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.

Josef Kociok
Feldwebel Josef Kociok in a Bf 110, 1943
Born	(1918-04-26)26 April 1918 Alt Schalkendorf
Died	26 September 1943(1943-09-26) (aged 25) Kerch, Crimea
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–1943
Rank	Leutnant, Posthumously
Unit	ZG 76, SKG 210, ZG 1, NJG 200
Battles / wars	World War II Eastern Front Operation Barbarossa
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 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".

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]