Other Forces

Yugoslav Hurricane

High angle bank turn of a Hawker Hurricane I of Royal Yugoslav Air Force. The photo, taken in Britain, show one of the 24 Hurricane delivered to Yugoslavia directly by Hawker Aircraft. The purchase agreement with the Belgrade Government considered a license production in Yugoslavia of 100 Hurricane. The production began on 1939 in the Zmaj and Rogozarski’s factories but on the eve of Axis attack, 6 April 1941, the Hurricane made in Yugoslavia were only 20 built and none by Rogozarski. At this time the Royal Yugoslav Air Force’s strength of Hurricane were of 35 airplanes both British and Yugoslav built. 28 of them were in strength with the 1st Fighter Brigade, HQ Zemun (Belgrade), leader Colonel Dragutin Rupčić, 2nd Fighter Regiment, HQ Kraljevo, leader Lieutenant-Colonel F. Pirc with 52nd Fighter Group, based at Knić, leader Major M. Blagojević, total 15 Hurricane (7 with the 163rd Fighter Squadron, leader Captain M. Bajagić and 8 with 164th Fighter Squadron leader Captain I. Oštrić) and with 2nd Mixed Brigade, HQ Nova Topola, leader Colonel J. Đorđević, total 13 aircraft, in service with the 4th Fighter Regiment, base Zagreb, leader Lieutenant-Colonel R. Đorđević, with the 33rd Fighter Group, bases Rovine, Bosanski Aleksandrovac, leader Major N. Nikolić, on 105th Fighter Squadron, leader Captain A. Radičević, 6 aircraft, and 106th Fighter Squadron, leader Captain D. Miljević, 7 aircraft. Victor Sierra