In late 1940 a bitter contest was being fought in the skies over the south coast of England. Helmut Wick was one of the Luftwaffe's greatest aces, famed throughout Nazi Germany for his skill in the air. Tony Holmes, in an extract from Osprey's recent title Aircraft of the Aces: Legends of World War 2, tells the story of his demise.
Sensing that his 56th kill is just moments away, ranking Jagdwaffe ace Major Helmut Wick turns in behind the already smoking Spitfire I (R6631) of No 609 'West Riding' Sqn's Plt Off Paul A Baillon as the pair race over The Needles at the western end of the Isle of Wight on the afternoon of 28 November 1940. Having used his height advantage to power-dive into the auxiliary squadron as it patrolled over the Solent, the newly promoted Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2 'Richthofen' had quickly singled out the hapless Baillon and hit his Spitfire hard with a well-aimed burst of cannon and machine-gun fire from Bf 109E-4 Wk-Nr 5344 — Wick's favoured mount throughout late 1940.
Canadian ace Plt Off Keith A. Ogilvie was part of the No 609 Sqn formation engaged by I./JG 2, and he described the attack in the following terms:
'I was Yellow 3 and was weaving merrily behind, keeping an eagle eye above, when I caught a glimpse of three "yellow noses" in my mirror. They were obviously crack pilots by their tight formation and strategy. I gave the warning and dove as the centre "Johnny" opened fire on me, and was speeded on my way by a cannon shot up the fuselage and a second through my prop.'
Despite having had his aircraft superficially damaged in the initial attack, Ogilvie shook off his assailants and saw Plt Off Baillon bail out of his stricken Spitfire about 20 miles south of Bournemouth. He followed his squadronmate's progress down into the water, but was dismayed to see the pilot display no signs of life whilst floating beneath the perfectly deployed parachute. Baillon's body was later washed up on the Normandy coast.
His conqueror, meanwhile, had little time to celebrate his latest kill, for whilst recovering from the dive Wick banked steeply, and for a split-second flashed across the nose of another Spitfire. Instinctively, its pilot, either Flt Lt John 'Cocky' Dundas DFC of No 609 Sqn (the unit's leading ace with 16 kills) in Spitfire I X4586, or veteran Pole, Sgt Zygmunt Klein, flying Spitfire I P9427 of No 152 Sqn, opened fire. The short burst must have mortally damaged the heavily mottled Messerschmitt, for Wick jettisoned his canopy and jumped over the side. The solitary parachute drifting down towards the sea south-west of The Needles would be the last anybody ever saw of the Luftwaffe's leading ace, for an intensive air and sea search failed to find Wick.
The Kommodore shared his watery grave with his victor, who was downed just minutes later by Wick's distraught wingman, 'Rudi' Pflanz. Confirmation of just who shot the great ace down remains a mystery to this day, as both Dundas and Klein failed to return from the sortie.
Ironically, the Jagdwaffe's then leading ace was not supposed to be over the Isle of Wight at all on this fateful day, for a signal had arrived at the Geschwader's HQ at Beaumont-le-Roger prohibiting him from all further combat flying. However, this had been received just minutes after Wick had taken off with his Stabsschwarm on what would ultimately prove to be his final fighter sweep of his favourite hunting ground over the Channel to the south of the Solent.
Pilot Biography
The meteoric rise of Helmut Wick — from a Rottenführer (leader of a two-aircraft formation) to Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2 'Richthofen', the Luftwaffe's premier fighter unit — was unparalleled in the annals of that service's history. As a 24-year-old Leutnant, it was Wick who scored JG 2's first victory of World War II when he downed a French Curtiss Hawk on 22 November 1939 during the period of the so-called 'Phoney War'. He did not add to his own tally until the Blitzkrieg in the west was well under way, claiming a trio of LeO 451 bombers on 17 May 1940. But in the six months which followed, a steady succession of victories would make Wick the most successful fighter pilot of the entire Luftwaffe. He emerged from the Battle of France with 14 kills (plus two unconfirmed), and in July 1940 he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 2. It was during the Battle of Britain that his dual qualities of marksmanship and leadership really came to the fore. A lengthening list of successes earned Wick awards, promotion and the adulation of the German press, and on 27 August, as an oberleutnant, he received the Knight's Cross for 20 victories. He became Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 2 the following month, and was awarded the Oak Leaves on 6 October — by which time his score had risen to 42. Already a major, Wick was given command of JG 2 'Richthofen' exactly a fortnight later. But fate was soon to overtake him. On 28 November the Luftwaffe's then ranking ace with 56 kills was himself shot down south of the Isle of Wight. Although he parachuted into the English Channel, notrace of Helmut Wick was ever found.
by Tony Holmes
Further reading
Dibbs, John, General Aviation: Spitfire Flying Legend (Osprey, 1996)
Holmes, Tony, General Aviation: Aircraft of the Aces: Legends of World War 2 (Osprey, 2003)
Holmes, Tony, General Aviation: Aircraft of the Aces : Legends of the Skies (Osprey, 2004)
Price, Alfred, Aircraft of the Aces 12: Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-41 (Osprey, 1996)
Scutts, Jerry, Airwar 6: Luftwaffe Fighter Units: Europe 1939-41 (Osprey, 1977)
VanWyngarden, Greg, Aviation Elite Units 19: Jagdgeschwader Nr II 'Geschwader Berthold' (Osprey, 2005)
Weal, John, Aviation Elite Units 1: Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' (Osprey, 2000)