1st Fighter Squadron of NOVJ

1st Fighter Squadron of NOVJ

Prva (lovaÄka) eskadrila NOVJ - RAF 352nd Squadron

First Squadron taking oath, Katadba, Africa, 5 May 1944

Formed on 22 April 1944 in North Africa. Initially trained on Harvards and later on Hurricanes Mk.II C in North Africa, and re-equipped with Spitfire Mk.Vc for operations. They also had a few Mk.Vb which were passed over to other units as they standardized on Mk.Vc by September 1944.

Part of the British Balkan Air Force, operated only over Yugoslav territory from airfields Kane, Vis and Å kabrnja near Zadar.

Squadron Staff

Commanders Major Mileta Protic
Lieutenant Hinko Soic (from 19 December, 1944)

Adjutant Major Hubert Najberger

Political Commissar Lieutenant Mirko Dvornik

deptuy Political Commissar Lieutenant Djuro Zeljkovic

Technician Officer Captain Franjo Lolic

Supply Officer Captain Ivo Ferri

A-Flight B-Flight

Commanding Officers Major Ratko Jovanovic
Major Branko Kraus (from 4 October, 1944)
Captain Nedeljko Pajic (from 22 November, 1944) Commanding Officers Major Arkadije Popov
Major Djuro Ivanisevic (from 16 October, 1944)

Second in Command Lieutenant Milan Srdanovic Second in Command

Combat losses

Pilot Cause Date Location Note

Aleksandar Vukovic
flak
August 31st 1944 Suhi Dolac pilot killed

Franjo Kluz flak September 14th 1944 Omis
(near Split) pilot killed

Ratko Jovanovic
(A-Flight commander) flak
(north of Maglaj) October 4th 1944 belly-land Donji Vlajici
(west of Maglaj) pilot died on October 5th

Arkadije Popov (B-Flight commander) flak October 16th 1944 bay Slano pilot killed

Milan Protic (Squadron commander) flak December 19th 1944 Brezovo Polje
(Zepce-Maglaj) pilot killed

Non-combat losses

Pilot Cause Date Location Note

Aleksandar Markovic
Salih Islamovic training, air-crash
May 3rd, 1944
airfield Beninah
(east of Benghazi, Libya)

Zvonko Halambek training July 1st 1944 airfield Beninah
(near Benghazi) pilot burn to death

Leopold Ankon loss of orientation September 25th 1944 ?Ljubuski
(south-east of Mostar)? pilot missing

Luigi Rugi (Italian) bomb explosion during pancake March 30th 1945 airfield on island Vis pilot burn to death

Links:

No. 352 (Y) R.A.F. Squadron

Researched by Ivan Bajlo & Oldrich Pejs

Squadron Staff
Commanders		Major Mileta Protic Lieutenant Hinko Soic (from 19 December, 1944)
Adjutant		Major Hubert Najberger
Political Commissar		Lieutenant Mirko Dvornik
deptuy Political Commissar		Lieutenant Djuro Zeljkovic
Technician Officer		Captain Franjo Lolic
Supply Officer		Captain Ivo Ferri
A-Flight		B-Flight
Commanding Officers	Major Ratko Jovanovic Major Branko Kraus (from 4 October, 1944) Captain Nedeljko Pajic (from 22 November, 1944)	Commanding Officers	Major Arkadije Popov Major Djuro Ivanisevic (from 16 October, 1944)
Second in Command	Lieutenant Milan Srdanovic	Second in Command

Combat losses
Pilot	Cause	Date	Location	Note
Aleksandar Vukovic	flak	August 31st 1944	Suhi Dolac	pilot killed
Franjo Kluz	flak	September 14th 1944	Omis (near Split)	pilot killed
Ratko Jovanovic (A-Flight commander)	flak (north of Maglaj)	October 4th 1944	belly-land Donji Vlajici (west of Maglaj)	pilot died on October 5th
Arkadije Popov (B-Flight commander)	flak	October 16th 1944	bay Slano	pilot killed
Milan Protic (Squadron commander)	flak	December 19th 1944	Brezovo Polje (Zepce-Maglaj)	pilot killed
Non-combat losses
Pilot	Cause	Date	Location	Note
Aleksandar Markovic Salih Islamovic	training, air-crash	May 3rd, 1944	airfield Beninah (east of Benghazi, Libya)
Zvonko Halambek	training	July 1st 1944	airfield Beninah (near Benghazi)	pilot burn to death
Leopold Ankon	loss of orientation	September 25th 1944	?Ljubuski (south-east of Mostar)?	pilot missing
Luigi Rugi (Italian)	bomb explosion during pancake	March 30th 1945	airfield on island Vis	pilot burn to death

Prva (lovaÄka) eskadrila NOVJ - RAF 352nd Squadron

Prva (lovaÄka) eskadrila NOVJ - RAF 352nd Squadron