RAF/USAAF claims over Yugoslavia between 17 and 21 october 1944

[Boris Ciglic]

Hi Laurent,

I thought it would be better to answer your querry on CR 42's here. Indeed NSGr.7 suffered much more losses during October:

14 October 44:
CR 42 W.Nr.9768 (1./NSGr.7; Uffz. Jost killed) crashed near Varazdin afet being shot down by 73.Sqn, another CR 42 was severely damaged in same engagement (according to Croat records, indeed two have been shot down)
CR 42 (pilot killed) shot down by partisan MG and crashed near Konjstina
2 CR 42 lost in flying accidents
2 CR 42 destroyed on ground, possibly in Kragujevac

15 October:
1 CR 42 lost in air combat near Zagreb
1 CR 42 lost and 3 damaged in operations, but not to enemy action
1 CR 42 damaged during non-combat op

As for the Fi 167, 213.Sqn pilots certainly couldn't be blamed, they had no idea about partisan aircraft and Sqn already shot down Croat Fi 167 just seven days earlier. Since some yugoslav documents bring the event in connection with South Africa, I am almost certain that it was Rorvik who shot the Fi 167 down, especially keeping in mind he led the flight and was most experienced of all involved, already with several claims to his credit.

Boris

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Boris, it helps a lot

I am interested in every air loss in October 1944. Do you have more details about the Croat Fi167 shot down on the 14th ?

[Boris Ciglic]

My mistake, it was a bit more than a week. On 10 October Sqn Ldr C. Vos, Sgt.S.E. Mould and Sgt D.E. Firman shot down 4808 flown by Croat ace Bozidar Bartulovic and his gunner Mate Jurkovic. Bartulovic was severely wounded, on other side Jurkovic hit the plane of Sgt Mould who crashed on return.
I checked some partisan documents and they state that single Mustang attacked and shot down aircraft of gen Cetkovic, so I raise my bet for Rorvik even more.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks a lot again Boris

Edited: I just found that Rovrik died some days after the Fi167 attack, on the 30th of October (he is commemorated on the Malta Memorial).