CROATIA

Airmen of Slovak origin who flew during World War II

                                                VICTORIES
NAME                                     CONFIRMED   UNCONFIRMED                     UNIT

Sandtner, Vladimir                           1            1                          15.(Kroat)/JG 52

• Croatian pilot of Slovak origin, Vladimir Sandtner, was trained as a member of the Croatian Air Force in 1943 by Luftwaffe units JG 104 and II./EJG 1. In April 1944, he was provisionally assigned to 3./JG 52 on the Eastern Front, as the unit with Croatian pilots, 15.(Kroat.)/JG 52, was withdrawn from the front at that time. During the fighting over Romania in June 1944, he achieved a confirmed Il-2 kill, while another victory over a Yak-9 was not confirmed. In the spring of 1945, Sandtner served with the rank of stražnik (Feldwebel) in the 2. zrakoplovno lovačko jato (fighter squadron), which was involved in anti-partisan operations and occasionally clashed with RAF fighters. During a reconnaissance flight on April 16 near Senj, he deserted to Italy together with stražnik Josip Ceković, landing at Falconara (Sandtner) and Iesi (Ceković) airfield. Sandtner’s aircraft had register number 2104 in Croatian Air Force inventory. An ibex was painted on both sides of the fuselage.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-14/AS, WNr. 782xxx, str. Vladimir Sandtner, 2.ZLJ, Lučko, Croatia, April 1945.

1. Eduard Model Accessories
2. Ciglić, Boris: La 15.(Kroat.)/JG 52: Sur Le Front De L’Est, 1941-1944, Avions, Hors Serie, № 049, 2019.
3. Ciglic, B. - Slavic, D.: Croatian Aces of World War 2, Aircraft of the Aces 49, Osprey Aerospace, London 2002.