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''Major'' Helmut Paul Emil Wick (5 August 1915 – 28 November 1940) was a German Luftwaffe ace and the fourth recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ((ドイツ語:Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub)). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade, the Oak Leaves, was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme bravery in battle or successful military leadership. It was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Helmut Wick. Born in Mannheim, Wick joined the Luftwaffe in 1936 and was trained as a fighter pilot. He was assigned to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), and saw combat in the Battles of France and Britain.〔See Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II for an explanation of the Luftwaffe structure.〕 Promoted to ''Major'' in October 1940, he was given the position of ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (wing commander) of JG 2—the youngest in the Luftwaffe to hold this rank and position. He was shot down in the vicinity of the Isle of Wight on 28 November 1940, very likely by the British ace John Dundas, who was subsequently shot down by Wick's wingman. Helmut Wick was posted as missing in action, presumed dead. By then he had been credited with destroying 56 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, making him the leading German fighter pilot at the time. Flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109, he claimed all of his victories against the Western Allies. ==Early life and pre-war service== Helmut Paul Emil Wick was born on 5 August 1915 in Mannheim, Germany, the youngest of three children of a civil engineer, Karl Wick and Berta Wick, née Schenck. Helmut's eldest brother Walter was born in Swakopmund, at the time in the German protectorate in South-West Africa. The outbreak of World War I forced the family to return to Germany and Helmut's sister, Doris, was born in Rohrbach, near Heidelberg.〔 Owing to the demand for his father's skills and expertise building roads and bridges, Helmut spent most of his childhood traveling throughout the German Reich. The Wick family moved to Hanover in 1919; Helmut's mother died there in February 1922. His father then took the family to Oliva, near Danzig and Königsberg in East Prussia, finally settling in Berlin in 1935.〔Ringlstetter 2005, p. 11.〕 Upon graduating from ''Gymnasium'' (high school) in 1935, Wick, who initially considered a career as a forester, applied to the officer candidate course of the new German Air Force. Scoring well on the suitability tests, he was accepted into the German military on 6 April 1936 at the Luftwaffe officer candidate school in Dresden, after completing compulsory ''Reichsarbeitsdienst'' (Reich Labour Service). He swore the oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler on 16 April. After passing officer training courses, Wick was assessed as "well suited to become an officer" on 13 July.〔Ringlstetter 2005, p. 12.〕 He then started flight training and shortly later soloed in a Focke-Wulf Fw 44 "Stieglitz". Wick was considered an average pilot and had difficulties with his theoretical training, especially those topics that were of little or no interest to him. In early May 1937, he was briefly transferred to the 6. ''Staffel'' (6th squadron) of Kampfgeschwader 254 (254th Bomber Wing). A month later he returned to Dresden to complete his officer training.〔Ringlstetter 2005, p. 14.〕 Wick failed to pass the third course of his training but was given a second chance and on 1 April 1938 reported to the officer candidate school at the ''Luftkriegsschule III'' (3rd air war school), Wildpark-West near Werder. He successfully completed the course and in mid-1938 started special pilot training at the Fighter Training facility at Werneuchen. Upon graduation, he was assigned to II.Gruppe ''Jagdgeschwader'' 135 (135th Fighter Wing) which on 1 November 1938 became ''Jagdgeschwader'' 333 (333rd Fighter Wing) under ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel) Max Ibel at Herzogenaurach, flying obsolete Arado Ar 68 biplane fighters. On 8 November 1938, ''Oberfähnrich'' (senior ensign) Wick was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) and on 1 January 1939 was transferred to 1. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 133 (133rd Fighter Wing), which was later renamed ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing).〔Ringlstetter 2005, p. 16.〕 It was there that Wick began flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 monoplane fighter under the tutelage of Werner Mölders, a Spanish Civil War flying ace credited with 14 aerial victories. Under Mölders' guidance, Wick became a ''Schwarmführer'' (flight leader).〔Ringlstetter 2005, p. 17.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Helmut Wick」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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