Quote:
Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád
Isn't Pristina now part of Kosovo?  |
Oh, yes! Sorry, must have typed it on "autopilot" by memory!
Yves, the list by J.Safarik is very nice, but sadly there are some inaccuracies, originated from the Bulgarian archives. There are some inexplicable errors in those archives: for example , poruchik Georgi Kjumjurdzhiev is credited with a "damaged bomber" for two points on December 20th 1943, when in fact he shot down a P-38 and damaged another one (according to P-38 pilot 2nd Lt. Edward Tinker the damaged ""Lightning", probably that of 2nd Lt. John McClendon, also crashed); poruchik Kjumjurdzhiev died that same day, fighting another P-38. It's unclear if he also damaged a bomber. Captain Spisarevski is credited with a destoyed bomber, but he set one on fire (for which he's credited) and after that rammed a second.
Another example from April 17th 1944:
"... 4. Podpourchik-pilot Nayden Petrov STOYANOV - fires against a "Thunderbolt", the fighter is hit and descends in a western direction. At 4000 the plane is attacked by podofitser-pilot Nayden Hristov GOGOV between Dragoman and Tzaribrod. There most likely the plane fell down..."
This fighter isn't "Thunderbolt", but MACR 4230 , a P-51B-10NA from 309th FS, 31st FG.
(I still can't find any evidence if P-47's actually flew over Bulgaria, so most likely Bulgarian pilots reffered to the P-51 both as "Mustang" and "Thunderbolt").
In his book pilot Todor Rozev from 4/6 orlyak, armed with D.520s, claims that he shot a "Mustang" on June 23rd 1944 , most likely P-51C-5NT "Hell's Belle's" of Lt. David Hanson, 318th FS, 325FG. Rozev also remembers that he saw 6 "Thunderbolts" over Vratza on August 26th 1944 (probably P-51s of 332nd FG). There was fighting on that day, Bulgarian pilots claiming a bomber and twin-engined fighter shot down. USAAF archives also list the P-51 of Lt. Henry Wise as lost over Vratza. Neither of the P-51s I mentioned were credited to Bulgarian pilots, as far as I know there are also claims of bombers returning from Ploesti that aren't officialy credited.
Worse still, the log books of 1/6 orlyak were lost. The orlyak was heavily engaged in the fighting until its airfield was bombed twice on June 12th and 28th, with great lost of personnel and aircraft.
I could only guess that Bulgarian Fighter command was either negligent, or reluctant of credting pilots for downing plaines returning from Ploesti.