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''Oberst'' Joachim Helbig (10 September 1915 – 5 October 1985) was an officer and pilot in the German ''Luftwaffe'' bomber arm during World War II. He was credited with the destruction of of Allied shipping accomplished in 480 missions during World War II.〔Berger 2000, p. 121.〕 Joachim Helbig was born in 1915 and joined the ''Luftwaffe'' in 1936. At the outbreak of World War II he served as an observer in ''Lehrgeschwader 1'' (LG 1) and participated in the invasion of Poland.〔For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization〕 He saw further action in the Norwegian Campaign and the Battles of the Netherlands, Belgium and France. For his contribution and military success in these campaigns Helbig received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes'') on 9 November 1940. He was then transferred to the Mediterranean theater of operations where he operated against Malta, the British Mediterranean Fleet and in support of the ''Deutsches Afrikakorps'' (DAK). Helbig became the 20th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern'') on 28 September 1942 for the support of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' Erwin Rommel's 1942 summer offensive and the sinking of of enemy shipping. Initially Helbig was banned from further combat flying and became an inspector on the staff of the ''General der Kampfflieger'', the senior officer responsible for the Luftwaffe's bomber force. In August 1943 he was made ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of ''Lehrgeschwader 1'' operating against the Allied invasion forces in Italy. In the last weeks of the war in Europe, Helbig commanded a combat unit on the Eastern Front consisting of elements of ''Lehrgeschwader 1'' and ''Kampfgeschwader 200'' (KG 200). After the war he worked as a manager for a brewery in Berlin. Joachim Helbing died in Malente on 5 October 1985 following a car accident on vacation in Spain. ==Military career== Joachim Helbig was born on 10 September 1915 on the estate called Börln, which is located in Dahlen, Saxony. He grew up in the countryside and was very fond of horse back riding.〔 He volunteered for military service in 1935 and initially served one year with the ''Artillerieregiment'' 4 (4th Artillery Regiment) in Dresden. In the fall of 1936, he transferred to the ''Kampffliegerschule'' (Combat or Bomber Flying School) in Lechfeld. After completing his training as an observer and aerial gunner in April 1937, he was posted with III. ''Gruppe'' (3rd Group) ''Kampfgeschwader'' (Bomber Wing) 152 "Hindenburg" in Schwerin. III./KG 152 "Hindenburg" became II. ''Group'' of ''Lehrgeschwader'' 1 (1st Demonstration Wing) on 1 November 1938, where he started his informal pilot training.〔Berger 1999, p. 120.〕〔Schumann 2007, p. 80.〕〔Taghon 2004a, pp. 22, 23.〕 His two friends, ''Oberleutnant'' Fritz Sohler and ''Oberleutnant'' Gerhard Schröder, taught "Observer" Helbig to fly and he earned his Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (''Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein''), also known as 'C'-Certificate, confirming proficiency on multi-engine aircraft. Helbig's informal training was unique in the entire Luftwaffe bomber force.〔〔Kurowski 1996, p. 34.〕 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「Joachim Helbig」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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