Note: This excerpt from author Dan Melinte’s article titled “Obiectiv Romano-Americana” : Indienii cu doua pene ataca! (Objective Romana-Americana: Indians with two feathers attack!), was published in the Romanian Aeromagazin. It provides details on the Romanian side of the fierce air battle that took place on this day 76 years ago over Romania when USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters made a low-level attack against the Ploesti refineries and defending Romanian IAR-81C fighters, often mistaken for FW 190 fighters. German Luftwaffe fighters also engaged the attacking P-38’s but this article focuses on the Romanian part of the battle. The writer of this web log accomplished the translation from Romanian to English and is responsible for any errors.
At 0505 hours on the dawn on 10 June 1944, 48 P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft from the USAAF’s 82nd Fighter Group (95th, 96th, and 97th fighter squadrons) took off from Vincenzo Airfield, Foggia, Italy with Lt. Col. William Litton, Commander of the Group at the head of the formation. Each plane carried under its wings a 1000-pound (455kg) bomb and an additional 300-gallon (1200-litre) fuel tank.
From Salsola Airfield in Italy the USAAF’s 1st Fighter Group took off at the same time with Lt. Armour Miller leading the group and his own 27th Fighter Squadron (radio call sign “Petdog”), Lt. John Shepard led the 71st Fighter Squadron (radio call sign “Cragmore”) while Lt. Harley Barlow led the 94th Fighter Squadron (radio call sign “Springcap”).
East of the city of Romanian city of Giurgiu, as the 1st FG turned north the 82nd FG delayed their turn forcing the 1st FG to turn east. Blue Flight of the 71st FS was separated from the 1st FG as a result of these maneuvers and was thus forced to fly alone behind the 82nd FG.
At 0710, the commander of the “Freya” radar station at Otopeni, Romania, Col. Eduard Neumann, told Cdr. av. Gh. Miclescu that a formation of enemy aircraft was over Yugoslavia. The order “Increased attention” was transmitted to all aviation units and anti-aircraft (AA) batteries. Located on Popesti-Leordeni Airfield (just south of Bucharest), the Romanian 6th Fighter Group equipped with IAR-81C fighter plane was ordered to respond by the commander, Capt. av. Dan Vizanty.
At 0745 the group was ready for takeoff. Capt. av. Vizanty recalled: “…Captured by the alarm given so early in the morning, I took my flare and fired a green rocket, which meant the immediate take-off of the entire fighter group. I got in my Ford car and started at the highest speed towards my No. 344, which was next to that of Lt. Av. Puiu Lupescu, my wingman…
At Pipera Airfield there was also the Aeronautical Training Center (Centrul de Instrucţie al Aeronauticii, or C.I.A.) equipped with IAR-38 and Focke Wulf FW 58 Weihe aircraft. The Instrument Flying School, belonging to the C.I.A. and headed by Lt. Cdr. av. Popescu Ion – Oita, had dispersed FW-58 motors on bases at Orasti and Frumusani and on Popesti-Leordeni Airfield there were four FW-58 ready to take off with the school crews to the camouflaged bases at Frumusani and Orasti.
At 0825 at Popesti-Leordeni took off in the FW-58 of the Instrument Flight School to disperse to the Frumusani and Orasti areas. They were immediately shot down by the Americans in the 71st Fighter Squadron, Lt.av. Iain Ion from the 6th Fighter group recounted: “…By mutual agreement it was established with the command of the 6th Fighter Group, if the alarm is raised, the FW 58 aircraft take off immediately to disperse… On 10 June, due to confusion, it was not possible for the FW 58 aircraft to take off before the IAR-81 aircraft and (they) remained (on the airfield delayed and waiting) to take off.”
Lt. Herbert “Stub’ Hatch of Green Flight, 71st FS, described the fight: “…After turning north, we continued our flight at low altitude and passed over an aerodrome (Popesti-Leordeni) surprising in the air some Do-217 bi-motors (FW-58 from C.I.A.). Commander of our squadron Lt. John Shepard is attacking, followed by three flights. The Dorniers were immediately knocked down.”
As a result of this attack the Instrument Flight School lost three high-value officers, Capt. av. Dumitrescu Constantin, Lt. av. Dinu Marian and Lt. av. Roventa Octavian, veterans of the campaign in Bessarabia and Stalingrad with many missions against the enemy.
Capt. av. Dan Vizanty: “…Together with my teammate, we took off immediately after the last flight and cutting off the trajectory of the band we were at the forefront of it by continuing to gain altitude and heading towards a predetermined sector, which we generally reached at about 8000m altitude. That day, while I was at 2500m altitude I heard in the helmet, in the code: Paris attention, attention Paris, Indians above the nest. I immediately recognized the voice of Capt. av. Traian Gavriliu, head of the Operations Bureau of Popesti-Leordeni Airfield, who thus informed me that American fighter planes were headed for the airfield. Then looking overboard, I see wave after wave, at very low altitude, Lightning formations, heading from the east directly to our airfield. Immediately and without hesitation I order by radio: Paris as Paris 1,2,3 (my squadrons) attack, follow me! and in a split second the situation overturns…”
Lt. av. Iain Ion from the Romanian 62nd Fighter Squadron: “…Our attack was a total surprise to the Americans, from behind, from the sun, launched at superior speed. The first three flights, the Group Commander’s Flight, the Commander’s Flight of the 62nd FS and the flight of lt. av. Nicolaescu Teodor of the 61st Fighter Squadron, fired like at a shooting range at moving ground targets. The result was unexpected, but with tragic consequences for the flights that followed. The flight of Lt. av. Posteuca Gheorghe was able to clear, but that of Lt. Av. Limburg Nicolae, of which I was a part, as the American formation that had come out of the surprise moment fought back and maneuvered to prevent our attack. Lt. av. Limburg Nicholas had to maneuver to the left, at which point he apparently collided with his teammate Adj. av. Tary Mihail, although there was a possibility that he was hit by the enemy.”
Adjutanţii aviatori (Adj.av.) Aurel Vladareanu and Pavel Coteanu from the 62nd FS spotted a formation of 4-5 Lightning planes, who wanted to escape by fleeing. Being a little higher they plunged into the American formation opening fire. Aurel Vladareanu hit a P-38, which crashed near the village of Cretesti (Vidra), and Pavel Coteanu shot down another that fell on the outskirts of the village of Frumusani. Two Lightnings, however, had managed to slip onto Coteanu’s tail. A timely maneuver brought Adj.av. Vladareanu behind one of his comrade’s followers: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. Quickly I press the button of the Mauser cannons and the fuselage of the American plane is illuminated by the explosions. My first burst hit its target.” The plane shot down by Adj. Vladareanu fell in flames on the outskirts of Fundeni-Frunzanesti.
Adj. av. Ilie Dumitru of the 61st FS charged his cannons and machine guns and looking down saw the fine silhouettes of the P-38 Lightning bi-fuselage aircraft about 150m from the ground. When he descended to 200m, he found himself excited; all over the wings and fuselages were white stars. At one point, he caught the fuselage of a P-38 in the crosshairs of his eye. He opened fire at 200m, corrected his aim and suddenly turning, (the P-38) ended up right in front of him. Adj. av. Ilie Dumitru: “…Without knowing how, I find myself with my finger on the trigger, shaken by the rumble of my cannons and machine guns… I’m taking the turn, the American pilot wants to escape. A new burst, and my projectiles go up to the engine on the right, which catches fire. His wing is on fire, and there’s no escape. He falls into the ravine, crashing to the ground. I’m stunned, and I can’t believe I took him down…”
Lt. Herbert “Stub’ Hatch of the 71st FS: “…I noticed coming from the right from 2 o’clock, another patrol of FW-190 (IAR-81C). I did the only thing possible; I pulled the yoke suddenly turning right, opening fire. The head of the formation was 150-200m in front of me and a little to the left, my burst went through the engine, the left side of the cockpit and the wing root, the 190 overturned on the right and passed me. I didn’t see him crash, but the gun camera recorded the 190 burning and my wingman Joe Morrison confirmed the crash. The other three 190s in that formation went over me and got behind the Green Flight leader and his wingman, (shooting) both of them down. I continued the right turn with my wingman (and) saw a 190 just behind my comrade Joe Jackson from White Flight. I approached from the back right and tried to hit the cockpit from 100m, but it was too late, Jackson’s plane crashed in flames, incinerating the pilot.
The air battle around Popesti-Leordeni Airfield lasted only 12 minutes. Of the 23 6th Fighter Group planes that took off, 19 landed. The group lost three pilots: Lt. av. Limburg Nicolae with IAR-81C no. 369 that fell near Balaceanca, Adj. av. Giurgiu Alexandru shot down at Fundeni in IAR-81C no. 337 and Adj. av. Tary Mihail fell in battle at Berceni with IAR-81C no. 303.
Damaged in battle were: IAR-81C numbers 382, 342, 343 (Slt.av. Ianculescu Eugen), no. 302 (Adj.av. Nicola Ioan), no. 341 (Lt.av. Baciu Dumitru), no. 314 (Adj. av. Tutuianu Gheorghe) and no. 334 (Slt. av. Ion).
The following pilots from the 59th Fighter Squadron were all credited with an aerial victory: Capt. av. Constantinescu Petre, Lt. av. Baciu Dumitru, Adj. av. Dimache C-tin., Adj. av. rez. Nicola Ioan, Adj. av. rez. Lepadatu Ilie. From the 61st FS: Lt. av. Dumitrescu Mircea, Slt. av. Ianculescu Eugen, Adj. Maj. av. Ilie Dumitru, Adj. av. Dimache Ioan, Adj.av. Tutuianu Gheorghe, Adj. av. Cocebas Gheorghe, credited with two victories, and Adj. av. Husea Ion and Adj. av. Zamfir Gheorghe with one victory. From the 62nd FS: Adj. av. Vladareanu Aurel and Adj. av. Coteanu Petre were credited with a victory. From the same squadron Lt. av. Iatan Ion was not officially credited with a downed P-38 (probably wounded in the hospital and could not describe his fight in an official report).
On the American side, the 71st FS, out of 12 planes engaged in combat with Vizanty’s IAR- 81C group, eight planes were lost and two damaged. The following pilots fell in battle: Lt. Albert Smith, Lt. George Johnson, Lt. Joseph Jackson, Lt. Vernon Baker, Lt. Willie Flack, Lt. William Potter, all declared dead. Lt. Ralph Hisey and Lt. Rudolph Janci* were taken prisoner. Lieutenant Joe Morrison’s plane was badly damaged with a destroyed engine, but the pilot was heavily able to keep it in the air to Italy where he put it down on its belly at Bari Airfield.
Lt. Herbert Hatch was the only pilot who escaped alive from the battle over Popesti-Leordeni and managed to get back to 71st FS airfield at Salsola in Italy. His claims for five downed and two damaged FW-190 aircraft required review and approval. Three were confirmed on his gun camera film and the rest later by his wingman Joe Morrison. Lt. Carl Hoenshell also managed to escape from Popesti-Leordeni, but left without any more ammunition; on his way to Italy he was followed by a German Bf 109 based in Yugoslavia and then shot down at 0940 in Bulgaria near Dragoman north of Sofia by Lt. Taubenberger of 6/JG 51.@
Excerpt from the article “”Obiectiv Romano-Americana” : Indienii cu doua pene ataca!” by author Dan Melinte used here with permission.
* Information from Bojanic Milos in Serbia indicates Rudolph Janci was not captured but evaded in Yugoslavia. A source to support: “Rudolph Janci had very interesting story on that day. He was the only pilot from his, 71st Squadron, who made it back to base. While on the bombing run, they were attacked by 50 planes. He shot down one plane from head-on, and probably second one. His left engine was damaged and stopped working. Janci broke away from fight, and headed back home. While on the way back, he was shot from the ground, and in Bulgaria he strafed one truck until he used all of his ammo. However, damaged plane could not go further, so he had to crash land. His plane broke apart on landing, but he managed to escape without injuries. Chetnik guerrillas quickly came and took him to Soko Banja, where they hid him in civilian clothes for some time. Since he spoke Czech, he could communicate with locals.” Rudolph Janci was reportedly evacuated on August 10 from Pranjani, during first evacuation of the Halyard mission. Source: https://www.halyardmission.org/post/june-10-ploesti-raid
@ Information from Bojanic Milos in Serbia indicates Carl Hoenshell crashed and was killed in Yugoslavia, not in Bulgaria, in a crash near Knjaževac. Lt. Hatch noted in the witness portion of MACR 5634 that Hoenshell was last sighted near Nis, Yugolavia, north of Lalinac when the formation was attacked by Me-109s.
However, information from author Dan Melinte in Romania indicates a Hoenshell family relative searched for his remains first in Yugoslavia and afterwards in Bulgaria in the late 1990s. It was a long and hard effort to find him but they did. They eventually found the crash site on a farm at the Bulgarian village of Dragoman. Also, the claim of the German pilot specified that the P-38 he shot down was north of Sofia in Bulgaria. A USAF source also indicates Lt. Hoenshell’s remains were repatriated from Bulgaria: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/139143/world-war-ii-ironmans-remains-return-home/
Festung Ploesti: The American Air Campaign over Romania, 1942-1944 
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