Скачать или смотреть The Day America Fought Russia in WW2 | The Secret Niš Incident (1944)

🎬 The Day America Fought Russia in WW2: The Secret Niš Incident (1944)

On November 7, 1944, something happened that history tried to bury. American P-38 Lightning fighters accidentally attacked Soviet forces in Yugoslavia, creating the only documented direct military conflict between the US and USSR during World War II.

⏱️ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER:
0:00 - When Allies Became Enemies
2:15 - The Strategic Balkans Situation: Late 1944
4:30 - P-38 Lightning vs Yak-9: The Aircraft Showdown
7:00 - The Tragic Mission Begins
10:30 - The Deadly Mistake Unfolds
15:45 - USA vs USSR: First Ever Air Combat
20:00 - Realization and Retreat
23:30 - Cover-up and Aftermath

🔍 THE STORY:
The city of Niš in southern Serbia was a critical strategic point as the Germans retreated. Led by Colonel Clarence Edwinson, twelve P-38 Lightnings from the 82nd Fighter Group were on patrol, hunting German targets. What happened next would shock both nations.

Spotting what they thought were retreating Germans, the Americans attacked with devastating accuracy. Heavy machine-gun fire and bombs rained down on the column below. But in a cruel twist of fate, the targets weren't Nazis - they were Soviet 6th Guards Rifle Corps and Yugoslav Partisans celebrating the October Revolution.

💥 THE BATTLE:
Soviet ace Alexander Koldunov scrambled Yak-9 fighters to defend the airfield. For the first time in history, fighters of the United States and Soviet Union engaged in direct aerial combat. The distinctive twin-boom P-38s faced nimble Soviet Yak-9s in a deadly dance above the Balkans.

The result was devastating: over 30 Soviet soldiers dead, including General Grigory Kotov. American pilots lost: Alden Coulson and Philip Brewer. Soviet ace Alexander Shipula died defending his comrades.

🕵️ WHY REMAINED HIDDEN:
When Stalin heard of the attack, he was furious. Soviet leaders believed it was deliberate betrayal. Only official apologies and the need to maintain the alliance against Hitler prevented the incident from spiraling into diplomatic disaster.

The incident was classified Top Secret for decades. Colonel Edwinson was quietly transferred out of theater. Pilots were ordered not to speak of it. The story remained buried in Cold War archives.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
This accidental battle was a chilling preview of the Cold War to come. It revealed how quickly allies could become enemies, how communication failures could escalate to combat, and how the fog of war could turn friends into foes.

Today, a monument stands in Niš with Soviet and American military delegations meeting annually to honor those lost. It serves as a reminder that even in our darkest moments, cooperation and understanding must prevail.

📚 SOURCES:
• Declassified USAAF Records (National Archives)
• Soviet Military Archives (Ministry of Defense)
• "The Niš Incident: A Secret History" by Dr. Vladimir Petrov
• 15th Air Force Unit History Records
• Yugoslav Partisan Operational Reports

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