Ca 311 shot down in Yugoslavia on 6 March 1942

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

On 6 March 1942 a Ca 311 (unknown serial and unit) was shot down by "AA fire" (probably ground fire from partisans) in Blagaj area, during a flight between Mostar and Kragujevac. Three airmen, probably the whole crew, were killed: the pilot, one gunner and a "captain messenger", probably a passenger.

Sources:
http://www.znaci.net/00001/4_13_2_3.pdf
http://www.vojska.net/eng/world-war-.../sloda/losses/

I will be interested in the names of the casualties, and the unit and serial of the aircraft.

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

A bump for this query, just in case.

[Larry deZeng]

Laurent -

RA units based at Mostar:

Italian (Regia Aeronautica): Scuolo Caccia (glider and fighter school for Croatians student pilots); 5º Gruppo OA (Sep 42); 39º Gruppo BT (Jan 42 – Jun 43); 61º Gruppo OA (May-Aug 41); 65º Gruppo OA (Aug 41 – Jul 42?); 120ª Squadriglia OA (Jul 42).

Quite like it was 39º Gruppo BT.

L.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Larry, I hadn't thought to check your airfield pdf files, as I did not think Italian units will be included.

From the units listed, I will rather bet on 65° Gruppo OA. While 39° Gruppo BT was according to my source equiped with SM81s, 65° Gruppo OA used Ca 311 and could have been still based there in March 1942. But I could also have been an hack aircraft of any unit based there.

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Laurent,

Right you are - 39º Gruppo BT arrived at Mostar on 20 Jan 42 and was equipped with Br 20 and one or two Fi 156 until it was disbanded at Mostar on 4 June 43.
65º Gruppo OA arrived at Mostar with Ca 311 in Aug 41 and retained them until it departed for Libya in Jul 42.
So if it wasn’t a hack, 65º Gruppo OA seems to be the right one.

However, what if the Caproni actually belonged to another unit in Yugoslavia or Albania and had just stopped at Mostar to RON and or gas up? Did the RA’s equivalent of the Luftwaffe’s Gen.Qu.(6.Abt.) Verlustmeldungen survive the war?

Best,

Lawrence

[Boris Ciglic]

Hello Laurent and Larry,

According to the research conducted by my late friend Vojislav Mikić, the plane belonged to 63ᵒ Gruppo, based at Pola at the time. The plane crashed at around 15.00. It was not certain if the plane fell to AA fire or for other reasons. Keeping in mind the short distance between Jasenica-Mostar airfield and Blagaj village, where the plane is said to have crashed, I'd say that the plane crashed shortly after take-off. The three-man crew was flying towards Kalinovik in Bosnia and not Kragujevac. The captain in question was observer. Unfortunately, there are no names of the crew or any other details.

Cheers,
Boris

[sidney]

Since I am not sure whether the members interested in subject can follow/identify the airfield/air base names that are no longer in use, I will give the contemporary equivalents, as I understand them. If such an effort is considered unnecessary, please let me know.

Pola = Pula (HR), Zara = Zadar (HR), Lubiana = Ljubljana (SLO), Grobnico = Grobnik near Rijeka (HR) and Mostar (BH).

Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Sinisa,

Is this the airfield that the Italians called Grobnico and the locals called Grobnik?


Sušak (YUGO) (45 22 45 N – 14 30 18 E)
General: landing ground (Landeplatz) at the head of the Adriatic in NW Croatia. Susak was 7.25 km NE of Rijeka (Fiume) and was incorporated into Rijeka after the war thereby losing its separate place name. History: a pre-war secondary civil airport that was used during the summer months. Taken over by the Luftwaffe in Sep 43 right after the surrender of Italy but used very little until it was finally abandoned at the end of December 1943. No record found of any Luftwaffe air units being stationed here. Surface and Dimensions: rough grass surface measuring approx. 1150 x 455 meters (1250 x 500 yards). No paved runway. Fuel and Ammunition: fuel was reportedly available. Infrastructure: had 1 small hangar with a concrete apron off the E boundary along with a small workshop building. A number of barrack-type huts were next to the hangar. The nearest rail connection was in Sušak. Dispersal: no organized dispersal facilities.

L.

[sidney]

Hi Larry,

Grobnico (Grobnik) and Sušak in my opinion are two different entities. It seems to me that the coordinates that you gave for Sušak (i.e., 45.22 45 N – 14.30 18 E) correspond to Grobnik airport.

Airport name: Grobnik Airport
Geographical location: 45° 22' 46" North, 14° 30' 13" East

After the Italian army occupied the so-called Free State of Fiume in 1924, the border between Italy and the former Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians was set along the river Rječina, with Fiume (Rijeka) on the Italian side, and town of Sušak on the Yugoslav side. I doubt that there could have been an airport there. After the war the town of Sušak was incorporated into the city of Rijeka.

Not sure whether the Grobnik airport would be just 7.25 NE of Rijeka though, I think that the distance would rather be between 15 and 20 km NE of Rijeka.

Would the above answer your query?

Regards,
Sinisa

[Larry deZeng]

Sinisa wrote in part:

Would the above answer your query?

Thanks for the information. I'm not sure if that resolves the issue and I will have to take another look at the wartime Italian and Allied documents that I have. They seem to show that there was only one airfield in or on the outskirts of Rijeka, so this may simply be a case of different names for the same place.

Best,

L.