Helmut Bruck

Helmut Bruck
Born	16 February 1913 Kittlitztreben
Died	25 August 2001 (aged 88) Veitlahm
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1935–45
Rank	Oberst
Commands held	StG 77 SG 77 SG 151
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Battle of Britain Invasion of Yugoslavia Battle of Greece Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Moscow Third Battle of Kharkov Battle of Kursk Lower Dnieper Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Police officer Forester

Helmut Bruck (16 February 1913 – 25 August 2001) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he flew 973 missions.^{[Notes 1]}

Awards and decorations

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "900"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (13 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (21 May 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 20 October 1942 as Hauptmann in the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 September 1941 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän in the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77^[3]
  • 193rd Oak Leaves on 19 February 1943 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77^[4]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (3 May 1944)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
3 May 1944	Das Schlachtgeschwader 77 unter Führung des Kommodore Eichenlaubträger Oberstleutnant Bruck hat sich bei den Kämpfen an der Ostfront besonders bewährt.[5]	The Close Air Support Wing 77 under the command of Commodore and Oak Leaves bearer Lieutenant Colonel Bruck has particularly proven itself in combat on the Eastern Front.

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 85.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 63.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 124.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 58.
5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 94.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com