 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. | |
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