Table of contents

Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
Table of contents
Glossary...........................................................................................................................................................................................6
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................................7
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Chapter I - POLISH AIR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1939.............................................................................................................9
POLISH AIR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1939.............................................................................................................................10
GERMAN BOMBING OF POLISH AIRFIELDS........................................................................................................................14
Chapter II - NAVAL AIR SQUADRON.......................................................................................................................................17
NAVAL AIR SQUADRON..........................................................................................................................................................18
RUMIA..........................................................................................................................................................................................26
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Chapter III - POMERANIA...........................................................................................................................................................29
AIRFIELDS OF THE 4TH AIR REGIMENT.................................................................................................................................30
AIR COMPONENT OF THE ‘POMORZE’ ARMY....................................................................................................................38
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Chapter IV - WIELKOPOLSKA...................................................................................................................................................43
POZNAŃ-ŁAWICA AIRFIELD (BASE OF THE 3RD AIR REGIMENT)................................................................................44
AIR COMPONENT OF THE ‘POZNAŃ’ ARMY.......................................................................................................................49
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Chapter V - ŁÓDŹ REGION.........................................................................................................................................................59
ŁÓDŹ-LUBLINEK AIRFIELD....................................................................................................................................................60
OF THE ‘ŁÓDŹ’ ARMY..............................................................................................................................................................73
AIR COMPONENT.......................................................................................................................................................................73
P
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Chapter VI - MAZOWSZE............................................................................................................................................................83
WARSAW - OKĘCIE...................................................................................................................................................................84
WARSZAWA - WP1.....................................................................................................................................................................86
WARSZAWA - WS 1, ITL, DWL, LOT..................................................................................................................................... 111
WARSZAWA - BASE OF THE 1st AIR REGIMENT................................................................................................................114
WARSAW-MOKOTÓW AND WARSAW-BIELANY.............................................................................................................126
Chapter VII - PURSUIT BRIGADE...........................................................................................................................................129
PURSUIT BRIGADE..................................................................................................................................................................130
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Chapter VIII - BOMBER BRIGADE..........................................................................................................................................145
BOMBER BRIGADE..................................................................................................................................................................146
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Chapter IX - NO. 1 AIR FORCE TRAINING CENTRE (CWL-1)............................................................................................165
DĘBLIN-IRENA.........................................................................................................................................................................166
UŁĘŻ...........................................................................................................................................................................................223
BOROWINA................................................................................................................................................................................233
SPRL - RADOM..........................................................................................................................................................................239
Chapter X - ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKIE REGION...............................................................................................................................259
KIELCE - MASŁÓW, POLICHNO............................................................................................................................................260
Photo credits................................................................................................................................................................................262
Name index..................................................................................................................................................................................262
Aircraft index...............................................................................................................................................................................263
5
Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
POLISH AIR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1939
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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).
A
M
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 regiments 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 mobilisation) 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
Numbers of Polish Air Force aircraft on 1 September 1939 (not including naval aviation)
A. Combat aircraft
Number
Combat units
Allocation
Training
Reserve
Overhauls
26
PZL P.11
165
128
6
5
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
R-XIII
150
49
31
30
40
RWD-14 Czapla
65
35
12
15
3
793
392
154
86
161
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Observation
P
Fighter
Type
S
Role
Total
B. Training and auxiliary.
RWD-8
350
62
156
104
28
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*
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Primary trainer
Advanced trainer
Total
Note: approximate numbers.
10
50
-
30
10
10
944
74
588
176
106
* ca. 20 BM-4 and BM-5, ca. 20 PWS-14 and 16, and other.
Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
POLISH FLIGHTS ON
1 SEPTEMBER 1939
LITHUANIA
PUCK
GERMANY
(EAST PRUSSIA)
CZERSK
13 EO
DOBRA WIELKA
ARMIA POMORZE
NIEDŹWIEDŹ
ARMIA
MODLIN
42 ER
TORUŃ
141, 142 EM
53 EO
152 EM SOKOŁÓWEK
MARKOWO
SZPONDOWO
GNIEZNO
GNIAZDOWO
ŻYDOWO 33 EO
DZIERŻWICA 34 EOMIERZEWO
36 EO
41 ER
113, 114, 126 EM
PONIATÓW
MODLIN
131, 132 EM
ŚNIECISKA
111, 112 EM
BRZEŚĆ
NOSÓW
32 ER
55 EB
DĘBLIN
MARYNIN
PODLODÓW
UŁĘŻ
LUBLIN
16, 17 EB
A
ARMIA ŁÓDŹ
RADOM
21 EB
SADKÓW
GERMANY
64, 65 EB
ZIELONKA
WARSAW
SOKOLNIKI
161, 162 EM
ŁÓDŹ
LUBLINEK
WIDZEW
63, 66 E0
KSAWERÓW
151 EM
BIEL
ZDUNDOWO
BIAŁYSTOK
M
ARMIA POZNAŃ
ŁOMŻA
13 EO WIERZBOWO
51 ERRYNEK
P
SAM. GRUPA OP. NAREW
43 EO
46 EO
BIELICE NOWE
SOVIET UNION
46 EO
LE
WILNO
MDLot
26 EO
11, 12 EB
S
ZARĘBICE
ARMIA KRAKÓW
26 EO
24 ER
P
31 ER
SOSNOWIEC
KLIMONTÓW
WERYNIA
BALICE 121, 122 EM
56 EO MROWLA
PALCZOWICE
23 EO CRACOW
ARMIA KARPATY
BIELSKO-BIAŁA
LWÓW
KROSNO
M
SLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
ROMANIA
M
EB - Eskadra Bombowa ( Bomber Flight)
EM - Eskadra Myśliwska (Fighter Flight)
ER - Eskadra Rozpoznawcza (Reconnaissance Flight)
EO - Eskadra Obserwacyjna (Observation Flight)
MDLot - Morski Dywizjon Lotniczy (Naval Air Squadron)
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
AIRCRAFT OF
NAVAL AIR SQUADRON
Władysławowo
Chałupy
Lublin R-XIII
Kuźnica
3.IX
8.IX
Puck
Lublin R-XIII
wheels version
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1.IX
MDLot Base
Jastarnia
Lublin R-VIII
Jurata
P
Schreck
FBA-17 HE2
3.IX
8.IX
1.IX
Rumia
4.IX
Nowe Obłuże
M
Hel
RWD-17W
CANT Z 506B
RWD-13
2.IX
A
Oksywie
Bombing
Nikol A-2
M
M
P
S
Lublin R-XIIIter floatplane destroyed by fire, resting in shallow water off Hel Peninsula. (TJK)
19
P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
M
M
P
S
A
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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)
32
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Chapter IV
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M
P
S
A
M
P
WIELKOPOLSKA
Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
P
3 PL
Base
S
A
M
POZNAŃ
M
M
P
Ławica
Bomb damaged buildings at Ławica airfield. (DB)
44
POZNAŃ
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 airport 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 eventually to Tarnopol.
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POZNAŃ-ŁAWICA AIRFIELD
(BASE OF THE 3RD AIR REGIMENT)
LOT
M
P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
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M
P
S
A
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)
54
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)
M
M
P
S
A
M
Above and at the top of the facing page: RWD-5 SP-ALX ‘Legun I’ from Łódź. (TJK)
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
Germans with the RWD-5 SP-ALS from
Aeroklub Poznański. (TJK)
62
M
M
P
S
A
M
P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
85
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
A
M
P
Unfinished Łoś near the factory fence. (TJK)
An unfinished Łoś B near the fence of PZL WP1. Note the bomb bays in
wings and fuselage and under-wing radiators. (TJK)
M
M
P
S
Łoś, and behind them the fuselage of the PZL.24J prototype with Bulgarian
markings. (AM)
Łoś B in front of the trials department hangar. (MR)
103
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P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
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M
P
S
A
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
Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
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 overclaiming. The matter has not been researched sufficiently so far.
A
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P
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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
M
M
P
S
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)
131
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
In front of the hangars at Dęblin. Above: RWD-8as nos. 133 and no. 70 (34341), in the background Jupiter-powered Potez 25 no. 40. (TJK)
P
Left: PZL P 7a no. 999 popped up onto its nose by the Germans. (MR)
A
M
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.
M
M
P
S
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)
175
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P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
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M
P
S
A
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)
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)
205
A
M
P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
M
M
P
S
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 already 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
Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
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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)
M
M
P
S
A
M
P
PZL P.7a fighters of the Dęblin Group partly camouflaged with an ‘artificial wood’ and abandoned 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)
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
A
M
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BOROWINA
Bird’s eye view of the airfield and hangars at Borowina (Gołąb). The photograph was taken
before the war. (Stratus)
No. 2
ENTRANCE
S
BARRACKS
No. 1
P
ROAD ON THE EMBANKMENT
TECHNICAL
BUILDINGS
Trees
M
HANGAR
No. 2
Fence
M
HANGAR
No. 1
PWS-26
No. 207
PWS-26
PWS-26
No. 60
PWS-26
PWS-26
PWS-26
PWS-26
BOROWINA
Vertical photograph of the airfield at Borowina with facilities as they were in September
1939. (KCh)
PWS-26
PWS-26
Diagram of the airfield at Borowina after it was captured by the Germans, aircraft were
rolled out of the hangars and partly vandalised.
233
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)
M
M
P
S
A
M
P
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Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
245
Polish Air Force 1939 Through German eyes
Photo credits
Andrzej Glass
Andrzej Morgała
Archive of the Modern Conflict
Adam Popiel
Bartłomiej Belcarz
C. Główczyński
Czesław Główczyński
Dénes Bernárd
Franek X. Grabowski
Jerzy B. Cynk
Jan van den Heuvel
Jan Koniarek
KCh
LŁ
MLP
MnW
MR
PB
Pi&SM
PM
RK
RM
RMa
RP
Krzysztof Chołoniewski
Leopold Łozowicki
Polish Aviation Museum
Muzeum na Woli
Marek Rogusz
Piotr Bobula
Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum
Piotr Mrozowski
Robert Kulczński
R. Mechliński
Roman Mazik
Roman Postek
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M
262
M
215
127
163
196
26
79
73
238
142
123
158
158
126, 127
160
81
147
64
198
147
38
156
147
171
138
163
156
153
109
A
Ivanič Ľudovit
Iżycki Mateusz
Jachimowicz January
Jaklewicz Kazimierz
Jereczek Edmund
Jastrzębski Aleksander
Jeziorowski T
Jung
Kalpas Rajmund
Kawnik Erwin
Kellner-Steinmetz Josef
Klimek Jan
Kocjan Antoni
Korytowski Stanisław
Kościelny E
Kowalski Franciszek
Kozłowski Wiesław
Kraemer
Kuidłowski Franciszek
Laskowski Florian
Leszek Adolf
Liszewski Stanisław
Łagowski Julian
Łapkowski
Łozowicki Alojzy
Machalski Józef
Mazak Feliks
Mazik Roman
S
P
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
Wydawnictwo Stratus
Tomasz Gaworek
Tomasz J. Kopański
Tomasz Kowalski
Tomasz Rajkowski
Volker Koos
Wacław Klepacki
Wojtek Matusiak
Wojtek Zmyślony
Zbigniew Charytoniuk
Zenon Winnicki
P
Name index
Stratus
TG
TJK
TK
TR
VK
WK
WM
WZ
ZC
ZW
LE
AG
AM
AMC
AP
BB
CG
CG
DB
FXG
JBC
JH
JK
Mazur Mieczysław
Mühlenberg
Mutkowski Zdzisław
Nowacki T
Nowakowski
Okrzeja Stefan
Omieliaszko M.
Palusiński Jerzy
Podgrodzki Czesław
Przewoźny Czesław
Raabe Simiński Stanisław
Skibiński Józef
Słowiński Kazimierz
Stefankiewicz Henryk
Szczepański Józef
Szponarowicz Ignacy
Szystowski Edmund
Taras-Wołkowyński S.
Tyrakowski K.
Walkow Stanisław
Wróblewski Aleksander
Zarucki W
Zhivel
Zumbach Jan
Żupnik Władysław
158
198
49, 50
26
138
138
79
141
162
49
238
51
162
160
142
147
147
18
147
81
160
125
26
198
122
158