[Larry deZeng]

Hi Marko,

Great information on the Croatian Amiot. Here are some extracts from the excellent work cited below, which was written exclusively from wartime Croatian AF documents in Arhiv Hrvatska on the Sava cesta in Zagreb. Frka’s book has hundreds of photos of Croatian AF aircraft but not one of the Amiot. This a/c was delivered from Kraljevo to Rajlovac between August and November 1941.

p.35 shows 8th Sqdn./3d Bomber Group (8. Jato/3. Skupina) with CA. 310s, Bristol Blenheim Is and a single Amiot 143M) at Sarajevo-Rajlovac throughout 1942. The commander of 8th Sqdn. during all of 1942 was Satnik (Capt.) Ibrahim Sijerčić.
p.297 states that it was an Amiot 143M, Croatian series number 1701 (1 = Bomber, 7 = Amiot, 01 = number in the series and shows that there was only one of these in possession of the CAF). This number was painted in large black letters on the side of the fuselage between the cockpit and the tail (p.51).

So we have a conflict here between your information and that from original Croatian AF documents.

Source:
Frka, Danijel, Josip Novak and Siniša Pogačić. La Force Aérienne Croate 1941 – 1945. Collection Histoire de L’Aviation Nº 10. Outreau (France): Editions Lela Presse, 2000. ISBN: 953-97564-0-4. Oversize Hb (heavy card cover). 303p. Profusely illus. Maps. Dwgs. Color profiles. Bibliography. Appendices.


You referred to Rendulić as the “future post-war Yugoslav Air Force general Rendulić” so I suspect he may be the second fellow shown below? Do you happen to recall his first name? The chief of the wartime Croatian Air Force in Zagreb was Pukovnik Adalbert Rogulja who was sentenced to 10 years following trial in Zagreb and subsequently died in Stara Gradiška Prison.

RENDULIĆ, ? . 01.11.42 Gend. Podpukovnik, appointed director of instruction at the Central Gendarmerie School in Bjelovar.
RENDULIĆ, ? . 03.09.44 AF Zastavnik, said to have attended the Borovo Flying School from 01.44 to 07.44 and then assigned to the 2d Air Group at Sarajevo Rajlovac.

L.