Independent State of Croatia (1943-1945)
Fighter –  36 to 46 Operated

During the Second World War, the German puppet state the Nezavisna Država Hrvatska NDH (Eng. Independent State of Croatia), tried to develop its own Air Force. Unfortunately for them, its German and Italian allies simply did not have the industrial resources, nor spare planes to allow them to build a significant air force. Still, the NDH’s persistence in asking for such equipment paid off in 1944 when they received over 30 captured French MS 406 fighters.

History

After Italy’s unsuccessful invasion of Greece, Benito Mussolini was forced to ask his German ally for help. Adolf Hitler agreed to assist, fearing that a possible Allied attack through the Balkans would reach Romania and its vital oil fields. In the path of the German advance towards Greece stood Yugoslavia, whose government initially agreed to join the Axis side. This agreement was short-lived, as the Yugoslav government was overthrown by an anti-Axis pro-Allied military coup at the end of March 1941. Hitler immediately gave an order for the preparation of the invasion of Yugoslavia. The war that began on 6th April 1941, sometimes called the April War, was a short one and ended with a Yugoslav defeat, and the division of its territory between the Axis powers.

With the collapse of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Croatia, with German aid, was finally able to declare independence, albeit becoming a fascist puppet state. It was officially formed on the 10th of April 1941. The new state received a significant territorial expansion by annexing most of western Yugoslavia, including Bosnia, parts of Serbia, and Montenegro.

While the conquest of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia proved to be an easy task for the Axis, holding these territories proved to be much more difficult. This was mainly due to two resistance movements that were actively engaged in sabotage, destroying railways and bridges, and attacking isolated occupation units’ positions and strong points. Despite attempts to suppress these attacks, the resistance movements, especially the Communist Partisans, grew rapidly, forcing the Germans and their Allies to introduce ever-larger occupation forces. The NDH forces were especially targeted as they committed mass murders and deportations to concentration camps. Thanks to the German help, they managed to form a small Air Force that in its inventory consisted of all kinds of obsolete, and in rarer cases, new equipment. By 1943, it was in the process of reorganization and the NDH officials during this time often asked their German overlords for more modern aircraft. Sometimes they even portrayed their own Air Force as weaker than it was.

The NDH Air Force was particularly poorly equipped with fighter aircraft. Luckily for them, the Germans at that time occupied what remained of Vichy France, capturing all kinds of military equipment. This also included the MS 406 fighters which was agreed to be sent to NDH by the end of 1943.

A Brief MS 406  History

At the start of the Second World War, the Morane-Saulnier MS 406 was one of the more modern French fighters built using metal components whose development began in mid-1930s. The first prototype under the designation MS 405 made its maiden test flight on the 8th of August 1935. Following successful testing and good performance, the French Ministry of Aviation issued a request for the first 50 aircraft in February 1938. Given the rising tension in Europe at that time the order was eventually increased to an additional 825 aircraft to be built. By the time, the French surrendered to the Germans over 1,000 aircraft of this type were built.

The MS 406 was a good design that was nearly equal to the German Bf 109 models near the start of the war. During the War with the Germans in 1940, the MS 406 managed to achieve some success against the Germans but ultimately proved incapable of stopping the enemy. Some 300 aircraft of this type would be lost during this brief war, either due to the action of enemy fighters, ground anti-aircraft fire, or accidents. The MS 406 also achieved some success on the foreign market with 12 being sold to China, 30 to Finland, and the Swiss obtained a license for production. Poland also expressed interest in acquiring 150 aircraft of this type but nothing came of this as a result of the German invasion that began in September 1939.

In NDH service

The precise number of available MS 406 or the date when they arrived is not clear.  According to A. Pelletier ( French Fighters Of World War II in Action) the NDH received 46 MS 406 in early 1943. Author V. V. Mikić ( Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske 1941-1945) on the other hand mentioned a lower number of 38 which began to arrive at the end of 1943 and early 1944. These aircraft received registration numbers from 2301 to 2338.  According to T. Likso and D. Čanak (The Croatian Air Force In Second World War) between 36 to 38 were sent to the NDH during 1944.

In late 1943, these aircraft, together with Italian-supplied Fiat G.50s, were to be used to equip the 11th Group consisting of three squadrons (21st, 22nd, and 23rd). The MS 406s were expected to arrive at the start of 1944. The first operational units were to be formed by mid-February. To help train the pilots, one Seiman 200 and ex-Yugoslav P.V.T aircraft were to be supplied. The training operations were carried out at Lučko airfield, starting from October 1943.

The situation in the air and the ground significantly worsened for NDH at the start of 1944. It was especially hard-pressed as the Allies began bombing operations in occupied Yugoslavia. Thanks to their advances in Italy, they managed to set up many air bases from which these attacks could be launched. They bombed many military installations including ammunition depots, fuel production facilities, and NDH airfields.

On the 5th or 6th of April 1944, the Lazužani airfield where the NDH 5th Air  Base was located was bombed by the Allied 2nd SAAF Squadron. They managed to completely destroy 11 and damage 20 more aircraft. One MS 406 was destroyed when an Allied bomb landed next to it. The pilot Cvitan Galić did not survive the explosion. The loss in material was such that the 23rd Lovačko Jato was disbanded. Another MS 406 was lost during a second Allied bombing run on Borongaj and Lučko air bases that occurred on the 12th of April 1944.

In March 1944 Hrvatska Zrakoplovna Legija HZL (Eng. Croatian Air Force Legion) arrived at the NDH capital Zagreb. This unit was formed way back in 1941 and was in direct control by the Germans. Its pilots participated under German controls on the Eastern Front and were quite experienced. The Germans demanded that at least two MS 406s be given to this unit to be used as training aircraft. The NDH officials could do little not to comply.

By 15th September 1944, there were 19 available MS 406 aircraft. Of this number only 7 were fully operational. On September 18th, or on the night of the 21st the sources are not clear, the Partisan forces managed to capture an NDH airfield near Banja Luka. Some 30 ,or 11 depending on the source, aircraft stationed there were captured. The NDH personnel either joined the Partisans or fled leaving behind valuable equipment and supplies. The Partisans managed to capture 3 MS 406 fighters, two were under repair. These were used against their former owners, but one was damaged in an accident and was written off.

In late 1944, the few surviving MS 406 were used in desperate attempts to stop the victorious Partisans forces that were liberating Yugoslavia from the Axis occupiers. By this point, the NDH Air Force could do little to stop them given the chronic lack of fuel. Unfortunately, the precise information about the fate of many NDH aircraft in the last few months of the war was not recorded well. While the Partisans managed to capture a few MS 406 their use was limited at best, and unfortunately, none of them is known to have survived the war.

Camo and markings

The MS 406 appears to have been left in German late time war type camouflage. This usually consisted of  Dunkelgrun (Eng. Dark green) and Grau  (Eng. Grey) on the upper aircraft surfaces, and  Hellblau (Eng. Sky Blue) on the lower surfaces. A standard Croatian white and red checkerboard coat of arms was painted on the wings and the fuselage sides. Starting from 24th February 1945 the NDH Air Force introduced the use of a black trefoil that was painted on the aircraft fuselage sides.

Technical Specification

The MS 406 was designed as a low-wing mix-construction fighter.  Its designers went for a conventional construction aircraft design. The fuselage frame was made using aluminum tubes connected and covered with Plymax. This is a  composite material that consists of layers of aluminum and plywood. The wings were constructed using a combination of spars and steel tubes also covered in this material. It was powered by one 860 hp Hispano-Suiza liquid-cooled engine. Most produced aircraft used a three-bladed two-pitch propeller, while some received variable-pitch propellers. The armament consisted of one 20 mm (0.78 in) Hispano-Suiza S9 cannon and two 7.5 mm (0.29 in) MAC 1934 machine guns. The cannon fired through the propeller shaft.  The total ammunition load for the cannon was 60 and for the two machine guns 600 rounds.

Conclusion

The MS 406 was one of the few more modern fighter aircraft that was available in any significant number. But despite that, it was already obsolete and could realistically do little against Allied bombers and fighters. It was mostly used to fight the advancing Partisan formations. Few remaining aircraft were used in this role up to the end of the war.

MS 406  Specifications
Wingspans	10.6 m / 34  ft 10  in
Length	8.13 m / 26 ft 9  in
Height	2.71 m / 8  ft 10  in
Wing Area	17.1 m² / 184 ft²
Engine	One 860 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 liquid-cooled engine
Empty Weight	1,900 kg / 4,190  lbs
Maximum Take-off Weight	2,426 kg / 5,790  lbs
Climb Rate per minute	850 m / 2,790 ft
Maximum Speed	485 km/h / 302 mph
Range	1,000 km / 620 miles
Maximum Service Ceiling	9,400 m / 30,840 ft
Crew	1 pilot
Armament	One 20 mm (0.78 in) cannon and two 7.5 mm (0.29 in) machine guns

Illustration

 

Credits

• Article written by Marko P.
• Edited by  Henry H.
• Illustration by Godzilla

Source:

• A. Pelletier (2002) French Fighters Of World War II in Action, Squadron/Signal Publication
• Duško N. (2008)  Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Francuska. Beograd
• V. V. Mikić, (2000) Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske 1941-1945, Vojno  istorijski institut Vojske Jugoslavije.
• T. Likso and Danko Č. (1998) The Croatian Air Force In The Second World War, Nacionalna Sveučilišna Zagreb
• J. R. Smith and A. L. Kay (1990) German Aircraft of the Second World War, Putnam
• D. Monday (2006) The Hamlyn Concise Guide To Axis Aircraft OF World War II, Bounty Books
• T.L. Morosanu and D. A. Melinte Romanian (2010) Fighter Colours 1941-1945 MMP Books
• D. Bernard (1996) Heinkel He 112 in Action, Signal Publication
• R.S. Hirsch, U, Feist and H. J. Nowarra (1967) Heinkel 100, 112, Aero Publisher
• C. Chants (2007) Aircraft of World War II, Grange Books.