588 NBAP
Kociok was credited with 33 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, 21 of which were by night, claimed in 200 combat missions. His shooting down three Polikarpov Po-2s of the famed 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, nicknamed the "Night Witches", Nachthexen, on the night of 31 July 1943, resulted in the entire regiment being grounded for the first time. For this feat, he was nicknamed Hexenjäger, or "Witch Hunter".