ÿþ<html> <head> <TITLE> Hungarian biplane fighter pilots - Árpád Kertész </TITLE> </head> <body> <BODY BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF TEXT=#000000> <B><H2><CENTER> Biplane fighter aces <P> Hungary <P> <IMG SRC=images/hungcross.gif> <P> Örmester Árpád Kertész </H2></B> </CENTER> <P> <CENTER> <IMG SRC=images/kertesz_1.jpg><BR> <FONT SIZE=2> Õrmester (Sergeant) Kertész tells his ground crew about his victory over a Soviet reconnaissance aircraft. <BR> </FONT SIZE=2> </CENTER> <P> Árpád Kertész served in the 1/1. "Íjász" vadászszázad s (Fighter Squadron) 2. Section operating Fiat CR.32s from Ungvar airfield during the border skirmishes against the Slovaks in the spring of 1939. <P> On the morning of 24 March 1939, föhadnagy (Lieutenant) <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Aladár Negró s</A> 2. Section of the 1/1. vadászszázad was patrolling the area over Szobránc. The section consisted of him, örmester (Sergeant) <A HREF="hungary_szobranci.htm">Sandor Szojak</A> and örmester Kertész. At 07:40 three Slovakian Avia B-534s from 49th letka suddenly appeared. <BR> This was a patrol led by porucík (Lieutenant) Ján Prhácek (commanding officer of the 49th letka) and with desiatnik (Corporal) C. Martia as no. 2 and LAC Michal Karas as no. 3. They were heading towards Vyané Remety along the course of the Okna River southwards, where they were to support the attacking troops of the Stakcín group with their operations. The Slovak pilots reported being attacked by Hungarian fighters in the Ni~ná Rybnica area. Martia described their surprise attack: <BLOCKQUOTE> <I>  As soon as I put the fighter to the climbing position shots started flying around me, hitting the aircraft. Turning against the line of fire, I found out that I was attacked by two enemy fighters from the back. I looked at the patrol commander and no. 3 immediately who were attacked by approximately 7-8 enemy fighters and in the east from them there was an enemy bombing aircraft of the type of Caproni in higher altitude. Seeing the situation, I sank to the ground and noticed that my oil tank was shot through and the oil started to leak. The aircraft became impossible. I started to retreat as my last option. </I> </BLOCKQUOTE> His situation, however, became more serious: <BLOCKQUOTE> <I>  They followed me by firing and in that moment the rear tell-tale of my cockpit was hit, the shot was warded off but it got to the cockpit cover frame that was deformed. </I> </BLOCKQUOTE> Martia realised that he finished fighting with his aircraft and dropped the bombs on fields and locked for the most suitable place for an emergency landing. He picked a meadow in the south from Klokocov, where he landed. He could not find out from altitude that the meadow was soggy and not suitable for landing. This caused the B-534 to sink into mellow ground after 20 meters of landing run and turning over with the pilot sustaining minor injuries. Martia had been shot down by örmester <A HREF="hungary_szobranci.htm">Szojak</A>, who reported that his victim fell near Lúcky. <BR> Porucík Prhácek s B-534 was hit by föhadnagy <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Negró</A> west of Sobrance. Seriously wounded Prhácek tried to carry out an emergency landing in the valley of the brook of Luhovce. Due to his injuries and the emergency, he didn t drop his bombs, which exploded when he tried to land, killing him. <BR> LAC Karas was claimed damaged by örmester Kertész in the area of Vyané Remety. Karas, persecuted by enemy fighters, got to Uzhgorod and landed on the field near Humenné due to unfavourable weather and lack of fuel but without damage to his fighter. <P> Later the same day the whole squadron scrambled at 15:00 hours. They formed in three Vs in the air; fõhadnagy <A HREF="hungary_csekme.htm">Béla Csekme</A> leading with hadnagy (2nd Lieutenant) V. Gemeinhardt and õrmester M. Tarr as wingmen. <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Negró s</A> trio flew on the starboard side and on the port side flew fõhadnagy <A HREF="hungary_palko.htm">László Palkó s</A> 3. Section, with wingmen fõhadnagy <A HREF="hungary_bekassy.htm">Antal Békássy</A> and hadnagy <A HREF="hungary_pirity.htm">Mátyás Pirity</A>. The CR.32s reached the cloud-base at about 6200 feet and then flew into fog. Soon there was a hole in the clouds and at the same moment <A HREF="hungary_palko.htm">Palkó</A> and <A HREF="hungary_pirity.htm">Pirity</A> noticed three Avia B-534s and three Letov `.328s on the port side. The 1. Section did not appear to notice the enemy and they flew on and were soon swallowed by the fog. The Avias, which were from 45th letka, jumped <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Negró s</A> 2. Section but opened fire too soon, outside the range of their machine-guns. <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Negró</A>, turned the table and shot down one Avia flown by rotmajster Ján Hergott southeast of Bánovce nad Ondavou. A second Avia, flown by <A HREF="slovakia_hanovec.htm">Frantiaek Hanovec</A>, was shot down by <A HREF="hungary_szobranci.htm">Szojak</A> near Senné. <BR> The Letovs, which were from 12th letka on their way to bomb Hungarian troops at Sobrance, were deserted by their escort and offered a tempting target. They were 300 feet higher thus, in order to gain speed and altitude, <A HREF="hungary_palko.htm">Palkó</A> threw his machine into a short dive and then climbed behind the Letovs. He dipped the nose of his CR.32 and sent a burst into the belly of the nearest one. The aircraft caught fire and crashed north of Pavlovce nad Uhom. The pilot slobodník Gustáv Pa~ický and the observer porucík Ferdinand `vento were both killed. A second Letov was claimed shot down by <A HREF="hungary_pirity.htm">Pirity</A>. This was a Letov flown by slobodník <A HREF="slovakia_drlicka.htm">Jozef Drlicka</A> and his observer podporucík L. `ronk and they made an emergency landing near Strazske. <BR> Three more Avias were discovered and <A HREF="hungary_palko.htm">Palkó s</A> wingmen were now locked in combat with the enemy fighter. <A HREF="hungary_bekassy.htm">Békássy</A> pursued one over the border and emptied a total of a thousand rounds from both machine guns into it before shooting it down. This aircraft was flown by desiatnik <A HREF="slovakia_danihel.htm">Martin Danihel</A> from 45th letka and he made an emergency landing near Brezovice nad Torysa. After having expending all his ammunition <A HREF="hungary_bekassy.htm">Békássy</A> returned to Hungary. <BR> Looking around <A HREF="hungary_pirity.htm">Pirity</A> saw streams of tracers scorching the sky then noticed an Avia some 1500 feet below. <A HREF="hungary_pirity.htm">Pirity</A> dived on it but he had to pull out because another CR.32 crossed his path with guns blazing. The sky was now empty, <A HREF="hungary_palko.htm">Palkó</A>, staying in the area for a minute or two, sighted <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Negró s</A> machine. One by one the other Fiats joined them. <A HREF="hungary_bekassy.htm">Békássy</A> and <A HREF="hungary_szobranci.htm">Szojak</A> had already landed at Ungvar. <BR> The Hungarian pilots totally claimed five Avias and two Letovs in the air combat over Paloc. <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Negró</A>, <A HREF="hungary_bekassy.htm">Békássy</A>, <A HREF="hungary_szobranci.htm">Szojak</A>, <A HREF="hungary_csekme.htm">Béla Csekme</A> (not confirmed) and Kertész (one not confirmed over Michalovce) reported the destruction of the Avias, while <A HREF="hungary_palko.htm">Palkó</A> and <A HREF="hungary_pirity.htm">Pirity</A> claimed the Letovs. Gemeinhardt and Tarr had no chance to fire their guns in anger. The Slovakian forces lost three Avia B-534s and two Letovs. Slovakian pilots <A HREF="slovakia_hanovec.htm">Hanovec</A> and <A HREF="slovakia_danihel.htm">Danihel</A> both claimed one Fiat but this was not confirmed with the Hungarians. <BR> Porucík Ferdinand `vento, the observer of one of the Letovs, baled out and was wounded in the stomach while descending in his parachute. He fell near a group of Hungarian hussars. Upon impact he forced himself to sit up and reached inside his flying gear. The move was misunderstood and `vento was mortally shot. The hussars found his identification papers in his hand instead of a pistol. `vento was buried with full military honors. <P> During 1939 he was awarded the Nagy ezüst Vitézségi Érem (Great Silver Medal for Bravery). <P> He served in the 2/3.  Richie vadászszázad operating Fiat CR.42s in the summer and autumn of 1941 during the units operations against the Soviet Union. <P> At around 08:00 on 27 June, the MKHL made its first air attack against Soviet targets, when around 30 bombers comprising Junkers Ju 86s of 4/3. and 4/4. bombázószázad (Bomber Squadron) and one squadron of Caproni Ca.135s of 3/5. bombázószázad attacked targets in Stanislav (now Ivano-Frankovsk). They were escorted by 9 CR 42s of the 2/3.  Ricsi vadászszázad of the 2./II osztály led by százados vitéz <A HREF="hungary_szobranczy.htm">Aladár Szobránczy</A>. After the bombers had done their work, the escorting fighters strafed targets of opportunity in the area. Prmester (Sergeant) Kertész was lost in dense clouds and when he finally broke through, he sighted a reconnaissance machine. When he flew towards it, it opened fire so he identified it as a Russian reconnaissance aircraft (probably a Polikarpov R-5). After a short exchange of fire, the reconnaissance aircraft burst into flames. He turned back towards his base flying on his instruments but after a while, his fuel ran low and he decided to land. Fortunately, when he landed he found himself among Rumanians. However, it took him more than a week to squeeze some petrol out of them. At last, they gave him some but it was still so little that he had to return to his unit via his pre-war base in Hungary. <BR> During the same mission, the fighter squadron lost CR 42 V.217, when zászlós László Kázár was shot down by antiaircraft fire. He made a forced landing and after setting fire to his personal mount for two years, he managed to return after 16 days spent hiding behind enemy lines, with the help of local Ukrainian anti-Communist guerrillas. <P> Kertész ended the war with 2 biplane victories. <P> He passed away in Hungary in 1985. <P> <B><FONT SIZE=4>Claims:</FONT SIZE=4></B><BR> <TABLE BORDER WIDTH=100% ALIGN='center'> <TR> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN='left'><FONT SIZE=2>Kill no.</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Date</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Time</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Number</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Type</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Result</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Plane type</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Serial no.</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Locality</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Unit</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2><B>1939</B></FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>24/03/39</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>07:40</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>1</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Avia B-534 (a)</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Damaged</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Fiat CR.32</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Vyané Remety area</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>1/1. vadászszázad</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>1</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>24/03/39</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>15:00-</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>1</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Avia B-534 (b)</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Destroyed</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Fiat CR.32</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Michalovce</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>1/1. vadászszázad</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2><B>1941</B></FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>2</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>27/06/41</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>08:00-</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=2% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>1</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Russian reconnaissance aircraft (c)</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Destroyed</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Fiat CR.42</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>Stanislav area</FONT></TD> <TD WIDTH=5% ALIGN= left ><FONT SIZE=2>2/3. vadászszázad</FONT></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P> <B>Biplane victories: </B>2 destroyed, 1 damaged. <BR> <B>TOTAL: </B>2 destroyed, 1 damaged. <BR> <FONT SIZE=2> (a) Claimed in combat with 49th letka. Michal Karas Avia was undamaged. <BR> (b) Not confirmed. Claimed in combat with 45th letka. <BR> (c) Probably a Polikarpov R-5. <BR> </FONT SIZE=2> <P> Sources: <BR> Csaba Becze: A magyar királyi 1. honvéd éjjeli vadász repülõszázad Magyar Repüléstörténeti Társaság Konferencia Közleményei 1999 kindly provided by Csaba Becze <BR> Avia B-34, B-534 a Bk-534, slovenských pilotov 1939-1944  Peter `umichrast and Jozef And al, HT model apeciál, ISSN 1335-3667 <BR> Biplane Against The Red Bear - Julius R. Gaal, 1974 Air Combat Spring/1974 kindly provided by Santiago Flores <BR> Elfelejtett HQsök - Csaba Becze, 2006 Puedlo Kiadó, ISBN 963-9673-064 <BR> Harcok az orosz égen Budapest - László Tomor, 1942 kindly provided by Csaba Becze <BR>  KQr ász Egy vadászrepülQ század története 1936-1941 - Csaba Becze, 2007 Puedlo Kiadó, ISBN 978-9639673854 <BR> Krst ohnom (Plastic Kits Revue) - Juraj Rajninec, 1991 (kindly provided by Ondrej Repka) <BR> One day Air War (Air Combat magazine September/1977) - Julius R.Gaal, 1977 (kindly provided by Santiago Flores) <BR> Slovensti letci/Slovak Airmen 1939-1945 - Jiri Rajlich and Jiri Sehnal, 1991 (kindly provided by Ondrej Repka) <BR> Slovenske letectvo 1939-1944 - Juraj Rajninec, 1997 (kindly provided by Ondrej Repka) <BR> Additional information kindly provided by Dénes Bernád and Csaba Becze. <BR> <P> <CENTER> <A HREF="hungary.htm"><IMG SRC=images/aces_hungary.gif></A> <BR> <A HREF="aces.htm"><IMG SRC=images/biplaneaces.gif></A> <BR> <A HREF="index.html"><IMG SRC=images/return.gif></A> <BR> </CENTER> <P> <FONT SIZE=2> <CENTER> Last modified 24 February 2009 </CENTER> </FONT SIZE=2> <P> </body> </html>