Members of the Polish Air Force in combat 1941-1945
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| Members of the Polish Air Force in combat 1941-1945 | |
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The successes of Polish pilots in the Battle of Britain had a great influence on the development of the Polish Air Force. As early as 28 August 1940 the formation of a second fighter squadron was commenced - the 306th, which reached combat readiness on 4 November.
In the next years further units were created - all in all 15 squadrons for various purposes were formed (fighter, bomber etc.). In 1941 the Polish fighter force constituted 1/8 of all the fighter units subordinated to RAF command. Due to its quantitative expansion, three Polish Fighter Wings were created.
During the war Polish pilots took part in all major allied operations.
Already in 1940, according to plans conceived by British Marshall Arthur Harris, RAF's bomber force commenced a strategic offensive against the Germans. Strikes of large groups of bombers, often numbering over 1000 planes, were aimed at industrial facilities and populated centres of the enemy. Polish squadrons also participated in these air raids, and for the first time, on 23 March 1941, Poles took part in an air raid on Germany.
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On 19 August 1942 a reconnaissance sea landing of the allied troops took place, in Dieppe, on the coast of France. This operation was covered from the air by over 50 fighter squadrons, of which 2 were Polish. In the course of action Polish pilots shot down 15 Luftwaffe planes, which constituted 18% of all the aircraft lost by the Germans at the time.
In the light of the decreasing activity of Luftwaffe in the western theatre of operations a decision was taken to establish the Polish Fighting Team in Africa (commanded by Major Stanisław Skalski). From 17 March 1943 it was fighting within RAF's 145th squadron, taking part in the support of the British 8th Army. Although the Polish formation existed only until the 8th of May, Polish pilots shot down as many as 25 enemy planes, while losing only one of their own.
In addition, Polish squadrons, namely the 304th Bomber Sqn. and the 307th Night Fighter Sqn., took an active part in the aerial struggle for the Atlantic skies (1942-1945). In the course of fights 2 enemy submarines were confirmed sunk and 5 others were damaged.
At the end of 1943 ere-organization of the RAF units took place. Two "Tactical Air Forces" were created and included Polish fighter squadrons: the 302nd, 306th, 308th, 315th and 317th. They formed, amongst others, the 131st Polish Fighter Wing and jointly with the British - the 129th Fighter Squadron, as well as the 133rd Polish Fighter Wing.
The remaining Polish Fighter Units were incorporated into the United Kingdom Air Defence Force, responsible, amongst others, for the defence against V-1 missiles. Also the squadrons belonging to the 133rd Polish Fighter Wing executed these unusual tasks.
During the landing of the allied troops in Normandy, both Polish Fighter Wings provided air cover for landing forces. As a result of the the front being shifted eastwards, in 1945 they were relocated to the continent. The last Polish pilot to be killed in action was Ltn. Lesław Szczerbiński, who sank a German ship on 4 May 1945, but died in the bomb explosion.
Polish Air Force also took part in special missions to Poland. Military supplies were dropped, as well as paratroopers. Actions were carried out from the beginning of 1941 until the end of 1944 and they particularly intensified during the Warsaw Uprising (August - September 1944).
During the entire campaign in Western Europe (1940-1945), Polish crews shot down 778 and 11/12 enemy planes and 1901 V-1 missiles, they dropped over 13,000 tons of bombs and over 1,500 tons of sea mines. 1995 crew members died in action.
It is worth noting that Poles also fought in British and American air units. The last Polish pilot killed in action in a RAF unit was Capt. Maciej Drecki (23 September 1943), while in the USA AF - Capt. Zbigniew Janicki (12 June 1944). A special recognition in the US Army was gained by Ltn. Col. Witold Urbanowicz and Capt. Bolesław Gładych, the former fighting with the Japanese over China, destroying 4 enemy machines.
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(1896-1943) During the First World War he served in France, as an officer of the Russian Air Force. From 1918 he served in the Polish Army, and during the 1939 campaign he was commander of the Chasing Brigade, which shot down (confirmed) 49 German and Soviet planes. Then he served in the Polish Air Force in France and the United Kingdom. From Sept. 1940 he was a liaison officer with the British fighter force command. Killed on 15 May 1943 in an air combat over France, he was posthumously awarded the rank of General of Brigade. He was decorated amongst others with the Virtuti Militari 5th class, and with the Order of the British Empire - 3rd class. |
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Air Force in the Polish Armed Forces in the West
1940-1945 Polish Air Force in the United Kingdom, as well as the one operating in other theatres of war (Africa, Italy, Western Europe) consisted of 4 bomber squadrons, 8 fighter squadrons, 2 fighter-reconnaissance squadrons, 1 artillery reconnaissance squadron. A Polish Fighting Team in Africa existed temporarily. Transport units, balloon units and services were created as well. The military effort of Polish Air Force can be summarized by the following statistics: - 13,208 tons of bombs as well as 1,508 tons of mines were dropped on the enemy, - 2 submarines were confirmed sunk, - 1,577 tons of war materials and 693 parachutists were dropped, - 1,355 special flights were carried out, - 778.5 aircraft were confirmed as shot down, 207.5 unconfirmed, 293 were damaged, 190 and a half V-1s were destroyed, - 16 planes were confirmed as destroyed on the ground, 2 unconfirmed, 15 were damaged, - 1995 pilots were killed in combat or died (including 7 Czechs and Slovaks, 4 Jews and 2 Americans). Pilots with the greatest numbers of victories in combat: - Mjr. Stanisław Skalski: 18 and 11/12, - Ltn. Col. Witold Urbanowicz: 17, - Ltn. Josef Frantisek: 17, - Capt. Eugeniusz Horbaczewski: 16 and 1/2, - Capt. Bolesław Gładych: 14, - Mjr. Jan Zumbach: 12 and 1/3, - Mjr. Marian Pisarek: 12. Polish pilots received, amongst others, the following allied medals: - American: Silver Star - 1, Bronze Star - 2, - British: Order of Baths 2nd cl. - 2, Order of the British Empire 3rd cl. - 8, - French: War Cross with a palm -4, with a golden star -1, - Dutch: Oranie-Nassau 2nd cl. - 1, 3rd cl. - 2, - Italian: War Cross for Bravery - 1. |
Virtuti Militari Cross
The Military Cross Order, later renamed the Virtuti Militari War Order, is the oldest Polish military medal. It was established by King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1792 and it has five classes: 1st - Grand Cross, 2nd - Commodore Cross, 3rd - Knight Cross (Krzyż Kawalerski), 4th - Golden Cross and 5th - Silver Cross. It is granted by a special council (Kapituła) for acts of outstanding fortitude on the battlefield. |
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for acts in the 1939-1945 war |
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American soldiers: - Col. Beniamin Anuskiewicz - 1st Ltn. Orville Bloch - Gen. John Cannon - Gen. Don Carleton - Gen. Mark Clark - 2nd Ltn. Ernest Dervishian - Gen. Jakob Devers - Gen. Dwight Eisenhower |
- Gen. Alfred Gruenther - Gen. Edgar Hume - Sgnt. Oskar Johnson - Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur - 1st Ltn. Beryl Newman - 2nd Ltn. Charles Shea - Gen. Walter Smith - Col. Carl Truesdell jr. - Gen. Lucien Truscott jr. - Gen. Jonathan Wainwright |
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British soldiers: - Gen. Harold Alexander - Gen. Claud John Auchinleck - Mjr. Alan Hunter Boxer - Col. Wright Chalmers - Col. Leonard Cheschire - Gen. John Chocker - Capt. S.G. Culliford - Mjr. Athol Forbes - Capt. J. A. Harrod - Capt. Dobson Howard - Ltn. Col. R.F.G. Jayne - Mjr. Ronald Kellet - Mjr. John Kent - Gen. Oliver Leese |
- Gen. Ronald Mac Kenzie - Col. E.G. Millington - Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery - Gen. Leslie James Morshead - Ltn. Col. Ramus de Noual - Capt. M. O'Donovan - Ltn. Col. David Pitt - Ltn. Col. J.D. Ritchie - Gen. Neil Methuen Ritchie - Col. Pierre Sevigny - Col. George Simpson - Gen. Archibald Wavell - Sgnt. D.T. Williams - Gen. Henry Wilson - Col. A.M. Wray |
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Belgian soldiers: - Gen. Ivan Gerrard |
Brazilian soldiers: - Col. Castelo Branc de Alencar |
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Chinese soldiers: - Marshall Tshang Kai Shek |
Czech soldiers: - 2nd Ltn. Jozef Frantisek |
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French soldiers: - Gen. Marie Emile Bethouart - Ms. Paula Bohe - Col. Emil Coulaudon - Gen. Marcel Dagnan - Gen. Maurice Daille - Gen. Jacques Delmas Chaban - Capt. Jean Desbordes - 1st Ltn. Robert Dinet - Capt. Lucien Duval - Capt. Gilbert Foury - Gen. Louis Hubert - Ltn. Col. Jean Henri Humann - Capt. Hurey |
- Gen. Alphonse Juin - Gen. Pierre Marie Koenig - Mjr. La Lanne - kpt. Emil Louis Lege - Ltn. Col. Vernerey Magrin - Sgnt. Michael Maranta - Capt. Annie Maslocha - Capt. Henri Mazoud - Capt. Jean Milgram - Ltn. Col. Aime Molle - Col. Eugene Morel - Col. Henri Navarre - 1st Ltn. Auguste Pailette - Capt. Jacques Prevaux de Trolley - Capt. Andre Virel |
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Dutch soldiers: - Admiral F.W. Doorman - V-ce Adm. Helflich - Gen. van Oyen |
Canadian soldiers: - Gen. Henry Crerar - Gen. Guy Simonds |
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Norwegian soldiers: - Gen. Carol Gustaw Fleischer |
Serbian soldiers: - Mjr. Dragan Sotirovič |
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Italian soldiers: - 2nd Ltn. Luigi Leprini - Gen. Giorgio Morigi - Col. Edmondo de Renzi - Priest Umberto di Savoia - Gen. Umberto Utili - Mjr. Borognini Valetti |
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