Franjo Džal

Franjo Džal (born in Bihać, April 9, 1906 - died in Belgrade in September 1945) was a colonel in the Independent State of Croatia's air force.

He finished elementary school and gymnasium in Bihać and graduated from the military academy in Belgrade in 1924. Džal initially attended observer school at Petrovaradin in 1927, and then was accepted for pilot training at 1 .VP in Novi Sad the following year. He became a fighter pilot, serving with 6.LP in Zemun, (now in Serbia) in 1931. In the Yugoslav Royal Army he finished training as a fighter pilot. During the April War he was serving as a Major in Niš. He soon joined the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia and was assigned to the Croatian Air Force Legion.

Džal was a member of the 4th Legionnaire Fighter Wing of the Legion. The Legion was sent to the Eastern Front in September 1941. Lieutenant-colonel Džal became the first commanding officer of 15(Kroat)/JG 52. From October 1941 to November 1942 he claimed 16 confirmed victories (and 3-5 unconfirmed) in 157 missions. On 28 July he was shot down by Alexander Pokryshkin but bailed out and survived. By December the wing returned to the Independent State of Croatia for vacation. The unit returned to the Eastern Front in February 1943. In November 1943 he was made commanding officer of the Croatian Air Force Legion.

He was later returned to the Independent State of Croatia from flight service and held posts within the command of the air force. With the defeat of the state in 1945 he travelled to the Austrian border to surrender to the Allies. He was soon arrested by the Communist Yugoslavian government and was sentenced to death, and executed in October 1945.