Kurt Sochatzy was born on 5 February 1915 at Schloß Pragerhof near Marburg in the Drau region of Austria. He joined the Austrian Luftstreitkräfte in 1935. Following the German annexation of Austria in 1938, Sochatzy transferred to the Luftwaffe serving with I./JG 138 from July. In November, I./JG 138 was redesignated I./JG 134. In February 1939, Sochatzy joined Condor Legion in support of the Nationalist cause in the Spanish Civil War. Leutnant Sochatzy was assigned to 3. Staffel of J 88. He was awarded the Spanienkreuz in Bronze mit Schwerten for his accomplishments in that conflict. On his return to Germany, Sochatzy was transferred to I./JG 76 in July 1939. He participated in the Polish campaign with the unit earning promotion to the rank of Oberleutnant. In January 1940, Sochatzy was appointed Adjutant of Jagdfliegerschule 5. Later, he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JFS 5, where he trained future Experten Hans-Joachim Marseille (158 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 30 September 1942), Walter Nowotny (258 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 8 November 1944) and Hans Strelow (68 victories, RK-EL, killed in action 22 May 1942). Sochatzy was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 3, based on the Channel front, on 15 December 1940. He led the unit during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia. On 26 June, he claimed his first victory, when he shot down a Russian SB-2 twin-engine bomber. Sochatzy claimed three enemy aircraft shot down on 30 June to raise his victory total to five. In July, he claimed 30 victories, including three Russian SB-2 twin-engine bombers shot down on 6 July to record his eighth through 10th victories, five Russian twin-engine bombers on 9 July (13-17), his 20th victory on 12 July, when he shot down a Russian I-16 fighter and five Russian DB-3 twin-engine bombers shot down on 23 July (27-31). However, on 16 July, after shooting down two Russian SB-3 twin-engine bombers, he was forced to make an emergency landing in his Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 9612) “White 12” + | behind enemy lines. Sochatzy was initially reported missing but made his way back to his unit. On 3 August 1941, in combat with Russian Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, Sochatzy was shot down in Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 8217) “White 9”. He baled out of his stricken aircraft but was then captured by Russian troops on landing. Sochatzy was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 12 August 1941 in absentia for 38 aerial victories in addition to 27 aircraft and two trains destroyed on the ground. He returned to Germany in September 1947.
    Kurt Sochatzy was credited with 38 victories in 180 missions. He recorded 35 victories over the Eastern front.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit
-	7.6.1941	-	Spitfire n.b.	7./JG 3
1	26.6.1941	9:16	SB-2	7./JG 3
2	26.6.1941	15:50	Potez 63	7./JG 3
3	30.6.1941	8:07	Potez 63	7./JG 3
4	30.6.1941	8:10	Potez 63	7./JG 3
5	30.6.1941	14:08	E/a	7./JG 3
6	1.7.1941	10:23	I-153	7./JG 3
7	1.7.1941	15:50	SB-2	7./JG 3
8	6.7.1941	17:10	SB-2	7./JG 3
9	6.7.1941	17:15	SB-2	7./JG 3
10	6.7.1941	17:20	Pe-2	7./JG 3
11	7.7.1941	8:15	V-11	7./JG 3
12	7.7.1941	8:17	V-11	7./JG 3
13	9.7.1941	15:55	Pe-2	7./JG 3
14	9.7.1941	16:01	Pe-2	7./JG 3
15	9.7.1941	17:20	SB-2	7./JG 3
16	9.7.1941	17:23	SB-2	7./JG 3
17	9.7.1941	17:27	SB-2	7./JG 3
18	10.7.1941	9:51	RZ	7./JG 3
19	11.7.1941	19:47	I-16	7./JG 3
20	12.7.1941	11:03	I-16	7./JG 3
21	13.7.1941	10:10	SB-2	7./JG 3
22	13.7.1941	10:25	SB-2	7./JG 3
23	14.7.1941	7:08	I-153	7./JG 3
24	15.7.1941	19:10	I-16	7./JG 3
25	16.7.1941	15:23	SB-3	7./JG 3
26	16.7.1941	15:25	SB-3	7./JG 3
27	23.7.1941	13:41	DB-3	7./JG 3
28	23.7.1941	13:43	DB-3	7./JG 3
29	23.7.1941	13:45	DB-3	7./JG 3
30	23.7.1941	17:22	DB-3	7./JG 3
31	23.7.1941	17:25	DB-3	7./JG 3
32	24.7.1941	14:02	DB-3	7./JG 3
33	24.7.1941	14:04	DB-3	7./JG 3
34	25.7.1941	18:52	SB-3	7./JG 3
35	25.7.1941	18:57	SB-3	7./JG 3
36	1.8.1941	11:25	ZKB-19	7./JG 3
37	1.8.1941	11:30	ZKB-19	7./JG 3
38	3.8.1941	16:40	I-16	7./JG 3

Victories : 38
Awards : Ritterkreuz (12 August 1941)
Units : JG 3