page_title: Croatian Air Force (Independent State of Croatia)
section_title: Expansion: 1942
hierarchical_section_title: Croatian Air Force (Independent State of Croatia) / History / Expansion: 1942
caption_attribution_description: Zrakoplovi NDH na Borongaju
context_page_description: The Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia, was the air force of the Independent State of Croatia, a puppet state established with the support of the Axis Powers on the territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II. The ZNDH was founded under German authority in April 1941, following the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia.
  Although it could not be considered a large air arm in the wider context of World War II, the ZNDH nonetheless had on its charge at one time or another some 650 aircraft between April 1941 and May 1945, as well as anti-aircraft and paratroop units. From humble beginnings in 1941, the ZNDH was still providing some measure of air-support until the last days of World War II in Europe.
  The ZNDH maintained a flying training school equipped with gliders and trainers, originally at Rajlovac airfield near Sarajevo and then at Velika Gorica and Pleso airfields in Zagreb. Its parachute and paratroop school was located in Koprivnica.
context_section_description: In 1942, fighting with the Partisans intensified. Not only had they liberated a substantial territory in the eastern part of Yugoslavia, but they encouraged rebellion all over the country. The German, Italian and NDH governments were aware of this danger and they used every means available to destroy the Partisan forces. They planned several large-scale operations for this purpose in which air support played a very important role.
  The first half of 1942 was marked by several deliveries of new or refurbished aircraft from Germany and Italy, aside from those received from Ikarus in Zemun. First of all the ZNDH received 10 brand new Caproni Ca.311 M medium bombers from Italy. These aircraft had been ordered and paid for by the Yugoslav Government for service in the VVKJ, but the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia prevented delivery. The ZNDH also purchased 20 AVIA F.L.3 basic trainers, nine Fiat G.50bis fighters and one Fiat G.50B two-seat fighter trainer. The Fiat aircraft were to provide the ZNDH's fighter pilots with some operational training on more modern aircraft.
  Other batches of overhauled ex-VVKJ aircraft also arrived from the Ikarus aircraft plant in Zemun, including 11 Dornier Do 17K, three Bristol Blenheim Mk I and one Caproni Ca.310 bombers, 15 Rogožarski PVT and 11 Rogožarski R-100 attack aircraft, which had been fitted with bomb racks to carry 100-kilogram (220 lb) bombs, plus a few Breguet 19s, Potez 25s, Zmaj Fizir FNs and Zmaj Fizir FP-2s. From Prague in Czechoslovakia (under German occupation), the ZNDH received seven Avia Fokker F.7 transports, one Avia Fokker F.9 and one Avia Fokker F.18. Of these, the F.7s and F.18 were pre-war Czech airliners. As the ZNDH suffered from a total lack of transport aircraft, these were immediately pressed into service, after only minor adjustments. Some were even used to provide scheduled air-line services.
  The nine Fiat G.50bis fighters took off from Turin-Fiat Aviazione on 12 June 1942, but before crossing the border they were stopped by an order from Capo di Stato Maggiore Cavallero, that was afraid the ZNDH pilots could defect with the new Fiat aircraft. The G.50 aircraft had to wait until 25 June before being delivered to the 16th Squadron at Banja Luka, but during the course of 1942, five were transferred to the 1st Squadron stationed in Zagreb in order to strengthen the defence of the NDH capital. Their deployment between the two squadrons was aimed to further familiarise the ZNDH fighter pilots with more sophisticated aircraft. Until that time, the only fighters available in numbers were the seven ancient Avia BH-33E biplanes and four Ikarus IK-2 gull wing fighters (for which there were very few spares), as well as 11 Rogožarski R-100 parasol wing fighter-trainers.
  Thanks to this extended aircraft park the ZNDH could now form new units: in January the 1st Group, comprising the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 19th Squadrons was formed at Zagreb, and then the 2nd Group with the 4th, 5th and 6th squadrons and the 3rd Group with the 7th, 8th and 9th Squadrons at Sarajevo's Rajlovac airfield, whilst the 6th Group was formed at Banja Luka's Zaluzani airfield in June 1942 to cover operations in central Croatia and western Bosnia.
  These reinforcements came just in time to participate in a large German offensive against the Partisan forces in eastern Bosnia. Initially, the Regia Aeronautica also participated in this campaign, but after an incident where an Italian bomber mistakenly attacked German positions near Vlasenica, the German command assigned the ZNDH the responsibility for providing the entire aerial support mission for formations on the ground. At this time there were no significant Luftwaffe forces based in Yugoslavian territory. In support of the ground forces, the ZNDH flew 121 combat missions in January, 100 missions in February and 350 in March. Although the Axis ground forces generally succeeded in their operations in January and February, in March they were forced to release the pressure as other Partisan units attacked several solitary NDH garrisons, threatening to destroy th
caption: Line-up of ZNDH Caproni Ca.310 light bombers at Zagreb's Borongaj airfield, 1942.
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