63 Facts About Paul Zorner

Paul Anton Guido Zorner, born Paul Zloch, was a German night fighter pilot, who fought in the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Paul Zorner was the ninth most successful fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and in the history of aerial warfare.

Paul Zorner applied to join the Luftwaffe and was accepted as a Fahnenjunker in October 1938.

Paul Zorner completed his training and was licensed to fly multi-engine aircraft.

Paul Zorner participated in the Battle of Greece and Battle of Crete in April and May 1941.

Paul Zorner operated in the Middle East flying supplies to Syria during the Anglo-Iraqi War.

Paul Zorner continued with the unit and from June to October 1941 flew in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.

On 20 October 1941, Paul Zorner transferred to the German night fighter arm.

Paul Zorner completed his training as a night fighter pilot in July 1942 and was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 2.

Paul Zorner claimed his first victory on 17 January 1943 and on 3 March, achieved the five victories necessary to qualify as a night fighter ace.

Paul Zorner achieved his 20th victory on 3 January 1944 and was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 for 35 night victories.

On 4 April 1944, Paul Zorner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III.

Paul Zorner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 September 1944.

Paul Zorner surrendered to United States Army forces on 8 May 1945.

Paul Zorner was born on 31 March 1920 in Roben, Leobschutz, Upper Silesia.

Paul Zorner was a son of head teachers and one of eight children.

Paul Zorner expressed an interest in Glider flying in his early years but the size of the family strained his parents' financial resources and he could not take up the hobby.

Paul Zorner desired a military flying career and he applied to join the Luftwaffe and was accepted as a Fahnenjunker in October 1938.

On 8 November 1938 Paul Zorner began his Flugzeugfuhrerausbildung as a learner pilot at Oschatz-Sachsen.

Paul Zorner was promoted to the officer rank Leutnant on 1 April 1940.

Paul Zorner flew over 160 missions in the Mediterranean and North African theatre.

Paul Zorner was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class on 6 June 1941 for his service.

From 1 January 1942 Paul Zorner undertook night fighter training Nachtjadgschule 1, at the Ingolstadt base.

On 3 October 1942 Paul Zorner was moved again, this time to 10.

Paul Zorner intercepted a Halifax 45 kilometres northwest of Juist and shot it down at 21:55.

Paul Zorner achieved this success on his 14th mission as a night fighter pilot.

Paul Zorner engaged a Lancaster 40 kilometres west northwest of Borkum and claimed it shot down over the North Sea.

Paul Zorner was the only pilot in the Luftwaffe to claim a victory on this night.

Paul Zorner's victim was probably Wellington HE202, SE-Z, piloted by Sergeant Derek Cecil of No 431 Squadron RAF.

Paul Zorner achieved his 10th victory west of Malmedy at 01:53.

Paul Zorner's victim was Lancaster R5573 flown by Flight Sergeant Kenneth Hector Wally McLean from No 106 Squadron RAF.

Paul Zorner saw the Lancaster crash and explode which resulted in a fire-work display of green, red and white flashes.

Paul Zorner extinguished the fire but he could no longer calibrate the propeller pitch to a glide setting.

Paul Zorner managed to clamber back into the cockpit and lower the flaps which slowed the aircraft and afforded him time to unhook the parachute from the strengthening beam in the cockpit and parachute to safety.

Paul Zorner had to wait several weeks for another successful engagement.

Paul Zorner caught a Lancaster at 20:09 northwest of Berlin and dispatched the bomber for his 14th victory.

Paul Zorner claimed three Lancasters: one east of Giessen at 03:02, another south of Diepholz at 05:43 and a third at 06:02 over Cloppenburg.

Over Luckenwalde at 03:10 on 3 January 1944 Paul Zorner accounted for his 21st victory.

Paul Zorner claimed five bombers shot down, becoming an ace in one sortie.

The latter two claims were made after midnight thus Paul Zorner did not qualify for ace in a day status.

On 1 March 1944 Paul Zorner was promoted to Hauptmann.

On 4 April 1944 Paul Zorner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III.

Southeast of Antwerp at 03:00 Paul Zorner spotted an aircraft which appeared to be a Junkers Ju 88 flying on one engine.

Paul Zorner closed to 50 metres and saw it was an enemy aircraft.

Paul Zorner fired a burst that shattered the good engine.

Paul Zorner intercepted southeast of Nancy claimed it destroyed at 01:20.

Paul Zorner received the award from Joseph Schmid, commanding 1.

Northwest of both Strasbourg and Saint-Dizier, between 02:35 and 02:54 Paul Zorner claimed victory number 57 and 58.

On 17 September 1944 Paul Zorner became the 588th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Paul Zorner was transferred from front-line operations and on 13 October 1944 he appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II.

Paul Zorner commanded the unit in operations over Czechoslovakia and Austria until 8 May 1945.

Paul Zorner decided to fly himself, after a long period of non-operational flying.

Paul Zorner surrendered his Gruppe to United States Army forces near Karlovy Vary on 8 May 1945.

Paul Zorner refused to abandon his men and for a week he remained with them under American guard.

Paul Zorner was separated from his men and confined with 2,000 other officers.

In January 1946 Paul Zorner was moved to a harsher environment in a coal mine.

Paul Zorner heard a rumour that officers of major rank and above could not be forced to work.

Paul Zorner refused to work anymore and was subjected to punishment by the NKVD.

Paul Zorner then travelled to Kaiserslautern in the French zone of occupation to obtain his discharge certificate and was officially a civilian on 3 January 1950.

Paul Zorner studied mechanical engineering in Stuttgart and entered the field of refrigeration engineering before he rejoined the West German Air Force in 1956.

Paul Zorner was not passed fit to fly jet fighters and returned to civilian life in May 1957.

Paul Zorner retired in 1981 as a chief engineer with Hoechst near Frankfurt.

In May 2006, Paul Zorner received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his voluntary services as founder of the "Silesian Partnership".