cpt. av. Marin Ghica

Fighter/Night Fighter Pilot

Born: 18 October 1908, Bragadiru

Units:

• 22 June - 14 August 1941: 5th Fighter Group
• 14 - 27 August 1941: 8th Fighter Group
• 27 August 1941 - September 1942: 5th Fighter Group
• September 1942 - 1 August 1943: 51st Night Fighter Squadron

Combat missions: 55

Victories: 1 confirmed + 3 probable

Decorations:

• Virtutea Aeronautica Order Gold Cross class

War episode:

On 1 August 1943, during Operation Tidalwave, the German-Romanian command scrambled all available fighters, even from the 51st Night Fighter Squadron. Out the four Bf-110Cs that took off, only cpt. av. Marin Ghica, the unit's CO, engaged the enemy near Bolintinu de Vale at 300 m. There were two B-24s and one of them was being attacked by a Me-109, so he attacked the other one. He fired at the left wing and the engine near the fuselage was soon in flames. He returned and fired on the other engine, but when he was pulling out the plane was hit really bad by the American machine-gunners. The flames soon entered the cockpit. He tried to gain some altitude in order to jump, but only the radio operator made it. Cpt. av. Ghica was found crushed, because his parachute didn't open.

Died: 1 August 1943, Bolintin Vale

@ 2002-2004