Helmut Henz was born on 27 January 1911 at Berlin. Following fighter pilot training, Henz was posted to I./136, based at Jever in Germany. Henz gained his initial combat experiences with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. Oberleutnant Henz was assigned to 4. Staffel of J 88. He served in this conflict for part of 1937. The beginning of World War 2 saw Oberleutnant Henz serving as Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 77. He  participated in the first battles with RAF bombers over the Heligoland area in late 1939 gaining his first victory over a RAF Wellington twin-engine bomber on 14 December 1939. Henz claimed another Wellington shot down in Wangerooge area on 18 December. Henz served in Norway with 4./JG 77, relocating there on 11 April 1940. Here he gained a further victory when he shot down a RAF Blenheim twin-engine bomber near Stavanger on 30 April 1940. Promoted to the rank of Hauptmann and appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77, Henz led the unit through the invasion of the Balkans. Henz encountered Blenheims attempting to bomb shipping at Maleme in Crete on 25 May 1941. It would appear that fire from the bombers’ gunners struck Henz’s Bf 109 E-7 (W.Nr. 1271), who was killed when the aircraft crashed into the sea off Antikythera Island, Greece.
    Helmut Henz claimed six victories. All his victories were recorded over the Western front.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	14.12.1939	15:25	Wellington	4./JG 77	N Wangerooge
2	18.12.1939	14:55	Wellington	4./JG 77	NE Wangerooge
3	30.4.1940	18:35	Blenheim	4./JG 77	W Stavanger / Blenheim IV (N6202) of 110 Sqn RAF flown by S/Sgt R Abbott
4	8.9.1940	12:10	Hudson	4./JG 77	Bergen
5	15.2.1941	18:50	Beaufort	4./JG 77	20km N Brest / Beaufort of 217 Sqn, RAF
6	14.5.1941	6:05	Hurricane	4./JG 77	Crete

Victories : 6
Awards :
Units : J/88, JG 77