No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF

No. 303 "Kościuszko" Polish Fighter Squadron (Warszawski im. Tadeusza Kościuszki) was a Polish fighter squadron named after the Polish and American hero General Tadeusz Kościuszko. Kosciuszko Squadron was formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish government in exile of 1939, and United Kingdom on 2 August of 1940 and became officially operational a few weeks later on 31 August. Kosciuszko Squadron is famous for achieving the highest number of enemy kills during the Battle of Britain of all fighter squadrons then in operation. The squadron was disbanded in December 1946 shortly after the end of WWII.

Operational History

Kosciuszko Squadron was formed August 2, 1940, and became operational August 31 of the same year. The 'Kosciuszko' name chosen by the squadron was in honour of the famous Polish-American Kosciuszko Squadron which fought during the Polish-Soviet War in 1920. The famous 303 Squardon as an interesting point, was also linked to the original Kosciuszko Squadron through personel that had originally served in the Squadron of 1920. Later in airforce history, futher air force units from the aforementioned were renamed the 7th, 121st and 111th Squadrons of the Polish Airforce.

On August 30, 1940 the squadron scored its first victory, against a German Do-17Z bomber. In these actions 303 Squadron achieved the highest number of kills from amoungst 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it was late in joining combat 2 months after the battle had begun. In its first seven days of combat, the squadron destroyed nearly forty enemy planes. The squadron became a legend of the Battle of Britain and its pilots were called "the glamour boys of England".

During the Operation Jubilee the 303 squadron achieved the highest number of kills of all Allied squadrons. On April 11, 1942, when an aerial gunnery contest was staged within the 11th Fighter Group, the three competing Polish squadrons – 303, 316 and 315 took the first three places out of all 22 air squadrons. The 303 Squadron coming first by a very healthy margin.

The 303 "Kościuszko" Squadron was the most effective Polish squadron during the Second World War. Pilots of the 303 Squadron were the only representatives of the Polish Army invited to the London Victory Parade in 1946; they decided to refuse the invitation since no other Polish units had been invited. The Squadron was eventually disbanded in December 1946.

Squadron statistic

(from July 19, 1940 until May 8, 1945)

Scores

(from September 1, 1940 until May 8, 1945)

(4,7% of all enemy airplanes during the battle)

(include 3–0–3 enemy airplanes on the ground)

Locations

• August 2, 1940 – RAF Northolt
• October 11, 1940 – RAF Leconfield
• January 3, 1941 – RAF Northolt
• July 17, 1941 – Speke
• October 7, 1941 – RAF Northolt
• June 15, 1942 – Kirton-in-Lindsey

• August 16, 1942 – Redhill
• August 20, 1942 – Kirton-in-Lindsey
• February 1, 1943 – RAF Northolt
• February 5, 1943 – Heston
• March 3, 1943 – RAF Debden
• March 12, 1943 – Heston
• March 26, 1943 – Martlesham Heath
• April 8, 1943 – Heston
• June 1, 1943 – RAF Northolt
• November 12, 1943 – Ballyhalbert

• April 30, 1944 – Horne
• June 19, 1944 – Westhampnett
• June 27, 1944 – Merston
• August 9, 1944 – Westhampnett
• August 25, 1944 – RAF Coltishall
• April 4 1945 – Andrews Field
• May 16, 1945 – RAF Coltishall
• August 9, 1945 – Andrews Field
• November 28, 1945 – Turnhouse
• January 4, 1946 – Wick
• March 3, 1946 – Charterhall
• March 23, 1946 – Hethel

Squadron equipment

• August 8, 1940 – Hurricane I (inter alia, August, 1940: L1696 -T; at the beginning of August, Flight "A": P3700 -E, P3974, R2688, R4178 -G, V7244 -C, Flight "B": P2985, P3975 -U, R4175 -R, R4179, V7235; later: L2026 -Q, L2099 -O, N2460 -D, P3120 -A, P3544 -H, P3939 -H, V6684 -F, V7067 -T, V7235 -M; November: V6577 -P, V7384 -H, V7503 -U, V7504 -G, V7624 -B; December 1940 – February 1941: N2661 -J, P3162 -T, P3585 -C, P3814 -Y, R4081 -O, V6533 -R, V6637 -G, V6757 -E, V6956 -C, V7182 -U, V7466 -S, V7606 -A, V7619 -M, V7644 -Z, V7727 -H, W9129 -W); since July 13, 1941 until August 24, 1941 again Hurricane I (inter alia, P3932 -RF-C).

• January 22, 1941 – Spitfire I (inter alia, N3026 -A, N3108 -P, N3122 -Y, N3285 -J, P9519 -M, R6972 -N); March 3, 1941 – Spitfire IIA (inter alia, P7546 -T, P7786 -C, P7858 -H, P7989 -U, P8039 -R, P8040 -D, P8041 -E, P8073 -Z); May 20, 1941 – Spitfire IIB (inter alia, P8208 -F, P8325 -B, P8329 -P, P8330 -D, P8331 -M, P8333 -S, P8334 -E, P8335 -R, P8336 -W, P8346 -T, P8382 -C, P8385 -A, P8507 -V, P8524 -H, P8531 -Y, P8567 -D, P8642 -X, P8672 -F); since August 25, 1941 until October 6, 1941 again Spitfire I (inter alia, P9429, R6773 -P).

• October 7, 1941 – Spitfire VB (inter alia, at the end of 1941 and in 1942: W3229 -D, W3506 -U, W3765 -P, W3795 -N, W3893 -K, AA882 -G, AA908 -A, AA940 -B, AB174 -Q (Mk VC), AB183 -A, AB824 -S, AB899 -C, AB906 -W, AB929 -R, AD116 -H, AD138 -T, AD179 -F, AD455 -V, BL375 -J, BL432 -K, BL672 -M, BM144 -D, EN951 -D).

• June 1, 1943 – Spitfire F IXC (inter alia, BS451 -M, BS506 -O, BS513, EN172 -J, MA222 -A, MA314, MA593 -Y, MA740 -R, MA754 -K).

• November 12, 1943 – Spitfire VB, Spitfire VC and Spitfire LF VB, Spitfire LF VC (inter alia, Spitfire VB i Spitfire VC: W3380, AA751, AA937, AB272 -D, AD198 -W; Spitfire LF VB and Spitfire VC: AB271, AD237, AD295, AD317, AR513, BL385, BL464, BM207).

• July 18, 1944 – Spitfire F IX, Spitfire LF IX and Spitfire HF IX (inter alia, Spitfire F IX: BS348, BS408, EN122, EN182 -H, EN526 -A, MA528 -E, MA814 -Q, MH692 -C, MH823, MH910 -G; Spitfire LF IX: MH777 -N, MJ120, MJ216; Spitfire HF IX: MK694, ML339)

• April 4, 1945 – Mustang IV and Mustang IVA (inter alia, KH663 -L, KH669 -P, KH770 -Y, KH825 -C, KM112 -D, KM186 -A, KM191 -Z, KM220 -G, KM237 -R, KM297 -K).

Commanders

(under British command until January 1, 1941)

• August 2, 1940 – S/Ldr (mjr) Zdzisław Krasnodębski
• September 7, 1940 – F/O (por.) Witold Urbanowicz
• October 22, 1940 – F/O (por.) Zdzisław Henneberg
• November 7, 1940 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Adam Kowalczyk
• February 20, 1941 – S/Ldr (por.) Zdzisław Henneberg
• April 13, 1941 – F/Lt (por.) Tadeusz Arentowicz
• May 5, 1941 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Wacław Łapkowski
• July 3, 1941 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Tadeusz Arentowicz
• July 9, 1941 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Jerzy Jankiewicz
• November 21, 1941 – S/Ldr (por.) Wojciech Kołaczkowski
• May 7, 1942 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Walerian Żak
• May 19, 1942 – S/Ldr (por.) Jan Zumbach
• December 1, 1942 – S/Ldr (por.) Zygmunt Witomir Bieńkowski
• July 4, 1943 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Jan Falkowski
• November 21, 1943 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Tadeusz Koc
• September 25, 1944 – S/Ldr (kpt.) Bolesław Drobiński
• February 1, 1946 – S/Ldr (mjr) Witold Łukciewski

Pilots of 303

• Josef Frantisek, Czech pilot flying with 303 Polish Squadron, was the most efficient allied ace of the Battle of Britain, with 17 confirmed kills
• Witold Urbanowicz, commander of 303 Squadron from 5th September 1940, scored 15 kills during the Battle of Britain (17 total)
• Jan Zumbach, commander of 303 Squadron from May 19, 1942, scored 8 kills during the Battle of Britain (13 total)

Quotes

• I cannot say how proud I am to have been privileged to help form and lead No. 303 squadron and later to lead such a magnificent fighting force as the Polish Wing. There formed within me in those days an admiration, respect and genuine affection for these really remarkable men which I have never lost. I formed friendship that are as firm as they were those twenty-five years ago and this I find most gratifying. We who were privileged to fly and fight with them will never forget and Britain must never forget how much she owes to the loyalty indomitable spirit and sacrifice of those Polish fliers. They were our staunchest Allies in our darkest days; may they always be remembered as such!

G/C John A. Kent DFC, AFC, Virtuti Militari.

Sources

• Arkady Fiedler. 1942. Dywizjon 303. London (English translation: 1943. Squadron 303: The Polish Fighter Squadron with the RAF. New York: Roy).
• Jerzy B. Cynk. 1998. The Polish Air Force at War: The Official History, 1943–1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1998, ISBN 0764305603.
• Lynne Olson & Stanley Cloud. 2003. A Question of Honor. The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II. New York: Knopf.

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• Polish Air Force
• Polish contribution to World War II

External links

• 303 Squadron Page at Polish Squadrons Remembered