Paul Anton Guido Zorner, born Paul Zloch (31 March 1920 – 27 January 2014), was a German night fighter pilot, who fought in the Luftwaffe during World War II. Zorner is credited with 59 night aerial victories claimed in 272 missions, including 110 night fighter missions. Zorner was the ninth most successful fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and in the history of aerial warfare.
Born in 1920 to a large family, Zorner left school in 1938 to pursue a military career. He applied to join the Luftwaffe and was accepted as a Fahnenjunker (officer candidate) in October 1938. Zorner completed his training and was licensed to fly multi-engine aircraft. He was posted to 4. Staffel (squadron) Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 104 (KGr. z.b.v. 104, Fighting Group for Special Use) to fly Junkers Ju 52 transports. Zorner participated in the Battle of Greece and Battle of Crete in April and May 1941. Zorner also operated in the Middle East flying supplies to Syria during the Anglo-Iraqi War. 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, Zorner transferred to the German night fighter arm. He completed his training as a night fighter pilot in July 1942 and was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. On 3 October 1942, Zorner was posted to 10. Staffel (squadron) Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3, Night Fighter Wing 3). 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 (Experte). On 9 September 1943 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8./NJG 3 after achieving 12 victories. 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, Zorner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of III./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5). On 9 June, Zorner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 48 bombers destroyed. Zorner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 September 1944. Zorner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./NJG 100 on 13 October 1944 and remained the commanding officer until May 1945. Zorner achieved his 59th, and last, a victory on 5/6 March 1945.
Zorner surrendered to United States Army forces on 8 May 1945. Zorner and his unit were handed over to the Red Army on 17 May and he remained a prisoner in the Soviet Union until December 1949. After his release he studied engineering and retired in 1981. Zorner died in January 2014 aged 93.
Paul Zorner was born on 31 March 1920 in Roben, Leobschütz, Upper Silesia. He was a son of head teachers and one of eight children. 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. In the spring, 1938 aged 18, Zorner passed his Abitur, school leaving certificate. Zorner desired a military flying career and he applied to join the Luftwaffe and was accepted as a Fahnenjunker (officer candidate) in October 1938.
On 8 November 1938 Zorner began his Flugzeugführerausbildung (pilot training) as a learner pilot at Oschatz-Sachsen. On 14 March 1939 he was accepted as Fähnrich and transferred to Berlin-Gatow. There, he completed the first stage of his officer training on 31 October 1939. Zorner progressed through the A/B Schools (elementary flying schools) and trained at the Flugzeugführerschule C in Lönnewitz to gain his pilot license on multi-engine aircraft from 1 November 1939 to the 30 June 1940. He was promoted to the officer rank Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) on 1 April 1940.
From 4–30 June 1940 Zorner was based at the Fluglehrerschule (flight instructor school) in Brandenburg and from the 1 July 1940 – 15 January 1941 he attended the Flugzeugführerschule C 11 to complete his advanced training. Zorner attended the Blindflugschule (Blind Flying School) at Neuburg an der Donau from 23 August–16 September 1940 to qualify for night flying.
Zorner was posted to 4. Staffel (squadron) Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 104 (KGr.z.b.v. 104—Fighting Group for Special Use) to fly the Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft. The unit deployed to Athens, Greece in April 1941. It assisted in the airborne drop against Crete—Unternehmen Merkur (Operation Mercury). Zorner flew over 160 missions in the Mediterranean and North African theatre. The most notable action was the Anglo-Iraqi War in May 1941. KGr.z.b.v. 104 flew spare part supplies for Zerstörergeschwader 76 (Destroyer Wing 76) in Iraq. Zorner recorded transport flights from Athens to Aleppo. Zorner was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class on 6 June 1941 for his service. KGr.z.b.v. 104 then moved to Romania to participate in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. It supported Army Group South in the initial assault but then disbanded in the autumn. Zorner left KGr.z.b.v. 104 on 8 October 1941.
Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, bombing missions by the Royal Air Force (RAF) shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign. By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector, named a Himmelbett (canopy bed), would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.
Zorner joined the German night fighter force on 20 October 1941 and was ordered to Schleißheim, Munich, to attend the Nachtjadgschule 1 (Night Fighter School 1) to begin conversion and night fighter training on the Messerschmitt Bf 110. At Schleißheim Zorner learned the rudiments of air combat and day fighter tactics which he completed on 28 December 1941. From 1 January 1942 Zorner undertook night fighter training Nachtjadgschule 1, at the Ingolstadt base. On 1 April 1942 he was promoted to Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant). He graduated on 20 May 1942. The final phase of training was completed with Ergänzungs-Nachtjagdgruppe (Supplementary Night Hunting Group) at Stuttgart.
Zorner was posted to 8. Staffel (squadron), II. Gruppe (Group) Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—Night Fighter Wing 2) based at Gilze-Rijen Air Base in the Netherlands on 1 July 1942. On 3 October 1942 Zorner was moved again, this time to 10./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3—Night Fighter Wing 3), at Grove, where he remained until 5 December 1942. The next day he was ordered to Wittmundhafen and appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2./NJG 3. Zorner held this command until 15 March 1943. The Staffel was equipped with the Dornier Do 217 night fighter. Zorner disliked flying the Dornier and lobbied his commanding officer, Gruppenkommandeur Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld to fly the Bf 110. Lippe-Weißenfeld agreed on the condition that he flies both operationally in rotation with other units.
On the night of 17/18 January 1943 Air Officer Commanding (AOC) RAF Bomber Command, Arthur Harris ordered an attack on Berlin. 170 Avro Lancaster and 17 Handley-Page Halifax bombers carried out the operation. It was to be the last attack on the German capital until the H2S ground scanning radar became available. Zorner intercepted a Halifax 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of Juist and shot it down at 21:55. Zorner achieved this success on his 14th mission as a night fighter pilot.
Bomber Command attacked Wilhelmshaven with 177 aircraft—129 Lancaster, 40 Halifax and eight Short Stirlings on 11/12 February 1943. The Pathfinders found that the Wilhelmshaven area was covered by cloud. The British marked the target by parachute flares using H2S. The naval ammunition depot at Mariensiel to the south of Wilhelmshaven blew up and caused widespread damage in the naval dockyard and in the town. Zorner engaged a Lancaster 40 kilometres (25 miles) west northwest of Borkum and claimed it shot down over the North Sea. Zorner was the only pilot in the Luftwaffe to claim a victory on this night. One of the three crews lost in the operation flew in Lancaster I, DX-D, of No. 57 Squadron RAF. Sergeant K. T. Dutton and his six crewmembers disappeared and were listed "lost without trace."