VVS kills in August 1940 in Moldavia

[Victor]

Could you elaborate this story?

[Florin]

[quote]Could you elaborate this story?[/quote]

I guess Victor is addressing to me.

The fact that pilot Agarici shut down a Soviet airplane in the summer of 1940, in the Romanian controlled territory, was not mentioned with more details than I already said. However, if I remember right, Agarici was in a IAR-80. Maybe also the type of the Soviet plane was mentioned. I don't think there was any specification about where in Moldavia happened, but I am not sure.

But it is interesting for you to know the reason of the article.
As I said, the magazine was a "Aripi Romanesti" from 1943.
It was mentioned there that Agarici was recently shut down. It was like a mourning and a commemoration. Thus in my mind remained the idea that Agarici was shut down (by extension, also killed) in 1943.
So you can imagine my surprise when from this forum I learned that Agarici survived the war, he suffered a trial and then he spend many years in jail, during the Communist regime.

About the magazines...

I have myself, in Romania, few pieces of good stuff, starting with a "Universul" almanac from December 1914, where all the photos of the WWI leaders are shown. From that good stuff, I'll scan for you, when I'll travel to Europe again, the group photo of the pilots who were in our aerial fleet during the war with Bulgaria, in 1913. They keep in the middle the baby-sow Angela, who was their mascot. Not too many people know that Romania was the second country in the world, after Italy, to use airplanes in combat.
In that magazine there is also a mentioning about a teacher in Bucharest who was testing rocket-planes (reduced scale models) in 1905.

But "Aripi Romanesti" and "Curentul", altogether with some Adler, Signal and Kriegsmarine magazines, all in Romanian translation, belong to somebody else.
When I started my first job as electrical engineer in 1990, we where 3 fresh graduates from the same University, to start in the same factory.
One of these colleagues had these magazines. The source: in the Uranus/13 September area, the inhabitants were evacuated to start the demolishing. It was the area cleared for the construction of Casa Poporului/ House of the People - the present location of the Romanian Parliament. So this guy haunted the abandoned houses, to look for anything forgotten. This way he got those "Aripi Romanesti", "Curentul", Adler, Signal and Kriegsmarine magazines.

Regards,
Florin

[Victor]

[quote]
The fact that pilot Agarici shut down a Soviet airplane in the summer of 1940, in the Romanian controlled territory, was not mentioned with more details than I already said. However, if I remember right, Agarici was in a IAR-80. Maybe also the type of the Soviet plane was mentioned. I don't think there was any specification about where in Moldavia happened, but I am not sure.

But it is interesting for you to know the reason of the article.
As I said, the magazine was a "Aripi Romanesti" from 1943.
It was mentioned there that Agarici was recently shut down. It was like a mourning and a commemoration. Thus in my mind remained the idea that Agarici was shut down (by extension, also killed) in 1943.
So you can imagine my surprise when from this forum I learned that Agarici survived the war, he suffered a trial and then he spend many years in jail, during the Communist regime.
[/quote]

It could not have been an IAR-80, since this aircraft was not yet operational in 1940.

Nicolae Polizu was shot down in 1943. He had attacked a Hungarian Ca-135 in August 1940. Maybe this is the pilot Aripi Romanesti was referring to.

[Florin]

[quote]
It could not have been an IAR-80, since this aircraft was not yet operational in 1940.

Nicolae Polizu was shot down in 1943. He had attacked a Hungarian Ca-135 in August 1940. Maybe this is the pilot Aripi Romanesti was referring to.[/quote]

That mentioning about the 1940 incident was regarding a Soviet plane.

You know what? Next time when I'll visit Romania I'll try to find the guy, and I'll see if a reasonable amount of hard currency can get me the possesion of what he has.

Regards,
Florin

[C-2]

Florin,Agarici didn't spent much time in jail.A few months only,in order not to make him a martir.

[Florin]

QUOTE

Florin,Agarici didn't spent much time in jail.A few months only,in order not to make him a martir.

Hello,

Your message still proves that my memory has a problem, and that pilot mentioned in that "Aripi Romanesti" in 1943 as shut-down (the article was under my eyes for few minutes, 13 years ago - my time was limited, and I was mostly interested to see the photos) cannot be Agarici. Unless he returned through the front lines, as sometimes happened.
However, usually such returns occurred in few days. A magazine as "Aripi Romanesti" was not a daily issue, thus the information was carefully prepared and selected. Another reason to think there was another pilot. Maybe that one mentioned by Victor. Maybe...

Florin

[C-2]

I'm not sure but weren't there two Agarici?
Or I'm confusing them with the two Greceanu(Teodor and Stefan).
Victor???

[Florin]

QUOTE

I'm not sure but weren't there two Agarici?

Hi C-2,

On my behalf, I really don't know.
Regards,
Florin

[Dénes]

QUOTE

I'm not sure but weren't there two Agarici? Or I'm confusing them with the two Greceanu(Teodor and Stefan). Victor???

Yes, they were indeed two fighter pilots by the name Agarici: Horia and Constantin. The latter was also a Lt. in 1941, member of the 4th then 7th Fighter Group (from 1942 on).

Dénes

[C-2]

So maybee Florin in talking about the second Agarici!

[i16stealth]

I've heard something about a fight between romanian Hurricanes and soviet I-16's (one Hurricane was shot). Do somebody has additional info?

[Victor]

QUOTE

I've heard something about a fight between romanian Hurricanes and soviet I-16's (one Hurricane was shot). Do somebody has additional info?

When?

[George]

August 25 1940 an Blenheim in mission over Prut between Husi and Iasi was attacked by 2 russian fighters.Greetengs exchanged,the fighters left.
Same day,an IAR-37 same mission,attacked by 3 fighters,crash landed, the machinegunner deat,the rest of the crew wounded.
August 26 1940 Adj.Stg.Av.Carol Herca flying an P-11A with other two planes,patroling near border,was attacked by russian fighters,downed,pilot dead.

[Victor]

Interestingly all the crew of that IAR-37 received the Virtutea Aeronautica Order Gold Cross class. Carol Herca did not.

[Dénes]

For Aug. 25, 1940 I have two people listed as dead: cap. Zugravoiu+ and cap. Georgescu+.
Which one was the I.A.R. 37 crew member? How about the other one?

About Adj. stag. av. Carol Herca, my sources say that he flew a P.11c, which is more probable than and old P.11A.
Do you have, by any chance, the serial number of his "Pezetel'? How about the Blenheim's and the I.A.R. 37's s/n?