Cpt Doroski Victor S ( MIA )

[Alain57]

08/02/1945
Mosquito PR XVI
Recce Photo
NS-583 25BG-654BS
Cpt Doroski Victor S.(MIA) 0-749530 New-York
Tablet of missing Henri-Chapelle Belgium

Can someone help me with additional information on this crash

[Flupke]

Hello Alain

Crashed at 3:15 AM during the night 7/8 Oberschönhagen (env)(Germany)
Mosquito PR XVI MACR 12161 --KU-3678

Capt Doroski Victor S. (MIA) O-749530 /Capt Hochman Jacob (KIA) O-727016

Regards
Phil

[Alain57]

Thanks Phil

Gentlemen,

Some additional information from my manuscript on the 25th BG history.

On 8 February 1945, two Joker night-photo ships were dispatched by the 25th BG to photograph Misburg and Hamburg. The Deurog Synthetic Oil Refinery at Misburg had 10/10ths clouds so Hanover was photographed as a target of opportunity by the first Mosquito. The second aircraft conveyed Capts. Victor s. Doroski/Jacob Hochman (NS583). Both men were airborne at 0158 hours and last contact with the crew occurred at 0255 by the continental ground station Nuthouse. When the crew failed to return, Watton contacted 12 Group but the RAF maintained no plots on this aircraft. A search conducted in the area covered by the Mosquito resulted in no trace of either plane or crew.

Later, a Luftwaffe report delivered through the International Red Cross stated: A Mosquito crashed near Obershonhage, 6 km east of Detmold. Fired destroyed 99% of the aircraft. Hochman and an unknown body were buried in a cemetery at Leistrup-Meirsfeldon.
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Apparently a partially hung PFB detonated in the bombbaby and the ensuing fiery explosion immolated both officers. Doroski previously flew secret OSS Joan-Eleanor missions. An ex-RCAF trained pilot, he hailed from River Head, Long Island, New York state.

This officer was flying a night-photography mission dropping Photo Flash Bombs (PFB) to illuminate the area below the aircraft. The PFBs were attached at two points to a shackle in the bombbay. A small prop on the nose of the PFB spun a certain number revolutions before causing the PFB to ignite and produce a 700,000,000 candle power illumination. To prevent the Mosquito from being illuminated from below with each flash, the aircraft's undersurfaces were painted glossy black.

When the bombbay doors were opened to discharge the PFBs at timed intervals, the small propellor on the PFB was prevented from spinning by a small wire attached to the schackle

Sometimes, the front attachment-point released the PFB from the shackle, but the rear attachment-point did not. This resulted in a partially-hung PFB, with its nose drooping downward, allowing the small prop to be released from the wire and begin spinning from wind entering the bombbay. Eventually, if the PFB did not fully release, it would ignite. And this is the scenario for the loss of this crew--a hung PFB.

Therefore, it was imperative that all pilots count the seconds from release to illumation of each PFB. If the PFB failed to illuminate within a designated time-interval, the entire load of PFBs were instantly salvoed to prevent ignition in the bombbay.

An intersting bit of history. In late November 1944, Capt. Doroski took three B-26 Marauders configured for night photography, to Denain, France. Since the Marauders had limited range operating from the UK, Col Elliott Roosevelt, CO 325 Photo Wing planned operations from the continent, and offered to provide photo intelligence for 12th Army Group. But the Director of Reconnaissance, HQ Ninth Air Force--a Republican-- had no intentions of allowing the son of a Democrat president infringe upon his area of responsibility. Therefore, he refused to provide any assignments to Roosevelt's aircraft. They sat on the ground for December and January.

At this period the Germany Army, under cover of darkness, transfered troops and tanks into the Ardenes region. Had the B-26s been allowed to perform their night photography role, it is quite possible they would have detected/discovered these night troop movements and forewarned the impending Ardenes Offensive and saved thousand of American lives. It is difficult to imagine any officer in command would squander his limited night-photography capabilities by denying its operational implementation because of either professional jealousy or political bias.

Norman Malayney

[Alain57]

Dear Mr Malaney ,

Thank you for the information.

Alain
Belgium

Dear Phil,

Thank you for posting the information. I knew they were lost on the 8th, but forgot to mention they took off on the 7th in my manuscript.

Norman Malayney

Dear Phil,

Please disregard the above posting. I have to double check if they indeed took off on the 7th. Either that is corrcrt, or my time for T/O is wrong?
Again, thank you for the posting.

Norman Malayney

[newcomer]

What is the origin of Mr Doroski? Does it belonged to Yugoslavian?

Kind regards

Newcomer

Dear Newcomer,

Cannot answer that question. I know the last name is of slavic derivation, maybe Polish, Ukrainian or Slovak, or yes, possibly Yugoslavian? All I know is he originally was a Yank in the RCAF.

To further illustrate the dangers of flying night photo missions, on the 14 February 1945, Lts. Kingdon Knapp/Robert Spaight in NS554 found their primary covered with cloud, so Knapp flew west of Krefeld, Holland for a target of opportunity without clouds for a photo run.

Spaight: "The pilot actuated the intervalometer set to release one flash bomb every 38 seconds. I gave Knapp our position line and he switched on the intervalometer, starting the photo run. One away...two away...after the ninth flash bomb released, we waited for the tenth.

"Suddenly, Knapp reached over to salvo the remaining bomb load. A spit-second after clearing the aircraft there was a brilliant blinding light beneath us and a horrendous explosion that abruptly jolted and violently threw the aircraft about. I was taken completely by surprise and did not have time to realize what had happened. The mental shock of what occurred caused my heart to beat heavily.

"Upon gaining control, we gathered our thoughts and quietly returned to Watton. After landing we climbed out and inspected the aircraft. No structural damage was evident, but heat generated from the exploding PFBs scorched off the entire paint covering the Mosquito lower surfaces. Somehow, Knapp knew the 10the flash bomb had partially hung-up and salvoed the entire load. How he deduced something was wrong, I don't know. I have always said, 'He saved my life'."

Norman Malayney

[reinhard_oe]

Hi, I'm from Vienna, and my uncle, squad commander at the "Fernaufklärung" (long distance reconnaissance) in the Deutsche Luftwaffe, was said to be a "pioneer in night reconnaissance", meaning app. 1940, 41. Do you know what that meant at that time?

Reinhard