Adjoint Constantin Lungulescu - KIA 24 June 1944

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good night to all!
I would like to obtain more details about the loss of this Rumanian Ace, probably in air combat against USAAF planes, on the 24th June 1944.
Tried to obtain more DATA, but was not sucessfull.
ANY details of hour / place of combat / possible crash site and markings of his Bf 109 G-6 would be welcomed!
Adriano

[Cantacuzino]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

Good night to all!
I would like to obtain more details about the loss of this Rumanian Ace, probably in air combat against USAAF planes, on the 24th June 1944.
Tried to obtain more DATA, but was not sucessfull.
ANY details of hour / place of combat / possible crash site and markings of his Bf 109 G-6 would be welcomed!
Adriano

Hello Adriano,

Here are some data for the loss of rumanian ace Adjutant Av. Constantin Lungulescu ( 9th FG):

Was downed (shot in head) in a fight with 3 Mustangs near Anghelesti village ( Obedeni-Vlasca county). His plane crashed deep in ground (1,5 m) and the pilot was taken out (heavily burned) by soldiers of "Reg.8 Obuziere". His Bf 109 G-6 had the number "9". It was buried in Ghencea cemetery ( Bucharest)

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Many thanks for that information!
It helped me a lot. Would you have more Romenian losses recorded on your source for that day? ( Me 109 G )? I am trying to match some USAAF claims.
But, many many thanks!
Yours
Adriano

[Cantacuzino]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

Many thanks for that information!
It helped me a lot. Would you have more Romenian losses recorded on your source for that day? ( Me 109 G )? I am trying to match some USAAF claims.
But, many many thanks!
Yours
Adriano

There were no more romanian bf 109 looses on that day.
Obedeni ( today in Giurgiu county) is in south of Bucharest (aprox 40km). See the map coordinates attached.
My guess is that Lungulescu was shot down by Lt.Main from 31st FG 307 Sq.
The 31FG made a fighter sweep to Bucharest on that day and had only one Bf 109 claim.
The 52nd FG had no victory claims for that day.
The 325th FG had some victories (Bf 109's and FW 190) in the Ploesti area were germans had Bf 109 and FW 190 looses and also 325th Fg had a Mustang lost near Ploesti ( shot down by Hartman).
Usually the defence for Romanian sky was split in two. Romanians had the south sector (including Bucharest) and germans had the est sector (including Ploesti).
Also on that day romanians from 9thFG ( Traian Darjan, Emil Balan and "Bazu" Cantacuzino) claims 3 B-24 in south est sector ( Alexandria-Calarasi-Ciulnita). Cpt. Cantacuzino shared the victory that day with Lungulescu.
Lungulescu had until his death: 376 war missions, 96 combat missions and 19 victories.
Attached a picture with 9th FG pilots . From left to right : Adj. Lungulescu (the tall guy in the third row) ,Cpt. Bazu Cantacuzino and Cpt. Serbanescu. (source Air Mag -Le Messerschmitt Bf 109 roumains-TMA editions )

[cobrahistorian]

Hi all,

I'm a little late to the game on this one, but I've been researching the actions of 24 June 44 at length. My hunch is Lungulescu was downed by Lt. Cecil Dean or Lt. Harold Wolfe, both from the 325th's 317th FS and both who claimed an "IAR-80" in the Bucharest area that day. Since no IAR-80s were lost that day they may have simply seen the Romanian insignia and assumed they were IAR's and not 109s.

Having been through the majority of US documentation on this fight, I'm interested to see the German and Romanian records on it. Looking at the overall Axis losses that day (8 109s shot down by P-51s and a few more by B-24s) they match up fairly closely with the 325th's claims for that day (5 confirmed and 3 probables). The 82nd FG claimed an additional 3 Me109s west of Sofia, Bulgaria and as has been stated, the 31st FG claimed a single 109, but it was my understanding that this airplane was not over Bucharest, but significantly south of there. I'll need to double check the 31st FG records when I'm back at the AF History Office next week.

Thanks!

Jon

[Jan Bobek]

Jon,

keep in mind that Fw 190s from II./SG 2 engaged B-24s and P-51s on that day over Romania. IAR 80/81 could be easily mistaken with Fw 190.

Cheers

[cobrahistorian]

Jan,

True, but the two SG2 190s that I've been able to confirm destroyed were claimed by Lts. Deakins and Lowry. Ideally I need to see if SG2 had any additional losses that day or if it was just those two airplanes.

Here are Wolfe's and Dean's claims for their "confirmed" IAR-80 "kills":
Dean's:


Wolfe's:


In addition, and I don't have the report with me (I'm on the road) but an additional IAR-80 was also claimed as a probable.

Jon

[Dénes Bernád]

Jon,

If you found the likely victors over the Fw 190s of SG 2, then this is an apparent case of overclaiming, as no I.A.R. 80 was lost in combat that day.