Polish 111th Fighter Escadrille
Encyclopedia
The 111th Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force
was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army. Created in 1921, immediately after the end of the Polish-Soviet War
, the unit inherited the traditions of the famous war-time
Polish 7th Air Escadrille
(known as the Kościuszko
Squadron), in which both Polish and American volunteers served.
and the Polish 18th Air Escadrille of the 1st Air Regiment. Initially it was manned mostly by the American veterans of the earlier unit, including Cedric Fauntleroy
. However, soon afterwards most of the American pilots returned home and the unit was manned with Polish officers. Nonetheless, it retained the roundel and the traditions of the Polish-American unit. In 1934 the unit was the first to receive the then-modern PZL P.11c fighters. In 1936 the escadrille was stationed in Sarny
and was providing air cover for a construction of border fortifications at the frontier with the Soviet Union
. During one of the sorties Lt. Witold Urbanowicz
, later to become one of the fighter aces of World War II, downed a Soviet Polikarpov R-5
biplane reconnaissance aircraft flying a reconnaissance mission over the area.
In 1939 it was attached to the Pursuit Brigade, a large fighter unit held in reserve of the Commander in Chief
. As part of the Polish 3rd Squadron of the 1st Air Regiment under Zdzisław Krasnodębski, the unit was stationed at the airfield at Zielonka
and provided air cover for the nearby city of Warsaw
. During the Polish September Campaign the first sortie — and the first success of the escadrille — took place on September 1, at 4 in the morning, that is roughly an hour before the fights for Westerplatte
started, an event which is usually taken as the starting point of World War II
. The escadrille was scrambled to intercept a large formation of enemy bombers escorted by Messerschmitt Me110 heavy fighters. Over the area of Modlin
the enemy formation was intercepted and forced to retreat, dropping their bombs on uninhabited areas. Lt. Palusiński downed one enemy Dornier Do17 and probably damaged another plane of that type. Palusiński himself was wounded by enemy fire.
Later that day another bombing raid on Warsaw was intercepted, this time covered by Messerschmitt Me109 fighters. During the air battles over Warsaw the escadrille's commanding officer managed to down one enemy fighter, but was then shot down and wounded. The command was taken over by his deputy, Lt. Januszewicz. The following day the escadrille did not encounter any enemy formations. On September 3 a flight from the escadrille, providing air cover for Col. Stefan Pawlikowski intercepted a formation of enemy Me110 fighters over Wyszków
. Lt. Januszewicz and Corporal Karubin downed two enemy fighters. However, at the same time another flight led by Ferić was dispersed and had to return to base. One of its pilots did not return to the escadrille until September 10.
On September 4 the escadrille was transferred to the Zaborów
airfield near Leszno
. Its commanding officer downed a Junkers Ju87 (other sources mention a Dornier Do17). The following day Strzembosz and Januszewicz scored another two victories, this time over a Me110 and Ju87, respectively. On September 6 Januszewicz scored yet another Ju87. On September 7 the escadrille was evacuated to eastern Poland and was stationed in the Kierz
airfield near Lublin
. It briefly operated from the airfield of Ostrożec near Łuck, but returned to Lublin area the following day (Strzelce and Werba airfields). The last confirmed victories were over a reconnaissance Henschel Hs 126
on September 9 (Ferić) and Heinkel He 111
on September 11 (Wróblewski). Altogether during the campaign the unit downed 8 enemy planes (other sources mention 7½) while losing 9 of its own PZL P.11c fighters.
After the Soviet invasion of Poland
on September 17, the unit was evacuated to Romania
together with its 4 remaining fighters. From there the majority of the pilots were able to get to France
and the United Kingdom
, where many joined the Polish Air Forces in exile. The traditions of the escadrille, as well as its predecessor, was then continued by the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
, one of the most successful Allied fighter units of the war.
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army. Created in 1921, immediately after the end of the Polish-Soviet War
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
, the unit inherited the traditions of the famous war-time
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
Polish 7th Air Escadrille
Polish 7th Air Escadrille
Polish 7th Air Escadrille , better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US volunteers...
(known as the Kościuszko
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish–Lithuanian and American general and military leader during the Kościuszko Uprising. He is a national hero of Poland, Lithuania, the United States and Belarus...
Squadron), in which both Polish and American volunteers served.
History
The unit was created on May 19, 1921 out of two previously-existing units, the Polish 7th Air EscadrillePolish 7th Air Escadrille
Polish 7th Air Escadrille , better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US volunteers...
and the Polish 18th Air Escadrille of the 1st Air Regiment. Initially it was manned mostly by the American veterans of the earlier unit, including Cedric Fauntleroy
Cedric Fauntleroy
Cedric Fauntleroy was an American pilot who in 1919 volunteered to serve in the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Bolshevik War. Fauntleroy was an air combat veteran of the Western Front in World War I...
. However, soon afterwards most of the American pilots returned home and the unit was manned with Polish officers. Nonetheless, it retained the roundel and the traditions of the Polish-American unit. In 1934 the unit was the first to receive the then-modern PZL P.11c fighters. In 1936 the escadrille was stationed in Sarny
Sarny
Sarny translated as Deer, is a small city in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Sarny Raion , and is a major railway node on the Sluch River.The current estimated population is 27,700....
and was providing air cover for a construction of border fortifications at the frontier with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. During one of the sorties Lt. Witold Urbanowicz
Witold Urbanowicz
Witold Urbanowicz was a Polish fighter ace of the Second World War. According to the official record, Witold Urbanowicz was the second highest-scoring Polish fighter ace, with 17 confirmed wartime kills and 1 probable, not counting his pre-war victory...
, later to become one of the fighter aces of World War II, downed a Soviet Polikarpov R-5
Polikarpov R-5
The Polikarpov R-5 was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian light transport, in the order of 7,000 being built in...
biplane reconnaissance aircraft flying a reconnaissance mission over the area.
In 1939 it was attached to the Pursuit Brigade, a large fighter unit held in reserve of the Commander in Chief
Marshal of Poland
Marshal of Poland is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, this rank is equivalent to a Field Marshal or General of the Army in other NATO armies.-History:...
. As part of the Polish 3rd Squadron of the 1st Air Regiment under Zdzisław Krasnodębski, the unit was stationed at the airfield at Zielonka
Zielonka
Zielonka is a town in Wołomin County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,075 inhabitants . It is located about 13 km to the north-east of the centre of Warsaw.City rights since 1960.-Objects:3 primary schoolsa junior high school...
and provided air cover for the nearby city of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. During the Polish September Campaign the first sortie — and the first success of the escadrille — took place on September 1, at 4 in the morning, that is roughly an hour before the fights for Westerplatte
Westerplatte
Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, located on the Baltic Sea coast mouth of the Dead Vistula , in the Gdańsk harbour channel...
started, an event which is usually taken as the starting point of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The escadrille was scrambled to intercept a large formation of enemy bombers escorted by Messerschmitt Me110 heavy fighters. Over the area of Modlin
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
the enemy formation was intercepted and forced to retreat, dropping their bombs on uninhabited areas. Lt. Palusiński downed one enemy Dornier Do17 and probably damaged another plane of that type. Palusiński himself was wounded by enemy fire.
Later that day another bombing raid on Warsaw was intercepted, this time covered by Messerschmitt Me109 fighters. During the air battles over Warsaw the escadrille's commanding officer managed to down one enemy fighter, but was then shot down and wounded. The command was taken over by his deputy, Lt. Januszewicz. The following day the escadrille did not encounter any enemy formations. On September 3 a flight from the escadrille, providing air cover for Col. Stefan Pawlikowski intercepted a formation of enemy Me110 fighters over Wyszków
Wyszków
Wyszków is a town in northeastern Poland with 26,500 inhabitants . It is the capital of Wyszków County . Wyszków is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Warsaw Voivodeship and Ostrołęka Voivodeship .-Description:The village of Wyszków was first documented in 1203. The town...
. Lt. Januszewicz and Corporal Karubin downed two enemy fighters. However, at the same time another flight led by Ferić was dispersed and had to return to base. One of its pilots did not return to the escadrille until September 10.
On September 4 the escadrille was transferred to the Zaborów
Zaborów
Zaborów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Zaborów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Zaborów, Piotrków County in Łódź Voivodeship *Zaborów, Gmina Uniejów in Łódź Voivodeship...
airfield near Leszno
Leszno
Leszno is a town in central Poland with 63,955 inhabitants . Situated in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously the capital of the Leszno Voivodeship . The town has county status.-History:...
. Its commanding officer downed a Junkers Ju87 (other sources mention a Dornier Do17). The following day Strzembosz and Januszewicz scored another two victories, this time over a Me110 and Ju87, respectively. On September 6 Januszewicz scored yet another Ju87. On September 7 the escadrille was evacuated to eastern Poland and was stationed in the Kierz
Kierz, Lublin Voivodeship
Kierz is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bełżyce, within Lublin County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately west of Bełżyce and west of the regional capital Lublin.-References:...
airfield near Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
. It briefly operated from the airfield of Ostrożec near Łuck, but returned to Lublin area the following day (Strzelce and Werba airfields). The last confirmed victories were over a reconnaissance Henschel Hs 126
Henschel Hs 126
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
on September 9 (Ferić) and Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
on September 11 (Wróblewski). Altogether during the campaign the unit downed 8 enemy planes (other sources mention 7½) while losing 9 of its own PZL P.11c fighters.
After the Soviet invasion of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on September 17, the unit was evacuated to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
together with its 4 remaining fighters. From there the majority of the pilots were able to get to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where many joined the Polish Air Forces in exile. The traditions of the escadrille, as well as its predecessor, was then continued by the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring RAF squadron of the Battle of Britain....
, one of the most successful Allied fighter units of the war.
Crew and equipment
On September 1, 1939 the escadrille had 9 planes, including 7 PZL P.11c and 2 PZL P.11a. Throughout the war it received an additional PZL P.11c as reinforcement. The air crew consisted of kapitan (Captain) Gustaw Sidorowicz, his deputy porucznik (Lieutenant) Wojciech Januszewicz and 16 other pilots:- ppor.PodporucznikPodporucznik is a rank of the Polish Army, roughly equivalent to the military rank of the Second Lieutenant in the armed forces of other countries....
Mirosław Ferić - ppor. Janusz Łabicki
- ppor. Jerzy Palusiński
- pchor. Władysław Drecki
- pchor. Zbigniew Janicki
- pchor. Janusz Maciński
- pchor. Mieczysław Rozwadowski
- st. sierż Jan Kołcon
- plut. Ignacy Lendzion
- kpr. Stanisław Karubin
- kpr. Eugeniusz Szaposznikow
- st. szer. Bogdan Cichocki
- st. szer. Henryk Szope
- st. szer. Stefan Wojtowicz
- st. szer. Kazimierz Wünsche
- st. szer. Kazimierz Wróblewski