The Air War in Bulgaria

[poiuytrewq0987]

The U.S. Fifteenth Air Force had more than 1,200 bombers and 600 to 700 fighters at its disposal for operations against targets in southeastern Europe, while we usually had only 30 to 50 airworthy fighters. We all realized what the fight would be like and who the ultimate winner would have to be. In spite of all that, however, we felt that we had to fight for the honor of Bulgarian arms and, if necessary, to die-if only to show the whole world that even though the enemy was much stronger, the Bulgarians fight selflessly when they must defend their military honor, their people and their homeland. The enemy was numerous, but that didn't scare us. We only regretted that our number was so small. -Stoyan Stoyanov

The war declared in 1943 by the Kingdom of Bulgaria against the USA and Great Britain was a tragedy for the little country. On August 1,1943, an enormous armada of about 700 american B-24 Liberator bombers roared at nearly treetop level across the peaceful farms and villages of several Balkan countries. This mission was operation TIDAL WAVE - the wildiest US raid of WW2. Its target was "the taproot of German might"- Hitler's giant oil refineries at Ploesti,Rumania.

Hundreds of US airmen volunteered for the mission despite warnings that half might not return. In thirty minits enormous firepower was exchanged in this battle. Sofia city and other Bulgarian towns and villages were hit by following air strikes in late 1943 and in 1944. So 187 inhabited places were attacked, 45 000 destructive and incendiary bombs were dropped, there were about 2000 casualties, and about 4700 wounded.There were 12000 damaged or ruined buildings and the total losses were estimated at nearly 24 billion dollars. For the citizens of Sofia the "Black" days were: 14/11/ and 24/ 11/, 10 and 20/12/ 1943, 10/01/, 16, 24 and 30/03/, 17/04/1944 when large formations of B-17 and B-24 bombers ruined some parts of the capital city. In total about 23000 enemy's sorties were registered over Bulgaria in the years 1943-44.

Aircraft shot down by bulgarian fighters in 1943-44:
5 B-17 bombers
41 B-24 bombers
10 P-38 fighters
4 P-51 fighters
Total: 60 Allied Airforce crew lost over
Bulgaria: Killed 108 men POW 329 men

The aces of Royal Bulgarian Air Force

Bulgarian pilots were brave, well trained.Some flew the Me-109 G2 and G6 -a German made fighter plane with very good performance . The best pilots were lieut. Stoyanov, Captain Toplodolsky, lieutenants Bochev, Cvetkov, Damev and many more. 19 bulgarian pilots died in the war.The enemy had 60 planes, shot down by Bulgarian fighters and about 430 airmen. In the Christian tradition, Bulgarian people respected the fallen enemy when they could. At some places airmen were buried as American heroes with the necessary honor given to such soldiers. On the other hand ,329 airforce crew-members and pilots were captured and kept in the war prisoner's camp in the town of Shoumen . Later some of them ,such as lieut. John MacLendon,2nd lt. Edward E. Tinker, R. Renar and others remembered and described the brave way, Bulgarian pilots fought , as if they defended the world's most sacred place. The most striking examples of the spirit of the Bulgarian pilots are the two "battering-rams"(live torpedo) over Sofia. The first one was on 20.12.1943 when lieut. Dimiter Spissarevsky at full speed stabbed a B-24 bomber and died at the heith of 20 000 f. , his body raining down with thefalling pieces of his plane.The second "battering-ram " was that of lieut. Bonchev on 17.04.1944 when he downed a B-17 bomber ,but he miraculously survived the crash.

http://odin.prohosting.com/~vstoyano/FighterPilotAceWW2Stoyanov.htm

[Kanasyuvigi]

Списаревски им еба мамата на тия боклуци I think that we should count ourselves lucky. Let's see what the bombings of the "noble" Allies did to the countries of the Axis - Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki....

[Germanicus]

Списаревски им еба мамата на тия боклуци I think that we should count ourselves lucky. Let's see what the bombings of the "noble" Allies did to the countries of the Axis - Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki....

Yes count yourselves lucky indeed, you could have been rebuilt into the European powerhouse Germany is...or, rebuilt into the super Eastern manufactoring powerhouse that Japan became.....

[Smaland]

... On August 1,1943, an enormous armada of about 700 american B-24 Liberator bombers roared at nearly treetop level across the peaceful farms and villages of several Balkan countries. This mission was operation TIDAL WAVE - the wildiest US raid of WW2. Its target was "the taproot of German might"- Hitler's giant oil refineries at Ploesti,Rumania.

Hundreds of US airmen volunteered for the mission despite warnings that half might not return. In thirty minits enormous firepower was exchanged in this battle. ...

Originally, the Ploiesti Raid strike force was intended to consist of 178 B-24's. Because of non-combat accidents, aborts due to mechanical problems and other reasons, 162 aircraft arrived at the target. The strike force was composed of aircraft from the 98th and 376th Bomb Groups (U.S. Ninth Air Force), and the 44th, 93rd, and 389th Bomb Groups (U.S. Eighth Air Force).

But you are correct in pointing out that U.S. airmen were warned that casualties might be very high. As you said, men volunteered for this mission despite the odds.

Wikipedia article about the Raid

[hajduk]

On 20 December 1943, a group of American B-24 Liberator bombers and guarding fighter planes totaling to over 200 airplanes headed to Sofia in order to bomb the Bulgarian capital once again. 36 Bulgarian airplanes took off in order to intercept the bombers before they reached Sofia. Spisarevski was one of the Bulgarian Air Force's Messerschmitt Ме-109G-2 pilots on duty in Bozhurishte who were sent to intercept the bombers before they could reach the city.

According to the battle log of the 3/6 fighter wing, of which Spisarevski was part, the battle went the following way: the American B-24 aircraft flew towards Sofia in V-shaped formations of three, echeloned in a long rear column. The Bulgarians formed an opposing battle row, echeloned in squadrons of four in a rear column, at 6,000 m. The wing had the task to engage the enemy P-38 Lightning fighters while at the same time the other wing, 2/6, would hit the bombers and force them to release their bombs outside the city.

Flying Officer Spisarevski's aircraft failed to start and he took off in a reserve plane with some delay in what would be his first and only aerial battle. When he reached the bombers, the battle had already begun. Spisarevski evaded two American fighters, headed to a group of 16 Liberators and, without ceasing fire, crashed into the leading bomber. The bomber split in mid-air and only the tail gunner survived. Spisarevski's machine crashed at the heights near the village of Pasarel close to Sofia. His body was found among the debris. The hit American bomber crashed on the other side of the village. For the taking down of a four-engine bomber, he was credited posthumously with three aerial victories and promoted to the rank of Captain. Spisarevski was buried in the Central Sofia Cemetery, in the Walk of Pilots.