Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik

Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik

Friedrich-Wilhelm Morzik (2nd from right)
Nickname(s) Fritz
Born 10 December 1891
Passenheim
Died 17 June 1985(1985-06-17) (aged 93)
Freudenstadt
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1919)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer (1909–11)
Luftstreitkräfte (1911–19)
Luftwaffe (1934–45)
Years of service 1909–19
1934–45
Rank Generalmajor
Commands held Air Transport Command
Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 1 and Lufttransportführer Ost of Luftflotte 1
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II

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 with the flying detachment of the Asia Corps in World War I.

Interwar period

After the war he initially served with a police flying unit in Silesia until 1921. After that was an instructor with the German Air Transportation School in Brunswick. In 1928 he became a vice-director in Staaken, then its director. He was connected with Deutsche Luft Hansa, 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, before Elly Beinhorn had been forced to withdraw from the competition and had her Heinkel He 64 aircraft to him. 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.

Post-war

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).

The winner of the Challenge International de Tourisme 1930, Fritz Morzik at Berlin Tempelhof Airport, July 1930 with the BFW M.23

Awards and decorations

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 258.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
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