Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
On Sept 25, 1944 a Soviet Boston DB-7 of the Black
Sea Fleet torpedo equipped which departed Gelenjik or Sevastopol arrived all the way to Greece and later on was brought down by AA near Saloniki . The crew of 3 did not intend to defect anywhere nor was on a given mission on the Med Sea . Weather was very good. As of today no info on this incident. Any idea what gone wrong ? Entire crew is listed KIA Alex K |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Hallo!
Pure, uneducated GUESS. They flew accidentally reciprocal heading/course (180 degrees wrong). Cheers, Kari |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Hi there ,
I tend to agree on the 180 reversal in the event on the pre flt. check he and his navigator consumed too much Vodka , or simply being upset with the system decided to follow some of his comrades who in 1941defected to Turkey . Though it would be quite unsual that the A-20 be fully tanked for such distance ( due to above issue) and then two days after his death he was posthumously awarded the order of Red Banner . One revision though , it was a crew of four . Cheers Alex K |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Very interesting, Alex
Do you know the identities of the crew? And when you state 'shot down by Greek AA' are you able to clarify? Take care, stay safe Brian |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Hello Brian
Yes I know the identity of the pilot and nav , Lt Moslonov and 2nd Lt.Klimtschuk . I did not say brought down by Greek AA but over Saloniki , unable to clarify more details the mission remains classified or hidden to public. On Sept 1944 Black Sea Air Fleet were enganged in Bulgaria so my first thought was that they headed for Varna at high altitude from one of the Black Sea Fleet bases such as Gelendjik for recon , then switched auto pilot followed by oxygen supply issue at higher altitude leading to crew's hypoxia and crew became incapacitated, that may explain that none of the four crew attempted to bail out over Saloniki . On August 2005 Helios Airline of Cyprus gone through such mishap, though I may be wrong , so who knows . https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15206047 So I am still in dark Cheers Alex |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Many thanks, Alex
I interpreted 'brought down by AA near Salonika' to mean shot down by AA. Anyway, thanks for the additional details. Take care, stay safe Brian |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Sure thing , thanks and be well too !
Alex |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Is it possible the aircraft was on a special recon mission to Greece?
|
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Maybe recon but the likelihood is very low eventhough
it was a recon sqd , but if recon I believe the target was in Bulgaria rather Greece. Alex K |
Re: Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944
Hello,
Black Sea Fleet (ChF) was on that day no longer part of the active units engaged with the enemy forces. But 244 BAD, 17 VA, with Bostons, was based in Bulgaria: as on 6.9. HQ 244 BAD Dorobani 260 BAP Boston Maltezi 449 BAP Boston Dorobani, Urlyaska from 7.9. 860 BAP Boston Maltezi 861 BAP Boston Dorobani 17.9.1944. Bombing Skopje and Niš. Recce: Čačak, Kruševac, Kraljevo, Niš, Veles and Saloniki. On the same day part of 244 BAD moved to Vrazhdebna near Sofia. 18.9.1944. Bombing Skopje. 19.9.1944. Bombing Saloniki (railways and harbour) and Skopje. As on 1.10.1944.: HQ 244 BAD Bela Slatina 260 BAP Boston Malorac 449 BAP Boston Vrazhdebna (Sofia) 860 BAP Boston Graf Ignyatevo (Plovdiv) 861 BAP Boston Bela Slatina Zoran |
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