Yugoslav Partisan Air Force in 1942

Yugoslav Partisan Air Force in 1942

On 23 May 1942, Franjo Kluz with his Potez 25 no.7005 and Rudi ÄŒajavec with gunner-mechanic Milutinom MiÅ¡kom Jazbecom in Breguetu 19 no.4521 from 13th squadron from Banja Luka airfield, defected to partisans landing on Urije airfield near Prijedor. After defection has been realized air search was started in order to find and destroy the aircraft's. Bombing of Prijedor airfield resulted in destruction of two camouflaged model aircraft's. Potez 25 had MG34 installed and Ivan MitreÄiÄ‡ was assigned as gunner-mechanic to Franjo Kluz.

First combat mission by partisan aircraft's was done on 4 June when Kluz in his Potez 25 bombed Ustashi units near village of Orahovo. In the same time ÄŒajavec and Jezbec with their Breguetom 19 attacked Banja Luka airfield, their aircraft was hit and wounded ÄŒajavec made a forced landing near village of Kadinjana. They where quickly surrounded by chetniks and Home Defense, ÄŒajavec committed suicide, Jezbec was captured, taken to Zagreb and shoot by firing squad.

Detail search for Kluz and his Potez 25 failed. Fear of bombing Zagreb (!) resulted in three R-100 fighters being assigned to patrol between Prijedor and Zagreb. New attack was on 7 June when Potez bombed Dvor and Bosanski Novi. Air patrols where extended above Kostajnica, Bosanska Dubica and Bosanski Novi. Aircraft remind undiscovered until 6 July when it was spotted on the ground by FW-58 Weihe and destroyed.