Date of birth:

August 6th, 1914 (Rammenau/Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

April 20th, 1999 (Überlingen/Bodensee)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

From January 4th 1945, Hauptmann Petzold became Kommandeur of the II. / Kampfgeschwader 54 "Totenkopf".

Flew a total of 214 sorties, most on the Eastern front, which were counted as 225 front flights.

02.11.1936: entered the Heer
00.07.1938: transferred to the Luftwaffe after receiving officer training, then trained as a pilot
22.01.1940: Leutnant, transferred to 9./ KG 54

02.06.1940: unhurt when his He 111 P-2 coded 'B3+DT' was shot down ivo Dunkirk by British fighters of 92 Sqdn., belly-landed at Oudekapelle, SW of Dixmude,
making his way on foot to friendly lines
00.07.1940: transferred to Erg.KGr. 5 to convert to Ju 88
13.09.1940: transferred to 6./ KG 54
00.05.1941: awarded the Ehrenpokal
20.07.1941-21.05.1942: Oberleutnant, appointed Staka 5./ KG 54
17.09.1941: Oberleutnant, awarded Ritterkreuz, Staka 5./ KG 54
21.05.1942: Oblt., Staka 5./ KG 54 seriously WIA when his Ju 88 A-4 coded 'B3+VN'
took a direct AA hit to the cockpit during an attack on the Yukhnov railway station - safely returned to base, but hospitalized for a year
23.06.1942 or 1943: appointed Ia op / Fliegerführer 3
16.07.1942: Oblt., awarded DKG, 5./ KG 54
01.07.1942: promoted to Hauptmann
23.06.1943: Hptm. in Frontflieger-Sammelgruppe, transferred to Stab / Fliegerführer 3
30.08.1943: appointed Ia op / 4. Fliegerdivision
08.03.1944: transferred to KG 101 as an instructor
14.06.1944-27.08.1944: Hptm., Staka 2./ Verbandsführerschule KG 101
28.08.1944-27.12.1944: Hptm., Staka 2./ Verbandsführerschule General der Kampfflieger
05.01.1945-08.05.1945: Hptm., Kdr., II./ KG (J) 54
00.05.1945: with a ground combat unit

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer, 5. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 54 "Totenkopf", Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

September 17th, 1941

During two days of operations against a pontoon bridge over the Desna river north of Kiev, it was Petzold who finally delivered the decisive blow on the 29.08.1941 that destroyed the bridge. In doing so he destroyed the one escape route of Soviet troops on the other side of the river. For this, as well as his other successes achieved over the course of 167 sorties, he was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer, 5. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 54 "Totenkopf", Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

July 16th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer

Awarded on:

May 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Source known to STIWOT
• - URBANKE, AXEL & KAISER, JOCHEN, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger, Luftfahrtverlag-Start, 2011.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001
  - Die träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eiserne Kreuz 1939 - 1945
  - Lexikon der Wehrmacht