On the author's request, I publish this text verabtim.
Wartime Recollections
by M. Cwynar.
Flying low, back to Albion, over La
Manche and the North Sea after
engagements, singly or in
sections of two aircraft, we soon learnt to
avoid flying near naval ships, all ships. The gunners of those well-armed
vessels were good sharp-shooters.
Furthermore, when spotting low flying
approaching aircraft, they opened fire
first, then recognition whether it was
friend or foe was to them of secondary
importance...
It was with certain unease
pilots of 315 Squadron gathered in the
morning of 25th Aug. 1944. for unusual briefing. In the tent of A.L.G. Brenzett
133 Wing intelligence officer outlined
the day’s mission. -
Sadly, our dear
leader Horbaczewski “no more” - I was
told to lead the squadron.
We were, in few hours time, early afternoon, flying with another R.A.F.
Spitfire squadron, to attack by strafing,
a German Navy vessel on the North Sea to the west
of Borkum Island. Spitfires were going
to strafe first. Our - Mustang's
squadron time of arrival to the
vicinity of the target was calculated on
the assumption that we will be there
after Spitfires had left the area.
During the briefing I asked intelligence officer how was
it that at the time of our arrival to
the designated area in appx. 4 hours time, German ship will be in
the same position? Was it crippled? Int. Officer with his narrow
brief could no give a satsiafctory answer - he did not know - he was not given
any details!
On our arrival to designated area on the North Sea, Spitfires were still there,
circling in left-hand turn around German warship (appeared to be a
destroyer, bristling with guns turrets).
It was obvious that our English "brothers-in-arms" were reluctant to
strafe well-armed target from close
range. So – on outer left-hand (to Spitfires) circle, I "stacked" my
three-sections of four Mustangs in
echelon-starboard and waited to take-over, and strafe...
From a considerable
distance - say - 1,000 meters, Germans
were firing cascading, “bending”
tracer bullets towards Spitfires... It
meant to be a warning, what's coming to
us if we dare to come nearer. English
pilots, talking excitedly to each
other, still hesitating what to do next... Tense, dangerous situation... Few
minutes elapsed, still - no action... My irrepressible
“wingman-raconteur” Tadek Jankowski "chipped-in" on R/T...
... Shaky??
Shaky???... Reaction was swift!... You bloody, f…..g
Poles... Shut-up!...
Tadek's reply... " Shaky ostriches!"
...Verbal abuse ensued... in a tense
situation... pressure-valves "blew up", a
typical human behavior... I decided to
stop this gratuitous exchange, and told
my pilots to keep quiet!...
Circling, still waiting... I thought
we should have had (as at the beginning
of June’s invasion of France, attacking
ground targets, tanks columns)
two 50.lbs. bombs under Mustangs
wings, and be more effective by dropping
them on the target from diving position! It was not a first time
that 315 Squadron was sent on a strange
mission! Disastrous one in 1941 came to mind! *
By now, after verbal outlet,
radio silence supervened... Calm before storm!... But no - Spitfire’s leader
declined to strafe from a close range - without a word led his formation
away.
Committed to strafe the
warship, so to "scatter"-dissipate the strength of
our gunfire, I decided to attack with
three sections of four almost
line-abreast...
While diving and strafing - tracer
bullets whizzing-by "stitching the air" around us - tense moments
while attacking a stationary fire-blazing object!
The most critical moment - was
just passing ship’s gun position, - enabling the gunners to swing their
weapons, and shoot at our tails!
So - keeping low over the "waves" we kept
weaving - only later "pulling-up" and
turned away...
One pilot reported a "thud" in his
Mustang’s fuselage... another pilot heard a "tiny" bang in his
Mustang. - (the laiter report sounded "familiar" - when I was
shot-down by "flak" near Caen!) Yet, both pilots reported that they
were "Okay" in one piece, and
flying... I gathered the squadron back
into shape, and decided not to emulate "kamikazes", headed westwards, towards the sun, and
English coast...
Relaxed, with oxygen mask
"off", Tadek Jankowski "capering" close to
me. It was our last flight together!
Within one month, while strafing German
tanks near Arnhem, Tadek was shot-down
and killed.
Approaching our base Brenzett, I
expected some repercussions. After
landing, we were told that 84-Group
Liaison Officer, had already been on a "buzzer"!... There was a
complaint about - gross
provocation!
Later station commander Gp.Cpt Nowierski took me aside, and asked - who started this name-calling?... I looked him straight into the eyes - and said - I did not ask them! - meaning - if you wish to know - ask them (pilots) yourself! C/O., a wise, perceptive man - let the matter rest!
Epilog
* Sending
two fighter squadrons as European "kamikazes", was one of those strange
gang-ho!... wartime missions! This time we
had no losses.
From the day of it’s
formation, to the end of war, 315
Squadron was the highest scoring Polish squadron. Also, with highest losses...
Many pilots shot-down by - "flak" ground fire.
On 23-12-1941, from Notholt, our
squadron escorted six Hurricanes (carrying 50.lbs under each fuselage) on a mission to bomb a “vital”
target in N.E. France! All six Hurricanes were shot-down, five of my
Spitfire colleagues shot-down, and killed by Dunkerque "flak", seven
"shot-up" Spitfires returned to Northolt.
Our colleagues lost that day were: Grudzinski, Grzech, Stalinski, Lukaszewicz - Kosmalski. June - 1944, shot down by a "flak" and killed Sworniowski, Stefankiewicz and Calinski. Cwynar -shot-down - escaped to Allied lines. Tamowicz - shot-down - rescued by Horbaczewski. September -Jankowski shot-down by German tanks, and killed near Arnhem.
Note: Mustang was a rather vulnerable to ground fire aircraft. Twice as many American Mustang's aces were shot down by ground fire during low flying operations, than during dog-fights.