Feb 21
    Led by S/Ldr Andersz were: F/Lt Malczewski, F/Lt Blok, F/O Scott, F/O Haczkiewicz, P/O Borowczyk, F/Sgt Donocik, Sgt Kostuch, W/O Slon, F/Sgt Cempel, Sgt Jankiewicz and W/O Czerwinski. 

    The Wing took off at 2:45pm. 315 Squadron flew second, after 306 Squadron and in front of 309 Squadron. Whole formation flew at 15K and undisturbed reached its area of operation. Once there, Poles leveled at 5K looking for the targets of opportunity. East of Salzwedel S/Ldr Zulikowski - commanding the Wing - shot down lone FW-190 and F/Lt Troczynski (306) downed strayed Do-217. Penetrating enemy territory, 315 strafed two cargo trains. Then the ops sent whole formation up to 12K with the order to look for the e/a in vicinity. Near Osnabrück, the Poles clashed with 40+ FW190s.
    As soon they spotted e/a formation it separated itself into two groups. Since the e/a were higher then 315, S/Ldr Andersz started to turn left and climbing. Soon they converged with Germans at 28K. Focke Wulfs attacked first and broke Polish formation. Engagement turned into a several separate dog fights, anywhere from 20K to 8K. S/Ldr Andersz trounced one FW-190 at 8K and climbed back to 18K where squadron reassembled.
    During his action, F/Lt Blok leading blue section stayed up as a cover. He dived after single Fw-190, which was in one of the Mustang's tail. F/Lt Blok sent him short burst from 400 yards, and observed many hits on the fuselage. German a/c rolled over and dived. Pole did not followed. He stayed at 22K and soon after this spotted a Rotte of Focke Wulfs. He went in their dead 6 o'clock, and with long burst destroyed one e/a, which exploded in the air.
    Meantime, F/O Haczkiewicz chased one Fw-190 all the way to the deck, shooting short bursts with his four .5 machine guns. He observed his enemy crashing about 5 miles E of Osnabrück.

F/O Scott recalls*: 
    I flew as No.1 in S/Ldr Andersz’s flight. When e/a were spotted, he barked a sharp order to release tanks and our Mustangs started to climb steeply. I couldn’t keep-up with leader’s a/c. I still remember very vividly the condensation trails behind it. We approached quite a bunch of e/a. They were those "long-nose" Focke Wulfs. As we swooped down on them, another pair Doras came from behind and above, and before anybody realized, they got Donocik and Kostuch. They were the last pair. I chose one e/a and as I was about to start shooting another Mustang (F/O Haczkiewicz's) swung just below me with the greater speed and the guns blazing. He got "mine" target in a second. I turn steeply up and right. Right after this I spotted another FW-190 below, to my left. Jerry attacked from under front beam what resulted in extremely short time for a burst. I opened from 800 yards and almost instantly I saw FW’s radial engine growing in my eyes. I thought: "we're going to collide". He zoomed maybe three or four yards above me. We both turned, but in different directions. So, again we were going to tear head on at each other, but he started to dive. I approached it quickly and from about 250 yd and served it a couple of bursts. I observed flashes of hits, mostly on his right wing. It also started to smoke heavily. The German pulled upwards and I followed. Suddenly, I saw tracers passing just above my left wing. I made another steep turn and looking behind I saw a pair of Fw-190s. I went for nearest cloud, counted to three, turned sharply to the right and cleared from the cloud. The e/a were gone. My altimeter pointed to 9K. I was alone. The fight was over and I turned back home, low on the deck. A sudden voice in my earpieces disrupted my contemplating of moments just passed. Leader was asking all the a/c to report. I decide not to claim my Focke Wulf. I didn’t see it crash or pilot to bail out. The film will show. As I crossed the coast near Ostend, whole hell broke loose. There were tracers all around me. I lowered my flight to few feet over the water and sped up. I still observed shells and bullets splashing dangerously close to me. In few seconds the AA fire stopped and I returned home safely. Later that day I was credited with one FW-190 destroyed.
    No. 3 of the blue section, F/Sgt Cempel also destroyed 1 FW-190. It was easy prey. German pilot, flying in straight line, never noticed a Mustang in his tail. F/Sgt Cempel served him a short burst from 200 yards, and e/a disintegrated.
In result: F/Lt Blok 1 FW-190 and 1 FW-190 probable; F/O Haczkiewicz 1 FW-190; F/Sgt Cempel 1 FW-190; S/Ldr Andersz 1 FW-190 probable; W/O Czerwinski 1 FW-190 damaged, P/O Scott 1 FW-190.
Squadron suffered two losses: F/Sgt Donocik KIA. Sgt Kostuch POW.
According to the report of a German Police official from Legden Village, Donocik's a/c exploded in a low flight over a farmhouse. It looked like the pilot was trying to force land. Kostuch had more luck. He bailed out from a burning Mustang in a vicinity of Coesfeld.
*Based on personal interview with Mr. Scott.

RAF's recco photo showing the outskirts of Legden. Marked is Kostuch's a/c crashsite. Courtesy of Martin Körster.

S/Ldr Andersz's a/c. Spring 1945.

F/O Borowczyk recalls:
We flew a team of 16 aircraft as the rear guard Squadron to other units when near Osnabrück we encountered a 45+ group of FW 190’s; our Squadron Commander, S/Ldr Andersz, ordered the Squadron to gain height to 22,000 ft and to attack the Germans singly at 3 seconds intervals, as the FW 190’s formed a tight circle at a height of about 18,000 ft.
I went down in a power assisted vertical dive and fired three hefty gun bursts into the mass of German machines through which I passed in split seconds. I remember going over Mach number (660 mph), then I must have blacked out when pulling up from the dive: next thing when I regained vision was that our Squadron dispersed completely and the Germans vanished from the area; I was back at 22,000 ft.
I commenced scouting for my colleagues as I saw a few planes disappearing over the western horizon, when I caught sight of a single strange looking German aircraft proceeding to the east at about 15,000 to 16,000 ft level. He did not see me yet and my heart jumped when I realized that this was probably the new German jet fighter ME 169 which I saw below. All I could think of now was what it would mean if I managed to shoot down first of these planes to add to the high reputation of my Squadron. Thinking this way, I gathered all the speed I could, attempting to close up and to fall unexpectedly on the German. Alas, the German pilot was alert enough to spot an enemy fighter hurtling down in his direction: I was still at least some 1,500 ft away from him when his aircraft gave off a puff of white smoke and started to move away with astounding acceleration. He was not interested in accepting a fight or in turning an attack on me; and I could not intercept him.
Disappointed as I was, I concentrated my efforts now on catching up to my Squadron. As I crossed the Channel and flew to our base at Andrews Field, I had no longer any doubt that I was going to be the last to land from our Squadron. And so it was: I was not scolded for coming so late, but I was sternly reminded that it is the fighter pilot’s duty to stay with his Squadron: there is no place for individual pursuits without the knowledge of the leader.