Wilhelm Moritz

Wilhelm Moritz
File:Wilhelm Moritz.jpg
Born	(1913-06-29)29 June 1913 Altona
Died	2004 Ontario, Canada
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer (1933–35) Luftwaffe (1935–45)
Years of service	1933–45
Rank	Major
Unit	ZG 1, JG 77, JG 1, JG 51, JG 3, JG 4
Commands held	IV./JG 3 II./JG 4
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Moritz (29 June 1913 - 2004) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career Wilhelm Moritz was credited with 44 victories in 500+ missions.

Career

Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R8 of IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 "Udet", flown by Hauptmann Moritz

On 7 July 1944 a force of 1,129 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force set out from England to bomb aircraft factories in the Leipzig area and the synthetic oil plants at Boehlen, Leuna-Merseburg and Lützkendorf. This formation was intercepted by a German Gefechtsverband (combat formation) consisting of IV.(Sturm) Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (4th assault group of the 3rd fighter wing), led by Hauptmann Moritz, escorted by two Gruppen of Bf 109s from Jagdgeschwader 300 (300th fighter wing) led by Major Walther Dahl. Dahl and Moritz drove the attack to point-blank range behind the Liberators of the 492d Bombardment Group before opening fire. 492d Bombardment Group was temporarily without fighter cover. Within about a minute the entire squadron of twelve B-24s had been annihilated. The Germans claimed 28 USAAF 2nd Air Division B-24s that day and were credited with at least 21. The majority to the Sturmgruppe attack. This event, also known as the Luftschlacht bei Oschersleben (aerial battle at Oschersleben), earned both Dahl and Moritz a reference in the Wehrmachtbericht, an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht, on 8 July 1944. To be singled out individually in the Wehrmachtbericht was an honour and was entered in the Orders and Decorations' section of a soldier's Service Record Book.

Awards

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (11 October 1943)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold in 1945 as Major in the IV./Jagdgeschwader 3
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 July 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur IV./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 8 July 1944

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
8 July 1944	Die unter persönlicher Führung ihres Geschwaderkommodore Major Dahl kämpfende IV. Sturmgruppe Jagdgeschwader 3, mit ihrem Kommandeur Hauptmann Moritz, zeichnete sich durch Abschuß von 30 viermotorigen Bombern besonders aus.	The under the personal leadership of its wing commander Major Dahl fighting 4th assault group of the 3rd fighter wing, with its commander, Captain Moritz, distinguished itself exceptionally by shooting down of 30 four-engined bombers.

References

Bibliography

• Weal, John (1996). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-595-0.
• Weal, John (2005). Luftwaffe Sturmgruppen. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-908-8.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Aces of the Luftwaffe

Military offices
Preceded by Hauptmann Heinz Lang	Commander of IV. Jagdgeschwader 3 18 April 1944 – 5 December 1944	Succeeded by Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer
Preceded by Major Rudolf Schröder	Commander of I. Jagdgeschwader 4 March 1945 – 8 May 1945	Succeeded by None