september october officer pilot german luftwaffe bomber arm world war credited destruction gross register tons grt allied shipping accomplished missions world war born joined luftwaffe outbreak world war served observer participated invasion poland saw action battles netherlands belgium france contribution military success campaigns received knight des november transferred mediterranean theater operations operated malta support 20th recipient knight mit und september support summer offensive sinking grt enemy shipping initially banned combat flying inspector staff general der senior officer responsible luftwaffe bomber force august operating allied invasion forces italy weeks war europe commanded combat unit eastern consisting elements war worked manager brewery berlin died october following car accident vacation spain military career born september estate called located grew countryside fond horse riding volunteered military service april initially served year 4th artillery regiment dresden fall transferred combat completing training observer aerial gunner april posted iii bomber wing iii group 1st demonstration wing november started informal pilot training friends taught observer fly earned known confirming proficiency multi engine aircraft informal training unique entire luftwaffe bomber force norway france observer bomber reconnaissance outbreak world war day polish campaign mission poland shot polish reconnaissance aircraft day injured motorcycle accident prevented seeing combat campaign awarded 2nd class october participated number uneventful missions north_sea april began norway completed pilot training flew missions supporting german ground forces particularly area missions took low altitude strikes british positions sortie flight engineer severely wounded left engine aircraft shot received participation battle norway campaign netherlands belgium france began appointed squadron leader position held november equipped mission aircraft intercepted enemy fighters engine shot crew members including suffered degrees injuries actions french campaign awarded 1st class following defeat france received early promotion captain july august squadron consisting took primary target english coast german formation consisting 1st dive bomber wing escorted elements 2nd heavy fighter wing 27th fighter wing 53rd fighter wing intercepted british fighters group raf group raf combined attacking force german aircraft intercepted british fighter squadrons totaling fighter aircraft mission turned disastrous 4th crew returned heavily damaged aircraft friendly territory majority men members 4th taken prisoner british progressed developed industrial target specialist result success combat missions awarded knight time received decoration flown combat missions success surviving seemingly hopeless situations excellent crew included august luftwaffe radio operator awarded knight cross manning machine guns drove attacking fighter force mission located north liverpool contributed success missions including attack destruction lock entrance attack pilot training airfield combat missions successfully fought attacks enemy fighters north african mediterranean campaign fourth ordered attack british ships port night good friday mission dive bombed sank troop transport ship likely hospital ship greek forces november took commander 1st 1st demonstration wing succeeding combat missions flown youngest luftwaffe january recipient knight oak leaves des mit having completed combat missions german assault flying missions night bombed heavily defended fortress consecutive nights taking mission lasted hours took armed reconnaissance patrol sea area south crete crew searching area quadrant east roughly kilometres south crete detected british destroyers hms hms hms lively noon immediately informed radio communications destroyers approached sea crete noon spotted german reconnaissance aircraft headed quadrant east aircraft armed kilogram kilogram bombs despite protection accompanying torpedo bombers squadron raf operating long range fighters attacked hms lively struck sank second wave led failed reach destroyers wave led took seven aircraft flight included experienced veterans seven attacked destroyers setting sun space minutes sank vessels selected target bombs struck destroyer amidships sinking hit times british attempted tow crippled vessel friendly port day sank scuttled achievement earned references daily propaganda radio report der high command reporting military situation fronts developed reputation opponents british called squadron june british targeted unit base succeeded blowing seven flew numerous missions support september awarded 20th mit und sunk grt enemy shipping defense allied landings algeria tunisia november sank grt munitions transport coast algeria high command january transferred staff general der commander bombers inspector march tasked duties general der role received promotion lieutenant colonel september numerous difficulties clashes superiors including field marshal lacked operational expertise transferred operational unit wing commander august led allied italy beginning operation january january sank bomb damaged severely loss aircraft italy january destroyed aerial attack american bombers aircraft solely piloted survive hours combat operations successful operations allied airfields isle mentioned second time defense june ordered transfer belgium air defence allied invasion france ordered transfer postponed unfavourable weather conditions fearing intensive allied fighter operations area render movement impossible sustaining high losses accused orders relocated soon low pressure area dissipated arriving belgium dusk losing single aircraft court martial proceedings begun dropped able prove actions decisive importance preserving operational readiness time received promotion colonel july proposed time earlier led success battles invasion fleet present allied fighter aircraft invasion inflicted heavy losses formed combined ground support reconnaissance battle group defense september visiting ground support squadrons severely wounded enemy aircraft injuries surrender command battle group referred commander shortly end world war led small battle group ordered commanding general april lead small formation unit fly berlin evacuate high ranking officials people adolf_hitler inner circle aircraft headed berlin forced abandon mission strong defensive anti aircraft fire city hamburg declared open city abandoned positions southern hamburg relocated near roughly kilometres north hamburg received order leave serve flying vital documents secret orders government senior command staff new commander chief german_army des czechoslovakia delivering reports departed early evening flying west avoided capture escaped czechoslovakia taken prisoner war americans taken camp escaped june war built civilian life manager brewery berlin died october following road accident way vacation spain days earlier awards shield luftwaffe gold pennant combined pilots observation badge gold diamonds iron cross 2nd class september 1st class june der luftwaffe october oak leaves swords knight cross november oak leaves january 20th swords september mentioned twice references
Joachim Helbig