Ju 87 D-5 Bruck is a German Air ace unit in Steel Division II.
Background[ | ]
Born in Silesia in 1913, Helmut Bruck was a career officer of the Luftwaffe, joining it in 1935 together with the rest of his class at the Bremen Polizeischule. Following the completion of his training, he was assigned to I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 165 at Kitzingen in 1936, and then to I./Sturzkampfgeschawder 77 in 1939, participating in the invasion of Poland, attacking both military and civilian targets. He subsequently participated in the invasion of France in 1940, the Balkan campaign and the disastrous attack on Crete in 1941, and finally the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
Over the next four years, Bruck participated in over five hundred combat missions, always as part of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77. He was promoted to Major and assumed command over the squadron in early 1943, leading it until its disbandment due to losses in January 1945. As Oberst, he was appointed commander of Schlachtgeschwader 151 and remained in this role until the beginning of April.
Taken prisoner by the Allies, he ended his career at 973 missions flown and became a forester after the War. He died at the age of 88 in 2001.