Josef Kociok
German World War II fighter pilot (1918–1943)
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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.
Josef Kociok | |
|---|---|
Feldwebel Josef Kociok in a Bf 110, 1943 | |
| Born | 26 April 1918 |
| Died | 26 September 1943 (aged 25) |
| Allegiance | |
Branch | Luftwaffe |
Service years | 1940–1943 |
Rank | Leutnant, Posthumously |
| Unit | ZG 76, SKG 210, ZG 1, NJG 200 |
Conflicts | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
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 of four 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".
| Chronicle of aerial victories | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 4./Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 – | ||||
| 1 | 25/26 July 1941 | — |
SB-2[3] | Russia |
| – 10(N)./Zerstörergeschwader 1 – | ||||
| 2 | 25 February 1943 | 09:35 | unknown[4] | |
| 3 | 12 March 1943 | 21:43 | MBR-2[5] | Russia |
| 4 | 12 March 1943 | 21:45 | DB-3[5] | Russia |
| 5 | 26 April 1943 | 22:25 | SB-2[6] | Russia |
| 6 | 26 April 1943 | 22:30 | Yak-4[6] | Russia |
| 7 | 15 May 1943 | 11:34 | PS-84[7] | Russia |
| 8 | 15 May 1943 | 21:41 | PS-84[7] | Russia |
| 9 | 15 May 1943 | 22:05 | SB-2[7] | Russia |
| 10 | 15 May 1943 | 22:54 | PS-84[7] | Russia |
| 11 | 16 June 1943 | 21:00 | Boston[8] | Russia |
| 12 | 16 June 1943 | 21:20 | Boston[8] | Russia |
| – 10./Nachtjagdgeschwader 200 – | ||||
| 13 | 27 July 1943 | 21:20 | R-5[9] | Russia |
| 14 | 31 July 1943 | Night | Po-2[2] | Russia |
| 15 | 31 July 1943 | Night | Po-2[2] | Russia |
| 16 | 31 July 1943 | Night | Po-2[2] | Russia |
| 17 | 31 July 1943 | Night | Po-2[2] | Russia |
| – 5./Nachtjagdgeschwader 200 – | ||||
| 18 | 17 September 1943 | 14:00 | Boston[10] | Russia |
| 19 | 17 September 1943 | 14:01 | Boston[10] | Russia |
| 20 | 17 September 1943 | 14:04 | MiG-1[10] | Russia |
| 21 | 18 September 1943 | 10:05 | LaGG[10] | Russia |
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]