Oki - I think, it's time to write something, and to show something... ;)
Today we remember two heroes of bttle of Britain - Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire.
Rarely we think about the fact that the main air offensive was then .... Fairey Battle.
What he was and remembered him as the Polish pilots? I will try to present below.
English historian Stephen Bungay writes - "... Battle already in the
1933 years raised faint enthusiasm. It was, however, ordered as better than nothing ... ".
On such a equipment it has come to fly a group of young people, even though he had a waking clear associations, the term "flying coffin".
First of all - the emergence and formation of Polish squadrons in the UK - part I
October 25, 1939 in Paris - Poland, France and Britain started talks on the establishment of aviation units, consisting of Polish pilots. Polish leadership insisted on shifting the pilots and staff to England because technicians and mechanics good know equipment (armour and engines) British construction and production. However, the British invented and multiplied the difficulties and obstacles. It was not until December 8, 1939 to England came the first Polish airmen. The Poles were numbered and been disarmed. They had fall under of the RAF Volunteer Reserve.
After the capitulation of France and the British crushing defeat in Dunkirk "proud sons of Albion" felt the knife at his throat. Suddenly disappeared formal and legal difficulties, and it turned out that willingly adopt any number of Polish soldiers.
300 Polish Bomber Squadron was the first from many Polish squadrons which have been formed in the UK, as an official day of its creation is considered to 1 July 1940 year. At the beginning of the squadron received the aircraft type Fairey "Battle", and the first commander was Lt. Col. Eng. pil. Wacław Makowski. Staff counted 24 crew after three pilots each, which consisted of a pilot, gunner and radio operator. The squadron was organized from aviation personnel arriving from France at the beginning of 1940 to the Polish center in Eastchurch. The place of their training were for pilots - airport in Redhill, for observers and shooters - Hucknall Airport.
July 24, 1940 at the airport Bramcote established 301 Polish Bomber Squadron "Pomeranian".
August 5, 1940, the Polish pilots were released from the RV RAF and conscripted into the Polish Armed Forces.
Secondly - the first combat flight Polish bomber squadrons
Crews first two Polish bomber squadrons were waiting to enter the action.
The deadline was originally set for September 12. Because of the aura it was necessary to wait another two days. "...Excitement was high - says about this day col.Władysław Łapot (then a sergeant) - finally we get to the Germans. We've been waiting for this for so long. "
The order number 589 was given (as Operational Command Airports Swinderby figured at number 3). Across the English Channel, near Boulogne moved on the water targets - landing craft and artillery at Cape Griz-Nez, possibly being target number two.
So the atmosphere among the staff of 301 Squadron of the Earth Pomeranian described his chronicler: "Planned combat flight on bombing the port of Boulogne. Three crews from Squadron 301 and three crew Squadron 300. The good weather. The decision to combat flight is in the hands of the Commander of the Station. In conjunction with the Commander of the Group 1 station commander gives the order, that the combat flight is to be made. It is the first combat flight of our firsts Polish Bomber Squadrons - the long awaited… Meeting crews in Operations Station Room at 14.00. Crews receive accurate information, route, times and required signals. Then the crew are going to Intelligence Officer, who in turn issue instructions and instructs the crew about the defense, barrage balloons, gives precise objectives and explain any doubts and questions crews ".
The problem, of course, were the age aircraft, as evidenced by the ratio of Wladyslaw Łapot: "Aircraft Battle at our disposal beings poorly armed. They also had another disadvantage with whom I met as a radio-operator. The radio was outdated and primitive. To change the frequency I had to change the special coil, which kept in separate pockets of overalls that their not confused. Fairey Battle at that time only had the advantage of being much lighter than Wellington. Swinderby airport was a grassy surface, which for Wellington laden with bombs was dangerous. "
Another Polish airman Walerian Sosiński, that met the Battle in November 1940 adds: "... heavy, clumsy, it was not a successful plane. Then he had be enough…".
At 18.55 from Swinderby in the direction Boulogne started the first machine - no. L5317 BH-T with a crew composed of F/O Suliński, F/O Bujalski and Sgt Bieżuński. After another five minutes got up in the air the second Battle - L5427 BH-K with F/O Antonowicz, P/O Dejem and Sgt. Kowalski on board.
A third plane was L5353 BH-O. Piloted by P/O Jasinski, along with Sgt. Sobieszczuk and Sgt. Łapot took off about 19.05 from Swinderby by Dungcness over Boulogne and from there through Orfordness to the base.
The flight took place without interference. The first crew found itself over the target at 20.43. With the amount of 10 thousand feet dropped four 250-pound bombs, and Sgt. Bieżuński fired on positions of headlights, that prevented observation of the effects of the bombing. The crew of Antonowicz arrived in the area of the attack at the precise moment, when the first airplane was bombing. Also, with 10 thousand foot fired four bombs and two flares. As before, the effect has not been sighted. Battle set a course return of 20.49. The last machine dropped bombs from a height of 8 thousand feet at 20.55.
"... We had to come back. I remember that the route led through the channel, and then along the east coast. The problem is that received from the British paper sheet recognition codes that identify the airports had a lot of errors. When we landed in Newton instead Swinderby the British frightened. Never before they had not seen the Polish bomber crews. They checked whether we do not have bombs and just in case they took off our machine gun ... "
300 –th “Mazowiecki” Polish Bomber Squadron its baptism of fire was so behind.
At the same time they operated three crews of 301 Polish Squadron Bomber.
At the Battle L5551 GR-B with 19.05 they flew S/Ldr.Floryanowicz, F/O Voellnagel and Sgt. Smith; on L5556 GR-G 19.16 Sgt. Jensen, F/O Renkowski and Sgt.Wasilewski and L5448 GR-K crew composed of Sgt. Lenczowski, F/O Hałas and Sgt. Kasianowski.
Start these crews ended at 19.22. In reserve it was also a crew of Sgt. Bojakowski on L5535 GR-Q, which, however, the flight did not take part.
All three machines 301 Polish Squadron Bomber returned and happily landed from 22.35 to 23.05.
Bibliography - Wings with Checkered No. 22 and 23 ("In the shadow of Fighter Command glory" part I / II) and the "Berlin on the battle course " A.Janczak - "yellow tiger" MON 1979.
To be continued...
Przemek
