Horia Agarici

Who was Horia Agarici?

Captain Horia Agarici was a Romanian aviator and World War II flying ace.

Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Agarici lived much of his youth in Iaşi, then attended flying schools in Bucharest and Tecuci, becoming a bomber pilot in the Romanian Air Force. In 1937, after undergoing training in Buzău, he was assigned to the 1st Fighter Flotilla.

After Romania's entry into World War II on the side of Nazi Germany, and the start of Operation Barbarossa, Agarici, who had been assigned to Mamaia, was part of a squadron defending the coastline and railroad links between Constanţa and Bucharest from Soviet bombings. He became known on June 23, 1941, when he flew his damaged Hawker Hurricane into action against Soviet bombers, managing to gun down two enemy aircraft. His feat was soon the theme of a popular song, used for propaganda purposes by the Ion Antonescu regime.

By mid-1941, he claimed two more kills, and won ace status. However, the assessments of his superiors indicate that he was viewed as a mediocre pilot, and Agarici himself became mainly interested in publishing poetry he wrote.