Me 323 Gigant, Who was inside?

I got a call from Dobran today,to ask me if someone can confirm or infirm ,the story about the ME 323 shoot down in Boteni.
I called Dragos Stinghe,but he knew nothing.
I called Dicesare who knew that Rosariu and Scurtu dammeged him near Boteni.
The Gigant landed but was damaged in such way that he never flew again.
Dicesare said that Rozariu and Scurtu were sure that the plane had a unit of German soldiers on bord,in order to take Boteni.
He know nothing about the story that the plane had on bord the families of the German flying corps.
But Dobran added later that neither Rosariu or Scurtu ever said a word about their kill.

More details?

In that day the 53 squad comanded by Toma Lucian
the 57-" " " Costachel Agarici
and the 58 " " " Ioan Dicesare
were at Popesti Leordeni creeting the expeditionar grup for the Ardeal.
Who was stationed in Boteni?

Maby Cantacuzino can help you on this one, a while ago he was telling me about a recolection of somme old man that was a witness of this event.
The old man said that he heard the engines of a plane, the sound was verry loud but no plane was visible, after a while the sound was even louder and the giant plane apaired over him and shuting at this plane was a romanian plane, an IAR 80. And the giant plane crashed near by. ...

Maby we should do a trip to Boteni, we will find out details for sure.

This post has been edited by cipiamon on July 28, 2005 06:15 pm

MAybee an expedition this Sunday?

Boteni

Both Cpt. av. Dan Scurtu and Lt. av. Constantin Rosariu claimed a Me 323 each in late Aug. 1944. The first on Aug. 26, while the second on Aug. 27.

The one shot down by Scurtu fell at Ghergani, near Titu, with 16 dead and 30 wounded, while the rest of the soldiers was taken POW.

The one shot down by Rosariu fell in the vicinity of Bucharest, at an unspecified location, with 20 dead people aboard. Could this be the one referred to by Mr. Dobran?

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on July 29, 2005 01:24 am

On 26 August Cpt.Av.Scurtu Dan 1 Me-323.Lt.Av.Rozariu,from his Logbook downed an Bf-110.Adj.Av.Bouru Alex. downed an Me-323 near Buftea,the second one only damaged.
on 27 August.Lt.Av.Rozariu lodbook 1 Me"Gigant" with 85 people on bord,20 killed.
There is another entry-1 Me-323 crashed 07.40 near Matasaru railway station. Mey be is the same.
At Boteni was stationed Gr.7 Vt.

Hi Guys,

My impression was that the Me323s were carrying the Brandenburg Parachute Battalion to reinforce the German force at Otopeni airfield in order to spearhead the attack on Bucharest.

Much is written about the success of German special forces operations in WWII, but little is written about their debacles, such as that which destroyed the elite Brandenburg Parachute Battalion in north of Bucharest in late August 1944.

Even aviation histories of the Me323 seem to miss this event.

Cheers,

Sid.

That Me 323 ( from old man story) was shot down by Sgt. Grecu ( with IAR 80) near Arges river i don't remember the village name ( it start with P...) probably close to Boteni. All passengers were dead.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on July 29, 2005 08:19 pm

I just talked with Marinciu,who was stationed at Boteni in Juin 44.
He knows about an 323 distroyed by P 38 on the ground.
I quess there were many giants those days.....

I found more info .

On 27 august'44 one Me323 was shot and forced to land south of Patroaia village (near Arges river) by a flight ( of IAR 81) from Gr2Vt and was set on fire by Sgt Grecu Gheorghe from Gr4Vt (with IAR 81 nr 394).

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on July 30, 2005 08:58 pm

So Grecu set the Me 323 on fire on the ground? I knew that he shot it down in the air.
I have his name as Adj. Alexandru G. Grecu. G. could be Gheorghe.

Gen. Dénes

I believe that happened in early September 1944, on Alba-Iulia airfield.

Gen. Dénes

How many Me-323 were downed in Romania in the end of August 1944? This far it appears that at least four of them:

1. On 26 August by Cpt. Av. Dan Scurtu at Ghergani, near Titu (Dénes, George)
2. On 26 August by Adj. Av. Alex Bouru near Buftea (George)
3. On 27 August by Lt. Av. Constantin Rosariu near Bucharest (Dénes, George)
4. On 27 August by Sgt. Gheorghe Grecu/Adj. Alexandru G. Grecu south of Patroaia village, near Argeş river (Cantacuzino, Dénes)

I posted a while ago the same post on another forum.
I got some answers;
On 26/8/44 2 Me323 were shoot down by fighters from Gr 7
2 By flack near Ploiesti.
On the 27/8/44 3 ME 323 were attacked by 109,s and flak;
one forcelanded with 66 prisoners
one forcelanded with 81 prisoners
One chraschlanded and burned out.
On the 27/8/44 2 323 were killed by P-51 near Olnutz?
On the 29/8/44 5 323 landed in Bucharest. 4 were captured one escaped with 31 people abord.
31/8/44 P-51 distroyed many 323 in Hungary.

This post has been edited by C-2 on August 14, 2005 07:47 am

Thanks C-2. From your sources it appears that 9 of these planes were destroyed and 4 captured in a relatively short time interval.


Source: Warbirds Resource Group