Miroslav Navratil
| Miroslav (Friedrich) Navratil | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
19 July 1893 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 7 June 1947 (aged 53) Zagreb, Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Allegiance |
 Austria-Hungary (until 1918)
 Yugoslavia (1918–1941)
 NDH (1941–1945)
|
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Flik 41J |
| Commands held | Flik 3J |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Other work | Minister of Armed Forces of the Independent State of Croatia |
Miroslav (Friedrich) Navratil (19 July 1893 – 7 June 1947) was a Croatian soldier, pilot, and general who served in the armies of Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the Independent State of Croatia.
Navratil was born in Sarajevo, within the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He attended gymnasium in Sarajevo, and finished cadet's school in Graz. In World War I he served in the military of Austria–Hungary, as a fighter pilot in the Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops. While on the Eastern and Italian fronts, he scored a victory with Flik 41J on 14 April 1918, before assuming command of Flik 3J on 9 June 1918. Flying Albatros D.IIIs, he scored nine more victories. He attained the rank of Oberleutnant. His victory string ran until 31 August, when he downed a Bristol F.2 Fighter, but lost all four of his inexperienced wingmen in the process. Navratil blamed himself for their loss. He largely removed himself from combat operations. On 21 October, during a test flight of an Albatros D.III, his seat broke, and he was injured in the resultant crash landing. He did not recover before the Armistice.
In 1918, Austria-Hungary dissolved and Navratil moved to the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, where he took on a position in the royal army. He rose to the rank of colonel, but was eventually retired from the army in 1940 because of conflict with Serb officers within its ranks.
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