AAR - BrisWingsofGlory WGS Campaign 1, Mission 25 - Polish Air Force 1939-45
Britain 1940 Mission 25 Defensive Patrol Croydon 15/09/1940
The peaceful morning of 15 September 1940 gave no hint of the coming storm the Luftwaffe was about to unleash. By 1100hrs however as reports from radar stations and observer posts flooded into Fighter Control, it was soon apparent that Jerry was throwing everything he could at Britain, seeking a decisive engagement with the squadrons of RAF Fighter Command.
With F/O Nowak and F/Sgt Chciuk away from the field picking up replacement aircraft, "B" Flight was reduced to four pilots - F/O Władysław Gnyś (RF-J), Sgt Tadeusz Arabski (FR8, F/O Tadeusz Kowalewski (WX-E) and Sgt. Stasio Łapka (WX-J).
Soon the Poles from No's 303 and 302 Squadrons are climbing towards the south east over Croydon.....
….. while in the distance the Luftwaffe form up for their attack run - Dornier Do 17Z-2 medium bombers (KG2) escorted by Messerschmitt Bf 109E's (JG26).
The participants in today's mission are Wayne (forum member Whiskysierra) and Paul running their Polish pilots …..
….. and my regular OPFOR players Charlie (forum member provost121) and Ned flying the Dornier Kette and Messerschmitt Rotte respectively.
Let the battle begin!
The Polish flight in echelon left (Gnyś, Arabski, Kowalewski and Łapka) bank towards the approaching bomber stream …..
….. as the 9.JG26 109's flown by Oblt. Wilhelm Fronhöfer (Yellow 13) and Ltn. Heinz Ebeling (Yellow 5) open their throttles passing over the bomber formation. Both Jagdflieger keep a weather eye on their fuel gauges aware they have only a few minutes of flying time this close to the English capital.
As the Luftwaffe bombers cross the outskirts of the city they are engaged by anti-aircraft artillery. Leading his Kette in Do 17Z-2 (U5+AP), veteran of the Polish and French campaigns Leutnant Hans von Koppelow lines up the target for today, a factory next to rail yards. His bombardier Feldwebel Erhard Lauer releases his bombload, the signal for the following aircraft to do the same.
The Poles are still closing on the Dorniers as the German bombers commence their bombing run, wary of the heavy anti-aircraft fire blanketing the sky.
Even as the KG2 formation begins to turn for home Do 17Z-2 (U5+BP) piloted by Ltn. Herbert Blass is rocked as a shell explodes close to the aircraft. Shrapnel perforates the thin duralumin skin and the Dornier begins trailing black, oily smoke.
As F/O Władysław Gnyś leads his flight into the attack with a very British 'Tally-Ho!' …..
….. as 3000 kilograms of German bombs fall on or around the target factory 6000 metres below.
Banking hard to starboard the 109's with Oblt. Fronhöfer in the lead close on the Hurricanes to cover the withdrawal of the Dornier formation. Fronhöfer opens fire on the lead RAF fighter with cannon and machine guns. Władysław Gnyś feels his Hurricane 'RF-J' buck as 20mm shells blow a hole in his starboard wing, but the sturdy aircraft takes the punishment without further complaint.
The Luftwaffe fighters pass over the Hurricanes as Gnyś closes to firing range.
The Polish officer's fires two short bursts at the Dornier, the first striking the thin fuselage and the second tracking forward to the nose. In the closely packed cockpit the dorsal gunner Unteroffizier Dieter Peltz who had been furiously returning fire with his single MG15 is struck in the legs and stomach. Dropping the butt of his MG, Peltz screams in pain and clutches at his wounds, attempting to stem the flow of blood.
Even as F/O Gnyś is punishing his target, on his six o'clock Sgt. Łapka banking around to engage the 109's is caught by Ltn. Ebeling coming out of a split S manoeuvre. The German opens up, his twin MG17's and MGFF cannon spitting steady streams of lead and high explosive at the Hurricane. The cannon shells and rifle calibre bullets tear at Łapka's machine, damaging controls and causing black smoke to stream back from under the cowl.
Having silenced the Dornier's rear gunner F/O Władysław Gnyś closes on his target firing steadily. The Do 17 pilot Ltn. von Koppelow uses all his skill to try and avoid the Hurricane's attacks, but still feels the impact of numerous rounds striking his aircraft.
As Sgt. Łapka fights to regain complete control of his Hurricane the two 109's flash past his tail heading for the rest of 'B' Flight.
With the rapid departure of his wingman, F/O Kowalewski is left exposed to the depredations of the two yellow-nosed 109's on his seven o'clock. Ebeling (Yellow 5) presses the triggers to all his guns, seeing the immediate effect as pieces fly off the Hurricane. In his cockpit Tadeusz Kowalewski knows he is in trouble as cannon shells explode along the fuselage of his aircraft and he can hear the metallic pings of 7.92mm rounds bouncing off the armour plate behind his seat.
Another burst from Ebeling and Kowalewski's machine is finished, giving the Luftwaffe officer his second 'Abschuss'. As the Hurricane starts to fall out of control Kowalewski yanks back on the hood, pleased it slides back easily. Disengaging his harness straps, the Polish pilot rolls out of the cockpit and deploys his parachute.
Both F/O Gnyś and his wingman Sgt. Arabski are now able to engage the battered Do 17 (U5+AP) at the rear of the formation. In the cockpit of the bomber the crew have removed the badly wounded Uffz. Peltz from his position and now the radio operator Uffz. Franz Schlund takes up the machine gun to defend his aircraft.
Despite running low on fuel Oblt. Wilhelm Fronhöfer (Yellow 13) and Ltn. Heinz Ebeling (Yellow 5) again open up their throttles to close on the other two Hurricanes attacking the Luftwaffe bombers.
Sgt. Stasio Łapka brings his Hurricane around to get back into the battle, but too late to have an impact.
Finally under the weight of fire from sixteen .303 in Browning machine guns the trailing Dornier falls out of formation, entering a steep dive. The Do 17Z is claimed by F/O Władysław Gnyś, giving the Polish veteran his fifth confirmed victory and the unofficial status of 'Ace'. In the doomed Dornier Ltn. von Koppelow fights to maintain at least some control as his gunner Uffz. Peltz is too badly wounded to survive a jump. Against the odds von Koppelow manages a belly landing in an English field. Soon he and his crew are captured, and Dieter Peltz receives medical treatment. After five weeks in a military hospital Peltz is sufficiently recovered to join his comrades as a prisoner of war.
The two German Jadgflieger watch as the Dornier falls, unable to catch the RAF fighters in time to intervene.
With two 109's on his six o'clock and a shot up engine courtesy of the Dornier gunner, Sgt. Arabski dives away out of the fight, returning to base. His Hurricane RF-H is repairable and returned to operations on 17 September.
With the leading bombers safely away and their fuel tanks running low the 109's also break off. The Dorniers make it back to the I./KG2 base at Epinoy without further enemy contact. Both machines suffered light damage, whether by flak or fighter attack but are made operational by 19 September. The loss of Leutnant von Koppelow and his crew was felt by all the Kampfgeschwader, as they had been with the unit since before the outbreak of the war. Empty places at the dinner table only served to reinforce the thought that it would only be a matter of time for any of them. At Caffiers where 9.JG26 was stationed however the mood was far lighter. Only Leutnant Heinz Ebeling's Emil took any hits during the engagement and the minor damage was repaired within 48 hours. That evening at the mess celebrations were in full swing as Ltn. Ebeling was decorated with the Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse for his second confirmed victory.
F/O Gnyś and Sgt. Łapka return to Northolt, both their Hurricanes somewhat the worse for wear. RF-J would be ready to return to the skies within two days and Łapka's No.302 Squadron machine back on operations by 19 September. The Poles were very pleased when F/O Tadeusz Kowalewski returned to the airfield without any holes in him. Following the provision of their combat reports and confirmation of his Dornier claim, F/O Władysław Gnyś was recommended for the award of the Krzyz Walecznych, the Polish Cross of Valour. The day was not yet done however, for even as the pilots of the Kościuszko Squadron grabbed a bite to eat and even a few minutes rest the Luftwaffe was massing across the Channel for yet another raid on the Poles' 'Island of Last Hope'.....
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Originally Posted by Gotham Resident
Another great 
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