Helmuth Pohle facts for kids
Helmuth Pohle was a German pilot during World War II. In October 1939, he led the first German air attack on the United Kingdom. During this attack, his plane was shot down, and he was captured. This made him the very first German prisoner of war (POW) in World War II.
Helmuth Pohle: First German POW
The First Attack on Britain
Helmuth Pohle was a Hauptmann (which is like a Flight Lieutenant in the British Air Force). He was the leader of a group of planes called Kampfgeschwader 30 (I. KG 30). This group was based in Westerland, Germany, on the island of Sylt.
On 16 October 1939, Pohle led fifteen Ju 88 aircraft from Germany. They left at 11:00 AM. Westerland was the closest German air base to Britain. His second-in-command was Oberleutnant Hans Storp.
Pohle's group of fifteen planes flew over the famous Forth Bridge in Scotland. This happened around 2:30 PM. German spies thought there were no British Spitfire planes in Scotland. Also, radar at RAF Dronehill had stopped working earlier that day.
Shot Down and Captured
Squadron Leader Ernest Stevens shot down Pohle's plane. Stevens was the leader of 603 Squadron, based at RAF Turnhouse (now Edinburgh Airport).
Around 2:55 PM, Pohle's plane was hit in its left engine. The attack by the Spitfire also injured the rear gunner and radio operator on board. Three Spitfires attacked nine Ju 88s at 4,000 feet in the air.
This was a very important moment. It was the second time a Supermarine Spitfire had shot down an enemy plane. It was also the first time RAF Fighter Command had shot down an enemy plane in the war.
Pohle's plane did not crash on land. It crashed into the sea, about three miles east of Crail. Helmuth Pohle was the only person to survive from his crew of four.
Soon after, another Ju 88 from KG 30 was also shot down by five Spitfires. In total, the Germans lost two Ju 88 planes in this attack. Four German airmen were captured.
Pohle was taken to a hospital at Edinburgh Castle. He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner at Grizedale Hall in the Lake District. This was a prisoner of war camp. Later, he even helped another German pilot, Franz von Werra, to escape.
