lt. av. Mircea "Gicu" Badulescu

Light Bomber/Dive Bomber Pilot

Born: 1 November 1917, Buzau

Units:

• 8 January - 10 August 1942: 81st Light Bomber Squadron
• 10 August 1942 - 25 March 1943: 3rd Bomber Group
• 26 March 1943 - 23 August 1944: 3rd Dive Bomber Group
• 29 August - 11 October 1944: 6/3rd Dive Bomber Group
• 11 October 1944 - 12 May 1945: 8th Assault/Dive Bomber Group

Combat missions: 18 light bomber (IAR-37) + 262 dive bomber (Ju-87)

Victories: 1

Decorations:

• Mihai Viteazu Order 3rd class with swords
• Virtutea Aeronautica Order Commander class
• Eiserne Kreuz 1st class

War episode:

On 13 January 1945, lt. av. Badulescu, the CO of the 74th Dive Bomber Squadron, led a formation of 7 Ju-87D5s against the Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest, which was very important for the Axis forces inside the city and was very heavily defended. The VVS already tried several times to destroy it and another bridge close to it, but failed. They took off at 15:00, in front of gen. av. Emanoil Ionescu (the CO of the Romanian Air Corps). As they closed on the city, they could see big columns of smoke all over the city. They gained altitude until they reached 4000 m. The AAA "welcomed" the Romanian Ju-87 and the Soviet Yaks which were escorting them. They came over the Danube, lined up and started the dive. They released the bombs and pulled up in the last moment. Flying just over the roofs of the buildings in Budapest, to avoid the powerful AAA the Ju-87 formation made its escape. Four bombs had hit the bridge. One airplane was hit in the engine and had to make an emergency landing on another airfield. The others returned without problems.

Died: 19 June 1967, car accident

@ 2002-2004