Service/branch Flying services Allegiance Austria-Hungary Died May 4, 1918 | Name Karl Patzelt Rank Oberleutnant | |
Unit Flik 68J, Flik 29J, Flik 42J Awards Order of the Iron Crown, Military Merit Cross, Military Merit Medal, German Iron Cross | ||
Oberleutnant Karl Patzelt was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.
Patzelt's birthplace is often incorrectly given as Crajova, Bohemia. This was caused by an error in his Austrian personal documents deposited in Vienna, which state "Crajova, Böhmen". In fact, no such place exists in Bohemia. According to Patzelt's qualification document deposited in Prague, he was born in Craiova, Romania, and his legal domicile was Mladá Boleslav, Bohemia, where his father came from. The same source also gives his exact date of birth as February 3, 1893, and spoken languages as German, Romanian and Czech.
Patzelt was killed in action on May 4 when his Albatros D.III was shot down by Corpo Aeronautico Militare pilot Sergente Giovanni Nicelli of 79a Squadriglia.