World War II Helmut Bergmann (26 May 1920 – 6 August 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 36 enemy aircraft shot down in 135 combat missions.

[Note 1] All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in nocturnal Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command.

Born in Bochum, Bergmann volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1939 after finishing school.

He then received his flight training at the Flugzeugführerschule A/B in Eger,[Note 2] present-day Cheb in the Czech Republic.

[6] Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, bombing missions by the Royal Air Force (RAF) shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.

Each sector, named a Himmelbett (canopy bed), would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers.

[6] He was credited with his first aerial victory on 19/20 September 1942, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber, claimed shot down at 00:01 approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) south of Verdun.

[6] On 23 June 1943, Bergmann and his crew were forced to bail out of their Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 (Werknummer 5334—factory number) following aerial combat north of Harderwijk and were injured.

[6] The award documentation was signed on 27 September 1944, at the time, Bergmann and his crew were considered missing in action.

[19] However, friendly fire from the 1st SS Leibstandarte Panzer division who were launching Operation Lüttich, the counterattack at Mortain may have been responsible.

[21] According to Spick, Bergmann was credited with 36 nocturnal aerial victories, claimed in approximately 135 combat missions.