How old was he?
Is it just me or is he really young (well, was really young)?
Was he the youngest colonel ever!!!

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I´ll answer the birth date but otherwise I think Erich is the one to answer this...and I don´t know whether he was the youngest colonel,anyway..

Helmut Lent was born on June 13th, 1918 in Pyrehne, Germany which I believe is now part of Poland...

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.com/pi...ht/H_Lent.html

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26 years old in October of 44 isn't too young really.......I'm locked in my office so some of my nachtjagd materials are in another room...... the wife is getting on early spring cleaning with her new Bissel carpet cleaner, so I cannot move myslef around the house easily.....oh no locked away and couped up ! arg
Lent was a very fast scorer with mulitple night kills and of course his awards as a brilliant pilot reflect this and his rising to a top position in the Luftwaffe.

E

Erich--at least you dont have the flu anymore and neither do I [img]smile.gif[/img]

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Reached the rank of Oberst, shooting down 113 enemy aircraft in 507 flown missions. The highest award conferred was the Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten.

http://www.geocities.com/luftwaffe_aces/HelmutLent.html

On the night of June 15/16, 1944, he shot down three Lancaster bombers taking his victory score to 100 and became the first night fighter recipient of the Brillanten (Diamonds) to the Knight's Cross.
During a daylight landing on October 5, 1944, at Paderborn, where he was visiting Achim Jabs, the Kommodore of NJG 1, Lent's Bf 110 came into contact with a high-tension line and crashed into the ground. Lent was critically injured and died two days later.

http://www.white1foundation.org/covers/book_hl.htm

Or according to other source the engine of the plane stopped during landing and caused the accident. Can you help with this Erich?

[ 28. July 2003, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]

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Ahh, the famed one engine landings....I know Erich has a thing or two to tell about that!

I believe a biography about Lent is being written now by Peter Hincliffe, the author of The Other Battle and the translator of Herr Spoden's Ich War Nachtjaeger In Goerings Luftwaffe

Erich, the floor is yours... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

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correcto my friends ! My cousin, ace Hans Baer was foolishly killed when his left engine of his Bf 110G-4 exploded, the schrapnel/pieces going into the cockpit and shredding everything in it's path. The a/c fell like a stone......

I will have to do some research here but did think Lent flew a Ju 88C-6 on the date of his death ?

~E

Since Helmut Lent was Kommodre of NJG 3 at this time of his accident it would be most natural to think he and his crew would of accpeted the top of the line equipment and that being the G-6 model which were few in numbers in October of 44. And I am still researching this, but it may have been a G-1 variant coded D5+AA.

~E and as Stevin so rightly put it, Peter Hinchliffe's book will surely cover the actions of the man and his able crew plus his demise in precise detail....

Heres what I have on him at hand.

Helmut Lent, Oberleutnant, Staffelkapitan 6/N.J.G.1.

Knights Cross awarded on: August 30/ 1941.
98th recipient of the Oak Leaves. June 6/1942.
32nd recipient of the Swords. August 2/ 1943.
15th recipient of the Diamonds. July 31/ 1944.

hope this helps.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

more tidbits and did you know he was a Hauptmann when he got the Oakleaves, a Major with the Swords and an Oberst when he received the Diamonds.....

also did you know on the night of June 15/16 1944 when he claimed 3 Lancasters in 7 minutes he only used 57 rounds ? His 102nd Abschüße was on the night of July 28/29 1944 and was the first nachtjäger to be presented the Brilliants to his Eichenlaub.

~E

I didn't know but do now.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Just think about that! First of all 3 lancs in 7 minutes. Even to see three lancs within a 7-mimute timeframe must have been next to unique. And then to down them with no more that 57rounds. That is like hitting the bull's eye 57 times in a row...

Erich, a 'who was the guy and what was his subject' for you: Somebody, whose name eludes me now, was supposed to have written a book about another nachtjaeger. He was on different forums too, like the TOCH and Greg's NF forums... Blass or something? He wrote the book but then dissapeared. Nobody heard from him, until recently I read that the book was going to be published ??? Do you know who I am talking about, who his subject was (famous NF guy) and if that book actually made it to the bookshops???

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of course my friend, the one and only , sneaky Michael Balss. I helped him with his second book on German NF losses. there are two books in print on the losses and far from complete but I think he knows that. the volume you speak of will cover the victories of the NF force which is a diret copy of what is already at Freiburg BA/MA, the only thing is that he is adding photos of some sort to his work. Now for someone to tell us where we can get a copy if available and the price ?

E

That's the one! Should be get excited about this one? On East Anglia Books the book is listed as "Delayed- Coming Soon" but priced at 19,95 Pounds Sterling.

http://www.eastangliabooks.com/new_page_31.htm

Two other books by Balss:

Deutsche Nachtjagd - Personalverluste in Ausbildung und Einsatz - Fliegendes Personal ? Verlag Stefan Karl 1997

Deutsche Nachtjagd - Materialverluste in Ausbildung und Einsatz - Ergänzungen zu Personalverlusten in Ausbildung und Einsatz 3-925480-36-6 VDM Heinz Nickel (1999.12.31)

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www.basher82.nl

correct and it has been long in coming since it was promised two years ago. But like many books and the authors wish to add more details which results in pushing the publishing date back. sounds like us !
the two other books are worth it for the library files and are excellent references.

~E

Danke, Alte Wolf!

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just read P. Hinchliffe's book on Helmut Lent...very imformative but lacking in reference to profiles of the planes Lent flew. would like to know if there is anything published regarding profiles of Lent's aircraft flown. any information will be greatly appreciated.
thanks...

I have a German video of Lent. Nothing on his aircraft though

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Found this in the Hinchcliffe book in the latter part:

The Bf 110, in its zerstörer and night-fighter versions had been his regular mount since June 1939, and it was the type of aircraft in which he had scored all but a few of his 95 kills to date. Now ( May 1944 ) he was converting to the standard aircraft flown by NJG3, the JU 88, and according to his log book he never flew the Bf 110 operationally again.

From now on ( May 1944 ) his regular aircraft would be the Junkers 88 G-6 D5+ AA.

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Kai, Helmut never flew the Ju 88G-6 since it was not available in May of 44 the G-1 variant was just hitting the gruppen, he flew a C-6 a/c

Thanx Erich! I must have misread it in the first place....

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Erich do you know which viermot Lent claimed for his 102nd abschuss on July 28th 29th?

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Skipper yes this is weird

Lent scored 2 Halis on July 29th for his 107/108 kills.

First one at 01.45hrs
second one at 01.56hrs.

June 23/24 he scored 2 Lancs for his 101/102nd kills