2 Balkan also-rans of WW2

[comrade harps]

Bloch Mb.155
Croatian Air Force, Zagreb, July 1944



Before the Germans handed over any aircraft to the new Croatian Fascist state, they plundered what little was left of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force. Five Hurricanes were sent to Romania, nine PZL P.24s were transferred to Bulgaria and the last remaining airworthy Buffalo sent to Finland. In return, Germany allowed Croatian to continue building the Rogožarski IK-3 with new engines sourced from Hungary, with a promise of additional equipment to come from France. During 1942-43, seventeen MS.406, six MB.152 and five MB.155s were delivered, although most were in poor condition and few were made airworthy.



This MB.155 was refurbished and repainted during the winter of 1943-44 for use as a fighter trainer. During the course of this work, the aircraft's  tail wheel was replaced by a skid and the propeller hub permanently removed in an attempt to overcome overheating problems. Unarmed, it flew in what would now be called an aggressor role, training fighter pilots to counter Allied tactics.



Avia B.135
Luftwaffe, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, May 1942



In 1939 Bularia ordered 50 Avia B.135s for domestic assembly from parts manufactured in Czechoslovakia, but Germany cancelled the order and took the aircraft for Luftwaffe use as fighter trainers. Ironically, during 1942 and 1943, several Luftwaffe B.135s were based in Bulgaria at Plovdiv. Officially they were on a training mission known as Kommando Riewoldt, providing Bulgarian, Croatian and Luftwaffe pilots with fighter combat experience. However, little training was conducted.



In reality, the lightly armed Avias were used in cross-border counter-insurgency missions against Yugoslav and Greek partisans. The idea had been to use trainers that would attract little attention for light COIN missions, Kommando Riewoldt deployments also taking place in Poland and occupied areas of the Socialist Union until mid-1943. Although judge by Goering as successful, Hitler ultimately declared the outcome as "overrated" and ordered the cessation of the program.

[GTX]

 

[NARSES2]

Nice work

[tc2324]

Very nice.