Josef Kociok

Josef Kociok (26 April 1918 – 26 September 1943) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. He was killed in an air collision.

Aerial victory claims

Kociok was credited with 33 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, 21 of which were by night, claimed in 200 combat missions.^[1] His shooting down three Polikarpov Po-2s of the famed 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, nicknamed the "Night Witches", (German: Nachthexen), on the night of 31 July 1943, resulted in the entire regiment being grounded for the first time. ^[2] For this feat, he was nicknamed Hexenjäger, or "Witch Hunter".

Awards

Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 1 June 1942 as Unteroffizier and pilot^[11]
German Cross in Gold on 2 December 1942 as Feldwebel in the 4./Zerstörergeschwader 1^[12]
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 31 July 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 10.(NJ)/Zerstörergeschwader 1^[13]

References

Citations

^ Obermaier 1989, p. 147.
^ a b c d e Rakobolskaya, Irina; Kravtsova, Natalya (2005). Нас называли ночными ведьмами : так воевал женский 46-й гвардейский полк ночных бомбардировщиков. Moscow: University of Moscow Press. p. 336. ISBN 5211050088. OCLC 68044852.
^ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 26.
^ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 67.
^ a b Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 71.
^ a b Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 76.
^ a b c d Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 81.
^ a b Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 86.
^ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 98.
^ a b c d Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 114.
^ Patzwall 2008, p. 121.
^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 240.
^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 264.

Bibliography

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
Foreman, John; Mathews, Johannes; Parry, Simon (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.
Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.