The plane you are looking for is:
Do-17Z-3 Wk.No. 4235, tactical marking A1+OZ, 100% write off, defected landed in the field near Tarasovo village (Kalinin oblast)
crew:
Pilot: Ofw. Oleg Okševski (eng pronounciation: Oleg Okshevski)
navigator: fw. Milivoj Boroša (eng. pronounciation: Milivoy Borosha)
radio operator: fw. Marko Zeljak (eng. pronounciation: Marko Zelyak)
MG: fw. Leo Okševski (eng. pronounciation: Leo Okshevski)
Croatian commander of the unit major Mikec did have some suspecions regardning make up of the crew as he didn't trust Okševski brothers (who were of russian origin) and Milivoj Boroša (a Slovene who sucesfully managed to bomb german troops before) but was persuaded not to break up the crew by hpt. Bogdan Vujičić (a croatian serb who was under protection of his personal friend of general of aviation Kren). The unit of 11 planes was on last leg of tranfer flight to the front after a stint in the rear. After joining landing circle on Solzy airfiled (their new base) their plane broke off and dived to south east. The crew informed Zeljak that they are defecting and he should forget about trouble making. At first he thought they were joking but when they pulled their pistols on him he saw they were serious. After flying on tree top height they turned East North East over Seelinger lake. After avoiding AAA and single MiG-3 attack they preformed a perfect landing on a field near Tarasovo village (Kalinin oblast).
Blame for defection fell on Vujičić who was a croatian Serb and as such already on thin ice. But his close friend and guardian general of aviation Vladimir Kren (who already saved him from ustasha death squad in 1941) arranged for him to be sent to fighter conversion course in France and his subsequent posting to 15.(kroat)/JG52. He defected to soviets in pair with Oblt Albin Starc on 14th of may 1943. Ironically it was Kren who encouraged him to defect as he feared that he would not be able to protect him in the future.
This is from excellent book:
Dornier Do17 The Yugoslav story - operational records 1937- 1947
by Boris Ciglić & Dragan Savić printed by Jeropan books Beograd
ISBN 978-86-909727-0-8
