AAR - BrisWingsofGlory WGS Campaign 1, Mission 22 - Polish Air Force 1939-45
Britain 1940 Mission 22 Defensive Patrol Canterbury 07/09/1940
Due to lack of available aircraft No.303 Squadron's Blue Section was grounded on 6 September 1940. That morning F/O Władysław Gnyś and his comrades, in some instances nursing significant hangovers, watched as the Kościuszki Squadron's nine Hurricanes took off to engage a massive Luftwaffe bomber formation heading for the coast. Unfortunately the Hurricane formation was still climbing when it engaged the enemy. RAF Squadron Leader Kellet later reported:
"This was the biggest formation I have seen. It covered an area 20 miles x 5. There were many big planes, Dorniers, He 111 and some 4 engined. There were the usual Me 110’s among them, and formations of Me 109’s up to 25,000 ft, fully 300 to 400 enemy aircraft.”
The squadron subsequently suffered heavy losses with a number of pilots wounded, although fortunately none were killed. By evening the aircraft strength of No.303 was reduced to just two operational machines. With No.303's RAF squadron leader slightly wounded and his Polish opposite number Squadron Leader Zdzisław Krasnodębski badly burned, Flying Officer Władysław Gnyś was the squadron's senior Polish officer.
Overnight 6-7 September 1940 six replacement aircraft were delivered to No.303 Squadron at RAF Northolt, and the ground crews worked through the night to repair damaged machines. By morning despite still being understrength the Polish squadron was ready to fight. Later that day Squadron Intelligence Officer F/O Żyborski wrote:
“Something strange is happening today. Beautiful weather and such calm. In the afternoon we found that this was the calm before the storm. Adolf has prepared for a major raid, which took off from France at 16:00 numbering some 500 machines.”
About 1620hrs a flight of five Hurricanes took off from Northolt climbing to 15,000 feet before heading east to intercept the German raid. Commanded by F/O Gnyś (RF-J), the rest of the flight consisted of Sgt Tadeusz Arabski (RF-D), F/O Tadeusz Nowak (RF-T), F/Sgt Władysław Chciuk (RF-R) and No.302 Squadron's F/O Tadeusz Kowalewski (WX-E).
The usual Polish players turned out to defend the Island of Last Hope - Paul (proprietor of The Emperor's Legions), Rod (forum member Rodders) and Wayne (forum member Whiskysierra).
Flying for the Luftwaffe was Liam running two Bf 109s and yours truly flying the Dornier Do 17Z-2 bombers.
Receiving further reports from Ground Control regarding the huge raid coming in from France, the Hurricane flight climbs to 24,000 feet as F/O Gnyś is determined not to be caught at an altitude disadvantage.
Approaching the Hurricanes at 22,000 feet is Kette of I.KG2 Dornier Do 17-Z bombers, escorted by a Rotte of 1.JG77 Messerschmitt Bf 109s at 27,000 feet.
Leading the attack on the Dorniers, F/O Nowak and his wingman F/Sgt. Chciuk pass over the lead aircraft ….
…. before the Hurricane flight swings in behind the Luftwaffe formation.
Attacking from six o'clock high, the eight .303 Browning machine guns in the wings of each Hurricane chatter to life, as in turn Nowak, Chciuk, Arabski, Gnyś and Kowalewski line up to send streams of ball, armour piercing and tracer munitions into the German bombers. In reply the dorsal gunners of the Dorniers try to spoil the aim of the RAF fighters, firing burst after burst with their single MG17 machine guns.
Even as the Polish squadron presses the attack two Messerschmitt Bf 109Es piloted by Ltn. Hans von Strelow and Uffz. Fritz Geisshardt round on Kowalewski's Hurricane. The high deflection shot sees 20mm rounds from von Strelow's twin MGFF cannon arc towards their target. Kowalewski ducks instinctively as some of the fusillade pass over his canopy, then feels his Hurricane buck as one round strikes the rear of his fuselage with a loud bang.
The marauding Messerschmitts flash past Kowalewski's tail lining up the next Hurricane, coded RF-J with a red stripe across the fuselage piloted by flight leader F/O Władysław Gnyś.
At the head of the Polish flight F/Sgt Władysław Chciuk puts a burst into the cockpit of Dornier Do 17Z-2 (U5+AP), wounding the radio operator Uffz. Peter .
At the rear of the flight the 1.JG77 109s close on F/O Gnyś, his attention apparently completely drawn to the attack on the bombers.
As Nowak and Chciuk continue to blast the Dornier formation, Władysław Gnyś suddenly become very aware of the threat posed by the Luftwaffe fighters as cannon shells and machine gun fire smashes into his Hurricane. A cannon shell strikes the Merlin engine resulting in an immediate loss of power, and a machine gun round punches through the side of the cockpit wounding the Polish officer in the leg.
F/Sgt Chciuk puts another burst into the cockpit of his Dornier, smashing through the plexiglass canopy and badly wounding the observer Ltn. Egon Hummel. F/O Tadeusz Nowak fires a long burst at the middle Dornier, sending a trail of black smoke spewing forth from the starboard engine. At the same moment however the dorsal gunner of Do 17Z-2 (U5+BP) Uffz. Karl Wasserbeck finds his range, 7.92mm rounds piercing the fuel tank of Nowak's Hurricane located right in front of his cockpit! Nowak feels the sudden heat as flames lick up behind his instrument panel.
Behind Nowak's burning machine, Władysław Gnyś now a sitting duck with his damaged engine pulls back the canopy and bails out of the stricken Hurricane. In the cockpit of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 Ltn. Hans Strelow calls "Horrido!" as he watches the Hurricane roll over and fall out of control, marking his first aerial victory.
Just seconds after his flight commander fell victim to von Strelow, F/Sgt Chciuk fired another burst at Do 17Z-2 (U5+AP). .303 calibre rounds tore through the Dornier's tail section, sheering off the port vertical stabiliser and rudder. The bomber lurched in the sky, when suddenly the entire tail section separated from the fuselage. The machine entered a fatal dive from which just three air crew emerged from the ventral hatch, as the pilot Oblt. Gerhard Keitel, the slightly wounded Uffz. Peter Krämer and Uffz. Karl-Heinz Leie bailed out and soon became prisoners of war. The observer Ltn. Egon Hummel was too badly wounded to escape the doomed Dornier and was killed as the German bomber crashed into the English countryside.
Even as Władysław Chciuk announced his eighth victory over the R/T, his section leader F/O Tadeusz Nowak fired another close range burst at Do 17Z-2 (U5+BP), setting fire to the smoking bomber.
Despite the flames threatening to engulf his own aircraft, F/O Nowak succeeds in shooting down the Dornier, from which all the crew manage to bail out safely to be captured on landing. The Polish officer had not time to celebrate his fifth victory, as suddenly his Hurricane was battered by a fusillade of 20mm cannon shells and machine gun fire. His aircraft crippled and burning, F/O Nowak pulled back the canopy hood, released his harness and drop clear of the cockpit. Free falling for a few seconds, Nowak then deployed his parachute and was soon drifting down to the earth below. Despite the flames, shot and shell that had wrought havoc on his Hurricane Nowak had somehow managed to escape even the slightest wound. Watching the burning Hurricane falling away Ltn. von Strelow again called "Horrido!" marking his second victory of the mission.
His own Hurricane having sustained engine damage in the fight with the Dorniers, F/Sgt Chciuk banks away and sets a course for Northolt.
Likewise F/O Kowalewski makes for home, his Hurricane also having taken heavy damage from the cannon fire of the Messerschmitt Bf 109s.
Despite the loss or departure of the rest of his flight Sgt Arabski continues to attack the last Dornier of the I.KG2 Kette.
Having only been able to deal one telling burst to the German bomber Sgt Arabski is also forced to break off due to the threat posed by the 109s on his six o'clock.
Arabski was able to avoid the Luftwaffe fighters and bring his Hurricane back to RAF Northolt west of London with just a few bullet holes in the wings and fuselage inflicted by the MG17s of the Dorniers' gunners.
Ltn. von Strelow and Uffz. Geisshardt escorted the remaining Dornier back to France. Only Uffz. Geisshardt's Emil had been hit in the action, the damage sufficiently serious to prevent 'White 2' returning to operations for a week. That evening Ltn. von Strelow's two victories were confirmed and in recognition of his double victory he was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse.
Back at Northolt as the ground crew set about preparing the returned Hurricanes grave fears were held for both Flying Officers Władysław Gnyś and Tadeusz Nowak. Much to the relief of No.303 Squadron both pilots arrived by car before dusk, Nowak none the worse for wear despite his parachuting from a burning Hurricane. The wound on the leg of F/O Gnyś also proved to be little more than a scratch - the second time the Polish officer had narrowly escaped serious injury in the cockpit. The following day both officers were recommended for decorations, with F/O Nowak to be awarded the coveted Polish Cross of Valour (Krzyż Walecznych) for his fifth confirmed victory and a second Wound Star (Odznaka honorowa dla Oficerów i Szeregowych za Rany i Kontuzje) for F/O Gnyś.
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Originally Posted by mikeemagnus
^^^^^
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