Jakob Norz

class="fn" colspan="2" style="background-color: #B0C4DE; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" | Jakob Norz
colspan="2" style="background-color: #B0C4DE; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" |
colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; line-height: 1.5em;" | File:Leutnant Jakob Norz.png Lieutenant Norz
Nickname	Jockel/Jockl
Birth date	27 September 1920(1920-09-27)
Place of birth	Saulgrub, Free State of Bavaria, German Reich
Death date	⚔ 16 September 1944 (aged 23)
Place of death	near Kirkenes, Norway
Resting place	German war cemetery at Pechenga
Allegiance	National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	File:Luftwaffe eagle.png Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–1944
Rank	Leutnant (second lieutenant)
Unit	Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 Jagdgeschwader 51 (de) Jagdgeschwader 1 (de) Jagdgeschwader 5
Battles/wars	World War II Western Front Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Jakob "Jockel" August Norz (27 September 1920 – 16 September 1944) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht and fighter pilot (Jagdflieger) of the Luftwaffe, finally a 2nd Lieutenant, flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II.

Military career

File:Jakob Norz on special leave in Bavaria, Spring 1944.png

OFw. Norz on special leave in Bavaria, Spring 1944

WWII

Holding the rank of Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer) he served with the I. Gruppe/Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (2nd Night Fighter Wing) since late 1941. With this unit he flew night fighter missions against England and convoy escort missions over the Mediterranean Sea. He was briefly transferred as a day time fighter pilot to Jagdgeschwader 51 (51st Fighter Wing) operating on the Eastern Front in early 1942. Shortly afterwards he was posted to the 11./Jagdgeschwader 1 (11th Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing) which was located in Norway. The unit was then relocated further north to the Eismeerfront (Ice Sea Front)—the area of operations nearest the Arctic Ocean—and redesignated to 8./Jagdgeschwader 5 (8th Squadron of the 5th Fighter Wing). Operating in this northern theatre of operations, Norz claimed his first five aerial victories by the end of 1942. Following victorious combat with two Ilyushin Il-2 "Shturmovik" on 5 March 1943, he made a forced landing of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer —13108—factory number) on a frozen lake in no man's land. He returned to a German held position after an eight hour walk in high snow. Norz claimed his 17th and 18th aerial victory on 5 June 1943. The number of aerial victories claimed rose to 56 by the end of 1943. On 17 March 1944, Norz claimed 5 Soviet fighters shot down, his 66th to 70th aerial victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross following his 74th aerial victory. He again claimed five victories on 17 June 1944. Norz in a 24 hour period from 27 June to 28 June 1944 claimed 12 victories, taking his total to 103 aerial victories. This achievement earned Norz a reference on 28 June 1944 in the Wehrmachtbericht (armed forces report), an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. To be singled out individually in this way was an honour and was entered in the Orders and Decorations' section of a soldier's Service Record Book.

Fighter ace

Fighter ace Norz achieved a total of 117 aerial victories (Luftsiege) over the course of 332 combat missions (Feindflüge) against the Soviet Red Air Force, the first on 15 May 1942, the last eleven as leader (Führer) of the 11. Staffel/Jagdgeschwader 5. According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Norz claimed another seven undocumented aerial victories in October to November 1943.

Ace in a day

On 17 March 1944, then again on 27 June 1944, 28 June 1944, 4 July 1944, 17 July 1944, 17 August 1944 and 23 August 1944, Jakob Norz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a seven-time ace in a day, with five, seven, five, five, five, five, and five victories, respectively. The Wehrmachtbericht from 28 June 1944 stated about 2nd Lieutenant Norz:

Oberleutnant Dörr and Leutnant Norz alone achieved 12 victories in heavy aerial combat.

Death

Walter Schuck, a wartime friend of Norz, witnessed Norz's final flight on 16 September 1944. According to Schuck, Norz attacked and shot down a Douglas Boston but was hit in the engine by the defensive fire from the Boston. Norz reported that his cabin was filling with smoke. Schuck urged Norz to bale out but Norz decided to fly back to base to avoid capture by the Russians. Schuck broke off further combat and escorted Norz back to base. Norz, intoxicated by the smoke, reported that his elevator seized and that he could not trim the aircraft. Already too low for bailing out, Norz attempted a crash landing in the tundra. The Bf 109 G-6 "Yellow 8" (Werknummer 412 199—factory number) struck a rock and disintegrated, killing Norz.

Jakob Norz was buried with military honors at the German war cemetery (Kriegsgräberstätte) at Parkkina-Petsamo (Petschenga). His friend Schuck carried the Ordenskissen (pillow of orders), Major Heinrich Ehrler gave the eulogy. Norz was survived by his parents, his siblings and his fiancée, who he was to marry only weeks later.

Awards and decorations

• DRL/Reich Sports Badge (Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen) in Bronze
• Pilot Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen)
• Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg) on 13 September 1943 as Feldwebel (NCO) and pilot (Flugzeugführer)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
• Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht (Namentliche Nennung im Wehrmachtbericht) on 28 June 1944
• German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot in the 8. Staffel/III. Gruppe/Jagdgeschwader 5
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 as Oberfeldwebel (Senior Sergeant) and pilot in the 8. Staffel/III. Gruppe/Jagdgeschwader 5
  • the award ceremony (Ritterkreuzverleihungszeremonie) was led by Fliegerführer Eismeer Generalleutnant Alexander Holle; afterwards, Norz received special leave at home in Bavaria. He returned to his fighter wing in June 1944, having been promoted to Leutnant and named squadron leader in August 1944.

Gallery

• Messerschmitt-Bf-109G2-8.JG5-Black-8-Jakob-Norz-Petsamo-Finland-1943-01.png

  Norz in Petsamo in front of his Bf 109 G-2 "Black 8"

• Eismeerjäger Walter Schuck, Franz Dörr, Heinrich Ehrler und Jakob Norz, Bf 109 G-6, Petsamo, Juni 1944.png

  From left to right: Eismeerjäger Walter Schuck, Franz Dörr, Heinrich Ehrler (de) und "Jockel" Norz in front of a Bf 109 G-6, Petsamo, Finland, Juni 1944

• Walter Schuck (right) with Oberfeldwebel Jakob Norz.png

  True friends: Oberfeldwebel Jakob Norz (left) and Oberfeldwebel Walter Schuck