Helmut Bergmann

Helmut Bergmann (26 May 1920 – 6 August 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 36 enemy aircraft shot down in 135 combat missions. [Note 1] All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in nocturnal Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command.

Helmut Bergmann
Born26 May 1920
Bochum
Died6 August 1944(1944-08-06) (aged 24)
Mortain, German-occupied France
Buried
Marigny German war cemetery
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–1944
RankHauptmann (Captain)
UnitNJG 4, NJG 1
Commands held8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 4
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Born in Bochum, Bergmann volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1939 after finishing school. Following flight training, he was initially posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing) in 1941 before he transferred to Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—4th Night Fighter Wing). He claimed his first aerial victory on 19/20 September 1942 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944. Two months later, on 6 August 1944, he and his crew were killed in action during Operation Lüttich.

Early life and career

Bergmann was born on 26 May 1920 in Bochum, the son of Heinrich Bergmann who later served as a Major in the Luftwaffe, and his wife Edith.[1][2] In his childhood, Bergmann was a member of the Hitler Youth and underwent his recruit training in Straubing. He then received his flight training at the Flugzeugführerschule A/B in Eger,[Note 2] present-day Cheb in the Czech Republic.[4] He was then selected to train as a night fighter pilot and posted to the blind flying school Blindflugschule 3 (BFS 3—3rd blind flying school) at Schwäbisch Hall. There, he trained together with Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer.[5]

After completing pilot training in July 1941, he was assigned to the Ergänzungsstaffel (Training/Supplement Squadron) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing) on 15 July.[6]

World War II
A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, bombing missions by the Royal Air Force (RAF) shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.[7] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector, named a Himmelbett (canopy bed), would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.[8]

Bergmann was assigned to 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—4th Night Fighter Wing) on 1 May 1942.[6] He was credited with his first aerial victory on 19/20 September 1942, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber, claimed shot down at 00:01 approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) south of Verdun.[9] Bergmann was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 April 1943.[10] On 22 April, he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel of NJG 4.[6] On 23 June 1943, Bergmann and his crew were forced to bail out of their Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 (Werknummer 5334—factory number) following aerial combat north of Harderwijk and were injured.[11]

10/11 April 1944

Bergmann claimed seven Avro Lancaster bombers shot down in 46 minutes on the night of 10/11 April 1944, all from an RAF Bomber Command raid on the Aulnoye-Aymeries rail marshalling yard on the Franco-Belgian frontier.[Note 3] All of his seven claims were confirmed and 38 Allied aircrew were killed.[13] This was Bergmann's most successful sortie, making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time.[14]

His first aerial victory of the night was Lancaster ND586 from No. 460 Squadron RAAF was shot down at 02:20 in the vicinity of Vieux-Mareuil. At 02:30, north of Solesmes, he shot down Lancaster LL830 from No. 576 Squadron RAF, 5 minutes later followed by Lancaster ND844 from No. 12 Squadron RAF. His fourth Lancaster of the night was claimed at 02:43 north of Achiet-le-Petit. At 02:50, he attacked Lancaster JB732 from No. 103 Squadron RAF which crashed at Méharicourt. Lancaster DV288 from No. 101 Squadron RAF claimed at 02:54 became his sixth aerial victory of the night. His seventh and last Lancaster shot down that night was claimed at 03:06 over Lancaster MD636 from No. 625 Squadron RAF[15]

Knight's Cross and death

On 4 May 1944, Bergmann was transferred to 6. Staffel of NJG 4. That evening, he claimed five further aerial victories.[16][Note 4] On 9 June 1944, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) following his 34th aerial victory.[6] The award documentation was signed on 27 September 1944, at the time, Bergmann and his crew were considered missing in action.[18]

On 6 August 1944, Bergmann and his crew - radar operator Feldwebel Gunter Hauthal and air gunner Feldwebel Willie Schopp - were shot down and killed in their Bf 110 G-4 (Werknummer 140320) at Mortain on the Cotentin Peninsula. Flight Lieutenant John Surman, flying a Mosquito of No. 604 Squadron RAF, may have shot them down as he claimed a Bf 110 destroyed.[19] However, friendly fire from the 1st SS Leibstandarte Panzer division who were launching Operation Lüttich, the counterattack at Mortain may have been responsible.[20] Following the battle, his remains were found and temporarily buried. He was later reinterred at the Marigny German war cemetery (Block 3—Row 31—Grave 1182).[21]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Bergmann was credited with 36 nocturnal aerial victories, claimed in approximately 135 combat missions.[22] Foreman, Matthews and Parry, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, list 34 nocturnal victory claims, numerically ranging from 1 to 35, not listing his 18th claim.[23] Matthews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Bergmann with 33 claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims.[14]

Awards
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See also
  • Wilhelm Herget - claimed eight RAF bombers in just 50 minutes during a raid against Frankfurt on the night of 20 December 1943.[59]

Notes
  1. For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.
  2. Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations. For pilots destined to fly multi-engine aircraft, the training was completed with the Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein), also known as the C-Certificate.[3]
  3. According to Boiten, he claimed six Lancasters shot down.[12]
  4. According to Ziefle, Bergmann claimed six aerial victories on the night of 3/4 May 1944.[17]
  5. According to Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims claimed while flying with III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 while Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 states Nachtjagdgeschwader 1.[14][37]
  6. According to Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, this claim is unconfirmed.[14]
  7. This unconfirmed claim is not listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945.[54]

References

Citations
  1. Bowman 2016b, p. 47.
  2. Nimmo 2012, pp. 84, 89.
  3. Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  4. Nimmo 2012, pp. 80–82.
  5. Nimmo 2012, p. 91.
  6. Obermaier 1989, p. 87.
  7. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 9.
  8. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 27.
  9. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 59.
  10. Nimmo 2012, p. 46.
  11. Combat description for 5334 at the Aviation Safety Network
  12. Boiten 1997, p. 174.
  13. Nimmo 2012, p. 61.
  14. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 90.
  15. Nimmo 2012, pp. 58–60.
  16. Nimmo 2012, p. 62.
  17. Ziefle 2013, p. 233.
  18. Nimmo 2012, p. 178.
  19. Thomas 2005, p. 34.
  20. Nimmo 2012, pp. 175–176.
  21. Nimmo 2012, pp. 176–178.
  22. Spick 1996, p. 245.
  23. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, pp. 59–174.
  24. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 62.
  25. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 70.
  26. Combat description for BK697 at the Aviation Safety Network
  27. Combat description for R9149 at the Aviation Safety Network
  28. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 73.
  29. Bowman 2016a, p. 141.
  30. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 74.
  31. Combat description for HE733 at the Aviation Safety Network
  32. Combat description for BB311 at the Aviation Safety Network
  33. Cunliffe 2013, Enemy coast ahead.
  34. Combat description for BF474 at the Aviation Safety Network
  35. Cunliffe 2013, Chapter Two—Crossing the Rhein.
  36. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 75.
  37. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, pp. 84–85.
  38. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 84.
  39. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 85.
  40. Combat description for ED828 at the Aviation Safety Network
  41. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 90.
  42. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 107.
  43. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 126.
  44. Youngs 2014.
  45. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 128.
  46. Combat description for EF128 at the Aviation Safety Network
  47. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 166.
  48. Bowman 2016b, p. 49.
  49. Nimmo 2012, p. 58.
  50. Nimmo 2012, pp. 59, 215.
  51. Nimmo 2012, p. 60.
  52. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 170.
  53. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 173.
  54. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 174.
  55. Patzwall 2008, p. 49.
  56. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 37.
  57. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 111.
  58. Scherzer 2007, p. 216.
  59. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, pp. 133–134.

Bibliography
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  • Boiten, Theo (1997). Nachtjagd: the night fighter versus bomber war over the Third Reich, 1939–45. London: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-86126-086-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Bowman, Martin (2016a). Nachtjagd, Defenders of the Reich 1940–1943. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-4738-4986-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Bowman, Martin (2016b). German Night Fighters Versus Bomber Command 1943–1945. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Aviation. ISBN 978-1-4738-4979-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Cunliffe, Peter Wilson (2013). A Shaky Do: The Skoda Works Raid 16/17th April 1943. 2QT Limited. ISBN 978-1-908098-46-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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  • Nimmo, Stuart (2012). Perilous Moon:Occupied France, 1944 — The End Game. Philadelphia & Oxford: Casemate Publication. ISBN 978-1-61200-124-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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