Slt. av. Panait+

I think this is for 'Câinele...' din Rosiorii de Vede.

There is a "mystery" (to me) surrounding the death of slt. av. Ioan (or Grigore) Panait, an I.A.R. 80/81 pilot probably of Grupul 1 vânatoare. Four reports give four (!) different days for his death.
Reportedly, he ran into a German Bf 109G during taxiing on Rosiorii de Vede airfield. The dates of his deaths I have are: 02-Nov-42, 30-Apr-44, 05-May-44 and 06-May-44. The serial number of his '80 would be nice, too.
Can you carify it?

Col. Dénes

According with 1st Fighter Group documents slt av Grigore Panait died in a plane accident on 5 May 1944 at Rosiorii de Vede. The number of its plane was probleby 226 (an IAR 81 A). He was the only victime in that day of the 1st Fighter Group and it was the best fighting day of the group against USAAf (8 american bombers for sure and 1 probably).

Thank you, Soldat, for the confirmation. Can you check if he died in the accident or was only wounded (perhaps died late ron in hospital)?

There must have been another fighter pilot, called slt. Ion Panait. Otherwise it's hard to explain why his name pops up so frequently.
Can you check the Gr. 1 vân.'s roster for this name?

There was a slt. Ion Panait (-Craciun), who died on an unspecified day (probably the 2nd) in November 1942 at Stalingrad, but I think he was member of a bomber group. Perhaps do you have any details?

Col. Dénes

Grigore Panait burned in that accident

Indeed , it was an adj. av. Ion Panait from Gr 9 Vt who died ( I am not sure) at 4th aug 1944 fighting against USAAF

And it was cpt. av. Ionica Panait who died on an JU 88 on eastern front probably in 1943

soldat c_f

QUOTE

Indeed , it was an adj. av. Ion Panait from Gr 9 Vt  who died ( I am not sure) at 4th aug 1944 fighting against USAAF

Ioan Panaite died on 10 August 1944. At the time he had some 7 victories.

The IAR 81 of Panait crushed an german plane. Well , the german intended to help him to get out that plane , but the romanians didn't helped them because they run away ... That is what the report of this accident said.

Can you tell us more about the German airplane and its pilot? I believe it was a Bf 109G. Code, Luftwaffe unit, degree of damage?

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on August 27, 2005 07:48 pm

Not now because I have some data , but home. I few days...

Ioan Panaite was shot down near Zarnesti ( Brasov) by Cpt. Fred Dorsch from 309th sq. 31FG. Also on that day ( 10 august '44) JG 53 lost near Brasov one Bf109 G wnr.166013 ( pilot probably escaped with chute) shot down by the same Cpt. Dorsch. With 8,5 victories Fred Dorsch was the highest ace in 309 sq until lost his life on 29 october'44 when he was MIA in a escort mission to Regensburg ( probably shot down by a german fighter).

Below Cpt. Fred Dorsch with his mount P-51 B, WZ-T, " Miss Sally III/Angel " Snr 42-106559. Picture courtesy Ken Decker coll.


This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on August 28, 2005 04:55 am