Mustang III, PK-W, FB123, piloted by W/O Idrian, escorts Beaufighter TFX, NE429 P6-S from 489 Squadron. This photograph was taken on July 30th, 1944, from another Beaufighter.
Courtesy of Malcolm Laird and his Ventura Publications.
Jul 30.
Led by S/Ldr Horbaczewski (PK-G) were F/O Czerwinski (J), F/S Bedkowski (F),
F/O Smidowicz (L), F/O Kirste (K), F/Lt Cwynar (Z), W/O Idrian (W), W/O
Jankowski (V), P/O Swistun (Y) and F/O Nowosielski (S).
F/Lt Cwynar recalls:
In early morning of July
30th, 1944, ten Mustangs of 315 Squadron, with Horbaczewski
Leading, took off from Brenzett with empty droppable combat fuel
tanks. After an hour we landed at RAF station Coltishall.
We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch in the Officers' Mess and then went
back to the airfield to await the order to take off. Our Mustangs
had been refueled. The droppable tanks were also full, holding 75
US gallons each. There was nothing else to do but relax in the
shade of the aircraft wings before an arduous, five hour long
flight....
The Allies were receiving reports that the Germans were shipping
uranium ore from the Bergen region of Norway, along the cost
towards the Kattegat and on to Schweinemunde. The British were
sending light bomber formations to sink anything that moved along
the Norwegian coast.
The Germans posted one Staffel of Bf-109 to Stavanger to protect
vital traffic. Our light bombers, mainly Canadian Beaufighters,
were taking heavy losses at the hands of the German fighters. To
counter it, the RAF High Command decided to surprise the Germans
by sending an escort of Mustangs along with the Canadians.
Finally the control tower ordered a rendezvous with the Canadian
squadron. We took off, as usual, with the fuel in the main tanks
behind the pilot's cabin. When escorting at heights of 20k feet
or more, we always flew 25 to 30 minutes on these tanks to make
sure we used up a certain amount of fuel. That eliminated the
Mustang's adverse lateral instability.
This time, however, heading low towards the Wash, we had to
change to droppable combat fuel tanks soon after being airborne.
This, as it later transpired, posed some difficulties.
As we approached the Wash, the weather began to close in with a
rainy, warm frontal system from the west. We soon spotted the
Canadians in close formation, low down, "on the deck",
to avoid radar detection. CO Horbaczewski, with his section of
three Mustangs, took up position on the starboard side of the
Beaufighters while I went to port and Maciek Kirste to the rear.
The weather worsened rapidly as we closed in on the Beaufighters,
forming a tight formation around them. Their leader kept steady
course whilst "hugging the waves".
Maciek Kirste came through on the radio to inform that he had
lost visual contact with the formation. Horbaczewski ordered him
to fly back to England. (According to Mr. Kirste, this happened
only while coming back to England*) It was dangerous
in bad weather or while in the clouds to accelerate in an attempt
to rejoin a formation after losing visual contact.
With only six of us left, we ordered our wingmen to go echelon
starboard and port respectively, and as in cloud formation, held
on grimly. We did not dare lose Canadians because we had to
protect them.
After two hours of total concentration, suddenly it was as if we
had flown through a curtain or passed over a cliff. We had
overtaken the eastern edge of the frontal system. The sun was
behind us - a useful tactical advantage - and in front we had a
beautiful panoramic view of the Norwegian coast.
Mustang III, PK-W,
FB123, piloted by W/O Idrian, escorts Beaufighter TFX, NE429 P6-S
from 489 Squadron. This photograph was taken on July 30th, 1944, from
another Beaufighter.
Courtesy of Malcolm Laird and his Ventura
Publications.
When few miles from land, the Candians turned to right along
the coast in search of shipping. Behind them and slightly above,
Horbaczewski tucked in with his section while I moved to his
right with mine. We changed to main fuselage fuel tanks and
waited keenly observing the Norwegian coast. In order not to
betray our position in the sun, we kept our droppable fuel tanks
under our wings.
Within few minutes, one of Horbaczewski's wingmen spotted German
fighters approaching through a fiord's inlet, heading for the
Beaufighters. There were two groups of four Bf-109's each,
leisurely, almost nonchalantly carrying out a left-hand turn to
take up position to attack the Canadians. Jettisoning our fuel
tanks, we attacked. Horbaczewski went in first attacking the
inner group and I engaged the outer formation. They were taken
completely by surprise at first. They turned toward us having
learned a thing or two in battles over France. They had been told
the Spitfire shuddered when diving and with us approaching out of
the sun they had not recognized our Mustang - they dived towards
the sea.
In diving and climbing in a left hard turn, I engaged the group
leader. By the way in which he scythed through the air, the edges
of his Messer's wings stitching the sky with air condensed threads, I realized he was a good pilot. He pulled out hard, but
so did I! With the fuselage fuel tank still full and the
Mustang's adverse lateral stability, there wasn't much room for
imaginative maneuvering, so I had to hold a steady, smooth turn.
With a few hundred revs always in reserve, I held on patiently.
For 360 degree circle or more there was stalemate. I lowered the
flaps 10 degrees and was gaining on him. My solar plexus stopped
churning as I felt sure of getting on his tail, all the time
thinking: "Pull smoothly. Get that extra reserve throttle
on".
I got him in my gun sights' illuminated ring, pulled straight
through his line of flight, one diameter - two - three of
deflection and then pressed the firing button. For a split second
there as nothing then I saw the bullets punching holes, first on
his tail section and then the fuselage, canopy and
wings....I
broke-off to the left, putting the flaps
"up" and diving to gain speed,
and when in left turn I started to climb
I spotted another Me109 above at about
eleven o'clock, also in left-hand turn.
It appeared that he did not see me. I
came close behind him and opened fire.
His undercarriage dropped down, so did
the wing flaps - hydraulics
"shot-up"! Pilot's canopy flew
past me above and I stopped firing. As
his speed dropped, I moved to his
starboard side to avoid collision. I
came close abreast and clearly I saw
pilot leaning forward and wiping his
face.
Suddenly, one of my colleague's Mustang started
firing at him, pumping tracer bullets
from behind! In this grim, merciless
"it's-either-him-or-me-down-in-the-water"
situation, spark of humanity took over.
I pressed R/T button and shouted: Zostaw
go! Zostaw go! Leave him
alone! Leave him alone! My colleague
stopped firing. The German pilot gave me
a quick look, still wiping his face.
With idling propeller his aircraft
gently glided towards the dark-blue,
unforgiving waters of the sea. What a strange,
cruel affair the war is!
After this
flight. These pilots don't look
victorious. Third from right is Michal
Cwynar. In background Dziubek's a/c. who is signing combat reports. Still
wearing Mae West are: Cwynar (left), Jankowski and Bedkowski.
When converting from Spitfire VB's to Mustangs at ALG Coolham, in
April/May 1944, Henryk Stefankiewicz and myself, tried many
brainstorming ideas. When engaging the enemy low, over ground or
sea, there was only one maneuver at the fighter pilot's disposal,
an ideally constructed tight turn. When Mustang's speed dropped
to 220-240 mph, by lowering 10 degrees of flaps the pilot could
get on to his opponent's tail in no time. At a safe height, "Mysza" as he was affectionately known, and I, by
altering the configuration of the Mustangs, proved it really
worked.
There was considerable danger though. The Mustang was a great but
unforgiving machine. When flaps were down, if pulled crudely, and
at an even lower speed, say 200, it could stall. When told about
our experiment, Horbaczerwski would not have it. He told us not
to discuss it with the other pilots, saying: "Flaps or no
flaps, I don't want to see my pilots falling from the skies"
........After the engagement, which ended in an individual melee,
we tried to gather ourselves together. To save valuable fuel, it
was decided we would fly home in two separate sections.
Horbaczewski "iherited" my wingman, Idrian. "Dziubek's" Nowosielski became my companion. We headed
home.
In no time we flew back into the same atrocious weather, even
worse than before. There was water below and water lashing down
from above. I decided to pay more attention to the flying panel
instruments. I came gradually to the sea level, about 10 feet
above waves, and to get that extra safety margin set the
altimeter to "0" - zero! Only now and again checked to
see if the wingmen were still with me and continued to head home.
Tadek Jankowski, a gifted pilot and trusted wingman, good
raconteur, began to poster me: "Michal! Let's go above the
clouds. Let's climb up!"
It would have been pleasant to go above, to see the sun and skim
over the clouds. But soon we realized that we were in trouble. I
was approaching land through a low cloud base without a clue as
to my position or when and where I was going to get down. To have
gone above would only compounded our difficulties. I told
Jankowski to keep quiet. Nowosielski did not utter a word.
After reaching the English coastline, I turned south and to
orient myself, flew along the coast. South of Bridlington, I
found an airfield and the three of us landed safely. I spent the
night in a comfortable bed which was a pleasant change from
Brenzett's camp in the tent.
"Dziubek" Horbaczewski's section landed about thirty
miles south of us, near Hull.
The next day, we flew back to Brenzett to learn that after
sinking one merchant ship and setting a few barges on fire, the
Canadian Beaufighters returned safely to base.
The enemy casualties were seven Bf-109 destroyed; our losses -
nil!
*my remark.
Brenzett. Picture taken after this flight.
From left: F/Lt Przymienski (IO), F/O Swistun, S/Ldr Horbaczewski, F/O Nowosielski, F/Lt Cwynar, W/O Jankowski and W/O Bedkowski . Missing on a picture is section of F/O Kirste, which landed on another airfield.
Another picture taken after that flight. Using his hands, Jankowski explaining
his encounter with the enemy's fighter.
S/Ldr Horbaczewski's combat report: " On July 30, at 3:05 pm, while escorting Beaufighters, we met 15 Messerschmidts, and having advantage of altitude we immediately attacked. At first, Germans took us for their own aircraft because they did not react. I went after one of them, and from a short distance I gave him 3-sec burst of machine-gun fire. My target almost instantly caught fire and went straight into the sea. Then I started to climb. Soon after, another Messerschmidt came in front of me, a little to the left and below. I positioned myself behind it and sent a long burst. I observed hits in cockpit and wings. German plane started to loose an altitude and speed. Also glycol was coming out of its engine. Because my machine-guns got stuck I called on radio my wingman. German plane was without canopy and I saw its pilot. His face was all bloody and he was raising his hands. His plane was flying toward the land. I ordered my wingman to shoot him down. After couple of short bursts, my wingman flied over him and enemy's plane lowered its flight and touched down on the sea. We could see him climbing out of cockpit with his life preserver already inflated. I claim 1and 1/2 of enemy aircraft shot down."
TELEGRAM
No. 46
+184 11.55 BUSRI 48
SQUADRON/LEADER E HORBACZEWSKI RAF BRENZETT
ASHFORD KENT
ON MY RETURN FROM NORMANDY I WAS GREETED WITH GREAT NEWS OF YOUR SQUADRONS
MAGNIFICENT VICTORY OF 30TH JUNE STOP
MY VERY HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL STOP
MAY THE GOOD HUNTING CONTINUE AND GOOD LUCK NEVER LEAVE YOU
GROUP CAPT STANNARD
Sketch of the formation as it flew toward the Norway,
as described by Mr. Cwynar.
That’s how Mr. Cwynar recalls the situation:
Let say that the Beaus were flying on 40º course. In thick cumulus with
rain, sometimes the visibility was no more then 3-4 meters. Once the eye contact
with other a/c was lost for 5-10 seconds, the one had to wait a little bit
hoping that they would reappear from the "soup". Together with Dziubek,
we had an often-used option. After 15-20 seconds – it was extremely important
not to speed up – we used to change slightly our courses. Dziubek went
+5º while I corrected with -5º. Then we waited till the Beaufighters would
reappear. Maciek Kirste had no option. He had to try to lag a little. If this
situation went for some time, it was very easy to lost the contact for good.
During the fight there was only six of us.
And if there were a clatter over the radio – few pilots talking at the same
time – the others wouldn’t understand a thing. Thus, Maciek Kirste could’ve
missed the Dziubek’s command to turn back altogether.
Left: Squadron's route during that day. Courtesy of Mr. Cwynar.