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Showing posts from January, 2017

Interesting facts and figures on the Balkans on May in 1941

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German paratroopers landing near Chania on Creta 3. 5. - Italy annexed the southern part of Slovenia, and established Ljubljana province. 4. 5. - The Government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia declared war on Hungary and Bulgaria. 6. 5. - Djurdjevdan rebellion against the Ustasha authorities in the Serbian villages near Sanski Most, crushed for two days. Ljubljana province 9. 5. - Closed embassies of Norway, Belgium, and Yugoslavia in Moscow (the German request). 12 - 13. 5. - Colonel. Dragoljub Mihailovic with a group of soldiers and officers began organizing the guerrilla movement on Ravna Gora. 12 - 13. 5. - In Glina in Croatia killed 300 Serbs, causing protests Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. 13 5 - Interior Minister Andrija NDH Artuković prescribes "Implementing order on the organization and operations of the Directorate for Public Order and Security", the main asset of the criminal policy against the Serbs, Jews, and Croatian pa...

The Soviet 9K35 Strela-10

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9A34 Strela-10 combat vehicles The 9K35 Strela-10 (Russian: 9К35 «Стрела-10»; English: arrow) is a highly mobile, visually aimed, optical/infrared-guided, low-altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system. "9K35" is its GRAU designation; its NATO reporting name is SA-13 "Gopher". The 9K35 is the successor of the 9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9 "Gaskin") and can also use the Strela-1's missiles in place of the 9M37. 9A34 Strela-10 combat vehicles Development of the 9K37 Strela-10SV system was initiated July 24, 1969. The decision to begin the development of a new non-all-weather system was taken despite the simultaneous development of an all-weather hybrid gun/missile system 9K22 "Tunguska" mainly as an economical measure. It was also seen as advantageous to have a system capable of fast reaction times and immunity to heavy radio-frequency jamming. Rather than being mounted  on an amphibious but lightly armor...

Fizir FN

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This plane was the most popular and the best basic trainer, and simultaneously the first indigenous air cat type built in series. Designed by Rudolf Fizir, Dusan Stankov, and Ivan Rukavina, as a private venture, a prototype built by own means in Fizir’s workshop at Petrovaradin (Novi Sad). First flight was done on "Jugovicevo” airfield at Novi Sad, in May 1929. After the prototype on test flights showed satisfying results, the National Aeroclub ordered a number of FN planes, intended for the basic pilots’ training, and the Air Force Command followed, ordering another number of "fizirs”, for the same purpose. The first 20 aircraft series started at "Zmaj” aircraft factory, and until the beginning of the W.W.II in Yugoslavia, FNs were built also at aircraft factories "Rogozarski” and "Albatros” in several series – production totaling 193 planes. Two types of engines were applied, in-line Mercedes D.II, of 88 kW (120 KS), and the same power, radial engine...

On This Day: Annihilation of the Partisan Pohorje Battalion

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The only surviving fighter of the Pohorje Battalion Pohorje Battalion (officially 1st Battalion of the Pohorje detachment) was a partisan unit, which was established on 11 September 1942 in Dobrovlje on Pohorje, Slovenia. At the beginning of the unit was considered of 90 fighters that arrived from the Pohorje Dolenjska, Šaleška, and Savinja Valley. It was composed of soldiers of the 1st Battalion of Savinjski Detachment II. groups of detachments (Kranjčev battalion), who came in summer 1942 on Styria from Dolenjska and renamed the 1st Battalion of the Pohorje detachment, and fighters Šaleška and Savinje troops first Styrian battalion. Battalion commander was Rudolf Mede, the political commissar Jože Monk. Pohorje partisans at rest For four months, the unit of the Pohorje Battalion carried out on around 120 actions, including the most important: on 8 October burning of eight mountain house, that the Germans were used as strongholds; on 23 October attack...

The Polish Air Force preserves in the memory of its war veterans

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Picture of Miroslav Ferić on the tail of the Polish MiG-29 Miroslav Ferić, the war pilot of Polish 303 fighting squadrons Royal Air Force, has not been forgotten in Poland and his picture was featured on the aircraft MiG-29 Polish air force. Ferić was born in Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina, his father was Croatian (who died during World War I), and his mother was Polish. In 1919 his family moved to Poland. He graduated in 1938 from a cadet flying school in Dęblin as a fighter pilot and served with fighter escadre No. 111 with a rank of podporucznik pilot (2nd Lt. pilot). During the Invasion of Poland in 1939, he served with Escadra No. 111, assigned to the Pursuit Brigade (Brygada Poscigowa) and defending the Warsaw area. On 3 April his PZL P.11c fighter was damaged in combat but he successfully bailed out. During the campaign, he shot down a Hs 126 on 8 September as a 'shared' victory (other sources also credit him with a Bf 110 shared with others, bu...

Young Partisan heroin Gospa Talic

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Partisan Gospe Talić, captured by the Germans in Drvar landings, May 1944 G.Talić refused to say where Tito was hiding. The heroine of World War II the age of 17 entered in the Partisan ranks and became the first fighter Bihac youth  Company. On this day he or she reaches 66 years of the failed German parachute assault on Drvar and attempts to capture Josip Broz Tito, 25 May 1944. The war experience has multiple connections to Bihac, because of a large number of Biscan, participants officer school, he gave a great contribution to breaking the assault, a young 19-year-partisan biscanka Lady Talić medical student, of course, was captured. Her photos were shot by German parachutes during the capture, then circled the entire free world. This photograph was published and illustrated American magazine "Life" and seeing the defiant figure of Our Lady Talic, U.S. President Roosevelt said: "Tito's decision to fight against fascism is a true turning...

The Zastava M48

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The M-48 rifle was Yugoslav production created on the basis of the German Karabiner 98k modified for production in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia before World War II. In large part, it had representation in the JNA. After World War II, the Yugoslavs took this design and incorporated minor modifications. Although very similar in general appearance to that of the German rifle, many of the parts of these two rifles are not interchangeable, especially the bolt and related action parts. M48s are usually distinguished from the 98k by the top handguard, which extends behind the rear sight and ends just in front of the receiver ring, although this feature exists on other models as well. The M48 was designed with a stock similar to the 98k, but it has a shorter intermediate-length action and receiver, as does the similar M24 series Mauser. The M24 series Mausers were built from pre-war Yugoslav Model 24 Mausers and then refurbished with newer Belgian parts, and usually have straight...