Max Stotz

Max Stotz
Max Stotz
Born	(1912-02-13)13 February 1912
Died	19 August 1943(1943-08-19) (aged 31)
Place of birth	Mannswörth, Lower Austria
Place of death	Vitebsk
Allegiance	First Austrian Republic (to 1938) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer (1933–1935) Luftwaffe (1935–1943)
Years of service	1933–1943
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	JG 76, JG 54
Commands held	5./JG 54, II./ JG 54
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland (1939) Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Max Stotz (born 13 February 1912 in Mannswörth, Lower Austria, MIA 19 August 1943 near Vitebsk) was a German former Luftwaffe flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Stotz was officially credited with shooting down 189 enemy aircraft claimed in more than 700 combat missions.

Career

Max Stotz joined the Bundesheer (Austrian Army) in 1933. In 1935 he was transferred to the Austrian Air Force and was trained as a pilot. After the Anschluss, Austria's annexation into the German Third Reich on 12 March 1938, Stotz was accepted into the German Luftwaffe. On 30 December 1942 Stotz claimed 10 aerial victories bring his total to 129. Following aerial combat on 19 August 1943 with a large formation of Yakovlev fighters Stotz bailed out and was not seen again. He was last seen drifting down over Soviet held territory.

Awards

• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold with Pennant
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (5 November 1939)
  • 1st Class (1 June 1940)
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (28 September 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 1 December 1941 as Oberfeldwebel in the 4./JG 54
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 19 June 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./JG 54
  • 137th Oak Leaves on 30 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./JG 54

References

Citations

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. 
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1941 – 1945]. Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001) (in German). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2]. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-22-X.
• 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. 
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1. 
• Thomas, Franz (1998) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
• Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 'Grünherz'. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-286-5.

External links

• "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945". Max Stotz. http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Luftwaffe/S/Stotz-Max.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2007. 
• "Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Max Stotz. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/StotzM.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2007.