Helmut Lent

Oberst Helmut Lent was a German nightfighter ace in World War160II. Lent shot down 110 aircraft, 102 of them at night, far more than the minimum of five enemy aircraft required for the title of ace. Born into a devoutly religious family, he showed an early passion for glider flying against his fathers wishes, he joined the Luftwaffe in 1936. After completing his training, he was assigned to the 1.160Squadron, or Staffel, of Zerstrergeschwader 76 , a wing flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110 twinengine heavy fighter. Lent claimed his first aerial victories at the outset of World War160II 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, a nightfighter wing.

Helmut Lent was born onJune 1918 in Pyrehne, district of Landsberg an der Warthe, Province of Brandenburg, Germany and christened Helmut Johannes Siegfried Lent. He was the fifth child of Johannes Lent, a Lutheran minister and Marie Elisabeth, ne Braune. Helmut Lent had two older brothers, Werner and Joachim, and two older sisters, Kthe and Ursula. His family was deeply religious in addition to his father, both of his brothers and both grandfathers were also Lutheran ministers.

Source: Wikipedia