Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.31953/sz.46.1.11
THE CRASH OF THE ALLIED BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER AIRCRAFT (NT997) AT SENJ IN OCTOBER 1944
Pio Domines Peter
orcid.org/0000-0002-8725-8076
Abstract
The key military strategic position and exceptional transport, economic and military
significance of Senj harbour were the reasons why during the Second World War Senj suffered
air bombardments by the Germans and subsequently by Allied air forces which resulted in human
losses and significant material damage. From the beginning of 1944, when Allied air forces gained
supremacy in the air, all the way until the end of the war, Senj harbour and the harbour facilities
were often targets of Allied tactical aerial bombardments, as well as the scenes of targeted attacks
of fighters and fighter-bombers directed at small, specific and specially planned targets. In archive
documents a large number of aerial attacks on Senj are noted, and during one mission by Allied
air forces, on 10th October 1994, during antiaircraft defence with the German ship Arpione in Senj
harbour a Bristol Beaufighter NT997 fighter-bomber from the 19th squadron of the South African
Air Force (SAAF) was hit and crashed into the sea not far from the harbour. Illuminating the
circumstances of the crash and fate of the members of the crew by analysing the remains of the
plane and collected archive documents are the main aim of this paper which came to be upon the
75th anniversary of this event.
Keywords
Second World War; Senj; plane crash; Bristol Beaufighter; Arpione
Hrčak ID:
231935
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2019.
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