# Helmut Neumann

Helmut Neumann (21 November 1921 – 21 April 1992) was a Luftwaffe (German air force) fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 62 aerial victories achieved in 162 combat missions, becoming an "ace-in-a-day" on two separate occasions. All but two of his aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

## Career

Neumann was born on 21 November 1921 in Frankfurt am Main, at the time in the Province of Hesse-Nassau within the Weimar Republic. Following completion of flight, Neumann completed his fighter pilot training with the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe West, a supplementary training unit for fighter pilots, based in Cazaux, France. He was then posted to 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) on 11 August 1942 based in Kirkenes. At the time, 7. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Hans-Curt Graf von Sponeck, son of Hans Graf von Sponeck, and subordinated to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 5 headed by Hauptmann Günther Scholz. Two days later, he crash landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-7 (Werknummer 6033—factory number) at Kirkenes, nearly destroying the aircraft.
On 4 April 1943 at 13:10, 7. and 9. Staffel were scrambled to intercept an inbound Soviet formation of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, escorted by Bell P-39 Airacobra and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters. In this encounter, Neumann claimed one of the P-39 fighters shot down which was not confirmed. During this aerial engagement, his Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 8562) suffered engine failure, resulting in a forced landing at Petsamo. On 26 September, Neumann was wounded in combat when his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15791) was hit by anti-aircraft artillery during a search and rescue mission southeast of the Liza Bight. Nevertheless, he managed to fly back to Petsamo. Searching for Leutnant Friedrich Schumann, who remained missing in action, shrapnel from the anti-aircraft artillery shell had hit him in the throat. Heavily bleeding, he had to be pulled out if his aircraft. Nearly dying from the loss of blood, his speech remained impaired for the rest of his life and Neumann was hospitalized for six months.

### Squadron leader and end of war

On 4 September 1944, Finland implemented a ceasefire followed by the Soviet Union a day later, effectively ending the Continuation War. Consequently, IV. Gruppe of JG 5 was ordered to move to northern Norway. That day, 14. Staffel relocated to Trondheim-Værnes Airfield and placed under the command of Neumann, replacing Oberleutnant Horst Keim. On 26 September, Neumann claimed his 50th aerial victory when he shot down a Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter.
On 13 January 1945, Neumann flew his last combat mission with JG 5. He was then transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 for conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. With this unit, he flew the Me 262 for the first time at Lechfeld Airfield on 28 January. Command of his former 14. Staffel of JG 5 was transferred to Leutnant Hans Richter. Neumann was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 12 March 1945 for 62 aerial victories claimed.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Neumann was credited with 62 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 62 aerial victories claimed in 162 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 62 aerial victories, claimed in 162 combat missions. All but two of his aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 37 Ost RC-3". 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 Neumann 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 ? (exclamation mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mombeek, Mathews, and Foreman. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 – Eastern Front, eastern and northern Norway, and Finland — 1 January – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||
| 1 | 22 July 1943 | 23:02 | Hurricane | PQ 37 Ost RC-3, 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Pummanki | 6 | 23 August 1943 | 04:53 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost SE 3, north of Eyna Guba 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Eyna Guba |
| 2 | 25 July 1943 | 02:55 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost QC-4 18 km (11 mi) south of Kiberg | 7 | 2 September 1943 | 17:50 | P-40 | northwest of Pummanki 8 km (5.0 mi) northwest of Pummanki |
| 3 | 25 July 1943 | 02:58 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost QC-6 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Kiberg | 8 | 14 September 1943 | 18:39 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost RC 46, northwest of Petsamo 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Petsamo Bight |
| 4 | 18 August 1943 | 12:43 | P-39 | southeast of Eyna Guba 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Eyna Guba | 9 | 14 September 1943 | 18:53 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost RC 93, south of Heinäsaari 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Heinäsaari |
| 5 | 18 August 1943 | 14:45 | P-39 | southeast of Eyna Guba 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Eyna Guba | | | | | |
| – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 – Eastern Front and northern Norway, and Finland — May – July 1944 ||||||||||
| 10 | 11 May 1944 | 07:35 | Yak-9 | PQ 37 Ost QC-5/6 35 km (22 mi) northwest of Vayda-Guba | 29♠ | 17 June 1944 | 21:35 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost RC-4/1 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Jaarnet |
| 11 | 16 May 1944 | 19:15 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost QC-3/8 20 km (12 mi) east of Kiberg | 30 | 27 June 1944 | 16:41 | Yak-9 | PQ 37 Ost SD-6/6 24 km (15 mi) southeast of Kirkenes |
| 12 | 16 May 1944 | 19:40 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost QF-9/5 31 km (19 mi) north-northeast of Cape Lazar | 31 | 27 June 1944 | 16:42 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost SD-8/4 18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Kirkenes |
| 13 | 25 May 1944 | 21:47 | P-40 | north-northeast of Berlevåg 18 km (11 mi) north-northeast of Berlevåg | 32 | 27 June 1944 | 16:46 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost RB-4/5 21 km (13 mi) northeast of Kirkenes |
| 14 | 25 May 1944 | 21:49 | Boston | north-northeast of Berlevåg 29 km (18 mi) north-northeast of Berlevåg | 33♠ | 28 June 1944 | 00:01 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost SU-3/3 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Kirkenes |
| 15 | 25 May 1944 | 21:51 | P-39 | north of Berlevåg 16 km (9.9 mi) north of Berlevåg | 34♠ | 28 June 1944 | 00:03 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost SU-8/1 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Kirkenes |
| 16 | 26 May 1944 | 05:01 | P-40 | north-northeast of Hamningberg 19 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Hamningberg | 35♠ | 28 June 1944 | 00:11 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost RD-9/6 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Ivarnet |
| 17 | 26 May 1944 | 05:02 | P-39 | north of Hamningberg 15 km (9.3 mi) north-northeast of Hamningberg | 36♠ | 28 June 1944 | 03:47 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost RD-7/4 6 km (3.7 mi) north-northeast of Petsamo Fjord |
| 18 | 26 May 1944 | 05:03 | Il-2 | northeast of Hamningberg 12 km (7.5 mi) north-northeast of Hamningberg | 37♠ | 28 June 1944 | 03:48 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost SD-2/3 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Petsamo Fjord |
| 19 | 26 May 1944 | 05:07 | P-39 | northeast of Hamningberg 26 km (16 mi) north-northeast of Hamningberg | 38♠ | 28 June 1944 | 03:59 | Yak-9 | PQ 37 Ost RC-8/9 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest of Petsamo Fjord |
| 20 | 15 June 1944 | 02:42 | Yak-9 | PQ 37 Ost RD-6/8 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Pumanki | 39 | 4 July 1944 | 03:47 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost NB-7/5 21 km (13 mi) northeast of Makur |
| 21 | 15 June 1944 | 19:28 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost SD-2/3, northeast of Kirkenes 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Pumanki | 40 | 4 July 1944 | 19:15 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost RA-2/5 22 km (14 mi) northwest of Jaarnet |
| 22♠ | 17 June 1944 | 07:48 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost PC-6/2 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Kiberg | 41 | 4 July 1944 | 19:19 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost SA-3/4 18 km (11 mi) east of Kirkenes |
| 23♠ | 17 June 1944 | 07:49 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost PC-9/3 18 km (11 mi) east-northeast of Kiberg | 42 | 17 July 1944 | 18:54 | Yak-9 | PQ 37 Ost RA-4/1 21 km (13 mi) north of Kirkenes |
| 24♠ | 17 June 1944 | 08:06 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost QC-2/7 20 km (12 mi) south of Kiberg | 43 | 17 July 1944 | 18:56 | Yak-9 | PQ 37 Ost RA-5/4 19 km (12 mi) west of Kirkenes |
| 25♠ | 17 June 1944 | 08:10 | Il-2 | PQ 37 Ost/QC-9/1 27 km (17 mi) southwest of Kiberg | 44 | 17 July 1944 | 18:59 | Boston | PQ 37 Ost SB-4/9 27 km (17 mi) southeast of Kirkenes |
| 26♠ | 17 June 1944 | 21:28 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost RB-6/5 38 km (24 mi) northeast of Kirkenes | 45 | 28 July 1944 | 13:15 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost RU-3/7 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Vadsø |
| 27♠ | 17 June 1944 | 21:29 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost RB-5/3 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Kirkenes | 46 | 28 July 1944 | 13:22 | Il-2 | PQ 37 Ost RA-3/6 17 km (11 mi) southeast of Ekkerøya |
| 28♠ | 17 June 1944 | 21:30 | P-40 | PQ 37 Ost RB-7/8 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Jaarnet | 47 | 28 July 1944 | 13:26 | P-39 | PQ 37 Ost RC-5/4 16 km (9.9 mi) northwest of Heinäxaret island |
| – Stab of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5 – Eastern Front — August 1944 ||||||||||
| 48 | 17 August 1944 | 10:18 | Pe-2 | PQ 37 Ost RB 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Ekkerøya | 49 | 23 August 1944 | 12:17? | Il-2 | PQ 37 Ost RQ 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Ekkerøya |
| – 14. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 – Eastern Front — 6 September – 6 November 1944 ||||||||||
| 50? | 26 September 1944 | 16:48 | Yak-9 | 40 km (25 mi) east of Ekkerøya | 56 | 8 October 1944 | 09:03 | P-39 | 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Petsamo |
| 51? | 27 September 1944 | — | Pe-2 | Ekkerøya 23 km (14 mi) east-southeast of Ekkerøya | 57 | 9 October 1944 | 08:31 | P-39 | 27 km (17 mi) southeast of Petsamo |
| 52? | 27 September 1944 | 11:41? | P-39 | 23 km (14 mi) south of Kiberg | 58 | 9 October 1944 | 08:34 | P-39 | 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Petsamo |
| 53 | 27 September 1944 | 11:43 | P-39 | 30 km (19 mi) south of Kiberg | 59 | 9 October 1944 | 08:37 | Boston | 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Petsamo |
| 54 | 27 September 1944 | 11:44 | Boston | 40 km (25 mi) east of Ekkerøya | 60 | 9 October 1944 | 14:47 | Boston | 52 km (32 mi) southeast of Petsamo |
| 55 | 29 September 1944 | 15:27 | P-39 | 28 km (17 mi) east-southeast of Ekkerøya 26 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Ekkerøya | | | | | |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* German Cross in Gold on 1 January 1945 as Leutnant in the 14./Jagdgeschwader 5
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 March 1945 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 14./Jagdgeschwader 5