Helmut Bennemann was born on 16 March 1915 at Wanne-Eickel.
In June 1940, Bennemann was serving as Adjutant to I./JG 52. He gained
his first victory on 26 August, when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter
near Dover. On 15 September, Bennemann shot down three RAF Hurricane fighters
to record his sixth through eighth victories. On 27 April 1941, he was
appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 52. When I./JG 52 was transferred to
the Eastern front in September 1941, Bennemann had recorded 12 victories.
On 14 June 1942, Bennemann was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 52.
On 3 September, he claimed two Russian aircraft shot down (50-51). Hauptmann
Bennemann was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 2 October for 52 victories. On
28 December, Bennemann shot down six Russian aircraft to record (67-72).
Bennemann was wounded in the explosion of an incendiary bomb on 10 May
1943 resulting in his withdrawal from combat duty for some months. He had
88 victories to his credit at this time. Bennemann was appointed Kommodore
of JG 53 on 9 November 1943, replacing Oberst Günther von Maltzahn (68
victories, RK-EL) who left JG 53 to fulfill a staff role. On 25 April 1944,
he shot down a USAAF B-24 four-engine bomber over Bologna to record his
90th victory. However, his Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 163 314) “Black < 3” was
hit by return fire and Bennemann was wounded. He baled out successfully.
In June 1944, Bennemann led the Geschwaderstab of JG 53 on a short sojourn
to the Eastern front, to direct the supply missions for the relief of the
city of Vilna. The unit departed Russia for Wunstorf near Hanover in Germany
on 22 July. From August 1944, Bennemann led JG 53 on Reichsverteidigung
duties, initially from bases in France, then from bases in Germany. He
recorded three victories in October 1944 to bring his final victory total
to 93.
Helmut Bennemann was credited with 93 victories
in over 400 missions. He recorded 77 victories over the Eastern
front. Included in his total are at least 10 Il-2
Sturmoviks.
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26.8.1940
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Spitfire | 2./JG 52 | Dover |
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31.8.1940
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Hurricane | 2./JG 52 | S London periphery |
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1.9.1940
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Spitfire | 2./JG 52 | Sittingbourne |
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2.9.1940
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Spitfire | 2./JG 52 | Canterbury |
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7.9.1940
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Hurricane | 2./JG 52 | London |
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15.9.1940
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Hurricane | 2./JG 52 | Thames Estuary |
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15.9.1940
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Hurricane | 2./JG 52 | Thames Estuary |
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15.9.1940
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Hurricane | 2./JG 52 | Thames Estuary |
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24.9.1940
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Spitfire | 2./JG 52 | 10km ahead Dover |
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24.9.1940
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Spitfire | 2./JG 52 | ahead Dover |
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12.10.1940
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Spitfire | 2./JG 52 | SE London |
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14.4.1941
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Blenheim | 1./JG 52 | Near Vlissinghen |
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27.5.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 52 | 6083: at 50m |
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27.5.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 52 | 7071 |
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31.5.1942
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I-153 | 3./JG 52 | 60 864: at 50m |
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3.6.1942
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 52 | 2000th for JG 52 |
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12.6.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 52 | 70 221: 1.200m |
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31.7.1942
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Yak-1 | Stab I./JG 52 | 07 181: at 800m |
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1.8.1942
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Yak-1 | Stab I./JG 52 | 7 853 |
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4.8.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 66 453 |
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5.8.1942
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I-153 | Stab I./JG 52 | 65 230 |
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5.8.1942
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I-153 | Stab I./JG 52 | 65 230: at 20m |
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10.8.1942
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MBR-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 85 520: at 100m |
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13.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 86 771 |
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21.8.1942
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U-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 55 763 |
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22.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 54 433: at 3.000m |
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22.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 64 173 |
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23.8.1942
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 54 452: at 2.800m / 600th for I./JG 52 |
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23.8.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 54 452: at 2.800m |
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27.8.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 46 362 |
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3.9.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 57 753 |
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3.9.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 46 253: at 100m |
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4.9.1942
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 46 412: at 700m |
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23.9.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 40 840: at 3.000m |
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24.9.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 150: at 2.000m |
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16.10.1942
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MiG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 432 |
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17.10.1942
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MiG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 273: at 400m |
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24.10.1942
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Yak-1 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 131: at 2.500m |
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24.10.1942
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La-5 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 272: at 1.000m |
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24.10.1942
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 471: at 6.000m |
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25.10.1942
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Yak-1 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 462: at 1.500m |
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29.10.1942
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MiG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 294: at 4.000m |
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1.11.1942
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MiG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 49 452 at 1.500m |
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2.11.1942
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MiG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 59 143 / 800th for I./JG 52 |
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26.12.1942
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La-5 | Stab I./JG 52 | 01 762 at 200m |
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26.12.1942
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MiG-1 | Stab I./JG 52 | 01572 |
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27.12.1942
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 01 721 at 1.500m |
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28.12.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 91 864 at 400m |
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28.12.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 91 864 at 300m |
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28.12.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 91 863 at 100m |
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28.12.1942
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Il-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 01763 |
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28.12.1942
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 01 783 at 3.000m |
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28.12.1942
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 01 763 at 2.800m |
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17.3.1943
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LaGG-5 | Stab I./JG 52 | 61 664: at 2.200m |
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18.3.1943
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 61 891: at 400m |
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19.3.1943
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LaGG-5 | Stab I./JG 52 | 62 110: at 1.000m |
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19.3.1943
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LaGG-5 | Stab I./JG 52 | 60 212: at 1.000m |
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19.3.1943
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 61 851: at 1.000m |
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19.3.1943
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Pe-2 | Stab I./JG 52 | 61 851: at 1.000m |
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26.3.1943
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MiG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 71 794: at 300m |
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29.3.1943
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Il-7 | Stab I./JG 52 | 61 451: at 800 m |
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17.4.1943
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 75 492: at 200m |
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17.4.1943
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | S Novorossiysk |
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17.4.1943
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P-39 | Stab I./JG 52 | 75 431: at 5.000m |
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17.4.1943
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P-39 | Stab I./JG 52 | 75 533: at 3.500m |
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21.4.1943
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LaGG-3 | Stab I./JG 52 | 75 423: at 400m |
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27.4.1943
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LaGG | Stab I./JG 52 | - |
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9.5.1943
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I-16 | Stab I./JG 52 | 98 840: at 1.000m |
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9.5.1943
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I-16 | Stab I./JG 52 | 98 730: at 1.000m |
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15.12.1943
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B-26 | Stab/JG 53 | SW Circano |
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25.4.1944
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B-24 | Stab/JG 53 | Bologna |
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8.10.1944
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P-47 | Stab/JG 53 | Near Worms |
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??.10.1944
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P-47 | Stab/JG 53 | - |
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29.10.1944
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P-51 | Stab/JG 53 | Jöhlingen |
Victories : 93
Awards : Ehrenpokal (5 October 1940)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (27 July 1942)
Ritterkreuz (2 October 1942)
Units : JG 52, JG 53