Vazdushhni Vojski vs the USAAF

[James A Pratt III]

In looking through the Osprey book Slovakian and Bulgarian aces of WW II. I went to the USAAF WW II Combat Chronogy online and tried to match up losses and claims. Note: Vazdushni Vojski Royal Bulgarian Air Force

14 Nov 43 Sofia raid B-25s and P-38s
Bulgarians: 1-P-38 claim vs 1-Bf-109 downed pilot KIA and 2 damaged
USAAF 5 claims

27 Nov 43 Sofia raid B-24s and fighters
Bulgarians lost 1 pilot and 2 109s and 3 more extensively damaged vs several confirmed and probable B-24 kills. Two wrecks of B-24s found
USAAF chronology nothing (!?)

10 Dec 43 Sofia B-24s and P-38s
Bulgarians: no confirmed kills vs 1-D520 and pilot lost
USAAF no mention of any claims

20 Dec 43 Sofia and Elevsis airfield in Greece
Bulgarians: 3 b-24s and 7-P-38s claimed vs 3-109s lost and 2 damaged

Note one Bulgarian 109 rammed a B-24 and one crewman Sgt Robert henry Rener survived and was captured.
P-38 97 FS/82nd FG 2Lt John Mclendon POW possibly by Poruchick Nicholai Jordanov

[James A Pratt III]

30 Mar 44 Sofia and Imotski Yugoslavia
Bulgarians: 3 B-24 claims vs 1-109 damaged beyond repair
USAAF: 4 bombers lost and 13 claims

17 Apr Not mar) 44 Sofia and Yugoslavia
Bulgarians: 2-B24 and 2 P-51 claims vs 9 fighters 6 pilots killed 109s and D 520s
USAAF 25 claims

26 Aug 44 Bulgaria
Bulgarians: 2 B-24 claims
USAAF: nothing

1 Aug 43 Ploesti return flight
Bugarians 5 B-24s claims vs 1-109 badly damaged and 1 FTL fuel
USAAF: from what I have read the Bulgarians did down 2 B-24s and damaged anthor that was shot down later by a Luftwaffe 109.

I hope this is of some interest or use can someone fill in the gaps?

[vathra]

Following planes crashed in Yugoslavia after raids on Sofia:
- nov 14 - P-38, 42-13238, pilot Roy Hurst KIA, crashed in Debar, Macedonia
- nov 24 - 2 B-24, 42-41018 and 42-73137, crashed in Macedonia, crew PoW in Bg, one men KIA on the ground.
- jan 24:
3 B-17 - 42-30490 and 42-5340 (crash in Serbia, crews rescued by chetniks, some men through partisans), 42-5836 - crash in Macedonia, crew KIA or PoW in Bg.
1 P-38, 43-2123, pilot PoW in Bg

[Dénes Bernád]

On 24 January 1944, USAAF lost 10 B-17s, 1 B-24 and 2 P-38s over Bulgaria (parts of Macedonia included) and immediate vicinity.

[James A Pratt III]

In looking over my sources again I have some errata for the ! August 1943 air combats:

98 BG B-24 42-40322 The Cornhusker 1Lt N. McCarty USAAF has him damaged by Avia B-534s and left with 2 engines smoking Numbers 2 and 4 the former had to be feathered. The Bulgarians report their attacks be the B-534s were ineffective. Lt Stoyan Stoyatov reported attacking another B-24 after downing his first and reported smoke coming out of the two left engines. It looks like He may have attacked The Cornhusker and did some damage to it and possibly the B-534s got a few hits as well. So this is most likely his second victory of the day the first being 41-11840 P The Witch 1Lt J. T. Darlington. The Cornhusker was shot down over the Ionian Sea possibly by Unt Rudolf Phillipp of 12/JG27.

Other losses:
98BG 41-11840 P The Witch by Lt S Stoyanov
98 BG 42-40364 Y Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (or Prince Charming ) claimed by Lt Petar Bochev

Lt Christo Karstev and Lt Ivan Bonev made claims and several B-24s reported being attacked over Bulgaria but the only other losses were two 93 BG B-24s:
41-23717 H The Exterminator
41-24121 J Let 'er Rip lost do a collision over Bulgaria