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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 2368.PDF
528 FLIGHT NOVEMBER 12TH, 1942 LUFTWAFFE SATELLITES THE FATE OF AN EVACUEE : a Polish "Los " bomber now in service with the Rumanian Air Force on the Russian Front. structors. Only a small unit appeared on the Russian front, but more important than its actual strength, which in fact was negligible, was its propaganda value. "Even the smallest national unit," said a German commentator, "is after all a symbol of the will to serve the cause of the final destruction of the Bolshevik colossus and his shadow- threatening Eastern Europe." With the growing difficulties of the war in Russia the Nazi war leaders were anxious to demonstrate to the peoples of Europe the effective transla tion of the New Order into the fight against Russia, and to show the Germans that they were not alone in their diffi cult struggle. The Fate of an Ally- Prudently enough, General Milch was not inclined to entrust precious German equipment to the vassal Slovaks ; instead, they were given Italian machines of the Fiat CR42 type or such aircraft as were taken over from the Czecho- slovakian Republic. That this equipment was already to a large extent antiquated and not up to the standards of the opposing Russian air force did not particu larly trouble the Germans. In 1938 General Lohr, then in command of the air forces in Austria, was- instructed by Berlin to help the Hungarians to organise their air force. When Hungary was drawn into the orbit of Nazi influence and joined the Germans in their aggression her air force numbered something like 300 aircraft. Most of these machines were of German or Italian origin, the latter being the more up-to-date types. The immediate consequence of the alignment with Germany was the participation by Hungarian air units in the German onslaught against Yugoslavia. In this manner the Hungarians meant to assert their claim for a slice of Yugo slavia for which they clamoured. These opera tions, in the Tisza-Danube-Drave area, were in support of Hungarian forces, and were the beginning of collaboration with the Luftwaffe. Early in July, 1941, the Hungarians were told to march against Russia. Accordingly. Field-Marshal Bela Racosi, O.C. Hungarian air force, moved his units from the Balkans to support the operations of Hungarian troops crossing the Carpathian Mountains. These units, composed mainly of fighters, were charged with protection of Hungarian infantry and "fast" divisions. At that period they operated as nationally independent units under their own commander. As soon as contact had been established between the main German body and the Hungarian Northern flank and German-Rumanian forces in the South, Hungarian air force units came under the •higher command of the Germans. In fact, they were incorporated into Air Fleet IV of the Luftwaffe under General Lohr. Later on, Hungarian air units were attached to the air corps of General von Richthofen and thrown into battles on the Southern sector of the front. They are now employed on long-range recon naissance and fly German aircraft. They have, however, not increased in numbers. Apart from their losses, an important political factor came into play which made the Hungarian Government less and less enthusiastic about wasting their airmen for the New Order: the jealousy between the new puppet states and the.^ prospects of internecine war in the Danubian zone. Mussolini's Regia Aeronautica made its debut on the Russian front in September, 1941. Italian air units despatched to Russia were under the command of a colonel and were attached to the Italian Expeditionary Corps. To start with, the Italian air force was composed of fighters, bomber units, reconnais sance and transport detachments. The aircraft types with which these units were equipped consisted of some recon naissance types, Savoia bombers and transports of the "Marsupiala" type. From the time of their arrival and until the winter of 1941, Italian air units failed to register any important success A group o^ Macchi C 200 and C 202 fighters was detailed to support the German army. Later on an abortive attempt was made to raid Moscow, and transport aircraft were engaged on carrying supplies to isolated ground units. The privations of the 1941 winter were particularly felt by the Italians. Neither their personnel nor their equip ment was suited to the severe climatic conditions which, combined with the operations of the Russian air force, caused the Regia s Expeditionary Corps to suffer serious set backs. In the spring of this year new air units were, there fore, despatched from Italy to the front, and were engaged Slovak fighter pilots receiving final instructions before taking off in their " Avia " machines. The Russian air force has taken a heavy toll of the small Slovak units.
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