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Aug 14
On the afternoon readiness were: F/Lt Szczesniewski, F/O
Falkowski, F/O Czajkowski, F/O Nowak, P/O Gil, P/O Andersz, P/O Drybanski, P/O
Grudzinski, Sgt Chudek, Sgt Krieger, Sgt
Gruszczynski and Sgt Cwynar.
Around 3:00 p.m. W/Cdr Rolski called pilots to the briefing room.
Present was a station commander: G/C McEvoy. Rolski announced
fighter sweep on route: Northolt - Hardelot - Fruges - Saint Omer
- Dover - Northolt. He was to lead Sqr. 3006, S/Ldr Pisarek Sqr.
308 and F/Lt Szczesniewski Sqr.315. The altitudes were given for
each squadron. 306 Squadron would fly at 21,00 feet, 308 at
24,000 and 315 at 27,000. The objective was to engage German
fighters so the six Blenheim bombers - flying several minutes
after - would have easier time over the munitions factory in
Marquise. The weather outlook was described. Pilots made notes
and received escape packets.
Squadron 315 took off at 8 a.m. and after 20 min passed near
Calais. Then "zulu" called "carmen" leader
announcing about 30 bandits left at 22K. All 36 pilots heard this
message and all of them instantly started to look for e/a. After
about three minutes, F/Lt Szczesniewski went on the R/T:
- Carmen leader, this is brickbat leader. I see them lower left,
about thirty a/c.
W/Cdr Rolski replied:
- I see them too. Mary leader and brickbatt leader, attack.
Both squadrons maneuvered to get the suns in their back and
almost simultaneously tore down on the e/a. Germans appeared to
be surprised. After the first attack of the polish Spitfires few
Bf-109s went down trailing smoke. First white umbrellas of
parachutes appeared. A wild mêlée broke out, where everyone was on
his own.
306 Squadron, led by W/Cdr Rolski, stayed out of the fight. Few
minutes later they went after 12 Bf-109s that were going down to
join slowly descending fight, and clashed with them.
After the battle pilots of Polish Wing returned to Northolt alone
or in small groups.
315's intelligence officer: F/O Harding received reports and it
became obvious that his squadron had a great day.
F/Lt Szczesniewski 1 Bf-109 destroyed and 1 Bf-109 probable.
P/O Grudzinski ......2 Bf-109 destroyed
Sgt Chudek ...........1 Bf-109 destroyed and 1 Bf-109 damaged
F/O Falkowski ......1 Bf-109 destroyed
P/O Gil .................1 Bf-109 destroyed
Sgt Krieger ...........1 Bf109 destroyed
Sgt Cwynar ...........1 Bf-109 destroyed
F/O Falkowski recalls: That was a Wing
operation. Three squadrons were to operate together: 306 at
28,000 feet, 315 in the middle at 27K and 308 at 27K. We took off
few minutes after 8 a.m., and after 20 min we crossed a French
coast. In the same time, few other squadrons were escorting
bombers on their way to target area. We were flying south of
Calais when I spotted a group of about thirty German aircraft.
They were some 17K below us. "Petro" (S/Ldr Pietraszkiewicz) gave the order to attack. We had a total
advantage. Enemy was below and the sun was behind us. Moments
after we started to dive somebody from the 306 Squadron called
out another group of Messerschmidts. They started their own
fracas what gave us a secure back. The situation was developing
in a favorable way. Our two squadrons swooped down on the lower
group of e/a. There was 24 of us against 30 Bf-109s and felt very
confident. I selected one Messerschmidt and pressed the tit. I
was shooting till its empennage came off. Then I saw a thick
trail of a smoke coming out of it and e/a went down. Disposing of
"my" German I looked for the rest of the squadron to
join them. Doing this I saw how Sgt Malczewski and
"Petro" trashed theirs Bf-109s. It was a very
interesting scene. "Z wiatrem w twarz" Jan
Falkowski.
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