Bulgaria marked Saturday 65 years since the heroic fighter pilot Dimitar Spisarevski who perished while defending Sofia from the Anglo-American bombardments in World War II.
On December 20, 1943, in the sky above Sofia Spisarevski took down an American bomber by crashing deliberately his fighter into it.
That day a group of about 200 American B-24 Liberator bombers accompanied by P-38 Lightning fighters set out to bomb the capital of Bulgaria, which at the time was an ally of Nazy Germany. They were met by 36 Bulgarian Messerschmitt Me-109G-2 fighters.
Spisarevski was one of the pilots on duty in the Bozhurishte air base. During Spisarevski first and only air battle, he evaded two American fighters, headed to a group of 16 Liberators and, without ceasing fire, crashed into the leading bomber.
Spisarevski's machine crashed at the heights near the village of Pasarel close to Sofia. The American bomber crashed on the other side of the village.
For the taking down of a four-engine bomber, he was credited posthumously with three aerial victories and promoted to the rank of captain. Spisarevski was buried in the Walk of Pilots in the Central Sofia Cemetery.
Dimitar Spisarevski was born in the northeast Bulgarian city of Dobrich in 1916. His family moved to western Bulgaria after the Treaty of Neuilly, which ceded Northeast Bulgaria to Romania.
In 1938, Spisarevski graduated from the pilot fighter school in Werneuchen, Germany. In the summer of 1943, he was one of the two Bulgarian pilots sent to the English Channel to observe the aerial warfare tactics.
On Saturday dozens of Bulgarians gathered at the place of Spisarevski's crash in the village of Pasarel to pay tribute to his heroic act.
As one of the Nazi Germany allies in World War II, Bulgaria declared a token war on the UK and the USA on December 13, 1941.
The Anglo-American bombardments of Sofia and other major Bulgarian cities took place between November 14, 1943, and April 17, 1944, and killed 1 347 persons, and damaged 12 564 buildings, 2 670 of which were completely destroyed.
Author: DP, 21 Dec 2008 20:46:55
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
In the interest of historical truth:
Will you, please, post the sources/references you have used in acquiring the data regarding the dates of the first and the last air raid and which other cities were subjected to the air raids besides Sofia.
Author: DP, 22 Dec 2008 00:53:44
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
P.S.
It seems that the info is from the Wikipedia.
The information posted there regarding a few specific raids is not complete. Specifically, the first air attack was not as stated on 14 of November. However, only Sofia is shown in the list of targets. And this is correct.
Author: countryhick, 22 Dec 2008 17:31:55
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
So a Nazi is a hero?????
Author: DP, 22 Dec 2008 18:19:45
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
No, a Bulgarian defending Bulgarian civilians was a hero. This man could have saved my life.
A question to you, hick: was the the man who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima a hero, a war criminal, or a solder doing his duty?
Author: countryhick, 22 Dec 2008 18:55:15
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
A question to you, hick: was the the man who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima a hero, a war criminal, or a solder doing his duty?
No way a war criminal! Killing an Evil enemy Is what every soldiers duty is about,
All that serve in a war against evil are hero's
Your pilot killed people who were fighting against a great evil.
Author: DP, 22 Dec 2008 20:23:37
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
"Your pilot killed people who were fighting against a great evil."
My pilot saved me from your pilot who was coming to kill me, a young child--hardly a great evil. Speaking of great evil and your country...Oh, well, the list is too long...;-)
BTW, You remark reminds me of the commie's mantra: "The goal justifies the means". Hm...
Author: countryhick, 22 Dec 2008 20:36:42
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
By your logic we should not have fought back against the Nazi's in case we killed a child in the process. So how many would the Nazi regime have killed then?
Or is it only your life that is of any importance?
Bulgaria chose to fight with the Nazi's so pay the price of evil!
And please spare me the shit about having no choice!!!!
Author: DP, 22 Dec 2008 20:44:47
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
BTW:
17 April 1944
"This bombing is known as "the black Easter"(the second day of Easter) for the citizens of Sofia.Raid was carried out by 350 bombers(B-17 and B-24)with accompanying 100 fighter planes-Mustangs and Lightnings.About 2500 bombs were dropped over the target-railroad marshaling yards. 749 buildings were totally destroyed."
350 bombers, accompanied by 100 fighter planes, dropping 2500 bombs on a city of about 400,000 people, destroying 749 buildings...
WOW! This is what you call heroes eh? If this is not an overkill I have no idea what is, considering that there were hardly any military targets at the time in Sofia. Don't tell me that they destroyed 749 buildings in the railroad yards...
The heroes even bombed their own Embassy! It was nothing other but a carpet bombing for no good reason--waste of ammunition...
Author: countryhick, 22 Dec 2008 20:56:13
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
It was nothing other but a carpet bombing for no good reason--waste of ammunition...
Not a waste of ammunition at all.
Let me make this clear! War is war! There is no such thing as collateral damage.
It is one side trying to kill the other. The second world war was what we call TOTAL WAR. NO HOLDS BARED.
The Nazi's bombed the crap out of my country. They tried to destroy every Cathedral in England. They killed thousands of children!
Your pilot was a part of that evil regime
NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY HE WAS A NAZI.HE FULLY SUPPORTED HITLER.
He had a choice but chose evil
May he rot in hell
Author: Bill, 22 Dec 2008 21:06:11
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
DP:
I'm sure you'll agree that today's weaponry is more sophisticated than in WWII. In those days the accuracy was always a matter of chance, and not even the invention of the Norden Bombsight made things any more accurate.
This is why I have little sympathy today when people scream bloody murder about one house and it inhabitants. In the old days, the whole block, if not the whole town, would have been taken out. Nowadays it's far more selective.
Author: DP, 22 Dec 2008 21:07:19
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
"Or is it only your life that is of any importance?"
What kind of a rubbish is this? Yes, my life is of utmost importance to me just as your life is of utmost importance to you. And in case you do not appreciate the value of a human life you can't speak of evil and good, because your judgement is based on false premises.
"And please spare me the shit about having no choice!!!!"
Why should I do that? You can't take the truth?
Author: countryhick, 22 Dec 2008 21:23:48
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
What kind of a rubbish is this? Yes, my life is of utmost importance to me just as your life is of utmost importance to you.
I will make this clear to you
I am the most important thing that there is.
However there have been and always will be people in war that are willing to die for a greater cause
Your Fascist pilot was a fanatic! He was not saving your life.
He was just like the fanatic SS guards at the concentration camps.
You try to hedge around this by silly philosophy.
Author: WickedWitch, 22 Dec 2008 21:26:39
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
"He was just like the fanatic SS guards at the concentration camps."
Only, you know, he was saving civilians whereas the SS guards were killing civilians. Potato, potahto, right?
Author: DP, 22 Dec 2008 21:28:38
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
Generalizing rhetoric is great for justifying unjustifiable actions.
The Bulgarian pilot killed an allied pilot in the course of DEFENDING a civil population. It was not over your country trying to bomb/kill your children/civilian population.
Who is going to rot in hell and who is not is not up to you. Cursing as an old woman, throwing a shoe, telling someone that his/her life is worthless does not help anybody's argument.
I will end my comments by asking you: How can you live in a country you have such a contempt for its people? Beats me. I could never do that. Maybe we, Bulgarians, are better than most people, eh? On the grand scale of human traits corruption seems rather attractive when compare to arrogance and mindless self righteousness.
Enjoy your shot of home--made rakya;-)!
Author: countryhick, 22 Dec 2008 21:29:25
Bulgaria Marks 65 Years since Death of Fighter Pilot Hero
DP
speak of evil and good, because your judgement is based on false premise
HAVE WE READ BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL THEN?
If so did you understand it? Doubt it.
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