Recon Pilot

Born: 23 July 1914, Giurgiuana, Bacau county

Units:

• 22 June - 14 August 1941: 13th Observation Squadron

Combat missions: N/A

Victories: -

Decorations:

• Virtutea Aeronautica Order Gold Cross class
• Eiserne Kreuz 2nd class

Died: 2002

War episode:

On 14 August 1941, the IAR-38 no. 4 flown by adj. av. Spiridon Focsaneanu was flying a reconnaissance mission over Southern Ukraine for the Romanian Cavalry Corps. Over Spiridonovka, it came under attack by several Soviet fighters. One burst hit his right hand and broke his right leg. The observer, lt. Nicolae Oprea, was hit in the head and killed and the machine-gunner, serg. Gheorghe Huluban, was only lightly wounded. However, the engine had caught fire and they were at 5,000 meters. He managed to slide the aircraft down without it bursting entirely into flames and with only his left leg functional and landed behind friendly lines. The machine-gunner pulled him out of the aircraft before the fire expanded and he passed out. Adj. av. Focsaneanu woke up in hospital in Bucharest after his right leg had been amputated. His flying career was over after only four years.