Kurt Sochatzy


Kurt Sochatzy was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II - for the fighter pilots, it was a quantifiable measure of skill and success. On 3 August 1941 Kurt Sochatzy was shotdown in his Bf 109 and was captured by Soviet troops. He was held as a prisoner of war until 1947. During his career he was credited with 38 aerial victories.

Early life and career

Sochatzy was born on 5 February 1915 in Schloß Pragerhof then in Lower Styria within Austria-Hungary, now Pragerskoin northeastern Slovenia. He was the son of an Imperial and Royal officer. In 1934, Sochatzy joined the military service, initially serving with Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 2 "Feldmarschall Montecuccoli" in Enns. In 1935, he transferred to the Austrian Air Force and was trained as a fighter pilot. Following the Anschluss in March 1938, the forced incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany, Sochatzy was transferred to the Luftwaffe holding the rank of Leutnant.
On 1 April, a newly formed I. Organization of the [Luftwaffe (1933–1945)#Gruppe|Gruppe] of Jagdgeschwader 138 stationed in Wien-Aspern also referred to as the "Wiener-Jagdgruppe" was created, largely staffed with former Austrian Air Force personnel. On 1 May 1939, I. Gruppe of JG 138 was re-designated and became I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 76. Initially equipped with the Fiat CR.32, 3. Staffel received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B. The Gruppe was reequipped with the Bf 109 E-1 and E-3 in 1939. Sochatzy, who had served with this unit since July 1938, volunteered for service in the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. In Spain, he flew with 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88. In July 1939, Sochatzy returned from Spain and was again assigned to I. Gruppe of JG 76. For his service in the Spanish Civil War, he was the Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In preparation of the invasion, I. Gruppe of JG 76 had been moved to an airfield at Stubendorf, present-day Izbicko in Poland, on 17 August 1939 and supported the German advance on the central and southern sectors of the front. During the invasion, Sochatzy flew multiple close air support missions and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
Promoted to Oberleutnant, Sochatzy was transferred to the fighter pilot training unit Jagdfliegerschule 5 at Wien-Schwechat in January 1940. Initially serving as adjutant to the school's commander Eduard Ritter von Schleich, he was later appointed Staffelkapitän of 3. Staffel of JFS 5. Among his students were the fighter pilots Hans-Joachim Marseille, Walter Nowotny and Hans Strelow.

Squadron leader

On 15 December 1940 during the Battle of Britain, Sochatzy was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3. He succeeded Oberleutnant Erwin Neuerburg. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 3 and at the time under command of Hauptmann Walter Oesau and based at Desvres near the English Channel. Sochatzy claimed his first victory on 7 June 1941, a Supermarine Spitfire fighter from No. 603 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

War against the Soviet Union

The Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Moderówka on 18 June where the Gruppe concluded their last preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 was subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps, under command of General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim, which was part of Luftflotte 4, under command of Generaloberst Alexander Löhr. These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd, with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital Kiev.
Operation from Hostynne on 26 June, III. Gruppe intercepted a formation Tupolev SB bombers, sometimes referred to as "Martin bombers" by the Germans, northwest of Berestechko. During this encounter, Sochatzy claimed one of the bombers shot down. On 6 July, III. Gruppe moved to Polonne, located approximately west-southwest of Zhytomyr, where they stayed until 21 July. Here on 9 July, Sochatzy became an "ace in a day|ace-in-a-day]" for the first time, claiming three SB-2 bombers and two Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers.
On 16 July during the Battle of Uman, Sochatzy claimed two SB-3 bombers shot down. His Bf 109 F-2 was damaged in the encounter, resulting in an emergency landing behind enemy lines. Initially reported as missing in action, he later returned to his unit unharmed. The Gruppe moved to Bila Tserkva on 22 July, the next day flew multiple missions over the Dnieper. During the course of these missions, Sochatzy claimed five Ilyushin DB-3 bombers, making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the second time.
On 3 August during the Battle of [Kiev (1941)|Battle of Kiev], Sochatzy collided with a Polikarpov I-16 fighter in aerial combat. He managed to bail out from his Bf 109 F-2 near Kiev becoming a prisoner of war. Consequently, he was succeeded by Oberleutnant Hans Ohly as commander of 7. Staffel. In recognition for his 38 aerial victories claimed, Sochatzy was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 August 1941. Sochatzy had flown 120 combat missions since 22 June. In addition to his aerial victories claimed, he was credited with the destruction of 20 aircraft on the ground, making him one of the most successful pilots of III. Gruppe at the time.

Later life

Sochatzy was released from Soviet captivity in 1947. He then worked for the Kraftwerksgruppe Kaprun, a hydropower provider. In 1956, he joined the Austrian Air Force, referred to as the Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte, initially holding the rank of Hauptmann.
Serving until 1976, he retired with the rank of Oberst in 1976. He died on 2 May 1996 at the age of in Vienna, Austria.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Sochatzy was credited with 38 aerial victories claimed in 180 missions. He also destroyed 2 trains and 27 aircraft on the ground in strafing attacks. Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 38 aerial victory claims on the Eastern Front and one unconfirmed claim on the Western Front.

Awards