Lent, Helmuth
- Date of birth:
- June 13th, 1918 (Pyrehne-Landsberg/Brandenburg, Germany)
- Date of death:
- October 7th, 1944 (Paderborn/Westernphalia, Germany)
- Buried on:
- Old Garrison Cemetery
- Nationality:
- German
Biography
Helmut Lent achieved 105 night victories (among which were 61 four engined bombers) and 8 daytime victories in 396 Nachtjagd and 111 Zerstörer sorties. He lies buried at the Old Garrison Cemetery in Stade together with his crew Walter Kubisch, Hermann Klöss and Werner Kark
Promotions:
April 1st, 1936: Fahnenjunker;
April 1st, 1937: Fähnrich;
February 1st, 1938: Oberfähnrich;
March 1st, 1938: Leutnant;
July 1st, 1940: Oberleutnant;
January 1st, 1942: Hauptmann;
January 1st, 1943: Major;
March 1st, 1944: Oberstleutnant;
?: Oberst (posthumously).
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- Awarded on:
- November 15th, 1937
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
- Unit:
- Staffelkapitän 6. / Nachtjagdgeschwader 1
- Awarded on:
- August 30th, 1941
Awarded after 8 day and 14 night victories.
303rd Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- January 28th, 1942
A night fighter squadron under the leadership of Hauptmann Lent and Oberleutnant Prince zu Lippe-Weißenfeld scored their 100th aerial victory when warding off an attack of British bombers on the Reich on the night of 27 January.
Awarding 3/44 directly by the Führer and Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- May 16th, 1942
Hauptmann Lent achieved his 30th nocturnal aerial victory in the night to 16 May.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur II. / Nachtjagdgeschwader 2
- Awarded on:
- June 6th, 1942
Awarded after 35 night victories.
98th Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- June 21st, 1942
Oberleutnant zur Lippe Lippe-Weißenfeld achieved three aerial victories last night, Hauptmann Lent achieved his 35th nocturnal aerial victory.
Awarded after 66 night victories.
32nd Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- June 18th, 1944
Oberstleutnant Lent, commodore of a night fight wing, shot down his 100th adversary in the night from 15 to 16 June.
Awarded after 100 night victories.
15th Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- October 11th, 1944
Reported additionally to the Wehrmachtbericht:
Geschwaderkommodore Oberstleutnant Helmut Lent, recipient of the highest German medal of bravery, found a flier's death. With him the Luftwaffe loses their most successful night fighter, who in combat against the British nocturnal terror attacks achieved 102 aerial victories.
Sources
- Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
- Photo 2: Dirk J. van Dolderen
- - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- OBERMAIER, E., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe, Hoffmann, 1989.
- PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
- Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
- Vorschlagsliste Nr. 1, Antrag auf Verleihung des Bildes des Herrn Reichsmarschall im Silberrahmen, 20.2.1942
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- Ritterkreuz Archiv III/2010, Veit Scherzer, Ranis, September 2010, ISSN 1866-4709
- Lexikon der Wehrmacht
- Ritterkreuztraeger 1939 - 1945
- Aces of the Luftwaffe
- Wehrmacht Awards
- Helmut Lent | Gräbersuche-Online