Paul-Werner Hozzel

Paul-Werner Hozzel (16 October 1910 – 7 January 1997) was a German World War II Luftwaffe Stuka pilot and the first pilot of that type of plane to be awarded with the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Military career
Paul-Werner Hozzel joined the Artillerie-Regiment 2 in 1931 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. He took command of the 2nd Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 20 on 1 September 1938 and shortly afterwards was promoted to Hauptmann.

At the outbreak of World War II he participated in the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Hozzel was then put in command of I.Gruppe Stuka-Geschwaders 1. This Gruppe also participated in the Battle of France and in the invasion of Norway. Hozzel, as the first Stuka pilot, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 May 1940 in representation of his Gruppe’s success. This includes the sinking of military vessels, 60,000 tons of merchant shipping and the attacks against the fortresses Akershus and Oscarsborg Fortress.

Further success followed with the destruction of the French destroyer Bison (2,435 tons) und the British destroyer Afridi (1,850 tons). The British battleship Warspite and the aircraft carrier Illustrious were attacked on 10 January 1941. Illustrious was hit 8 times putting her out of service for several weeks.

Hozzel was promoted to Oberstleutnant and made Geschwaderkommodore of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" on 16 October 1941. With SG 2, he fought in the Battle of Stalingrad, the Geschwader flew 12,000 combat missions in this engagement.

In was then tasked to form "Gefechtsverband Hozzel" from parts of the Stuka-Geschwaders 1, 2 and 77 participating in the battles around Dnipropetrovsk. Hozzel was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 14 April 1943.

He finished the war in a staff position of Luftflotte 1 and went into Soviet captivity as a prisoner of war. He returned from captivity on 16 January 1956.

Still in 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr and retired as Brigadegeneral on 30 September 1969.

Awards

 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (14 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (5 May 1940)
 * Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 8 May 1940 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./StG 1
 * 230th Oak Leaves on 14 April 1943 Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of StG 2 "Immelmann"