<meta content="ToniArts EasyHtml v.2.2" name="generator" /><font color="#000000" size="5">Polkovnik (colonel) Valkov had held a hurried telephonic conference with his senior pilots, and decided to send two formations of B-534s to patrol the 6,500-ft. Ossogvska Planina range in an effort to block the escape route to Yugoslavia, while forty-six more Avia B-534s from Asen and Karlovo plus the six airworthy and armed Karlovo Messerschmitt Bf 109s were to intercept the returning bomber stream. <p>How inadequate the B-534s were could now be seen. To the utter frustration of the Bulgarian pilots they found that their biplane fighters could only make one firing pass at a Liberator before it was out of range, the B-24 pulling away rapidly in a stern chase</p> <p>However all was not lost. Led by Leitenant Stoyan Stoyanov (later to be Bulgarian top scorer with fourteen con-firmed victories) the Karlovo 109s pounced on straggling Liberators heading for Yugo-slavia Stoyanov forced down one B-24; Leitenant Petr Bochev shot another down in flames. In all, three Liberators are known to have been destroyed that day by the Bulgarian defences -ten American aircrew being taken prisoner.</p> <p>(From<i> AIR PICTORIAL</i> ) </p> </font>
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