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Bomber/Long Range Recon Pilot
Born: 6 February 1919, Turnu-Severin
Units:
* from October 1944, the 5th Bomber Group was reduced to only a few airplanes, which were joined with the 2nd Long Range Recon Squadron and formed the Mixed Bomber-Recon Squadron
Combat missions: 168 bomber + 15 long range recon missions
Victories: 1
Decorations:
War episode:
During a mission on 25 October 1943, the Ju-88A4 no. 102 flown by lt. av. Ion Ionescu was hit over Melitopol by the Soviet AAA. The shell set the right engine on fire and torn off a part of the wing. The observer (Eugen "Matra" Marinescu - one of the best observers of the ARR) and the radio operator jumped out immediately. After that the plane entered a spin and the pilot and the machine-gunner could not jump. They fell from about 5000 m to 1200 m, where the nose of the aircraft broke off and lt. Ionescu was simply pulled out by the air current. Luckily for him, the machine-gunner grabbed his leg and they both escaped. At about 800 m they opened their chutes. They landed close to the Romanian lines. The other two members of the crew were also found by the ground troops.
Died: 1993, Bucharest
@ 2002-2004