page_title: Paul Zorner
section_title: Ruhr and Baltic
hierarchical_section_title: Paul Zorner / World War II / Ruhr and Baltic
caption_attribution_description: English: German Lichtenstein FuG 202 airborne radar set (ITU-classificatio: Radiolocation land station in the radiolocation service), purchased by Finland in 1944 but never used due to the armistice. Photographed in the Finnish Air Force signals museum. Suomi: Saksalainen Lichtenstein FuG 202 -yöhävittäjätutka, hankittu Suomeen vuonna 1944 mutta niitä ei ehditty käyttää ennen välirauhan tuloa. Kuvattu Ilmavoimien Viestimuseossa.
context_page_description: Paul Anton Guido Zorner, born Paul Zloch 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 in October 1938. Zorner completed his training and was licensed to fly multi-engine aircraft. He was posted to 4. Staffel Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 104 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.
context_section_description: Air Marshal Harris, AOC RAF Bomber Command escalated the air war in 1943 and began a concerted effort to destroy the industrial German Ruhr region through area bombing. From March to July 1943 Bomber Command began the campaign, dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr. Harris had 53 squadrons, 16 of which were medium bombers equipped with H2S terrain mapping radar. Zorner's first victory in the defence of the Ruhr came on the night of the 7/8 March 1943 northeast of Norden at 20:50 when he claimed a Wellington. The only other claimant was Karl-Heinz Scherfling. Zorner's victim was probably Wellington HE202, SE-Z, piloted by Sergeant Derek Cecil of No. 431 Squadron RAF. The bomber was conducting "Gardening" (minelaying operations) by the Frisian Islands when it was shot down. All five crewmen became prisoners of war.
  Zorner claimed another Wellington on 13/14 March at 03:51, north of Norderney, one of only two claims. This machine was BK296, PT, from No. 420 Squadron RCAF. Pilot Flight Sergeant Charles Harrison Tidy and his crew were killed. Zorner was made Staffelkapitän of 8./NJG 3 two days later. In April 1943 Zorner was ordered to carry out two daylight operations against the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). Zorner found the task unsuitable for the Bf 110. A combat box of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers had eight firing positions and a formation of nine could muster over 100 guns. The Bf 110 was adjudged to be only 40 km/h (25 mph) faster and the most effective tactic, the head-on-attack, could only be executed three times for the aircraft could not position itself in front of the bomber formations quickly enough: the endurance of two hours forty-five minutes was not sufficient for these lengthy manoeuvres. On the second sortie he flew Lippe-Webenfeld's Bf 110 but was hit in both wings and engines and force-landed without success near Cloppenburg.
  Zorner claimed his 7th victory on 28/29 June southeast of Antwerp, Belgium at 02:20. It was recorded as a Halifax bomber. Another Wellington was claimed southwest of Sint-Truiden at 01:09. Zorner achieved his 10th victory west of Malmedy at 01:53. Zorner's 11th victory was shot down northeast of Groningen at 03:54 on 24/25 July. His victim was Halifax R5573 flown by Flight Sergeant Kenneth Hector Wally McLean from No. 106 Squadron RAF. Zorner saw the Halifax crash and explode which resulted in a fire-work display of green, red and white flashes. They assumed the aircraft to be a pathfinder, and the flashes exploding flares. Soon afterwards Zorner and his crewman had to abandon the Bf 110G-4 because an engine caught fire. Zorner extinguished the fire but he could no longer calibrate the propeller pitch to a glide setting. The other power plant could not cope with the added workload and the Bf 110 began to lose height. Zorner ordered his crew to leave. Zorner struggled to exit as his parachute snagged. He managed to clamber back into the cockpit and lower the flaps which slowed the aircraft and afforded him time to unhook the parachute from the strengthening beam in the cockpit and parachute to safety.
  Zorner had to wait several weeks for another successful engagement. On 18 August 1943 Bomber Command carried out Operation Hydra, an attack on the Peenemünde Army Research Center. At 01:53 over the Baltic Sea Zorner claimed a Lancaster followed by another Lancaster over Peenemünde at 02:03—his 13th victory. It was his last victory with 3./NJG 3. On 9 September 1943 he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./NJG 3.
caption: Lichtenstein cathode-ray tubes:
   • The left tube indicated other aircraft ahead as bumps.
   • The centre tube indicated range to a specific target and whether they were higher or lower.
   • The right tube indicated whether the target was to left or right.[29]
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