AAR - BrisWingsofGlory WGS Campaign 1, Mission 14 - Polish Air Force 1939-45
France 1940 Mission 14 Escort Duty Rouen 08/06/1940
The situation in France was becoming more and more desperate for the French and their allies. Three days after the Wehrmacht launched 'Fall Rot' (Case Red) on 5 June 1940 at least some of the German panzer divisions had managed to fight their way through the defensive line along the Somme River, breaking out into the open country beyond. The 7.Panzer Division commanded by recently promoted Generalmajor Erwin Rommel dashed 100 miles in two days to seize the bridges over the River Seine at Rouen. If these bridges were taken by the Germans their armoured spearheads could be in Paris within 24 hours.
On the morning of 8 June 1940 the Patrouille Polonaise of GCII/7 could field three Dewoitine D-520C-1 fighters. 'White 2' and 'Red 4' issued to newly promoted Lieutenants Władysław Gnyś and Tadeusz Kowalewski were factory fresh machines, while repairs had been completed to 'Red 5' issued to Adjutant Władysław Chciuk after it had been badly damaged on 1 June 1940 by return fire when Chciuk had downed a Heinkel He 111. As the sun rose over their airfield at Meaux-Esbly the commander of GCII/7 Cdt. Durieux received orders to dispatch a flight of his best pilots to escort a French bomber conducting an armed reconnaissance in the Rouen area. They were to protect the bomber while the crew located and bombed the advance elements of the German vanguard to try and slow their progress enough to allow the army's engineers to blow the Seine bridges. The French officer called for his 'Patrouille Polonaise' to prepare for this vital mission.
Even as the Polish pilots were getting airborne and setting a course to rendezvous with the bomber, forward elements of the 7.Panzer Division consisting of an armoured car detachment of the 37. Aufklärungs Abteilung and another of Pzkpfw 38(t) tanks of the 25. Panzer Regiment were pushing south towards Rouen.
After almost four weeks of constant action event the mighty Luftwaffe was feeling the strain. Jadgeschwader 2 was tasked with providing air support for the 7. Panzer's advance but could only spare a Rotte of two Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3s at any one time. As the panzer column approached Rouen Oberleutnant Otto Bertram (White 1) and his Rottenkamerad Leutnant Hermann Reifferscheidt in 'White 13' of 1.JG2 were covering the advance.
To the south the 'Patrouille Polonaise' had formed up with a single Glenn Martin 167F bomber of Groupe de Bombardement (GB) I/62, piloted by S-Lt. Maurice Rigaux. His observer S-Lt. Pierre Painchaux was in the nose of the machine keeping a keen eye out for any Boche ground forces, and his gunner Sgt. Maxime Hardy was in the dorsal turret scanning the skies.
Today's game had just four players - the Polish campaigners Rod (newly minted forum member 'Rodders' - drop by his page and say hello), Wayne (whiskysierra), and Paul were running the Polish fighters with Wayne pulling double duty flying the bomber and yours truly flying the two Messerschmitt 109s.
The Poles spy the Luftwaffe fighter threat and turn to engage .....
..... as the Germans come on undaunted by the superior numbers of French aircraft.
6000 metres above the French countryside the two formations come together at a combined approach speed of over 1000 kilometres per hour. "Focus on the lead aircraft", Oblt. Bertram in 'White 1' orders his wingman Ltn. Reifferscheidt. Both Messerschmitts open fire on D.520 'White 2' Lieutenant Władysław Gnyś, even as he pushes the trigger sending his own stream of cannon shells and machine gun fire into Bertram's Messerschmitt. Chciuk's 'Red 5' passes by too fast to either engage or be a target, but Lt. Kowalewski manages to get a long range burst in on 109 'White 1'.
The results are as spectacular as they are devastating. Oblt. Bertram's burst damages the Dewoitine's engine and tears holes in the wing, while Reifferscheidt's fire finishes the French machine sending it down trailing smoke. Władysław Gnyś extracts a measure of revenge as his burst punishes Bertram's 109, holing a fuel tank and damaging control surfaces. Kowalewski's burst ignites the high octane vapours streaming from the Messerschmitt. "Got him!" cries Kowalewski over the R/T even as Władysław Gnyś is sliding back his canopy and hitting the silk. At the same moment Hermann Reifferscheidt calls out "Abschuss!" as the D.520 falls, giving the German his first confirmed 'Luftsieg'. While Lt. Gnyś was pleased to have made it out of his crashing Dewoitine as he floated down under his 'chute he quickly realised he would soon land on the wrong side of the Seine River....
Meanwhile Otto Bertram was still fighting to control his 109 as it belched fire and smoke. "Attack the bomber Hermann," orders Bertram, "I am bailing out!"
The German officer manages to escape his doomed Emil before it is completely consumed, bailing out unhurt only to be quickly captured by French troops occupying forward positions on the southern bank of the Seine River. Kowalewski and Chciuk reverse course in time to see the fiery crash of the 109, which becomes the Polish officer's fourth victory.
As S-Lt. Rigaux began his bombing run on the German panzer column the Sdkfz 222 armoured cars opened fire on the Glenn Martin with their 20mm cannon, shells flying past the American built Armee del'Air machine. A split second later S-Lt. Painchaux lying in the nose of the bomber pushed the bomb release calling "Bombs gone!" Sgt. Hardy meanwhile calls out "Boche at 5 o'clock!" as he trained his machine gun on the incoming Messerschmitt.
Ltn. Reifferscheidt dives in behind the French bomber too late to prevent the attack on the 7. Panzer, with one tank destroyed and another damaged by the stick of bombs.
His run complete S-Lt. Rigaux opens the throttle on the Glenn Martin's Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial engines to try and escape the 109 on his tail. Further back Kowalewski and Chciuk make tight turns to starboard to get in behind the speedy Messerschmitt.
Reifferscheidt opens his combat flaps and begins to turn inside the French bomber .....
..... as Władysław Chciuk's Dewoitine is hit by 20mm fire from the German column.
109 'White 13' continues to close on the Glenn Martin 167F .....
.... before diving down to attack. As cannon shells smash into the bomber in his dorsal turret Sgt. Maxime Hardy fires back, doing his best to put off the German's aim.
Ltn. Reifferscheidt banks to port taking another burst from Sgt. Hardy's gun.
Kowalewski makes a run on the 109 .....
.... but the wily German dives under the Dewoitine's guns as Reifferscheidt sticks like glue to the bomber.
Kowalewski performs a split S to bring his aircraft around but the Messerschmitt continues to close on the bomber, firing burst after burst.
But things weren't going all the German's way. He had fired dozens of 20mm shells and hundreds of rounds of 7.92mm at the French bomber and still it would not go down! To make matters worse the verdammte Bordschütze was peppering his Emil with every burst!
By this time S-Lt. Rigaux had brought the Martin down to tree top height. Reifferscheidt look back and seeing the pursuing D.520s were too far away to intervene.....
....dived down and lined up the bomber for a close range shot. Finally Reifferscheidt's aim was true, his burst tearing the Martin's tail section to pieces. No longer able to keep his stricken machine airborne Maurice Rigaux called for his crew to brace for impact. The bomber came down behind French lines and miraculously none of the crew suffered any serious injury.
As Reifferscheidt announced his second victory with a call of "Horrido!" over the R/T, the German officer saw two D.520s approaching him. To the west Adjutant Chciuk had been heading for home after taking a solid 20mm hit from a German armoured car, but now reversed course while S-Lt. Kowalewski was still following the 109 from the north.
Making a diving attack Kowalewski's burst leaves the German machine smoking badly, but Reifferscheidt's return fire almost knocks Kowalewski's D.520 out of the sky.
As the 109 and the D.520s pass each pilot decides it is time to call it a day.
Lieutenant Tadeusz Kowalewski brings 'Red 4' back to Meaux-Esbly, where his fourth victory is confirmed, making him the equal top scorer of GCII/7 with Adjutant Chciuk. His Dewoitine is too badly damaged to be repaired and is struck off being converted to components.
Adjutant Władysław Chciuk also returns to base, with 'Red 5' repaired and ready for operations by 13 June 1940.
On the other side of the lines Leutnant Hermann Reifferscheidt nursed his battered Emil to a forward base. The young officer was credited with two confirmed victories and received an immediate Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse, but his 109 'White 13' is soon assessed as a write off.
The delay caused by the bombing of the German vanguard gave the French engineers sufficient time to complete their work and demolish Rouen's Seine bridges, holding back the German tide for the moment. The report was communicated to GCII/7 as Kowalewski and Chciuk waited in the escadrille duty office for news of Lt. Władysław Gnyś. As the hours passed they became concerned their comrade had been killed or captured, but just before dusk a call from the front confirmed the Polish officer was safe and well, if a bit wet after having to swim the Seine River. Gnyś made it back to Meaux-Esbly the following morning.
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Originally Posted by Nightbomber
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