Published: 06 February 2012Last Updated: 07 April 2012The Croatian Air Force Legion (Hrvatska Zrakoplovna Legija) was raised in 1941 as the Croatian Air Force Regiment (Zrakoplovna Pukovnija) and was made up of volunteers. The men was sent to Germany for training on 15 July 1941.
The 10. Fighter Squadron was sent to the Eastern Front in October 1941 and was followed by 11. Fighter Squadron in December. The 4. Fighter Wing served as a part of III/JG52. It was reorganised in January 1942, due to the shortage of fighter planes, as the Reinforced 10. Fighter Squadron (Ojacano 10. Lovacko Jato), and again in April 1945, this time as Dzal’s Fighter Wing (Lovacka Skupina Dzal) while the Germans called it 15/JG52. The Fighter Wing scored a total of 263 kills.
The 5. Bomber Wing arrived at the Eastern Front in October 1941 and served as 10/KG3 and from June 1942 as 15. Kroatische/KG53. It returned to Croatia after having flown a total of 1.332 combat missions.
The Legion was disbanded on 21 July 1944 but was reformed as Hrvatska Zrakoplovna Izobrazbena Skupina (Croatian Air Force Training Wing).
Commanders
Colonel Ivan Mrak
Order of Battle
4. Fighter Wing (Major Franjo Dzal)
– 10. Fighter Squadron
– 11. Fighter Squadron
5. Bomber Wing (Major Vjekoslav Vicevic, later Vladimir Graovac)
– 12. Bomber Squadron
– 13. Bomber Squadron
Sources used
Research by Allan
Reference material on this unit
Gerhard Rauchwetter – U über der Ostfront
