polish air force 1939 through german eyes - · pdf fileair component of the...

5

Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes

Table of contents

Glossary ..........................................................................................................................................................................................6Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................................7

Chapter I - POLISH AIR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1939 ............................................................................................................9POLISH AIR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1939 ............................................................................................................................10GERMAN BOMBING OF POLISH AIRFIELDS .......................................................................................................................14

Chapter II - NAVAL AIR SQUADRON ......................................................................................................................................17NAVAL AIR SQUADRON .........................................................................................................................................................18RUMIA .........................................................................................................................................................................................26

Chapter III - POMERANIA ..........................................................................................................................................................29AIRFIELDS OF THE 4TH AIR REGIMENT ................................................................................................................................30AIR COMPONENT OF THE ‘POMORZE’ ARMY ...................................................................................................................38

Chapter IV - WIELKOPOLSKA ..................................................................................................................................................43POZNAŃ-ŁAWICA AIRFIELD (BASE OF THE 3RD AIR REGIMENT) ...............................................................................44AIR COMPONENT OF THE ‘POZNAŃ’ ARMY ......................................................................................................................49

Chapter V - ŁÓDŹ REGION ........................................................................................................................................................59ŁÓDŹ-LUBLINEK AIRFIELD ...................................................................................................................................................60OF THE ‘ŁÓDŹ’ ARMY .............................................................................................................................................................73AIR COMPONENT ......................................................................................................................................................................73

Chapter VI - MAZOWSZE ...........................................................................................................................................................83WARSAW - OKĘCIE ..................................................................................................................................................................84WARSZAWA - WP1 ....................................................................................................................................................................86WARSZAWA - WS 1, ITL, DWL, LOT .................................................................................................................................... 111WARSZAWA - BASE OF THE 1st AIR REGIMENT ...............................................................................................................114WARSAW-MOKOTÓW AND WARSAW-BIELANY ............................................................................................................126

Chapter VII - PURSUIT BRIGADE ..........................................................................................................................................129PURSUIT BRIGADE .................................................................................................................................................................130

Chapter VIII - BOMBER BRIGADE .........................................................................................................................................145BOMBER BRIGADE .................................................................................................................................................................146

Chapter IX - NO. 1 AIR FORCE TRAINING CENTRE (CWL-1) ...........................................................................................165DĘBLIN-IRENA ........................................................................................................................................................................166UŁĘŻ ..........................................................................................................................................................................................223BOROWINA ...............................................................................................................................................................................233SPRL - RADOM .........................................................................................................................................................................239

Chapter X - ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKIE REGION ..............................................................................................................................259KIELCE - MASŁÓW, POLICHNO ...........................................................................................................................................260

Photo credits ...............................................................................................................................................................................262Name index .................................................................................................................................................................................262Aircraft index ..............................................................................................................................................................................263

MM

P SAM

PLE

POLISH AIR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1939

10


Numbers of Polish Air Force aircraft on 1 September 1939 (not including naval aviation)Role Type Number Allocation

Combat units Training Reserve Overhauls

A. Combat aircraft

Fighter PZL P.11 165 128 6 5 26

PZL P.7 105 30 40 10 25

Bomber PZL.37 Łoś 84 36 20 16 12

Reconnaissance-bomber PZL.23 Karaś B 189 114 20 10 45

Reconnaissance-bomber PZL.23 Karaś A 35 - 25 - 10

Observation R-XIII 150 49 31 30 40

RWD-14 Czapla 65 35 12 15 3

Total 793 392 154 86 161

B. Training and auxiliary.

Primary trainer RWD-8 350 62 156 104 28

Advanced trainer PWS-18 35 - 30 - 5

Advanced trainer PWS-26 250 - 200 20 30

Training bomber LWS-6 Żubr 15 - 10 2 3

Advanced trainer Potez 25 175 - 125 30 20

Advanced trainer Potez 27 50 - 30 10 10

Transport Fokker F-VIIB/3m 12 12

Medical evacuation R-XVIb 4 - 4 - -

Medical evacuation RWD-13 3 - 3 - -

Obsolete various* 50 - 30 10 10

Total 944 74 588 176 106

Note: approximate numbers. * ca. 20 BM-4 and BM-5, ca. 20 PWS-14 and 16, and other.

Polish aviation in 1939 included the air force, the airlines and sports/general aviation.

Until Summer 1939 the Polish Air Force was organised into air regiments. The 1st Air Regiment (1 Pułk Lotniczy – 1 PL) was based in Warsaw at Okęcie, the 2nd Air Regiment (2 PL) in Cracow at Rakowice-Czyżyny, the 3rd Air Regiment (3 PL) in Poznań at Ławica, the 4th Air Regiment (4 PL) in Toruń, the 5th Air Regiment (5 PL) in Lida (now in Belarus) and in Wilno (now Vilnius in Lithuania), and the 6th Air Regiment (6 PL) in Lwów (now Lviv in Ukraine) at Skniłów. The air regi-ments had their permanent bases at these airfields, including hangars, utility buildings and workshops (the latter known as

‘parks’). The regiments had their permanently assigned combat flights (eskadra), training squadrons (dywizjon), and transport and medical evacuation aircraft. Combat units included fighter, bomber, line (renamed ‘reconnaissance flights’ during the mobi-lisation) and accompanying (renamed ‘observation flights’ in August 1939) flights, usually organised in two-flight squadrons. The fighter flights were identified with three-digit numbers, starting with a 1, followed by the second digit that identified the regiment. Line and accompanying flights had two-digit numbers, beginning with the regiment number, followed by

a 1, 2, 4 or 5 for line (reconnaissance) flights, or a 3 or 6 for accompanying (observation) flights.

Air force training establishments were combined in two centres: – No. 1 Air Force Training Centre (CWL-1) that included the

Air Force Cadet Officers’ School (SPL) at Dęblin, the Flying School (SP) at Ułęż, the Air Force Reserve Cadet Officers’ School (SPRL) at Radom and the Engineering Class of the Air Force Cadet Officers’ School (SPL-GT) in Warsaw at Mokotów;

– No. 2 Air Force Training Centre (CWL-2) that included the Air Force NCO School for Minors (SPLdM) at Krosno (transferred from Bydgoszcz).

The Naval Air Squadron (Morski Dywizjon Lotniczy – MDLot) based at Puck reported to the Polish Navy.

Allocation to a particular unit was marked on aircraft by applying code letters on wing undersurfaces. The codes were: N for the 1 PL, K for the 2 PL, P for the 3 PL, T for the 4 PL, L for the 5 PL, and S for the 6 PL, while training units used the following letters: 1 PL – A, 2 PL – E, 3 PL – F, 6 PL – J, SPL – D, SPRL – R, SP – U, SPLdM – M, Staff Training Flight (Sztabowa Eskadra Treningowa) – Z, Aviation Technical Institute (ITL) – W. Other underwing code letters included B, used by the SPLdM at Bydgoszcz (prior to the move to Krosno).

MM

P SAM

PLE

11


POLISH FLIGHTS ON1 SEPTEMBER 1939

GERMANY

GERMANY(EAST PRUSSIA)

SOV

IET

UN

ION

HUNGARY

SLOVAKIA

ROMANIA

ARMIA POZNAŃ

ARMIA POMORZE

ARMIA ŁÓDŹ

ARMIA KRAKÓW

ARMIA KARPATY

ARMIA

MODLIN

SAM. GRUPA OP. NAREW

GNIAZDOWO

DZIERŻWICA MIERZEWOŻYDOWO

MARKOWO

CZERSK

PUCK

NIEDŹWIEDŹ

LWÓW

WILNO

DOBRA WIELKA

BIAŁYSTOKWIERZBOWO

RYNEK

BIEL

BRZEŚĆNOSÓW

WERYNIAKLIMONTÓWSOSNOWIEC

ZARĘBICE

SADKÓW

RADOMDĘBLIN

UŁĘŻLUBLIN

PODLODÓWMARYNIN

PALCZOWICEBALICE

BIELSKO-BIAŁA

MROWLA

KROSNO

ŚNIECISKA

SOKOLNIKI

WIDZEWKSAWERÓW

LUBLINEK

GNIEZNO

ŁÓDŹ

MODLIN

ŁOMŻA

CRACOW

WARSAW

TORUŃ

36 EO

46 EO

46 EO

43 EO

53 EO

64, 65 EB

63, 66 E0

55 EB

11, 12 EB

16, 17 EB

21 EB

42 ER

41 ER

51 ER

152 EM 151 EM

MDLot

13 EO

13 EO

56 EO

23 EO

121, 122 EM

26 EO

26 EO

31 ER24 ER

34 EO

33 EO

32 ER

131, 132 EM

161, 162 EM

111, 112 EM

113, 114, 126 EM

141, 142 EM

BIELICE NOWE

SZPONDOWO ZDUNDOWO

ZIELONKA

PONIATÓW

SOKOŁÓWEK

EB - ( Flight)EM - ( Flight)ER - (Reconnaissance Flight)EO - (Observation Flight)MDLot - (Naval Air Squadron)

Eskadra BombowaEskadra MyśliwskaEskadra RozpoznawczaEskadra Obserwacyjna

Morski Dywizjon Lotniczy

BomberFighter

LITHUANIA

MM

P SAM

PLE

19


Puck

MDLot Base

4.IX

2.IX

1.IX

1.IX

Rumia

Oksywie

Lublin R-XIII

Bombing

Lublin R-XIIIwheels version

Lublin R-VIII

SchreckFBA-17 HE2

RWD-17W

RWD-13

CANT Z 506B

Nikol A-2

Hel

Jurata

Nowe Obłuże

Jastarnia

Władysławowo

Chałupy

Kuźnica

3.IX8.IX

3.IX8.IX

AIRCRAFT OFNAVAL AIR SQUADRON

Lublin R-XIIIter floatplane destroyed by fire, resting in shallow water off Hel Peninsula. (TJK)

MM

P SAM

PLE

32


PZL P.11c fighter no. 59 (508-T) at the shooting range of the Toruń airfield. Note the open inspection panel on the side of the cockpit. (JBC)

PZL P.11cs nos. 59 and 61 at Toruń airfield shooting range. The other wing of the P.11c no. 61 was used to repair a damaged aircraft of the 4th Air Regiment’s Fighter Squadron. The wing was removed from no. 61 by a crew of fitters under plut. Henryk Boliński. (JBC/TJK)

MM

P SAM

PLE

Chapter IV

WIELKOPOLSKA

MM

P SAM

PLE

POZNAŃ-ŁAWICA AIRFIELD (BASE OF THE 3RD AIR REGIMENT)

44


Bomb damaged buildings at Ławica airfield. (DB)

POZNAŃ

PO

ZN

AŃ

LOT

Ławica

3 PLBase

The airfield at Poznań-Ławica was the base of the 3rd Air Regiment, its flights having formed the air component of the

‘Poznań’ Army. This was a combined military-civilian aerodrome, used also by LOT Polish Airlines, the Aeroklub Poznański, and a PWL centre. Therefore, one side of the airfield housed military installations (HQ buildings, hangars and Air Park workshops), while the LOT air-port was located on the other side. Prior to 1 September the ‘Poznań’ Army air units moved to forward airfields at Gniezno, Dzierżnica, Mierzewo, Gwiazdowo and Żydowo.

By midday on 1 September, when the first air raid on Poznań-Ławica airfield took place (by 21 Ju 87s), most aircraft had been removed from the hangars and dispersed on the outskirts of the airfield. At 12.40 a group of nine Ju 87s bombed the base HQ, the regimental depot and fuel dumps. The third raid took place at 13.30. Nine Ju 87s dropped bombs on the hangar of No. 2 Training Flight (a PZL.23 Karaś, an RWD-14 Czapla and several RWD-8s were destroyed by fire), the Air Park depot and two fuel bowsers. Then at 17.50, in the heavy bombing of the airfield area and buildings by 18 He 111s from II./KG 26, there were 21 killed and 40 wounded.

Bombs were also dropped on forward airfields: Gniezno (at 12.30 – I./KG 53), Swarzędz near Poznań and Śnieciska near Poznań. Aircraft scheduled for overhaul, including Karaś light bombers of the 41st Flight and LOT airliners withdrawn from use, including the PZL.4 tri-motor, were destroyed at Ławica airfield. On 2 September Ławica was bombed twice, at 12.30 and 14.00. Two aircraft, a PZL P.11 and an RWD-14 Czapla, were destroyed.

On 3 September evening No. 3 Air Base was evacuated to Lublin and Świdnik, arriving there on 5 September, then on 12 September it moved to Łuck and even-tually to Tarnopol.

MM

P SAM

PLE

54


A burnt out RWD-14 Czapla observation aircraft from the 33rd Observation Flight. The letter P under the wing identified the aircraft as coming from the 3rd Air Regiment. (MR)

The same Czapla in a more vandalised condition. (TJK)

MM

P SAM

PLE

62


Above and at the top of the facing page: RWD-5 SP-ALX ‘Legun I’ from Łódź. (TJK)

RWD-5 SP-ALS from Poznań with the Polish national marking on the bottom of the wing. DH-60 Moth SP-ALK can be seen in the background. (TJK)

Germans with the RWD-5 SP-ALS from Aeroklub Poznański. (TJK)

MM

P SAM

PLE

85


MM

P SAM

PLE

Unfinished Łoś near the factory fence. (TJK)

Łoś, and behind them the fuselage of the PZL.24J prototype with Bulgarian markings. (AM)

An unfinished Łoś B near the fence of PZL WP1. Note the bomb bays in wings and fuselage and under-wing radiators. (TJK)

Łoś B in front of the trials department hangar. (MR)

103


MM

P SAM

PLE

This and top of the next page: PZL.37 Łoś bomber no. 701-N, coded H or K on the fuselage, damaged by bomb blast in the 1st Air Regiment hangar. (JBC/TJK)

115


MM

P SAM

PLE

PZL P.11c no. 10 (170-N, 8.70) of ppor. Hieronim Dudwał from the 113th Fighter Flight, damaged in air combat on 1 September 1939, was captured by the Germans at the forward airfield at Poniatów. (TJK/JBC)

evacuated to Rumania. During the short campaign in Poland fighters of the Brigade were officially credited with 43 enemy aircraft shot down (according to the so-called Bajan Committee established in Britain in 1945 for official claim verification) for

the loss of three pilots killed, five missing and eight seriously wounded, and 40 aircraft lost. It is now accepted that the victory list as credited by the Bajan Committee was subject to over-claiming. The matter has not been researched sufficiently so far.

131


MM

P SAM

PLE

175


In front of the hangars at Dęblin. Above: RWD-8as nos. 133 and no. 70 (34-341), in the background Jupiter-powered Potez 25 no. 40. (TJK)

Left: PZL P 7a no. 999 popped up onto its nose by the Germans. (MR)

Bottom photograph: Bartel BM-4h no. 59 in front of hangar no. 7. In the background Potez 25 no. 37 and behind it a Jupiter-powered Potez and Karaś no. 4. (TJK)

airfields in Dęblin area. The airfield at Podlodów was bombed after the Łoś bombers departed on 9 September.

During 9-12 September the only Polish personnel left at Dęblin airfield was a demolition squad that destroyed depots and fuel dumps. On 9 September the airfield was strafed again, and on 11 September it was bombed. Over a dozen RWD-8s from CWL-1 were left on 15 September at Radziechów near Sokal due to lack of fuel. German troops entered Dęblin on 16 September.

About 140 aircraft were destroyed or damaged at Dęblin and its satellite airfields. The Germans captured over ninety serviceable or repairable machines. These included 50 PWS-26s and several each of P.7, Karaś, Żubr, RWD-8, Potez 25, Fokker F-VIIA/1m, F-VIIB/3m and R-XIII.

MM

P SAM

PLE

PWS-16bis (nos. 142, 147, 153, 163 and 165), PWS-26, Lublin R-XIIIF (no. 398) and PZL.23A Karaś (no. 7) aircraft. On the left several RWD-8s. (TJK)

Inside the hall, filled mostly with PWS aircraft. In the middle is PWS-16bis no. 165, to its right an RWD-8 with folded wings. (TJK)

205


MM

P SAM

PLE

A unique photograph depicting, among others, the Aero Ab-101 and two Letov Š-328s after they were rolled out from the MOB hangar. By then they have al-ready fallen prey to souvenir hunters, who have cut out the Czechoslovak markings. Left to right: Aero Ab-101, Letov Š-328, Potez 25 (no. 15), another Letov Š-328, a Potez 25, a Lublin R-XIII. In the foreground Breguet 19 no. 56. (TJK)

Wreck yard near the MOB hangars. Two Bartel BM-4h fuselages are in the foreground with remains of Potez 25s and Breguet 19s behind. (TJK)

216


MM

P SAM

PLE

Abandoned PZL P.7a fighters of the Flying School at Ułęż. Upon mobilisation the school instructors formed an ad hoc fighter unit (the ‘Dęblin Group’) to defend Dęblin and the other CWL-1 airfields nearby. Overturned P.7a no. 25 and aircraft no. 16 to the right of it. Close-up view of the P.7a no. 25. (TJK/MR)

PZL P.7a fighters of the Dęblin Group partly ca-mouflaged with an ‘artificial wood’ and abando-ned at Ułęż airfield. Note traces of cannibalisation on machines used by the Poles as source of spare parts for other aircraft. P.7s nos. (right to left:): 29, 16 and 25 and probably 14 can be seen in the photograph. (TJK)

232


MM

P SAM

PLE

Vertical photograph of the airfield at Borowina with facilities as they were in September 1939. (KCh)

BOROWINA

Bird’s eye view of the airfield and hangars at Borowina (Gołąb). The photograph was taken before the war. (Stratus)

HANGARNo. 1

HANGARNo. 2

ENTRANCE BARRACKS

TECHNICALBUILDINGS

BOROWINA

No. 2

No. 1

RO

AD

ON

THE

EMB

AN

KM

ENT

Fen

ce

Tre

es

PWS-26

PWS-26

PWS-26

PWS-26

PWS-26

PWS-26

PWS-26

PWS-26No. 207

PWS-26No. 60

Diagram of the airfield at Borowina after it was captured by the Germans, aircraft were rolled out of the hangars and partly vandalised.

233


MM

P SAM

PLE

PZL.23 Karaś II no. 44.225 captured at Radom, modified by PZL in 1939 by adding the aerial mast above the cockpit. The aircraft had no under-wing code applied. Perhaps during summer 1939 it was allocated to the School at Radom, which was scheduled to start training pilots on the type in late 1939. Hangar no. 1 can be seen on the right in the upper photograph. (TJK/AMC)

245


MM

P SAM

PLE

Photo credits

Name index

Adamek Mieczysław 142

Alberti Stefan 158

Berbecki Leon 261

Biały Jan 158

Bokowiec Kazimierz 148

Boliński Henryk 32

Bonderski Zenon 156

Borowiec Roman 18

Borys Henryk 162

Brzezina Stanisław 171

Brzozowski Maksymilian 171

Buczyłko Wacław 158

Butkiewicz Wacław 147

Ciołek Jakub 163

Cwynar Michał 142

Cynk JB 13

Czerny Jan 170

Czerwiński Stefan 26

Danielak Aleksander 153

Dembek L. 81

Dorembowicz Bolesław 51

Dudwał Hieronim 131, 132

Dzik Kazimierz 153

Dzwonek Jan 125

Fischer von Mollard E. 66

Gołębiowski Konstanty 153

Hrala Józef 215

Hryniewicz Jan 170

Ivanič Ľudovit 215

Iżycki Mateusz 127

Jachimowicz January 163

Jaklewicz Kazimierz 196

Jereczek Edmund 26

Jastrzębski Aleksander 79

Jeziorowski T 73

Jung 238

Kalpas Rajmund 142

Kawnik Erwin 123

Kellner-Steinmetz Josef 158

Klimek Jan 158

Kocjan Antoni 126, 127

Korytowski Stanisław 160

Kościelny E 81

Kowalski Franciszek 147

Kozłowski Wiesław 64

Kraemer 198

Kuidłowski Franciszek 147

Laskowski Florian 38

Leszek Adolf 156

Liszewski Stanisław 147

Łagowski Julian 171

Łapkowski 138

Łozowicki Alojzy 163

Machalski Józef 156

Mazak Feliks 153

Mazik Roman 109

Mazur Mieczysław 158

Mühlenberg 198

Mutkowski Zdzisław 49, 50

Nowacki T 26

Nowakowski 138

Okrzeja Stefan 138

Omieliaszko M. 79

Palusiński Jerzy 141

Podgrodzki Czesław 162

Przewoźny Czesław 49

Raabe 238

Simiński Stanisław 51

Skibiński Józef 162

Słowiński Kazimierz 160

Stefankiewicz Henryk 142

Szczepański Józef 147

Szponarowicz Ignacy 147

Szystowski Edmund 18

Taras-Wołkowyński S. 147

Tyrakowski K. 81

Walkow Stanisław 160

Wróblewski Aleksander 125

Zarucki W 26

Zhivel 198

Zumbach Jan 122

Żupnik Władysław 158

262


AG Andrzej Glass

AM Andrzej Morgała

AMC Archive of the Modern Conflict

AP Adam Popiel

BB Bartłomiej Belcarz

CG C. Główczyński

CG Czesław Główczyński

DB Dénes Bernárd

FXG Franek X. Grabowski

JBC Jerzy B. Cynk

JH Jan van den Heuvel

JK Jan Koniarek

KCh Krzysztof Chołoniewski

LŁ Leopold Łozowicki

MLP Polish Aviation Museum

MnW Muzeum na Woli

MR Marek Rogusz

PB Piotr Bobula

Pi&SM Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum

PM Piotr Mrozowski

RK Robert Kulczński

RM R. Mechliński

RMa Roman Mazik

RP Roman Postek

Stratus Wydawnictwo Stratus

TG Tomasz Gaworek

TJK Tomasz J. Kopański

TK Tomasz Kowalski

TR Tomasz Rajkowski

VK Volker Koos

WK Wacław Klepacki

WM Wojtek Matusiak

WZ Wojtek Zmyślony

ZC Zbigniew Charytoniuk

ZW Zenon Winnicki

MM

P SAM

PLE

polish air force 1939 through german eyes - · pdf fileair component of the...

Documents