No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron

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No. 303 Squadron
Sqn Ldr Zumbach's Spitfire Vb, 1942
Information
Role	Air superiority
Aircraft Operated	Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire, P-51 Mustang
Home Station	varied
Unit's code	RF (changed on August 2, 1945) in PD Nickname: "Rafałki"
Squadron holiday	September 1
Usually	carrying scarlet scarfs
History
Date Founded	August 2, 1940 at Northolt
Date Disbanded	December 11, 1946 at Hethel, Norfolk
Badge
Notable Battle Honours	Battle of Britain 1940, Fortress Europe 1941-1944, France and Germany 1944-1945

No. 303 "Kościuszko" Polish Fighter Squadron (Polish: Warszawski Dywizjon im. Tadeusza Kościuszki) was a Polish-manned fighter squadron flying as part of the Royal Air Force. It was named after the Polish and American hero General Tadeusz Kościuszko. Kosciuszko Squadron was formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish government in exile of 1939, and the United Kingdom on 2 August of 1940 and became officially operational a few weeks later on 31 August. Kosciuszko Squadron is famous for claiming the highest number of enemy kills during the Battle of Britain of all fighter squadrons then in operation through September to October 1940[1]. The squadron was disbanded in December 1946.

1 Operational History
2 Squadron statistics
- 2.1 Scores
3 Locations
4 Squadron equipment
5 Commanders
6 Pilots of 303
7 Quotes
8 References
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] Operational History

No. 303 (Polish) Squadron was formed on August 2, 1940, and became operational on August 31 of the same year, its initial cadre being 13 Officer & 8 NCO pilots and 135 Polish ground staff. Initially English speaking serving RAF Officers were appointed to serve as CO and Flight Commanders along side their Polish contemporaries, as it was thought the Polish pilot contingent were not yet familiar with RAF Fighter Command language, procedures and training. The name chosen by the squadron was in honour of the famous Polish Kosciuszko Squadron which fought during the Polish-Soviet War in 1920. No. 303 Squadron was also linked to the original Kosciuszko Squadron through personnel that had served in the squadron of 1920. Later, further air force units from the aforementioned were renamed the 7th, 121st and 111th Squadrons of the Polish Airforce.

On August 30, 1940, the squadron scored its first victory while still officially non-operational, against a German Do-17Z bomber. 303 Squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft destroyed of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun. Its success in combat can be attributed to the years of extensive and rigorous pre-war training many of the long-serving Polish veterans had received in their homeland and surviving previous encounters with Luftwaffe in inferior planes; far more than many of their younger and inexperienced RAF comrades being thrown into the battle. In its first seven days of combat, the squadron claimed nearly forty enemy planes. Withdrawn from battle for a rest on the 11 October, the squadron had claimed 126 kills in six weeks. However, losses had also been heavy, with 18 Hurricanes lost, seven pilots killed and five badly wounded.

During 1941-43, 303 Squadron flew on Fighter Command's offensive sweeps over North West Europe, flying the various marks of the Spitfire. During Operation Jubilee, 303 Squadron claimed the highest number of aircraft shot down of all Allied squadrons participating. On April 11, 1942, when an aerial gunnery contest was staged within No. 11 Group RAF, the three competing Polish squadrons - 303, 316 and 315 took the first three places out of all 22 air squadrons, 303 Squadron coming first by a very healthy margin. After D-Day, the squadron remained with ADGB ('Air Defence Great Britain'), moving to RAF Coltishall for operations over Holland. April 1945 saw the unit equipped with P-51 Mustangs.

303 Squadron was the most effective Polish squadron during the Second World War. Its pilots were the only representatives of the Polish Army invited to the London Victory Parade in 1946; they refused the invitation because no other Polish units were invited. After the end of the war, squadron morale decreased due to the treatment of Poles by the Allies, and the squadron was eventually disbanded in December 1946.

[edit] Squadron statistics

126 German aeroplanes shot down by No. 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. Painted on a Hurricane.

(from July 19, 1940 until May 8, 1945)

Year	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Overall
Combat sorties	1,049	2,143	1,348	2,075	2,653	632	9,900
Hours of flight time	1,086	2,743	1,967	3,693	5,259	1,118	15,866

[edit] Scores

Battle of Britain	Score
destroyed	126
probably	13
damaged	9

(4,7% of all enemy aeroplanes during the battle)

178th German aeroplane shot down by No. 303 Squadron. From the left side: Sgt. Rokitnicki, F/Sgt Wunsche, Flt Lt Bieńkowski, Fg Off Horbaczewski and Fg Off Lipiński. In the background Spitfire VB, BM144 -D flight by Zumbach.

(from September 1, 1940until May 8, 1945)

1940-1945	Score
destroyed	205 1/6
probably	40
damaged	28

(include 3-0-3 enemy aeroplanes on the ground)

[edit] Locations

The dog "Misia", mascot of the 303 squadron, sitting on a Spitfire.

Fg Off Bronisław Kłosin holding the aerial gunnery contest award, on the left side of him, Flt Lt Bieńkowski, on the right side Flt Lt Zumbach.

[edit] Squadron equipment

August 8, 1940 - Hurricane I (inter alia, August, 1940: L1696 -T; at the beginning of August, Flight "A": P3700 -E, P3974, R2688, R4178 -G, V7244 -C, Flight "B": P2985, P3975 -U, R4175 -R, R4179, V7235; later: L2026 -Q, L2099 -O, N2460 -D, P3120 -A, P3544 -H, P3939 -H, V6684 -F, V7067 -T, V7235 -M; November: V6577 -P, V7384 -H, V7503 -U, V7504 -G, V7624 -B; December 1940 - February 1941: N2661 -J, P3162 -T, P3585 -C, P3814 -Y, R4081 -O, V6533 -R, V6637 -G, V6757 -E, V6956 -C, V7182 -U, V7466 -S, V7606 -A, V7619 -M, V7644 -Z, V7727 -H, W9129 -W); since July 13, 1941 until August 24, 1941 again Hurricane I (inter alia, P3932 -RF-C).

303 squadron pilots. From the left side: Sgt. Stasik, Plt Off Socha, Plt Off Kolecki, Fg Off Lipiński, Fg Off Horbaczewski, Fg Off Schmidt, F/Sgt Giermar (on the wing), Flt Lt Zumbach, Sqn Ldr Kołaczewski, Flt Lt Żak, F/Sgt Popek, Fg Off Bieńkowski, Fg Off Kłosin, Fg Off Kolubiński, F/Sgt Karczmarz, F/Sgt Sochacki, F/Sgt Wojciechowski and on the propeller Fg Off Głowacki (May 1942, Northolt).

January 22, 1941 - Spitfire I (inter alia, N3026 -A, N3108 -P, N3122 -Y, N3285 -J, P9519 -M, R6972 -N); March 3, 1941 - Spitfire IIA (inter alia, P7546 -T, P7786 -C, P7858 -H, P7989 -U, P8039 -R, P8040 -D, P8041 -E, P8073 -Z); May 20, 1941 - Spitfire IIB (inter alia, P8208 -F, P8325 -B, P8329 -P, P8330 -D, P8331 -M, P8333 -S, P8334 -E, P8335 -R, P8336 -W, P8346 -T, P8382 -C, P8385 -A, P8507 -V, P8524 -H, P8531 -Y, P8567 -D, P8642 -X, P8672 -F); since August 25, 1941 until October 6, 1941 again Spitfire I (inter alia, P9429, R6773 -P).

October 7, 1941 - Spitfire VB (inter alia, at the end of 1941 and in 1942: W3229 -D, W3506 -U, W3765 -P, W3795 -N, W3893 -K, AA882 -G, AA908 -A, AA940 -B, AB174 -Q (Mk VC), AB183 -A, AB824 -S, AB899 -C, AB906 -W, AB929 -R, AD116 -H, AD138 -T, AD179 -F, AD455 -V, BL375 -J, BL432 -K, BL672 -M, BM144 -D, EN951 -D).

June 1, 1943 - Spitfire F IXC (inter alia, BS451 -M, BS506 -O, BS513, EN172 -J, MA222 -A, MA314, MA593 -Y, MA740 -R, MA754 -K).

November 12, 1943 - Spitfire VB, Spitfire VC and Spitfire LF VB, Spitfire LF VC (inter alia, Spitfire VB i Spitfire VC: W3380, AA751, AA937, AB272 -D, AD198 -W; Spitfire LF VB and Spitfire VC: AB271, AD237, AD295, AD317, AR513, BL385, BL464, BM207).

July 18, 1944 - Spitfire F IX, Spitfire LF IX and Spitfire HF IX (inter alia, Spitfire F IX: BS348, BS408, EN122, EN182 -H, EN526 -A, MA528 -E, MA814 -Q, MH692 -C, MH823, MH910 -G; Spitfire LF IX: MH777 -N, MJ120, MJ216; Spitfire HF IX: MK694, ML339)

April 4, 1945 - Mustang IV and Mustang IVA (inter alia, KH663 -L, KH669 -P, KH770 -Y, KH825 -C, KM112 -D, KM186 -A, KM191 -Z, KM220 -G, KM237 -R, KM297 -K).

[edit] Commanders

(under British command until January 1, 1941. Abbreviations: mjr: major, kpt.: captain, por.: lieutenant)

303 squadron pilots. From the left side: Plt Off Ferić, Flt Lt Kent, Fg Off Grzeszczak, Plt Off Radomski, Plt Off Zumbach, Plt Off Łukciewski, Fg Off Henneberg, Sgt. Rogowski, Sgt. Szaposznikow (in 1940).

August 2, 1940 - Squadron Leader (mjr) Zdzisław Krasnodębski
September 7, 1940 - Flying Officer (por.) Witold Urbanowicz
October 22, 1940 - Flying Officer (por.) Zdzisław Henneberg
November 7, 1940 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Adam Kowalczyk
February 20, 1941 - Squadron Leader (por.) Zdzisław Henneberg
April 13, 1941 - Flight Lieutenant (por.) Tadeusz Arentowicz
May 5, 1941 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Wacław Łapkowski
July 3, 1941 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Tadeusz Arentowicz
July 9, 1941 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Jerzy Jankiewicz
November 21, 1941 - Squadron Leader (por.) Wojciech Kołaczkowski
May 7, 1942 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Walerian Żak
May 19, 1942 - Squadron Leader (por.) Jan Zumbach
December 1, 1942 - Squadron Leader (por.) Zygmunt Witymir Bieńkowski
July 4, 1943 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Jan Falkowski
November 21, 1943 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Tadeusz Koc
September 25, 1944 - Squadron Leader (kpt.) Bolesław Drobiński
February 1, 1946 - Squadron Leader (mjr) Witold Łokuciewski

[edit] Pilots of 303

S/L RG Kellett Original CO of 303 Sqn during the Battle of Britain.(5 claims)

F/L John A. Kent, Canadian Flight commander during the Battle, (11 claims)

Josef Frantisek, Czech Sgt. pilot flying with 303 Polish Squadron, was the one of the top claimants of the Battle of Britain, with 17 confirmed kills.

Witold Urbanowicz, Polish commander of 303 Squadron from 5 September 1940, scored 15 kills during the Battle of Britain (17 total)

Jan Zumbach, commander of 303 Squadron from May 19, 1942, scored 8 kills during the Battle of Britain (13 total)

Stanislaw Skalski, also No. 501 Squadron RAF.(22 claims)

Pilot list of the No. 303 Polish "Kościuszko" Fighter Squadron

[edit] Quotes

Spitfire VB of the 303 squadron in the "left stairs down" formation, on a combat flight during the Jubilee operation.

I cannot say how proud I am to have been privileged to help form and lead No. 303 squadron and later to lead such a magnificent fighting force as the Polish Wing. There formed within me in those days an admiration, respect and genuine affection for these really remarkable men which I have never lost. I formed friendship that are as firm as they were those twenty-five years ago and this I find most gratifying. We who were privileged to fly and fight with them will never forget and Britain must never forget how much she owes to the loyalty indomitable spirit and sacrifice of those Polish fliers. They were our staunchest Allies in our darkest days; may they always be remembered as such!

Group Captain John A. Kent DFC, AFC, Virtuti Militari.

[edit] References

Arkady Fiedler. 1942. Dywizjon 303. London (English translation: 1943. Squadron 303: The Polish Fighter Squadron with the RAF. New York: Roy).
Jerzy B. Cynk. 1998. The Polish Air Force at War: The Official History, 1943-1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1998, ISBN 0-7643-0560-3.
Lynne Olson & Stanley Cloud. 2003. A Question of Honor. The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II. New York: Knopf.