# Helmut Grollmus

Helmut Grollmus (8 January 1918 – 19 June 1944) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Helmuth Grollmus was credited with 75 aerial victories during World War II. In 1944 he was killed in action during a dogfight over Finland.

## Career

Grollmus was born on 8 January 1918 in Lissa, at the time in the Province of Posen, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. Today Lissa is Leszno in western Poland. Following flight training, Grollmus was posted to the Ergänzungsjagdgruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing), a supplementary training group, in November 1941. On 9 March 1942, the Ergänzungsgruppe of JG 54 was disbanded and the pilots were transferred to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 54. In consequence, Grollmus was transferred to 2. Staffel of JG 54. As part of a Luftwaffe plan to exchange fighter units operating on the Eastern Front with fighter units flying on the Western Front, Grollmus was assigned to 12. Staffel of JG 54 in July 1943 which had been newly formed from elements of 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) and 4. Staffel of JG 54 and was subordinated to II. Gruppe of JG 54.
Grollmus was killed in action over Viipuri, Finland 19 June 1944. He was shot down in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 470075—factory number) during aerial combat with Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers and Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters in a position 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Viipuri. Grollmus parachuted out safely but was killed by ground fire. He is buried in the Helsinki-Hietaniemi Cemetery.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Grollmus was credited with 75 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 75 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number missions on the Eastern Front. Heaton, Lewis, Olds and Schulze also list him with 75 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 68 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10163". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km$^2$). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.
Chronicle of aerial victories :
| This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Grollmus an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 1. Staffel of Ergänzungsgruppe/Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 9 March 1942 ||||||||||
| 1 | 28 January 1942? | 09:42 | I-18 (MiG-1) | southwest of Malaya Vishera | 2? | 5 February 1942 | 08:50 | I-18 (MiG-1) | Malaya Vishera |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 ||||||||||
| 3 | 21 July 1942? | 19:09 | MiG-3 | | 5 | 15 January 1943 | 13:50 | Il-2 | PQ 10163 southwest of Vishera |
| 4 | 23 July 1942? | 08:05 | MiG-3 | | | | | | |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 May – 30 June 1943 ||||||||||
| 6 | 24 February 1943 | 11:30 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 10162 | 7 | 28 February 1943 | 15:40 | Pe-2 | PQ 26 Ost 90164 southeast of Shlisselburg |
| – 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 July – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||
| 8 | 12 July 1943 | 14:44 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 64683 southeast of Shlisselburg | 26 | 1 September 1943 | 18:17 | Il-2? | PQ 35 Ost 35363 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Yelnya |
| 9 | 13 July 1943 | 05:27 | Yak-7 | PQ 35 Ost 64894 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Lomonosov | 27 | 7 October 1943 | 07:23 | La-5 | southwest of Oster |
| 10 | 13 July 1943 | 10:45 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 63256 | 28 | 11 October 1943 | 12:32 | Yak-9 | east of the Dnieper |
| 11 | 13 July 1943 | 10:48 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 63283 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Mtsensk | 29 | 13 October 1943 | 05:56 | Yak-9 | southeast of Kiev |
| 12 | 1 August 1943 | 07:16? | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 10143 south of Shlisselburg | 30 | 13 October 1943 | 06:07 | Yak-9 | southeast of Kiev |
| 13 | 2 August 1943 | 10:13 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 10322 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Mga | 31 | 21 October 1943 | 09:48 | Il-2 | eastern bank of the Dnieper |
| 14 | 3 August 1943 | 14:02 | Yak-7 | PQ 36 Ost 10272 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Mga | 32 | 21 October 1943 | 09:56 | Pe-2 | eastern bank of the Dnieper |
| 15 | 8 August 1943 | 17:10 | Yak-7 | PQ 35 Ost 5336 | 33 | 21 October 1943 | 15:20 | La-5 | west-northwest of Rshitschtschew |
| 16 | 13 August 1943 | 16:31? | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 44891 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Karachev | 34 | 24 October 1943 | 14:56 | La-5 | northeast of Kanev |
| 17 | 14 August 1943 | 05:05 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 4575 | 35 | 3 November 1943 | 14:56 | Yak-9 | south of Ljutesh |
| 18 | 16 August 1943 | 13:15? | Yak-9 | PQ 35 Ost 45553 15 km (9.3 mi) north-northeast of Kirov | 36 | 5 November 1943 | 14:29 | Il-2 | southeastern suburbs of Kiev |
| 19 | 19 August 1943 | 12:47 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 43863 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Sevsk | 37 | 5 November 1943 | 14:41 | Il-2 | southern suburbs of Kiev |
| 20 | 23 August 1943 | 13:32 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 53413 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Dmitrowsk | 38 | 22 November 1943 | 14:19 | Il-2 | east of Zhytomyr |
| 21 | 24 August 1943 | 07:06 | DB-3 | PQ 35 Ost 44452 | 39 | 22 November 1943 | 14:23 | Yak-9 | east of Zhytomyr |
| 22 | 24 August 1943 | 07:12 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 44532 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Datrovo | 40 | 29 November 1943 | 06:54 | La-5 | west of Kornin |
| 23 | 26 August 1943 | 16:05 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 43794 15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Sevsk | 41 | 29 November 1943 | 06:55 | La-5 | west of Kornin |
| 24 | 26 August 1943 | 16:10 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 43782 15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Sevsk | 42 | 29 November 1943 | 10:38 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91531 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk |
| 25 | 31 August 1943 | 10:05 | Yak-9 | PQ 35 Ost 25463 20 km (12 mi) west of Yelnya | 43 | 13 December 1943 | 12:34 | Il-2 | northeast of Hrebinky |
| – 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 January – 27 February 1944 ||||||||||
| 44 | 24 January 1944 | 10:26 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 80694 35 km (22 mi) east-southeast of Narva | 47 | 13 February 1944 | 13:36 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 00783 20 km (12 mi) south of Siversky |
| 45 | 24 January 1944 | 10:32 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 90574 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Lissino | 48 | 16 February 1944 | 10:28 | U-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00831 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Leningrad |
| 46 | 29 January 1944 | 10:34 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 90584 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Lissino | | | | | |
| – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 March – 19 June 1944 ||||||||||
| 49 | 7 March 1944 | 08:49 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 70321 Baltic Sea, 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Kunda | 60 | 8 April 1944 | 09:52 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 88853 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ostrov |
| 50 | 19 March 1944 | 08:57 | LaGG-3 | PQ 25 Ost 88411 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Pskov | 61 | 15 April 1944 | 15:06 | Yak-1? | PQ 25 Ost 88355 east of Ostrov |
| 51 | 19 March 1944 | 09:10 | LaGG-3 | PQ 25 Ost 88274 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Pskov | 62 | 17 June 1944 | 13:25? | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91545 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Zelenogorsk |
| 52 | 19 March 1944 | 09:10? | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 88122 15 km (9.3 mi) north-northwest of Pskov | 63 | 17 June 1944 | 13:40 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 81664 35 km (22 mi) south-southeast of Vyborg |
| 53 | 26 March 1944 | 13:00 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 78284 40 km (25 mi) west of Pskov | 64♠ | 19 June 1944 | 12:48? | P-39 | PQ 26 Ost 81462 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Vyborg |
| 54 | 26 March 1944 | 15:38 | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 89722 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Pskov | 65♠ | 19 June 1944 | 12:53 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 81467 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Vyborg |
| 55 | 27 March 1944 | 06:26 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 78262 | 66♠ | 19 June 1944 | 12:56 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 81497 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Vyborg |
| 56 | 1 April 1944 | 10:24 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 88524 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Selo | 67♠ | 19 June 1944 | 17:07 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 91377 30 km (19 mi) south-southeast of Vyborg |
| 57 | 3 April 1944 | 12:33 | Yak-9 | 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Selo | 68♠ | 19 June 1944 | 17:42 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 91381 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Vyborg |
| 58 | 7 April 1944 | 09:43 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 88355 vicinity of Selo | 69♠ | 19 June 1944 | 20:25 | P-39 | PQ 26 Ost 81833 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg |
| 59 | 8 April 1944 | 09:47 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 88854 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ostrov | | | | | |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 November 1943 as Unteroffizier and pilot
* German Cross in Gold on 12 December 1943 as Feldwebel in the 12./Jagdgeschwader 54
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 October 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the II./Jagdgeschwader 54