WWII fighter pilot's legacy still has impact today

Ethan Allen Smith crashed above Sliač. The stories of such veterans create a tradition worthy of the democratic development of our country.

US WWII pilot, Ethan Allen Smith, crash landed in Slovakia.US WWII pilot, Ethan Allen Smith, crash landed in Slovakia. (Source: Courtesy of SNP Museum)

When the young US pilot Ethan Allen Smith woke up to an Italian morning on September 17, 1944, he could not have dreamed what the day had in store for him. This of course, was much the same as any other day as the tasks the pilots at the Italian air bases were charged with were demanding. They involved stories of various colours, sad to say mostly dark ones.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

Smith piloted a P-51 Mustang fighter plane which accompanied the four-engine B-17s and B-24s into the territory of Nazi Germany where the Allies engaged their British and US bomber squadrons to destroy strategic targets.

SkryťTurn off ads

On this particular day, two planes, 166 B-17 and 384 B-24, took off from their southern Italian base, their ultimate target to bomb refineries and railroad nodes in Budapest. Two more B-17s of the 483rd Bombardment Group of the 15th US army air corps took off from their base in Bari with a fighter accompaniment composed of 25 P-51 Mustangs and joined them as they headed into Hungarian territory.

The B-17s from Bari split from the massive strike force above Nagykoros and headed, together with their accompaniment of fighter planes, towards central Slovakia. Here, the resistance army and guerrillas had been fighting against occupying Nazi units and the regime of the Germany-inclined state since August 29, 1944.

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Pulling strudel dough until it is thin enough to read a newspaper underneath.

Cooking with Babička: Pull strudel to connect with others

Most of us want quick recipes for our busy lives; making pulled strudel, however, is a recipe of mindfulness and connection.


27. may
Jupiter (centre) and its Galilean moons: from left Ganymede, Io, Europa and Callisto. Juice with deployed antennas and arrays is in the bottom right.

From Košice to Ganymede: Slovak engineers are leaving their mark in space

Slovaks are active participants in two ongoing space missions.


20. may
Vápenná

3 things to do in Bratislava for free in the next seven days

Cycle through the streets of Bratislava this Friday or visit a photo exhibition of Korean nature and culture.


25. may

Huge hike in public transport fares for capital

Cost of tickets to rise after July 1 by average of 20 percent, mayor says.


24. may
SkryťClose ad