Last living Romanian WWII fighter ace died today

[Freycinet]

Ion Dobran:

https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Dobran

 

"Ion Dobran (1919-2021) was part of the 9th Fighter Group and flew IAR 80 and Me 109G planes during the war.

Dobran was the wingman of the top two Romanian aces, Prince Constantin "Bazu" Cantacuzino and Alexandru Serbanescu.

He took part in 340 missions, 74 air combats and ended the war with 10 confirmed air kills, 3 probable and one on the ground. His kills include Soviet, US, German and Hungarian planes. RIP.

In 2010, he actually got to meet one of his former opponents. On June 6, 1944, Dobran shot down the P-51 Mustang of Lt. Barrie Davis, 325th FG.. The pilot survived, found out who was the Me 109 pilot, and visited him in Romania, 77 years after their fight."

[69th_Panp]

RIP 

 

Shame that we are losing more and more of these vets with each passing year and losing all the history and stories.

Edited September 24, 2021 by 69th_Panp

[Rjel]

RIP Ion Dobran.

 

In 2020, it was thought only about 325,000+ WWII era veterans from the U.S. war effort were still living. Even if they were only 18 years old in 1945, today those vets would be 94. In 5-10 years, only a few thousand will be left sadly. At least they left an incredible legacy.

[kozmo514]

Some more details on Ion Dobron here: in Romanian however. Any native speakers here that can translate?

https://asociatiaferdinand.com/2021/06/06/77-de-ani-de-la-lupta-aeriana-dintre-lt-ion-dobran-si-2nd-lt-barrie-davis/

 

 

 

[Elem]

77 years since the air battle between Lt. ION DOBRAN and 2nd Lt. BARRIE DAVIS

admin.06/06/2021ARI F.

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,,06.06.1944
Memorable day. I'm starting to think I'm born every day. This is how things have been going on for a while now... With Martyr, Şenchea and Simionescu, we play a Bridge, in Ataki's Pit, as it was christened a hut of about five by five meters, dug into the ground by Ţurcanu, by the care of Şenchea, and in which he had made a kind of bar. Only the roof came out above the ground, the roof camouflaged with a sheet of tent. We are bothered by Mr. cpt. Şerbănescu, calling all the commanders of squadrons to him. It's about marshal Antonescu's visit to Tecuci and from here to the front. As I was getting directives, Lt. Dinu Pistol, who is so calm, comes into the room, and he's so calm to get you out of the dugout. Formation of American aircrafts 100 km from the Prut river with the direction Tecuci. For us, they are from the line of prohibition that the fleet has imposed on us, so... Happy. We take off on the first alarm to the Americans. I sign, randomly, that [being] the closest at that moment, to Panait, to be my teammate. Until T-me and a chunk of time in the air they hold on to me, then, as I left the valley, unorganized, disappears clinging to another patrol. We take height above the airfield. Our radio station "Albatross" communicates: enemy planes are heading for Independence. I know vaguely that this is a C.F.R. station, on Siret, towards Galaţi, so that's where I start. I walk parallel to the Siret, looking to get close to Bâzu's cell [* – Cpt. av. Constantin Cantacuzino, the fighter pilot with the most aerial victories among the Romanians], believing that Panait is in the back. I am, however, far behind, and at some point, I see the American bands from afar, vaguely, as glimpses. Put on the direction, I give on the radio for all, the compass head, then, little by little, I approach, taking height. They arrive too late in Galati, it can be seen, judging by the effect of the bombardment, that they were seriously touched, especially the aerodrome area and the entrance to the railway tunnel. Here, in Galaţi, is the 3rd Flotilla of Make Mărăşescu. At one point, I see to my left and a little below two red-muzzled planes. Let there be G's [* – Messerschmitt-109G aircraft] from Esc. 56? I put the engine in full and go parallel to them. In the meantime, I recognize them by their silhouette. They're American Mustangs. Finally, since I wanted this moment! I look cautiously behind. I'm alone. No Messerschmitt is close by; a little further down, also on the left, other silhouettes, similar to the first. I'm looking to take on higher height. I let them pass me in front, climb over them a good few hundred yards, then a little easy gaining speed. Now I have a tight patrol of Mustangs in front of me. Rearguard of a bomber formation. Altimeter 6500 m, speedometer, indicated speed 440 km/h, actual speed to 600, position, immediately east of Bolhrad. Without thinking about the consequences, I engage in battle. I knew that one in 4 with the Mustangs means almost suicide... Yet I attack! Not without going through my mind the story of the German G who in a similar position attacked but could not escape, was shot down, but nothing in the world can make me give back. I approached easily, I enter the remus of the one on the right, they walked carelessly, in the perfect patrol, like at the parade. Little underneath them. I'm focusing right in the back, a little bit more! Still! I see him growing up in the viewfinder. Now! I press the trigger (button) of the cannon with the thumb of my right hand [and], simultaneously, with the forefinger on the trigger of the two machine guns with electric striker. Successive bursts gush, which I gently correct after the tracers. For a moment, the American seems to feel nothing, then, touched, he lets off to the bottom left under the other three planes, which, too, alerted, pull the top right into a protective fan that wants to cover him up. I also turn briefly following him a little, then release forward to the bombers that had approached in the viewfinder. But before I release, I see that the Mustang in front is starting to smoke...''.

(Excerpt from the book "Two Years of Fire on Messerschmitt. Jurnal de front", by Ion Dobran, retired major general, Ace of the Romanian fighter aviation, during the Second World War)

---

Historical notes:

On the morning of June 6, 1944, powerful bombing formations of the XV Force took off from Italy and, accompanied by hunting, headed for Romania. Their objectives were the cities of Bucharest, Ploiesti, Brasov, Craiova, Pitesti and Rm. Valcea. About 50 Romanian planes (from Groups 1, 6 and 7) and another 60 belonging to German hunters took off at the alarm. There were air battles, with the Americans losing at least four or five bombers (the data in the documents are not clear enough).

In parallel with this attack, 104 B-17 bombers and 42 P-51 fighters took off from Ukraine. The bombers had the mission to hit the city of Galati (the aerodrome of the 3rd Fighter Flotilla was targeted). The surprise was so great that the civilian population was alarmed just minutes before the bombs exploded. The alarm of the 9th Fighter Group (one of its subunits, 48th Squadron, was led by Lt. Ion Dobran) was also made late. Taking off from the field at Tecuci, the Messerschmitt of the Group 9 head to Galaţi, which they find already bombed. The enemy is engaged and, at this moment, the battle takes place between Ion Dobran and the cell formed by the American aviators Wayne Lowry and Barrie Davis, somewhere in southern Bessarabia, probably above Bolgrad. Here comes the only controversy in this episode: Dobran claims to have seen a patrol of four P-51s, while Davis says there were only two planes, and they were waiting for a third to join them. In reality, Dobran may have seen, apart from the two P-51s, two or three other American hunters, not very far away, as is to be expected at such times, and considered them to be part of the same patrol.

In any case, Lowry noticed Dobran's plane, but did not react, believing that the Messerschmitt 109 G behind them was the P 51 they were waiting for. There has been such confusion before. On April 21, 1944, when the Americans first came to the skies of Romania with the "Mustang" aircraft (the three squadrons of the 31st Group), the Romanian hunters from I.A.R.-80/81 considered them to be Messerschmitt-uri 109 of some German bands. Twelve Romanian pilots paid for this mistake with their lives, others were injured, the day of April 21, 1944 becoming the "Black Friday of I.A.R.-ului 80", and the day with the most losses in the history of the Romanian fighter aviation.

(Sorin Turturică, "King Ferdinand I" National Military Museum)

 

[kozmo514]

Cheers Elem! Neat diary excerpt and backstory. Lt. Barrie Davis also survived the war.

[PatrickAWlson]

19 hours ago, Freycinet said:

Ion Dobran:

https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Dobran

 

"Ion Dobran (1919-2021) was part of the 9th Fighter Group and flew IAR 80 and Me 109G planes during the war.

Dobran was the wingman of the top two Romanian aces, Prince Constantin "Bazu" Cantacuzino and Alexandru Serbanescu.

He took part in 340 missions, 74 air combats and ended the war with 10 confirmed air kills, 3 probable and one on the ground. His kills include Soviet, US, German and Hungarian planes. RIP.

In 2010, he actually got to meet one of his former opponents. On June 6, 1944, Dobran shot down the P-51 Mustang of Lt. Barrie Davis, 325th FG.. The pilot survived, found out who was the Me 109 pilot, and visited him in Romania, 77 years after their fight."

 

Not many people can say that they shot down a Russian, an American, and a German (on purpose)

[PatrickAWlson]

A quote from Davis:

"If you were smart, they made you a navigator. If you were steady, they made you a bombardier. All the rest of us, they made pilots."