Franjo Kluz

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Franjo Kluz (September 19, 1913 – September 14, 1944) was a Yugoslav soldier of Croatian origin, best known as one of the founders of the Partisan air force.

Franjo Kluz was born in Jošik, near Bosanska Dubica. In 1931 he graduated from the Yugoslav reserve officers school and was a trained sergeant-pilot. After the Axis invasion and establishment of Independent State of Croatia in 1941 he was drafted into the Croatian Air Force and was stationed in Banja Luka.

In the second half of May 1942, like Rudi Čajavec before him, he defected to the Partisans with his Potez 25 aircraft. From the improvised airfield near Prijedor he conducted series of sorties against Axis forces, most notable being the attack on Ustasha column near Orahovo on June 4. His plane was destroyed by hostile fire on July 6.

After that he became a member of the Partisan command for Bosanska Krajina region. On August 14, 1942 he became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.

On October 14 Kluz became the commandant of the First Air Base of the Yugoslav National Liberation Army (YNLA) in Livno. After the German offensive, Kluz and his 200 men were sent to Allied-controlled Italy, where they received training, equipment and aircraft from RAF. Kluz became the commander of the First Air Squadron of YNLA. He was shot down and killed by German AAA over Omiš.

After the war Franjo Kluz received the title of a People's Hero of Yugoslavia. The clothing factory in Belgrade was named after him, so as the printing company in Omiš*[1]. This company still carries his name.