Date:	Tuesday 1 February 1944
Time:	20:40
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/operator:	104 Sqn RAF
Registration:	LN345
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	2 km southeast of Maribor -   Slovenia
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On the night of 1-2 February 1944, the target of 205 Group RAF was the aircraft factory at Maribor in Yugoslavia. The ongoing repairs to the runway at Tortorella prevented No.231 Wing from operating, and the thirty aircraft dispatched were provided by Nos 236 and 330 Wings. The weather and visibility were good, and early reports suggested that a concentrated attack had been carried out. However, the bombing photographs showed that the target attacked was not the Maribor factory but another some miles to the south-east. Considerable flak was encountered in the target area, and there appeared to be good co-operation between searchlights and night-fighters. One aircraft, the Wellington X LN345 ’M’ of 104 Squadron did not return, and was presumed to have been an aircraft seen to have been shot down over the target.

This Wellington departed Foggia at 1751 hrs. At 2040 hrs they were attacked SE of Maribor by a night fighter piloted by Oblt Hans Krause, Staffelkapitan of 6./NJG 101 and flying a Do217 N from Parndorf airfield. Other crews reported seeing an aircraft burning in the air, still firing tracer. It went down in flames and exploded on impact 2 km southeast of Maribor. Krause claimed this bomber shot down as his 4th victory.

The crew were all killed and are buried in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Belgrade, Serbia. They were flying their 32nd mission.

Crew (all killed):
Flt Sgt Sydney Douglas Russell RAFVR 1333470 (pilot)
Flt Sgt William Robert Cecil Fulton RAFVR 1366021 (navigator)
Flg Off Donald James Duncan RAFVR 133709 (air bomber)
Flt Sgt Francis Reginald Horner RAFVR 1384906 (wireless operator/air gunner)
Sgt Arthur Richard Long RAFVR 919881 (air gunner)

[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/royalairforce/104sqd-raf.php]
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?13333-205-Group-Wellington-loss-1-2-Febr.-1944
Luftwaffe claim lists by Tony Wood and Jim Perry (http://lesbutler.co.uk/claims/tonywood.htm)
[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.shrani.si/f/1a/dK/CUQg7HD/yucrashes.xls]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maribor
http://www.maplandia.com/slovenia/maribor/maribor/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Feb-2017 16:27	Laurent Rizzotti	Added