"On 23 December 1944 (or 24 according to another source) adj. av. Marinciu was escorting several Ju-87Ds attacking targets behind the front in Slovakia. He was engaged by two Luftwaffe Bf-109s. Soon they were joined by another two. One of the newcomers managed to get a shot from 90 degreees, which hit his stabilizer. Half of it was blown away. Marinciu was then forced to fly in a straight line and was under constant attack by the German fighters, being a rather easy prey. He made a forced landing between the lines, near Zelok. His Bf-109G6 looked like Swiss cheese and he was wounded at the face, hands and legs. Some Soviet soldiers saved him and taken to a field hospital. Later he was told that the one who shot him down might have been Erich Hartmann."
It is known that the Bf-109 flown by Marinciu was shot down by German Bf-109s but the identity of the German Bf-109s is not known. Interestingly, Marinciu is told that Erich Hartmann may be the one that shot him down. Is there any evidence that Erich Hartmann did shoot down the Bf-109 flown by Marinciu? He certainly was not credited with any victories on 23 December so possibly Hartmann had an un-submitted claim over a Bf-109? Hungarian Bf-109 pilot Krascsenics did have an unconfirmed claim over a "strangely painted Bf-109" but this was on 22 December not 23 December so it can't be Krascsenics. Does anybody have any information which could determine who shot down Marinciu?
SOLVED:
Turns out it is almost certainly Krascsenics Lajos who shot down Ioan Marinciu on 23 December 1944. I found out Krascsenics' victory over a Bf-109 on 22 December 1944 wasn't even recognised as being an unconfirmed kill. It was simply stated in his memoirs decades after the war, with the details like the date being stated completely from memory as there were no official documents recorded at the time which contained the details. Krascsenics easily could have been a day off when he recalled the events. Helmut Lipfert similarly claimed a Romanian Bf-109 which was also only stated in his diary published long after the war with the kill never being officially documented. Researchers have concluded that Lipfert shot down Traian Darjan with the Romanian flying a Bf-109. Lipfert said this happened on 24 February 1945 but Darjan crashed and was killed on 25 February 1945. The date being off is simply because Lipfert wasn't ever credited with this kill meaning all the information comes from Lipfert's memory and not official documents recorded at the time. Krascsenics must have done the same thing and he meant 23 December 1944 and not 22 December 1944.
The kill doesn't have a location and there were some questions as to whether or not the Hungarian 101 Vadászosztály fought in the area where Marinciu crashed. Marinciu crashed at "Zelok", Slovakia with this being assumed to have meant Želovce or Zvolen, Slovakia as no place called "Zelok" exists. Sure enough, the Hungarian 101 Vadászosztály did indeed do combat sorties near these locations as they were known to have fought at Ipolyszalka, Vác, and Esztergom all of which are close to Želovce and Zvolen which are the locations where Marinciu crashed.
Date:
Type of aircraft:
Location: probably
Krascsenics is also the only possible person who could have shot down Marinciu due to no other claims of any kind being made by anybody else.
It is known that the Bf-109 flown by Marinciu was shot down by German Bf-109s but the identity of the German Bf-109s is not known. Interestingly, Marinciu is told that Erich Hartmann may be the one that shot him down. Is there any evidence that Erich Hartmann did shoot down the Bf-109 flown by Marinciu? He certainly was not credited with any victories on 23 December so possibly Hartmann had an un-submitted claim over a Bf-109? Hungarian Bf-109 pilot Krascsenics did have an unconfirmed claim over a "strangely painted Bf-109" but this was on 22 December not 23 December so it can't be Krascsenics. Does anybody have any information which could determine who shot down Marinciu?
SOLVED:
Turns out it is almost certainly Krascsenics Lajos who shot down Ioan Marinciu on 23 December 1944. I found out Krascsenics' victory over a Bf-109 on 22 December 1944 wasn't even recognised as being an unconfirmed kill. It was simply stated in his memoirs decades after the war, with the details like the date being stated completely from memory as there were no official documents recorded at the time which contained the details. Krascsenics easily could have been a day off when he recalled the events. Helmut Lipfert similarly claimed a Romanian Bf-109 which was also only stated in his diary published long after the war with the kill never being officially documented. Researchers have concluded that Lipfert shot down Traian Darjan with the Romanian flying a Bf-109. Lipfert said this happened on 24 February 1945 but Darjan crashed and was killed on 25 February 1945. The date being off is simply because Lipfert wasn't ever credited with this kill meaning all the information comes from Lipfert's memory and not official documents recorded at the time. Krascsenics must have done the same thing and he meant 23 December 1944 and not 22 December 1944.
The kill doesn't have a location and there were some questions as to whether or not the Hungarian 101 Vadászosztály fought in the area where Marinciu crashed. Marinciu crashed at "Zelok", Slovakia with this being assumed to have meant Želovce or Zvolen, Slovakia as no place called "Zelok" exists. Sure enough, the Hungarian 101 Vadászosztály did indeed do combat sorties near these locations as they were known to have fought at Ipolyszalka, Vác, and Esztergom all of which are close to Želovce and Zvolen which are the locations where Marinciu crashed.
Date:
Type of aircraft:
Location: probably
Krascsenics is also the only possible person who could have shot down Marinciu due to no other claims of any kind being made by anybody else.
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