Polish Fighting Team
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| Polish Fighting Team | |
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 Badge of the Polish Fighting Team |
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| Active | February 13, 1943 to July 22, 1943 |
| Country | Poland |
| Part of | Desert Air Force |
| Nickname | "Skalski Circus" |
| Battle honours | North African Campaign |
| Insignia | |
| Unit code | ZX + individual number (0-10) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Supermarine Spitfire |
The Polish Fighting Team (PFT) (Polish: Polski Zespół Myśliwski), also known as "Skalski's Circus", was a Polish unit which fought with the British Commonwealth Desert Air Force in the North African Campaign of World War II, during 1943. Its nickname was derived from its commander, Stanisław Skalski.
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[edit] History
The unit was sent to North Africa at the insistence of the Free Polish HQ, which wanted to train a cadre of experienced pilots in harsh conditions. The team was attached to No. 145 Squadron RAF, flying the Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX.
A total of 15 Polish pilots were chosen, under a plan for personnel rotation every three months. After initial preparations at RAF West Kirby in the UK, they embarked on an Atlantic convoy, arriving in North Africa in March 1943.
The unit gained a reputation for effectiveness and style. Flying Officer Mieczysław Wyszkowski was the only casualty in the PFT, shot down and taken prisoner-of-war on April 18. The German Army in Africa surrendered on May 13 and the PFT was disbanded.
[edit] Locations
- March 13, 1943 - Bu Grara
- April 11, 1943 - La Fauconnerie
- April 15, 1943 - Goubrine
- May 6, 1943 - Hergla
- May 20, 1943 - Ben Gardane
[edit] Squadron equipment
- March 15, 1943 - Supermarine Spitfire F VB Tropicalised and VC (inter alia: AB168, ER539 -7)
- March 23 - May 26, 1943 - Supermarine Spitfire F IXC (inter alia: EN261 -10, EN267 -5, EN268 -7, EN286 -8, EN300 -9, EN315 -6, EN361 -3, EN459 -1)
[edit] Scores
| destroyed | 25 |
|---|---|
| probable | 3 |
| damaged | 9 |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008) |
- Bohdan Arct: Cyrk Skalskiego Warsaw, 1970, MON
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| Commanders: Stanisław Skalski Flight personal: Bohdan Arct | Władysław Drecki | Eugeniusz Horbaczewski | Jan Kowalski | Wacław Król | Marcin Machowiak | Władysław Majchrzyk | Bronisław Malinowski Ludwik Martel | Karol Pniak | Mieczysław Popek | Kazimierz Sporny | Kazimierz Sztramko | Mieczysław Wyszkowski Squadron equipment: Supermarine Spitfire |
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