Beginnings of Yugoslav Partisan Aviation

Because of the guerilla nature of partisan warfare, there were little prospects for the Jugoslav partisans to form their own aviation, although there were some cases when supporters of the National Liberation Struggle escaped along with their planes from the Croatian Air Force to the partisans. After two unsuccessful attempts at the end of 1941, the pilots Franjo Kluz and Rudi Cajavec, with his mechanic Milos Jazbec, managed to defect to the partisans. They escaped on 23 May, 1942, with their planes Potez 25 (Franjo Kluz) and Breguet 19 (Cajavec and Jazbec) from Banja Luka (north-western Bosnia) to the recently liberated town of Prijedor. These two defections symbolize the beginning of the Yugoslav partisan aviation. From the airfield in Prijedor and from another airfield near the village of Medjuvodje (near Kozara), these two partisan pilots took off on 4 June, 1942, on their first sortie against the enemy. Kluz was accompanied by his mechanic Mitrecic, and equipped his (until then) un-armed Potez with a machine gun "Sarec" as well as with some pipe bombs (to be dropped by hand) that were produced by partisans at the "Ljubija" Mine (the largest iron ore mine in all of Yugoslavia). Cajavec was killed during the first mission, when he flew too close to the Banja Luka Airfield and town. He was wounded and forced to land near the village of Kadinjani. In order to avoid capture he shot himself. His mechanic, Milos Jazbec, was captured and later executed in Zagreb. Kluz managed to complete three more missions, during which he attacked with his machine gun and pipe bombs enemy transport columns and garrisons. On 6 July, 1942, his plane was spotted and destroyed on the ground by a German fighter at the airfield near Lusca Palanka.

Partisan Breguet 19 and Morane-Saulnier 406C1

Until Italy's capitulation in September of 1943, the partisans were unable to form any new air force. This changed after the Italian capitulation. The partisans captured at the airfield at Gorica quite a large number of planes, from which one was successfully used by the Operative Headquarter of the Primorska Zone (Operativni Štab Primorske Cone in Slovene), while two other captured planes were incorporated into Air Base of Main Headquarter for Croatia. Especially interesting is the story of one small seaplane fleet of the Royal Yugoslav Naval Air Force which was captured by the Italians during the April War of 1941, and then remained untouched at Divulje until the Italian capitulation. Partisans captured the seaplanes together with a small support ship, and hid the fleet during the day in various bays near Trogir or some liberated Adriatic islands. By night the partisan naval pilot named Ciril Vrabic had flown, between 11 September and 6 October of 1943, some 30 missions. During the missions he usually observed enemy moves on both land and sea, but he also transported messangers and attacked enemy columns and bases from Neretva Valley to Sibenik.

Partisan Messerschmidts Bf109

In October and November of 1943, two other planes from the Croatian Air Force defected to the partisans. One of them was later used for training of personnel of 1. Air Base of NOVJ (Yugoslav National Liberation Army), while the second plane (a Do-17 bomber) was assigned the task of taking a delegation of the Supreme Headquarter of Yugoslav Liberation Army to the Allied Command in Italy. Unfortunetly the plane was spotted just before take-off from the Glamocko Polje Airfield and destroyed by a German recon plane. This took place on 27 November, 1943, and Ivo Lola Ribar was killed in this attack (he was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Jugoslavia since 1940, a member of the Committee's Political Bureau since 1941, and the leader of the Yugoslav Communist Youth Association).

Partisan FockeWulf FW-190

On 18 August, 1944, on the liberated Adriatic island of Vis was formed a Liaison Squadron. This squadron performed mostly liaison functions between the Supreme Headquarter of Yugoslav Army and its units on the battlefields/front-lines. Until November of 1944, when the squadron was moved to Belgrade, it performed 1200 missions/sorties. This squadron had some minor one-engine planes as well as one Junkers Ju-52 which was captured at Niksic, Montenegro. A second Yugoslav partisan aviation unit was similar to the Liaison Squadron; it was the Squadron of the 5-th Corps of NOVJ, which was formed on 21 September, 1944, from planes captured at Zaluzani Airfield near Banja Luka. This new squadron consisted of a couple of Morane MS406 fighters, as well as of two-engine Caproni planes, some Becker training planes, and BE-51 sport planes. These aircraft participated in their first action on the very same day when the squadron was formed! They participated in an attack on the Banja Luka Fortress, where surrounded Ustasa units fought very hard.

Partisan Junkers Ju87 "Stuka"

When the Germans later pushed the partisans out of Banja Luka, the squadron was moved to other airfields in western and eastern Bosnia. It performed 90 combat flights, and captured two more planes; a Junkers Ju-87 and an FP-2.During all this time the squadron was supplied with fuel, ammunition, and other essentials, only from the areas which were under control of the 5-th Corps of NOVJ; this proved that aviation can even be used by partisans themselves in the conditions of partisan warfare. This squadron's successes in battle were never any great, nevertheless, its actions were a tremendous boost of morale for the partisans and civilians on the ground.

Yugoslav Partisan Air Force in R.A.F.

Italian capitulation in September of 1943 combined with Allied landings in Italy, made it possible to form new and regular partisan air force units, which of course dependet mainly on Allied material and operative support. In October of 1944, the Supreme Headquarter appealed through the "Free Yugoslavia" Radio Station to all the Jugoslav pilots in the Near East (Egypt) and in the Croatian Air Force to join the Partisan Air Force. All those who responded gathered in Livno, where on 14 October, 1943, was formed the 1-st Air Base of NOV (National Liberation Army). Soon gathered about 60 pilots and, after an agreement with the Western Allies, they were transferred to Bari (southern Italy) at the beginning of January, 1944. There began the basic air training of more than 220 Jugoslavs.

Partisan Harvard Mk.IIb

At the beginning of March 1944, all pilots were transferred by ships to North Africa. On 22 April, 1944, on the Benina Airfield near Benghazi (northern Libya) was formed RAF Command First Yugoslav Fighter Squadron (or in RAF's own records the 352-nd RAF Squadron). On 1 July, 1944, was formed the Second Yugoslav Fighter Squadron (the 351-st RAF Squadron). Following intense training, they were given 16 Spitfire V and 16 Hawker Hurricane IV planes. These units contained several ex-Royal Jugoslav Air Force pilots who until now served in various U.S. and British air force units. An agreement was concluded between the Western Allies and the partisans, which stipulated that these two units confine their area of operations exclusively to Jugoslavia.

Partisan Hawker Hurricanes

The Spitfires of the First Squadron made their first combat flight on 18 August, 1944, from Canne Airfield in Italy. They took-off under the command of their Squadron Commander Milet Protic. They flew over the Adriatic Sea to Peljesac Peninsula, where they attacked German coastal positions. Until the end of the war, the squadron made 364 combat missions with about 1 208 flights. In the process they suffered heavy casualties: from the 21 pilots who completed the training in Lybia seven were killed; German anti-aircraft artillery managed to shoot-down nine planes and damaged four other ones.

Partisan Supermarine Spitfires

The Second Squadron underwent special training with the use of rocket missiles, which were at that time the standard armament of the Hurricane fighters. It made its first combat flight on 13 October, 1944. Until the end of the war, the squadron performed 978 combat flights during which it attacked various enemy columns, ships, and artillery positions. They also frequently supported NOVJ infantry in its operations on the ground. Three pilots were killed and the squadron lost nine planes.

Partisan Lockheed P-38 "Lightning"

The earliest sorties were conducted from the bases in Italy, but soon both squadrons moved to the liberated Vis Island on the Adriatic Sea. Later, in the beginning of 1945, they were both moved to the Skabrnje Airfield near Zadar (central Dalmatian coast). These moves increased the aircraft's reach further into Jugoslavia. The damages inflicted on the enemy by both squadrons were very high; the destroyed enemy equipment included over 270 motor vehicles, 29 locomotives, 172 railway carriages, 52 various seagoing targets (like ships, tugboats, and etc.), and 100 other vehicles. Six railway stations, two bridges, and one power plant were also destroyed.

The Soviets supply Yugoslav airforce

In the middle of the year 1944 the Red Army arrived on eastern borders of Yugoslavia. This also meant that new partisan air force units were to be formed. An agreement between Marshal Josip Broz Tito and Soviet Marshal Tolbuhin (Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front) was signed on 16.October 1944 in Bela Crkva. This agreement provided for, that two Soviet Air Force Divisions - 10.Assault Divison and 236.Fighter Division with 122 Sturmovik Il-2 and 113 Jak fighters - would be used in the air war over Yugoslavia. During their stay in Yugoslavia they would also help in training Yugoslav air personnel and pilots. Immediately the gathering of pilots and other personnel from all of the till now liberated Yugoslavia began in Pancevo and Zemun. They finished their training before the war ended. At the end of November training of various specialists and other personnel began and on 10. December 1944 training of the pilots commenced. In the middle of December three Assault and three Fighter Regiments were formed and at the end of December and at the beginning of January also a Headquarters of the newly formed 42. Assault and 11. Fighter Divisions NOV were formed. Then, in the middle of March the Operative Headquarter for Group of Air Force Division was formed, which also took command over those two air force divisions and of the 9.Air Base. This Group of Air Divisions was armed with fighters of the types Jak-1 (majority), Jak-3 and Jak-9 and with Il-2 assault bombers. In December 1944 this Group of Air Division had about 5500 men and 258 planes (123 fighters, 125 assault and 10 school/liasion planes). HQ of this Group of Divisions was in Prigrevica Sv.Ivan near Apatin. First airfields of this new Yugoslav Air Force Regiments were in Zemun, Ruma, Novi Sad, Veliki Radenci and Lacarak.
The air regiments were based as follows:
- Lacarak Airfield: the 421. Assault Regiment
- Novi Sad/Zemun Airfields: the 422. and 423. Assault Regiments and the 111. Fighter Regiment
- Veliki Radenci Airfield near Ruma: the 112. Fighter Regiment
- Ruma Airfield: the 113. Fighter Regiment
Until the end of the war 9 more airfields were built.

Yugoslav airmen began with actions on Srem part of the front (the Syrmian Front) on 17.January 1945. Till end of March they flew in mixed groups together with Soviet pilots but later they had enough well experienced pilots of their own to fly independent missions. The main task of the Air Force Divisions was to co-operate with the Yugoslav 1st, 2nd and 3rd Army in Srem, Baranja, Bosnia and Slavonia. On January they helped to stop the German-Croatian counter-offensive in Srem. In January and February 1945 they participated in attacks on surrounded German garrisons in Zvornik and Bijeljina. In the beginning of March when German troops crossed the Drava River between Valpovo and Donji Miholjac Yugoslav Jak fighters and Sturmovik Il-2 assault bombers prevented the Germans bringing new reinforcements to the left side of Drava River, they attacked troops at the beachhead and prevented the enemy in sending new troops and material from the hinterland. During the preparations for the big Yugoslav offensive all Air Regiments were moved closer to the front line. On 12. April more than 180 Yugoslav planes attacked the most important German-Ustasha-Domobrani tagets (main communications, roads, bridges, artillery positions, headquarters etc). During this operations 112. Fighter and 422. Assault Regiment were transferred to the north- to an airfield near the Hungarian village Magyarmecske. From there they participated in battles for the final liberation of Zagreb and in attacks on various enemy columns that were now retreating from Yugoslavia. On 8.May 1945 one group of Sturmovik Il-2 assault bombers from 421.Assault Regiment (only Air Regiment which continued fighting Germany capitulated) from the Rajlovac Airfield began together with 3rd Yugoslav Army Corps the combat actions against Chetniks in the Sutjeska Region (Kalinovik, Foca, Ozim and Tuzic area) and later from Lacarak Airfield (at the end of May) against other Ustasha units surrounded in North Bosnia (Vlacka Male, Odzak and Potocan area). They were joined later by one new Squadron, which was comprised of various types of planes, which had been captured by partisans. Both units participated in those last weeks of WWII in some smaller combat flights against Chetniks and Ustashas until 25.May 1945(!) when the war was ended also for the Yugoslav Air Force.

Information on damage inflicted and received by the Yugoslav Partisan Airforce vary. I have consulted two source: a very detailed book about aviation, and the Yugoslav War Encyclopedia.
- The aviation book stated that the air force divisions from 17. January till 25. May 1945 the carried out 4568 combat flights (among this about 1500 flights were carried out by Yugoslav crews). They destroyed 36 artillery pieces (guns), 11 anti-aircraft machine guns, 25 locomotives, 177 railway carriages, 332 military trucks and 93 military cars. They killed more than 3200 enemy soldiers, they caused 284 fires and 16 explosions and above all they destroyed 126 buildings in which were various HQ or other enemy positions. In those operations Yugoslav Air Force lost 6 pilots and 3 gunners.
- The Yugoslav War Encyclopedia states, that the group of air divisions carried out 7.945 combat missions destroying 3 planes, 265 anti-aircraft guns, 314 pieces of artillery, 72 locomotives, 841 railway cars, 2.185 trucks, 50 landing boats, 5 hangars and 135 depots.

Il-2 Sturmovik in Yugoslavia

On 21 September 1944, the Yugoslav partisan leader and former general secretary of the Communist Party, Josip Broz Tito, who had been in close co-operation with British, flew to Moscow to meet with Stalin, who promised him military assistance. Under this agreement, a number of Yugoslav pilots were trained in the Soviet Union, including some who were trained on the Il-2 Type 3.
During the capture of Belgrade between 28 September and 20 October 1944, formations of the 3rd Ukranian Army, under the command of Marshall Fyodor I. Tolbuchin, were supported by Yugoslavian and Bulgarian formations and a few Soviet Assault Aviation Regiments of the 17th Air Army and the 5th Air Army. Some of these units were based at Pancevo Air Field.

Partisan Ilyushin IL2's

From December of 1944 to the Spring of 1945 Yugoslav pilots were also trained at the Yugoslavian Assault Aviation Training Center at Zemun Air Base near Belgrade by Soviet instructors. The 421st and 422nd Assault Aviation Regiments were totally manned by Yugoslav personnel. A large number of Yugoslav flown Il-2 Type 3s were destroyed in combat and during accidents and Yugoslav Il-2 units suffered heavy losses during their operations in the Vojvodina area.
In Stalin's eyes, Yugoslavia had made a major contribution to the defeat of fascism and the first Soviet post-war treaty of friendship, mutual aid and post-war collaboration with a new socialist country was signed with Marshall Tito during his visit in Moscow in April of 1945. It was also agreed that the Soviet Union would give the Yugoslavs military assistance to form twelve army and two air divisions. A large contingent of Soviet military advisors worked in Yugoslavia, while, in the USSR, thousands of Yugoslav military personnel underwent military training.
In the Summer of 1945, one Yugoslav manned Assault Aviation Regiment with forty Il-2 Type 3s, arrived from training in the Soviet Union. Also, in order to make up for wartime losses, the Yugoslav Air Force received a further thirty Il-2 Type 3s from the Soviet Union in Autumn 1945.
In 1947, an additional eighty Type 3 were acquired. Fifty of these came from Bulgaria in March, while thirty were purchased directly from Soviet Union in May. A total of 213 Il-2 Type 3s and Il-2Uts served with six Assault Aviation Regiments in the Yugoslav Air Force.
When Belgrade signed a Bulgarian-Yugoslav Treaty of friendship and dispatched a Yugoslav Air Regiment to Albania without informing Stalin, the once warm Soviet-Yugoslav relationship became strained. A meeting of a Yugoslav delegation with Stalin on 10 February 1949 ended with no constructive agreements and resulted in a definitve break in Yugoslav-Soviet relationships.
As a result, the Air Force established a number of measures in order to keep the Il-2 Type 3 fleet flying, since they were now cut off from spare parts from the Soviet Union. The Zemun Ikar factory built 300 metal fuselages to replace the original wooden fuselages of the Il-2 Type 3s built during the war. About a dozen Il-2 Type 3s were also converted to two seat Il-2UT trainers.
A number of Il-2 Type 3s were repainted with a black camouflage finish sprayed over their original paint and were used for night operations during 1949. Finally, in 1955 all remaining Il-2 Type 3s and Il-2Uts were withdrawn from operational service.

Read more about the topic at:

-Ivan Bajlo's page on Yugoslav Partisan Airforce (in English)

-Ivan Bajlo's page on Yugoslav Partisans in general (in English)

-David Geršak's page (in Slovenian):

Letalstvo, Število letal inTipi letal

 

Almost all of the information above has been the courtesy of Klemen, and to him goes all the credit for its research, except the article "Il-2 Stormovik in Yugoslavia" by Hans-Heiri Stapfer: Il-2 Stormovik in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications.
Drawings from various modelling pages, except IL2's (repainted by Triglav).