Boston DB-7 Shot down Saloniki Sept 25,1944

[researcher111]

On Sept 25, 1944 a Soviet Boston DB-7 of the Black
Sea Fleet torpedo equipped which departed Gelenjik or Sevastopol
arrived all the way to Greece and later on was brought down by AA
near Saloniki . The crew of 3 did not intend to defect anywhere
nor was on a given mission on the Med Sea . Weather was very
good. As of today no info on this incident. Any idea what gone
wrong ? Entire crew is listed KIA

Alex K

[Kari Lumppio]

Hallo!

Pure, uneducated GUESS. They flew accidentally reciprocal heading/course (180 degrees wrong).

Cheers,
Kari

[researcher111]

Hi there ,

I tend to agree on the 180 reversal in the event on the pre flt. check
he and his navigator consumed too much Vodka , or simply being upset with
the system decided to follow some of his comrades who in 1941defected
to Turkey . Though it would be quite unsual that the A-20 be fully
tanked for such distance ( due to above issue) and then two
days after his death he was posthumously awarded the order
of Red Banner . One revision though , it was a crew of four .

Cheers
Alex K

[BrianC]

Very interesting, Alex

Do you know the identities of the crew?

And when you state 'shot down by Greek AA' are you able to clarify?


Take care, stay safe
Brian

[researcher111]

Hello Brian

Yes I know the identity of the pilot and nav , Lt Moslonov
and 2nd Lt.Klimtschuk . I did not say brought down by
Greek AA but over Saloniki , unable to clarify more details
the mission remains classified or hidden to public.

On Sept 1944 Black Sea Air Fleet were enganged
in Bulgaria so my first thought was that they headed for
Varna at high altitude from one of the Black Sea Fleet bases
such as Gelendjik for recon , then switched auto pilot followed by
oxygen supply issue at higher altitude leading to crew's
hypoxia and crew became incapacitated, that may explain
that none of the four crew attempted to bail out over Saloniki .

On August 2005 Helios Airline of Cyprus gone through such
mishap, though I may be wrong , so who knows .

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15206047

So I am still in dark

Cheers
Alex

[BrianC]

Many thanks, Alex

I interpreted 'brought down by AA near Salonika' to mean shot down by AA.

Anyway, thanks for the additional details.

Take care, stay safe
Brian

[researcher111]

Sure thing , thanks and be well too !

Alex

[Franek Grabowski]

Is it possible the aircraft was on a special recon mission to Greece?

[researcher111]

Maybe recon but the likelihood is very low eventhough
it was a recon sqd , but if recon I believe the target was
in Bulgaria rather Greece.

Alex K

[Zoran Petek]

Hello,
Black Sea Fleet (ChF) was on that day no longer part of the active units engaged with the enemy forces.
But 244 BAD, 17 VA, with Bostons, was based in Bulgaria:
as on 6.9. HQ 244 BAD Dorobani
260 BAP Boston Maltezi
449 BAP Boston Dorobani, Urlyaska from 7.9.
860 BAP Boston Maltezi
861 BAP Boston Dorobani
17.9.1944. Bombing Skopje and Niš. Recce: Čačak, Kruševac, Kraljevo,
Niš, Veles and Saloniki. On the same day part of 244 BAD moved to Vrazhdebna near Sofia.
18.9.1944. Bombing Skopje.
19.9.1944. Bombing Saloniki (railways and harbour) and Skopje.
As on 1.10.1944.:
HQ 244 BAD Bela Slatina
260 BAP Boston Malorac
449 BAP Boston Vrazhdebna (Sofia)
860 BAP Boston Graf Ignyatevo (Plovdiv)
861 BAP Boston Bela Slatina

Zoran