Helmut Lent
German officer and fighter pilot during World War II (1918-1944) · Died at 26
Helmut Johannes Siegfried Lent was a German night-fighter ace in World War II. Lent shot down 110 aircraft, 102 of them at night. Born into a devoutly religious family, he showed an early passion for glider flying; against his father's wishes, he joined the Luftwaffe in 1936.
Helmut Lent is read about 84 times a day, in 23 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?Also in Deutsch
Media & music
Photos 11
A ZG 76 Bf 110C similar to those flown by Helmut Lent![Formation 1Section 1: 1 Richard Kellett 2 Turner 3 SpeirsSection 2: 4 Kelly 5 Duguid 6 Riddlesworth Formation 2Section 1: 7 Harris 8 Briden 9 BollochSection 2: 10 Ramshaw 11 Grant 12 PurdyFormation 3Section 1: 13 Guthrie 14 Petts 15 McRaeSection 2: 16 Challes 17 Allison 18 LinesFormation 419 Hue-Williams 20 Lemon 21 Wimberley 22 Lewis 23 Thompson 24 Ruse[25]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/HELIGOLAND_BIGHT_FORMATION.jpg/500px-HELIGOLAND_BIGHT_FORMATION.jpg)
Formation 1Section 1: 1 Richard Kellett 2 Turner 3 SpeirsSection 2: 4 Kelly 5 Duguid 6 Riddlesworth Formation 2Section 1: 7 Harris 8 Briden 9 BollochSection 2: 10 Ramshaw 11 Grant 12 PurdyFormation 3Section 1: 13 Guthrie 14 Petts 15 McRaeSection 2: 16 Challes 17 Allison 18 LinesFormation 419 Hue-Williams 20 Lemon 21 Wimberley 22 Lewis 23 Thompson 24 Ruse[25]![Norwegian Gladiator 427 brought down by Lent on 9 April 1940[32]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Norwegian_Gloster_Gladiator_-_Kristian_Fredrik_Schye.jpg/330px-Norwegian_Gloster_Gladiator_-_Kristian_Fredrik_Schye.jpg)
Norwegian Gladiator 427 brought down by Lent on 9 April 1940[32]![Lent's Bf 110C ran out of fuel and was forced to land at Oslo/Fornebu airfield on 9 April 1940.[38] A troop-carrying Ju 52 flies over Lent's belly-landed Bf 110.[39]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-399-0006-19%2C_Norwegen%2C_besch%C3%A4digte_Bf_110.jpg/500px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-399-0006-19%2C_Norwegen%2C_besch%C3%A4digte_Bf_110.jpg)
Lent's Bf 110C ran out of fuel and was forced to land at Oslo/Fornebu airfield on 9 April 1940.[38] A troop-carrying Ju 52 flies over Lent's belly-landed Bf 110.[39]
Lent (third from right) in a Nazi propaganda photograph, summer 1942, France![Hermann Göring speaking at Lent's funeral[67]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-J27851%2C_Staatsakt_f%C3%BCr_Helmut_Lent.jpg/500px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-J27851%2C_Staatsakt_f%C3%BCr_Helmut_Lent.jpg)
Hermann Göring speaking at Lent's funeral[67]
Lent's grave at the Garrison Cemetery (Garnisonsfriedhof) in StadeAwards
About this person
After completing his training, he was assigned to the 1. Squadron, or Staffel, of Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76), a wing flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110 twin-engine heavy fighter. Lent claimed his first aerial victories at the outset of World War II in the invasion of Poland and over the North Sea. During the invasion of Norway he flew ground support missions before he was transferred to the newly established Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1), a night-fighter wing.