| Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik | |
|---|---|
 Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik (2nd from right) | |
| Nickname | Fritz |
| Born | December 10, 1891 |
| Died | 17 June 1985 (aged 93) |
| Place of birth | Passenheim |
| Place of death | Freudenstadt |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1919) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
Heer (1909-1911) Luftstreitkräfte (1911-1919) Luftwaffe (1935–1945) |
| Years of service |
1909–1919 1935–1945 |
| Rank | Generalmajor |
| Commands held | Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 1 and Lufttransportführer Ost of Luftflotte 1 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Other work | Pilot |
Friedrich-Wilhelm "Fritz" Morzik (10 December 1891 – 17 June 1985) was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik was captured in May 1945 by American troops and was held until 1947.
World War I[]
He trained as a pilot and served in World War I.
Interwar period[]
After the war he was an instructor in Communication Pilots School in Brunswick. In 1928 he became a vicedirector of Communication Pilots School in Berlin, then its director. He was connected with Lufthansa, the German national airline at that time.
Fritz Morzik was also an active sports pilot. He was a winner in the first International Tourist Plane Contest Challenge and the second Challenge in 1930. In the third Challenge in 1932 he was second. He took part in the fourth Challenge in 1934, but did not finish it due to engine breakdown. He was the only pilot to participate in all Challenges.
World War II[]
In 1935 he started service in the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), as a commandant of pilots' school. In World War II he became a head of Luftwaffe Transport Command, in a rank of Generalmajor.
After the war he wrote a detailed story of German transport aviation during the war: Die deutschen Transportflieger im Zweiten Weltkrieg (Frankfurt am Main, 1966) and German Air Force Airlift Operations (New York: Arno Press, 1968).
Awards and decorations[]
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- Cross of Honor
- Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 April 1942 as Oberst and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 1 and Lufttransportführer Ost of Luftflotte 1[1]
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 258.
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links[]
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik in the German National Library catalogue
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