Puma squadron

[Homer Simpson]

This was a Hungarian fighter unit whose motto was "Our leader is courage Luck is our wingman" It's leader was Aladar de Heppes Anybody have any info on it
Thanks everyone!

[liverpool annie]

Originally Posted by Homer Simpson

This was a Hungarian fighter unit whose motto was "Our leader is courage Luck is our wingman" It's leader was Aladar de Heppes Anybody have any info on it
Thanks everyone!

Hi Homer !

I found this ... just to keep you going .... the experts will be here soon !!

(1904 - ?)
He was CO of 1/101 V.Szd. On 6th May 1945 he surrounded ( ? ) to Americans then he emigrated in USA.
Alternative number of kills - 10, 8(4).
Eastern front - Battle of USSR (1942-1944)
Eastern Europe Liberation (1944-1945)

Aircraft - Hungary - Messerschmitt Bf.109G Gustav

WINGS PALETTE - Pilots

Hungarians started out in Fiat C.R.42s and Reggiane Re.2000s - but the most successful were the Me-109 pilots of Aladar de Heppes' 5/1 "Puma" Group. Puma aces would include Gyorgy Debrody who survived the war with 18 Russian and eight American aircraft to his credit, and Heppes himself ..... with four Russians and four Americans

Air War's Greatest Aces... - Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums

[Adrian Roberts]

My first port of call for WW2 aces is

Aces of WWII

Going to Hungarian page, Heppes is listed but with no further information.

But where Debrody is listed, there is a link about Debrody that mentions Puma squadron

WW II ACE STORIES

[liverpool annie]

Originally Posted by Adrian Roberts

My first port of call for WW2 aces is

Aces of WWII

Going to Hungarian page, Heppes is listed but with no further information.

But where Debrody is listed, there is a link about Debrody that mentions Puma squadron

WW II ACE STORIES

Are you looking for somebody in particular Homer ?? I found this with some flyers listed

Hungarian Aces of World War 2 - Google Book Search

This might be a good book to have ... thats if you don't already have it !!

Like Germany, Hungary was forbidden from having an air force following the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War 1. However, again like Germany, the new state of Hungary created an air arm in secret during the 1930s. Hungarian fighter pilots first saw action against their Slovakian neighbours in early 1939, following the annexation of Czechoslovakia by Germany. In June 1941, Hungarian armed forces joined the Germany in the invasion of Russia, and pilots from the I/I Fighter Group saw continuous action into 1942. Flying CR.42s, Re.2000s and Bf 109Es, pilots scored a modest number of kills. However, when the Bf 109G-equipped Hungarian 101 ŒPuma1 Fighter Regiment was committed to action over Kharkov in April 1943, numerous aces started to rapidly build there scores. One year later the unit returned home in order to defend Hungarian cities from American heavy bombers, and pilots such as Dezsö Szentgyörgyi and György Debrödy scored the bulk of their kills in desperate battles against American fighters and bombers. Unlike most of Germany1s Eastern European allies, Hungary did not capitulate during the Russian advances of 1944, and its fighter pilots fought on until May 1945.

Annie

[liverpool annie]

Heres another book that maybe of interest ....

Tibor Tobak (1922–2001) was a World War II fighter pilot serving in the 3rd squadron of Hungarian 101st "Puma" air wing, who survived the war with two serious injuries and 5 aerial victories. Shortly after the fall of communist rule he wrote a 300 page novel based on his notes, diaries and preserved personal letters. The 1991 book titled "Pumas on the ground and in the air" was praised for style, thrill, as well as day-by-day documentary accuracy. It was subsequently translated to and published in German and French languages after three Hungarian editions.
The publication of Tobak's Puma book sparked unexpectedly great public interest in the history of pre-1945 Hungarian aviation and air force, which was a strictly banned subject during the communist bloc era. Tibor Tobak quickly became the key personality representing and organizing veteran Hungarian military aviators. He wrote several more short stories commemorating the service of Hungarian bomber and aerial reconnaissance units in WWII. He was decorated and promoted to the rank of a colonel (retired) by the democratic government for his work in preserving an important part of Hungarian military history.
Tobak's Puma book is organized into several chapters. These address his flight school and fighter academy studies, months of service as a courier pilot in Transylvania, his entry to the Pumas and the first fights against USAAF bomber formations during the summer and autumn of 1944. (The full Puma unit, nominally the "101st wing", was worth no more than thirty Me-109G6 fighter planes, yet sent alone to attack US formations consisting of 500 B-17 or B-24 heavy bombers and 200 P-51 Mustang fighters). Tobak documents his severe injury and an adventurous journey to and from a hospital in Germany through the chaos of day-and-night allied carpet bombing campaign.
The final part of his Puma book deals with war on the soviet front, against Il-2 ground support battle-aircraft and their Yak and Lavochkin fighter cover, where the Me-109 was at disadvantage in low altitude operations. The book ends with the Puma's fighting retreat into Austria and torching its remaining planes on Raffelding airfield on 6 May 1945, with the badly burnt Tobak watching from the sideline. The Puma unit eventually offeres itself captive to the US Army.

Tibor Tobak - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Homer Simpson]

Thanks so much everyone! I sure hope I haven't been rude by not saying thanks until now but I Really am sorry! Uh, well, I was wondering, how many 2 engined planes they shot down

[Antipodean Andy]

Do you have suspicions that they shot down an aircraft or crew you are researching?

[Homer Simpson]

No It's just that I doubt that the Puma squadron have as much success against U.S. heavy bombers as the Luftwaffe did so, I'm hoping that they shot
down a lot of twin engin a/c (East or West front)

[liverpool annie]

Originally Posted by Homer Simpson

No It's just that I doubt that the Puma squadron have as much success against U.S. heavy bombers as the Luftwaffe did so, I'm hoping that they shot
down a lot of twin engin a/c (East or West front)

Are you playing a game or something Homer ??

[Antipodean Andy]

The full Puma unit, nominally the "101st wing", was worth no more than thirty Me-109G6 fighter planes, yet sent alone to attack US formations consisting of 500 B-17 or B-24 heavy bombers and 200 P-51 Mustang fighters

Doubt they would get much success given this quote from Annie's post above. Probably their best bet for twin-engined encounters would have been against the Russians or maybe intruders ranging from the south. The book/s Annie listed above will certainly clarify the matter.