site.btaApril 17, 1944: Nedelcho Bonchev Became Second Bulgarian Pilot to Down an American B-17 Using Ramming Technique

On April 17, 1944, Nedelcho Bonchev, a distinguished Bulgarian fighter pilot during World War II, became the second Bulgarian pilot to down an American B-17 bomber using a ramming technique. His feat took place as he was defending Sofia's sky during Anglo-American bombings.

From August 1943, Bonchev served as a squadron leader in a fighter squadron. Among his notable engagements is one on December 20, 1943, when he severely damaged an American B-17 bomber. On March 30, 1944, he downed another B-17.

On April 17, 1944, he downed an American B-17 bomber after flying into it, using a ramming technique.​ In the crash he ejected and parachuted to safety near the village of Studena.

His ultimate fate remains uncertain, with some accounts suggesting he was captured and executed by the Germans in a POW camp.

On December 20, 1943, Dimitar Spisarevski sacrificed his life by ramming his Messerschmitt Bf 109 into an American B-24 Liberator bomber to prevent it from reaching Sofia, Bulgaria.