On May 15th 1944 two American made bombers type A-20G Boston III , supplied to the Red army under the lease agreement and part of the 13th Red Banner Black Sea Fleet aviation wing, left their airfield on a search and destroy mission in the area of Sulina-Konstanta –Romania.(Source Rubon-belarus.com )
Their crews were:
Mejev Vladimir Alexandrovich – pilot
Avtonomov Nikolaj Alexandrovich – gunner, and
Neverov Vjacheslav Leonidovich – pilot
Voronin Mihail Alexandrovich – gunner
Dates of birth and military ranks are omitted. You can see them on the memorial plate.
They never returned and were considered MIA.
Two days later on May 17th 1944, fishermen from the village of Shabla, Bulgaria found two bodies in pilot gear washed on shore where the memorial is now standing.
Documents in their suits revealed that these were the bodies of Neverov and Voronin .
As the fishermen sympathized to the resistance of the fascist government in Bulgaria, they buried secretly the corpses.
Months later when the Red army entered Bulgaria and the government was toppled the truth was revealed and became known to the Red army representatives and the local community.
Around 1965 local history teacher Vera Badzakova, together with some kids from the local Youth Communist organization ( Pioneri- Pioneers), tried to find what happened and were instrumental in building the present memorial.
At that time they assumed, after exchanging letters with relatives of the pilots, that the mission took place on May 17th, and that both crews were shot down by German fighters off the shore of Shabla, and 17th of May was later wrongly stated on the memorial plate as the date of their death.
The author of this posting checked Luftwaffe archives ( see assibiz.com/Luftwaffe)and found that on May 15th 1944 only one A-20G Boston III was shot down , German pilot being Alfons Klein, but that happened on location 98 728, which according to the Luftwaffe co-ordinate system at that time, placed the incident NE of Kishinev – Moldova.
So what possibly had happened?
Assuming 15th of May 1944 as confirmed date of mission, and 17th of May 1944 as confirmed date of finding the bodies, the following scenario could have unfolded.
Currents map of Black Sea reveals that a local gyre running clock wise is rotating between Sulina Romania, and Shabla Bulgaria, current speed being about 0.3m/s, or roughly 1km per hour.
Survival time in water temperature of 10 – 15 deg C, typical for May, without protective gear is stated to be about 6 hours.
Assuming both pilots were drifting approximately 50 hours and allowing for a wind drift, the area where they dropped to the sea could be defined as being approximately 60 – 70 km NE of Shabla, and up to 20 km off shore East of South port Konstanta.
Both crews probably attempted either, bombing of South port Konstanza, or of a ship there in open sea.
They either met heavy fire and were hit , or collided performing an avoidance maneuver.
The plane of Mejev most probably was deadly hit, and both crew members perished in to the sea.
Neverov and Voronin either parachuted, or Neverov was able to ditch the plane on the water. Later both of them died from hypothermia and were washed ashore near Shabla on May 17th where the current turns North and follows the shore line.
Being aware of all uncertainty of this scenario the author of the posting will gladly accept any comments.
The box itself is placed under some stones at the SW corner of Triangulation Pillar Nr. TT 4 VI, some hundred meters S off the memorial. Log book and a pencil only inside.
This placement was mandatory to not disturb the memory of the fallen soldiers.