Nickname: Jochen
Date of Birth: 10 September 1915 - Borln (near Dahlen), Saxony (German Empire)
Date of Death: 5 October 1985 - Malente (West Germany), car accident while on vacation in Spain.
Battles and Operations: Invasion of Poland (1939), Norwegian Campaign (1940), Battles of the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Britain (1940), Battle of Britain (1940), Mediterranean theatre including Siege of Malta, support for Afrika Korps, Balkan Campaign (1941), Battle of Crete (Operation Merkur, 1941), North African Campaign (1941-1943), Italian Campaign (1944), Normandy Invasion defense (1944), Eastern Front (1945)
NSDAP-Number: No information
SS-Number: No information
Religion: No information
Parents: Karl Helbig (father), mother unknown
Siblings: One sibling (name unknown)
Spouse: No information
Children: No information
Promotions:
1936 Leutnant
No date Oberleutnant
July 1940 Hauptmann
1 September 1943 Oberstleutnant
1944 Oberst
Career:
1 April 1935 - March 1936 Served with Artillerie-Regiment 4 in Dresden
Autumn 1936 Transferred to Luftwaffe, attended Heereskriegsschule and Kampffliegerschule Lechfeld for observer training
20 April 1937 Posted as observer to III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 152 in Schwerin
September 1939 Served as observer in He 111 with II. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1) during Invasion of Poland
April 1940 Participated in Norwegian Campaign (Operation Weserubung) with LG 1, flying missions supporting ground forces in Andalsnes area; unit sank Norwegian hospital ship SS Dronning Maud on 2 May and bombed Gratangen, destroying houses and killing civilians
April-May 1940 Squadron commander of 4. Staffel/LG 1 during Battle of France, flying He 111 and Ju 88 bombers; damaged by RAF Spitfires during Dunkirk operations on 1 June but returned to base
August 1940 Participated in Battle of Britain; led seven Ju 88s against RAF Worthy Down on 15 August, suffering heavy losses but returning damaged aircraft; conducted night operations against London and industrial targets
Mid-January 1941 Unit transferred to Sicily for attacks on Malta and British Mediterranean shipping
Early April 1941 Transferred to Bulgaria for Operation Marita, bombing Belgrade on 6 April during invasions of Greece and Yugoslavia
May 1941 Returned to Sicily for anti-shipping near Greece and Crete; damaged SS British Lord on 21 April, attacked convoy during Operation Tiger on 11 May, possibly damaged HMS Barham on 27 May during Crete evacuations
Rest of 1941 Operated in Mediterranean, attacking targets in Palestine, Egypt, Libya; mined Suez Canal and ports at night
5 November 1941 Appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe/LG 1
21 November 1941 Briefly under Fliegerfuhrer Afrika, supporting ground forces in Operation Crusader; wounded in RAF raid on Benina airfield on 29 November
December 1941 Commanded operations against Sidi Barrani-Alexandria rail line (3-4 December), British forces south of Tobruk (10 December), and mine-laying off Libyan coast
11 May 1942 Led attack south of Crete, sinking HMS Kipling and contributing to sinking HMS Lively and scuttling HMS Jackal despite Beaufighter opposition
September 1942 Unit attacked at Heraklion by British commandos, destroying seven Ju 88s
January 1943 Transferred to staff of General der Kampfflieger
March 1943 Appointed to conduct affairs of General der Kampfflieger
14 August 1943 Returned to front as Geschwaderkommodore of LG 1 after clashes with superiors including Albert Kesselring
January 1944 Commanded bomber units in Italy against Anzio and Nettuno beachheads during Operation Shingle; sank HMS Janus with torpedo and damaged HMS Jervis with Hs 293 glider bomb on 23-24 January, losing 11 aircraft
June 1944 LG 1 transferred to France for air defense during Operation Overlord
September 1944 Formed combined ground support and reconnaissance battle group against Allied bombing; severely wounded by strafing at Vogelsang Airfield on 10 September
Early 1945 Commanded combat unit on Eastern Front, destroying bridges over Oder
30 April 1945 Took operational leadership for planned Fieseler-Storch evacuation flight to Berlin-Wabbsee, but unable to land due to flak
8 May 1945 Surrendered to American forces in Czechoslovakia
Postwar Worked as director of Schultheiss brewery plant in Berlin
Awards and Decorations:
Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (16 September 1939)
Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class (20 June 1940)
Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 October 1940)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (24 November 1940) as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitan of 4./Lehrgeschwader 1 after 75 combat missions, including operations in Norway (sinking hospital ship and bombing civilian areas), France (Dunkirk interdiction where his Ju 88 was damaged but returned), and Battle of Britain (leading squadron against Worthy Down with heavy losses, night bombings of London and industrial targets)
Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #64 (16 January 1942) as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Lehrgeschwader 1 after 210 combat missions, including Mediterranean operations from Sicily (attacks on Malta, sinking 10,000 BRT troop transporter in Piraeus harbor, damaging SS British Lord, attacking convoys during Operation Tiger, possible damage to HMS Barham off Crete), support for Afrika Korps during Crusader (wounded in airfield raid, rail line and Tobruk attacks, coastal mine-laying)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #20 (28 September 1942) as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Lehrgeschwader 1 for support of Erwin Rommel's 1942 summer offensive in North Africa, including intense anti-shipping and ground support against Malta and English convoys (sinking HMS Kipling on 11 May 1942, contributing to loss of HMS Lively and HMS Jackal; total sunk shipping tonnage of 182,000 BRT by that point); mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht for this action
Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (11 May 1942 and 13 May 1944)
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Joachim Helbig was a prominent Luftwaffe bomber pilot who volunteered for military service in 1935, initially with artillery before transferring to aviation in 1936. Trained as an observer and later pilot, he spent most of his career with Lehrgeschwader 1, flying He 111 and Ju 88 aircraft in major theaters from Poland to the Mediterranean and Western Europe. His early actions in Norway and France demonstrated skill under fire, such as returning damaged from Dunkirk. In the Battle of Britain, he survived a disastrous raid on Worthy Down as the only returning aircraft. Relocated to the Mediterranean, Helbig excelled in anti-shipping, sinking significant tonnage and supporting Axis advances in North Africa. His leadership as group and wing commander involved high-risk missions, including Anzio where his unit inflicted naval losses but suffered heavily. Wounded multiple times, he clashed with superiors over strategy but returned to combat. Postwar, he transitioned to civilian life in brewing. Helbig flew over 1,000 operational hours in one Ju 88, a unique feat, and was noted for premature promotions due to combat merit.
Unique facts include escaping American captivity in June 1945 to hide in West Germany, and his unit's role in controversial actions like bombing civilian targets in Norway.
Source:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Helbig
- https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/H/HelbigJ-R.htm
- https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34533/Helbig-Joachim.htm
- https://forum.axishistory.com/
- https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
- https://www.geni.com/search?names=Joachim+Helbig
- https://books.google.com/books/about/Luftwaffe_Aces.html?id=NfRilR2UQXUC (Luftwaffe Aces by Franz Kurowski)
- Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die hochstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
- Schumann, Ralf (2007). Das Ritterkreuz: Trager des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945. Teil III: Infanterie Band 4: Br-Bu. Zweibrucken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-86619-017-7.
- Stockert, Peter (1996). Die Eichenlaubtrager 1939-1945 Band 1. Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-9804496-0-1.
- Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubtrager 1939-1945 Band 1: A-K. Osnabruck, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939-1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbundeter Streitkrafte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Bergstrom, Christer (2015). The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited. Oxford, UK: Casemate. ISBN 978-1612-00347-4.
- Brutting, Georg (1974). Das waren die deutschen Kampfflieger-Asse 1939-1945. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-345-2.
- Bungay, Stephen (2000). The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-85410-721-3.
- Cornwell, Peter D. (2008). The Battle of France Then and Now. Old Harlow, UK: Battle of Britain International. ISBN 978-1-870067-65-2.
- De Zeng, H.L.; Stankey, D.G.; Creek, E.J. (2008). Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945; A Reference Source, Volume 2. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903223-87-1.
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- Hafsten, Bjorn; Oystein, Arheim (1991). Marinens Flygevapen 1912-1944. Oslo: War Historical Department of Norway. ISBN 82-991760-1-8.
- Hooton, E.R. (1997). Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-343-1.
- Langtree, Christopher (2002). The Kelly's: British J, K, and N Class Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-422-7.
- 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. London, UK: McWhirter Twins. ISBN 978-0-901928-00-9.
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- Shores, Christopher; Foreman, John; Ehrengardt, Chris (1991). Fledgling Eagles: The Complete Account of Air Operations during the 'Phoney War' and Norwegian Campaign, 1940. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-42-7.
- Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1987). Malta: The Hurricane Years. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-06-2.
- Taghon, Peter (2004a). Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1—Band 1—1936–1942. Aachen, Germany: Helios Verlags- und Buchvertriebsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3-938208-05-2.
- Taghon, Peter (2004b). Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1—Band 2—1942–1945. Aachen, Germany: Helios Verlags- und Buchvertriebsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3-938208-06-9.
- Weal, John (2009). Junkers Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader in North Africa and the Mediterranean. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-318-6.
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