Helmut Wick - World War II - Death

Death

Helmut Wick, accompanied by his Stabsschwarm—including Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz, Leutnant Franz Fiby and Oberleutnant Erich Leie — claimed his 55th aerial victory when he shot down a Spitfire on the afternoon of 28 November 1940. His opponent could have been No. 602 Squadron's Pilot Officer Archibald Lyall, who was reported killed in the engagement. This made Wick the highest-scoring fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe, surpassing Mölders, whose score at the time stood at 54 victories. Returning from this mission to Cherbourg- Querqueville, Wick ordered the aircraft refueled and re-armed. Together with Erich Leie as his wingman, Wick took off at 4:10 p.m. and returned to the vicinity of the Isle of Wight. Spotting a flight of Spitfires he climbed to intercept from a more favourable attack position. In a diving attack Wick shot down and killed Pilot Officer Paul A. Baillon from No. 609 Squadron flying Spitfire R6631.

Wick was a real daredevil, He had excellent eyesight and therefore was usually the first to see enemy aircraft. Then he opened the throttle and simply went after them. I didn't do that, but that's probably why I'm still alive and he isn't.

Shortly afterwards, around 5 p.m., Wick's Bf 109 E-4 (Werknummer 5344 — factory number) was shot down, probably by twelve–victory ace Flight Lieutenant John Dundas of No. 609 Squadron, though it is also possible that Wick fell victim to Pilot Officer Eric Marrs; Polish pilot Zygmunt Klein of 234 Squadron may have also scored hits on Wick's aircraft; he was also shot down and killed during the battle.

Rudolf Pflanz saw a Spitfire shoot down a Bf 109, whose pilot bailed out. Pflanz then shot down the Spitfire, which he observed to crash in the sea with its pilot still inside.

Only later did Pflanz find out that it was Wick he saw bailing out. Göring had ordered Kriegsmarine torpedo boats on a night-long search-and-rescue mission for Wick. The next day, other naval vessels and the Seenotdienst (air-sea rescue) service, escorted by fighters of JG 2, continued in vain to search for him. He was never found, however, and the Luftwaffe declared him missing in action, presumed dead, on 4 December 1940, earning him his last reference in the daily Wehrmachtbericht. Wick, on his 168th combat mission, was the first Oak Leaves recipient to lose his life in combat.