ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 345787
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 1 October 1944 |
| Time: | 22:15 |
| Type: | Martin Baltimore Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 55 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | FW351 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Fiesso Umbertiano -
 Italy
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Cecina |
In the evening of 1 October 1944 13 Baltimores of 55 Sqn RAF took off from Cecina airfield between 2000 and 2115 hrs for armed reconnaissance sorties over northern and eastern Italy. Every aircraft began its sortie with a special reconnaissance of the Upper Savio river to the mouth, where the Army was expecting large-scale attemps at river-crossing by the enemy, but nothing was seen. Fair movement was found later between Ravenna and Ferrara. Some opposition was encountered and one aircraft returned with minor damage from light Flak between Alfonsine and Argenta, while another did not return. It was the last operation carried out by 55 Sqn with Baltimores, whose first war sortie with them was on 2 June 1942 in Egypt and that then converted to Bostons.
The missing aircraft was the Baltimore V FW351 -P, that had taken off at 2000 hrs for an armed recco along the following path: upper Savio - Ravenna - Ostiglia - Modena – Bologna. It was hit and shot down by 4./Schwere Flak Abteilung 311 Battery on the Ravenna - Ferrara - Ostiglia route and fell at 2215 hrs near Fiesso Umbertiano, NW of Ferrara, exploding on the ground. The four crew were all Yugoslav airmen. Both gunners, Sgt Herman Toplikar and 2nd Lt Stevan K. Kovacovic, were killed and are buried in Padua War Cemetery. The pilot, 2nd Lt. Radislav M. Nestorovic, and the navigator, Capt Vladimir Z. Popovic, baled out and were captured.
Sources:
ORB of 55 Sqn RAF, October 1944 (AIR 27/519-15 and AIR 27/519-16)
http://www.aereiperduti.net/approfondimenti/nestorovic.php
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=FW351
http://www.maplandia.com/italy/emilia-romagna/ferrara/fiesso-umbertiano/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Sep-2023 07:37 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation