Attack of 1.FG on Zirkle/Cerklje airfield on 28 May 1944

[Boris Ciglic]

Some fifteen Lightnings of 1.FG dive-bombed and then strafed Zirkle airfield in Northern Yugoslavia (today Cerklje in Slovenia) in the afternoon of 28 May 1944. Does anybody have any details about the results of their attack.

Cheers,
Boris

[researcher111]

On May 28th,44 the 1st FG flew a sweep mission to Kurilovac,Pleso and Stupnik airfields
and also straffed the marshalling yards near Kurilovac with 45 P-38's ( not 15 ) met by
inaccurate flak during the mission and shot a down a DO-217 .At Kurilovac the target
was hangar facilities at the Southern aerodrome's perimeter, 13 bombs fell short but
were within a radius of aprox 700 meters and four within aprox 300 meters, one however
hit a storage building. Two bombs were duds. On the way out the P-38's hit targets of opportunity.

[Larry deZeng]

Boris -

No mention of Zirkle (YUGO) (a.k.a. Zirkle-Rann, Cerklje, Brežice, Skopice, Dolenje Skopice, Cerklje ob Krki or Hrastje pri Cerkljah) in:

Mahoney, Kevin A. Fifteenth Air Force Against the Axis: Combat Missions Over Europe During World War II. Lanham (MD): The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8108-8494-6. Hb with laminated cover. 485p. Illus. (a few photos). Maps. Appendices (4). Glossary. Source Notes. Bibliography. Index.

The book's report for 28 May 1944 is identical to Researcher111's post.

L.

[Boris Ciglic]

Thanks for your replies. Numerous ground targets and several airfields in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia were attacked that day by P-38's of 15.AF, in effort to ease pressure against Partisan forces after the German airborne and ground assault on Drvar three days earlier.
82.FG made a highly successful strike against Zalužani airfield near Banja Luka (ten planes of NSGr.7 destroyed and three damaged)
14.FG reported only strafing of some rail communications and roads south of Banja Luka (no mention of any attacks on airfields).
1.FG reported attacking airfields near Zagreb, and four Luftwaffe aircraft were destroyed at Pleso (as per HW 5).
However, Zirkle was attacked as well, as I already wrote by estimated force of 15 Lightnings.
The distance between the complex of aerodromes around Zagreb (Gornji Stupnik, Pleso and Kurilovec) and Zirkle is some 30 kilometers. Distance between Zalužani and Zirkle is 175 kilometers.
So, who could have attacked Zirkle?
The Do 217 shot down by Tom Maloney was in fact Croat AF Do 17E-2, which fell near Krnjak village with the loss of the crew.

Cheers,
Boris