Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 21 : Polish Aces of World War 2

Pilots of the Polish Air Force saw action from the first day of World War 2 until the final victory in Europe. Flying hopelessly outmoded P-11 fighters in defence of their country in September 1939, a handful of aviators inflicted serious losses on the Luftwaffe before being overwhelmed. The survivors escaped to then neutral Hungary and Rumania, before being ordered to France by the new C-in-C of exiled Polish Armed Forces, General Sikorski. With the invasion of Western Europe in May 1940, the surviving pilots were once more thrust into desperate action in newly-formed Polish units. A number of men then fled to Britain, where they were posted to either frontline Fighter Command units or to generic squadrons. The polish pilots made a significant contribution to the Battle of Britain; these squadrons went on to see action not only in Western Europe, but also in North Africa. Almost 60 Polish pilots achieved ace status with the RAF, achieving scores well into double figures flying the Hurricane, Spitfire, Mustang and Thunderbolt. Text and illustrations by Robert Gietzyngier.

Contents

• The Last and the First
• Into Battle
• Sikorski's Troops
• Battle for Britain
• PAF Reborn
• Northolt Wing
• Shalski's Circus
• USAAF Connection
• Invasion and On
• Whatever Happened to the Heroes?
• Appendices