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Post by archivist on Mar 31, 2009 7:28:29 GMT -7
This is a summary of a recently found Luftwaffe Report on the destruction of R1413:
German report into the attack:-
Vickers Wellington IC R1413 J
After chasing the plane for some 15 minutes both opponents opened fire. The Polish pilot was flying with great skill.
Although flying evasive turns he was always heading for England. He also flew in such a way that his machine guns were effective. Then he dropped his depth charges to gain more speed.
After his attack , Lt Meister flew very low over the Wellington and got into the rear gunners range of fire. One engine was shot to pieces, coolant began to leak as well as fuel. The two other Ju88's forced the enemy away. Lt. Meister's Ju88 fell behind and tried to gain height.
Flying a new attack Uff Steurich's cone of fire was well aimed and the Polish pilot collapsed over the control column. The Wellington's nose went down and the plane crashed into the water. A yellow dingy was observed.
Crew all killed - they had already beaten off successfully an attack by V / KG 40 (Same force that shot them down on this date) exactly a month previous to this action.
Even in wartime, the German pilots showed professional respect to a worthy enemy
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Post by tuftabis on Mar 31, 2009 8:09:34 GMT -7
This is a summary of a recently found Luftwaffe Report on the destruction of R1413: German report into the attack:- Vickers Wellington IC R1413 J After chasing the plane for some 15 minutes both opponents opened fire. The Polish pilot was flying with great skill. Although flying evasive turns he was always heading for England. He also flew in such a way that his machine guns were effective. Then he dropped his depth charges to gain more speed. After his attack , Lt Meister flew very low over the Wellington and got into the rear gunners range of fire. One engine was shot to pieces, coolant began to leak as well as fuel. The two other Ju88's forced the enemy away. Lt. Meister's Ju88 fell behind and tried to gain height. Flying a new attack Uff Steurich's cone of fire was well aimed and the Polish pilot collapsed over the control column. The Wellington's nose went down and the plane crashed into the water. A yellow dingy was observed. Crew all killed - they had already beaten off successfully an attack by V / KG 40 (Same force that shot them down on this date) exactly a month previous to this action. Even in wartime, the German pilots showed professional respect to a worthy enemy Neville, in Polish historical memory indeed the German pilots remained as demonstrating both professional respect and honour. But they are preceived as exceptions to the rule that German army behaved like a band of criminals, without honour. I am able to provide numerous evidence for that but I don't think it needs to be done in the year 2009 in American Polish Culture Forum of the type we are the members of.. However, I don't think an impression should be left that German soldiers of all kinds of arms demonstrated similar level of honour as some (and not all unfortunately) pilots. |
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Post by karl on Mar 31, 2009 10:18:38 GMT -7
This is a summary of a recently found Luftwaffe Report on the destruction of R1413: German report into the attack:- Vickers Wellington IC R1413 J After chasing the plane for some 15 minutes both opponents opened fire. The Polish pilot was flying with great skill. Although flying evasive turns he was always heading for England. He also flew in such a way that his machine guns were effective. Then he dropped his depth charges to gain more speed. After his attack , Lt Meister flew very low over the Wellington and got into the rear gunners range of fire. One engine was shot to pieces, coolant began to leak as well as fuel. The two other Ju88's forced the enemy away. Lt. Meister's Ju88 fell behind and tried to gain height. Flying a new attack Uff Steurich's cone of fire was well aimed and the Polish pilot collapsed over the control column. The Wellington's nose went down and the plane crashed into the water. A yellow dingy was observed. Crew all killed - they had already beaten off successfully an attack by V / KG 40 (Same force that shot them down on this date) exactly a month previous to this action. Even in wartime, the German pilots showed professional respect to a worthy enemy Nevelle For as of general information. This as you have brought forward, is a typical combate report. For to take a life rather it be machine or human, is a task not so very well relished. Karl |
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Post by archivist on Mar 31, 2009 13:53:01 GMT -7
Karl,
My point was that the pilot wrote an honest report and gave credit to the pilot and rear gunner's skills. I don't believe that he relished killing a fellow pilot. In fact he must have thought that it could have been him taking those hits. He behaved with fairness and decency and a fighter pilot cannot be criticised for doing his job and shooting down an enemy bomber.
If you get the chance Google The Aircrew Remembrance Society and you will see how they agree with me; that all these young men were brave and deserve respect and to be remembered. It is a British group but they also cover Luftwaffe losses and cover them fairly and with respect.
Neville
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Post by karl on Apr 1, 2009 6:31:40 GMT -7
Karl, My point was that the pilot wrote an honest report and gave credit to the pilot and rear gunner's skills. I don't believe that he relished killing a fellow pilot. In fact he must have thought that it could have been him taking those hits. He behaved with fairness and decency and a fighter pilot cannot be criticised for doing his job and shooting down an enemy bomber. If you get the chance Google The Aircrew Remembrance Society and you will see how they agree with me; that all these young men were brave and deserve respect and to be remembered. It is a British group but they also cover Luftwaffe losses and cover them fairly and with respect. Neville Neville I think perhaps this is more of intended as reply to Tufta. For as I do agree with you in-as-much for content and intent of the pilots report. For as you say, a dual respect to the enemy is a common factor with both sides. Many some years previous, I was to read of post action reports of weapon effectiveness upon the Eastern Front against Armoured vehicles. It was interesting in the pilots objectiveness in analysis, of the placement of the projectiles and respective damage as result. In this manner as also, is the reverse meaning of the pilot action report, for the observations to be used for better protection tactics of The Panzer. For in this respect as also, for better weapons type and mounting of Panzer defensive weapons. The aircraft by virtue of design and purpose {as a air weapon} is a combination of engineering trade off between available power systems/strength of airframe/weight and required performance with intended use. The more effective of a airframe mounted gun, is related to the weight and explosive/penetrating effectiveness of the projectile. Within this frame-work of engineering, is the weight factor between the gun working against the performance of the aircraft. And as such, the re-engineering of the airframe for use of wing mounted rockets used as the trade-off between the fire-power of the large caliber gun, versus the similar hitting power of the much lighter rocket. The war was a training ground for developed tactics of combined forces of ground/air/and Panzer. As well understood today of present. The panzer is a offensive weapon of both the spear point, and highly mobile cannon mount. Whilst in the battle, it will 1st serve as the spear point, then if disabled with functioning crew, it then becomes a fortress as virtue of its thick armour and weapons. For once the Panzer is destroyed, it then becomes a source of spares. The panzer can and will take ground, and hold it with the accompanying combined ground forces. The fighter aircraft can take ground, but it has not the resources to hold and control that ground, but it will provide air-cover. Many of these tactics as learnt by the military of our former government, were well developed and adopted by the Americans and Soviet forces. This was most apparent the long past {Golf War} and then used in the Invasion and over-come of Iraq. Today of present. We have our fighter aircraft of combined use for as needed. Rather they be used as fighter aircraft/weapons plat-form/nuclear weapons {with the Tornado airframe, it is used at present in these training exercises for such weapons}. Many of the weapons technology developed from the war, is in active use at present. From the roller locked bolt system of the former MG-42 squad weapon {it was of 1200 rpm then, and still of today, just re-designated of name and inventory number}. Many of our tracked armour vehicles, carry the same engineering of roller bearing track pins and such with of course much simple made of maintenance. So as of notice: Every thing changes, but every thing is the same. Karl |
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Post by archivist on Apr 4, 2009 16:12:01 GMT -7
MICHALSKI Sgt Julius
He was born in 1919 in Pulawy and joined the army in 1937and became a driver-technician in 24 Cavalry Pulku, who were in Krakow on the outbreak of war. When the Russians invaded his unit crossed into Hungary and were disarmed but travelled on into Jugoslavia. They were permitted to transit Italy and eventually reached France.
When France’s defences were breached by the Germans, the Poles moved into Spain and attempted to take ship for Algiers. He was held by the Spanish authorities but escaped immediately and concealed himself amongst some crates; in this way he got on board the vessel and stowed away until the vessel docked in Algiers where he rejoined his unit.
From there they went to Casablanca but discovered that all available places on ships were reserved for airmen, who were desperately needed in Britain. So they drove across the Sahara Desert and finally came to the banks of the River Niger. They put their vehicles on rafts and crossed into Nigeria, finally reaching the British High Commissioner in Kano. He arranged matters fom there. After a spell in hospital, suffering a bout of malaria, he was sent by sea to Egypt where he joined the Polish contingent in Alexandria. He fought against Rommel's troops at Tobruk and was later sent to Britain, via Cape Town, South Africa escorting German and Italian Prisoners of War.
On arrival at Liverpool, he volunteered for the Polish Air Force and was chosen to train as a navigator and was then sent to Glasgow from where he embarked for Canada. He was to attend the navigator training school at Moncton, Ontario and later Prince Edward Island for advanced training at navigating over water.
He returned to Britain at the end of 1943 and was sent to the Polish Depot at RAF Blackpool where he was allocated to Coastal Command and 304 Squadron at RAF Benbecula on the Outer Hebrides, a remote island off the west coast of Scotland. He flew many convoy protection and anti-submarine missions as far out into the Atlantic as fuel would permit. At the end of the war he remained with the Squadron, flying transport duties to Italy, Greece and the Middle East until he was finally demobilised.
In civilian life, he returned to his studies, won a scholarship and became a lecturer, and later a professor, at Birmingham where he worked for 25 years until his retirement.
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Post by archivist on Apr 11, 2009 12:51:40 GMT -7
THANKS FROM A GRATEFUL NATION
MINAKOWSKI F/O Wladyslaw
On the outbreak of war he was a soldier and evacuated to Romania where he was interned in a camp in Tulcea. By November he had made it to France and moved on to England where he trained as a navigator. He was posted in to the Squadron from 18 OTU RAF Bramcote on 27th April 1942 and he was known to be still in service on 13th July 1942.
He was a crew member of a Wellington that was jumped by 6 Ju88 fighters whilst on anti-submarine patrol near Bishop Rock on 16th September 1942. In a 12-15 minute battle, fought at 30 feet above sea level, this crew destroyed one enemy plane, saw large pieces break off the tail plane of another and scored hits on three more. In return they had a two yard square section of wing torn off by cannon fire and their petrol tank was pierced. They managed a power climb into the clouds and the action was broken off. He stayed with 304 Squadron until the end of the war and flew 25 missions over France and the Atlantic Ocean.
He returned to Poland in June 1947 and rejoined the Polish army where he worked in intelligence and aerial photography and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In May 1951 he was arrested and accused of spying for England. He spent six months in a dungeon where he was subjected to torture and held in a cell measuring 2 metres by 90 centimetres (about 6 feet 7 inches by 3 feet). After a hearing lasting twenty hours per day, he was convicted on 13th May 1952 and sentenced to death. He was executed on 7th August 1952 – the trial judge was powerless to commute the sentence because of the nature of the alleged crime. He was vindicated and received a state pardon on 7th May 1956. He is buried in the Military Cemetery at Warsaw but the exact location is unknown.
A sad end for a hero who was awarded the Order of Virtuti Militari 5th class, the Cross of Valour (twice) and the Silver Cross of Merit.
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Post by archivist on Apr 24, 2009 8:22:51 GMT -7
BOHANES Sgt Stefan P-784633
He was an air gunner/radio operator born in July 1914 in Tarnow and he was mobilised in 1939. Shortly afterwards he was evacuated to Romania and from there, via France, to England. He trained as a radio telegraphist and was assigned to 304 Squadron, with whom he flew two operational missions and was known to be in service on 8th July 1943. He was promoted to Warrant Officer and transferred to 301 squadron, serving on special duties. He was killed on 17th August 1944 when Handley Page Halifax JP220 had both starboard engines shot away by flak or fighters over Warsaw and the port engines overheated causing it to crash land, hitting farm buildings at Debina near Bochnia.
They had been dropping supplies to support the Warsaw Uprising. At least some of the crew survived and were spirited back to England by the Armia Krajowa (local resistance) via Odessa but Bohanes had baled out and was machine gunned by a night fighter on his descent. He had already won the Cross of Valour four times but was awarded the Order of the Virtuti Militari Silver Cross 5th class posthumously for this mission. He is buried in the British Cemetery at Krakow, Poland. I have seen several reports saying that local people and family members covered his grave with flowers at the time of the funeral; he died very close to his home. In an incredibly risky mark of respect, soldiers of the local Armia Krajowa resistance fired a volley over his grave.
On 1st August 2004 a mass and ceremony of remembrance was held at the site of his crash and it was attended by hundreds, including Ludwik Krempa, a former 304 Squadron pilot. Simultaneously, the local high school made a display of mostly military photographs of his life, provided by surviving members of his family.
Due to gremlins in the aircraft’s intercom system, he was the only crewman to hear and obey the pilot’s order to bale out. All the rest of the crew survived the crash and most of them were smuggled back to England by the AK resistance.
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Post by archivist on Apr 25, 2009 16:01:02 GMT -7
BEILL Sq/Ldr Robert P-1018
He was born on 2nd January 1902 in Bolechowo near Dolina. He attended an Officer Cadet School and just before Christmas 1918 he was taking part in the defence of Lvov whilst serving with the 1st Infantry Regiment. The following February he went back to the Officer Cadet School at Krakow and passed out in May 1919.
He was promoted to Lieutenant on New Year’s Day 1920 and later that year served with 40th Infantry Regiment in Lvov. He became a company commander and again fought in defence of Lvov. In 1922 he retrained and took command of a balloon company in 5th Balloon Battalion at Brzest, a town on the Bug River, now on the border with Belarus.
For about 18 months from March 1924 he was in Bydgoszcz at a flying school and was then posted to the 6th Air Wing at Lvov. In 1926 he attended a flying training course at an air school for officers in Grudjigdz and was later transferred to that school as commander of 4 Training Flight. He then trained on a course for squadron commanders, returning to 6th Air Wing, as a tactical officer with 64 Flight, in 1930. He later became its commander, until October 1937 when he became Squadron Commander at the Air Force Training Centre at Deblin until the outbreak of war.
When the Russians invaded Poland he was evacuated to Romania, crossing the border at Zaleszczyki. He boarded the ship Patris on 5th November 1939 and arrived in France a week later. He was put in command of a reserve squadron at the Polish Depot at Lyon-Bron, then in March 1940, moved to the training school at Blida near the base of the Atlas Mountains in Algeria, North Africa.
On the capitulation of France he moved to England and the Polish Depot at Blackpool, moving on to RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, where he had further training to prepare for combat. From there, in 1941) he was assigned to 304 Squadron as a Flight Commander. He was an active operational member of the squadron and not just a figure head. In August 1941 he moved to 305 Squadron where he spent about nine months as Squadron Commander. After this he became the chief training instructor at 18OTU at RAF Bramcote, Nottinghamshire.
His next move was to RAF Hemswell, in late 1942 or early 1943, where he became Polish Station Commander. In August 1943 he became Polish Liaison Officer to Bomber Command where he stayed until April 1944 when he took over as Station Commander at RAF Faldingworth.
He was demobilised in 1946 and settled in England. From 1968 he was the President of the Polish Air Force Association, a post he held until his death on 16th August 1970 in London.
His military achievements and courage were recognised by Polish and British authorities alike. He was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari and the Cross of Valour (four times); the British awarded him the DFC and made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
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Post by Jaga on Apr 26, 2009 8:33:37 GMT -7
I wonder whether the families of these heroes (especially these who did not survive) know what these guys really did, how they fought?
Glad that the achievements of some of them were recognized.
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Post by archivist on Apr 27, 2009 16:31:16 GMT -7
In response to your post, many of the families do know - and they are intensely proud. I am in contact with several of the surviving members of the Squadron and quite a few of their sons and other family members. There is a substantial circle of people researching all the Polish squadrons and many, like me , are not even Poles! We will keep their memory alive.
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Post by sydneyvila on Jul 11, 2009 7:39:30 GMT -7
My father was a pilot in 304 squadron. He flew NZ-L and was the pilot who safely brought this plane back from a bombing mission in Bremen. The plane was shot down but he landed in the woods at Stiffky in Lincoln. Unfortunately dad died in 2003. He stayed in touch with many of his Polish comrades throughout his life and went to several reunions in Poland and Canada.
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Post by Jaga on Jul 11, 2009 13:18:17 GMT -7
Hi Sydney,
your father was a very brave man! Welcome to the forum!
I will forward this message to archivist, since he may be interested to get in touch with you.
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Post by hollister on Jul 11, 2009 13:19:46 GMT -7
Welcome Sydneyvila!
Have any more stories to share with us?
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Post by archivist on Jul 12, 2009 3:09:08 GMT -7
Hello Sydneyvila,
Just for your information, I am researching the history of 304 Squadron and writing a tribute to them. From what you have written I am guessing that your father was John Trzebski. His actions in avoiding the village saved many lives that night and was a real feat in terms of brilliant flying in apalling weather conditions and in the dark! He also managed to bring the plane down amongst trees without significant injuries to himself or his crew.
The following is what I have on him:
TRZEBSKI P/O Janusz P-780401
He was commissioned on 30th September 1941 and known to be in service on 28th January 1942 after escaping from Poland. He was flying R1002 (NZ – L) on a bombing mission to Bremen on 14th July 1941 when it was hit by flak, taking out one engine. He managed to get the aircraft back to England and was attempting to land on an emergency airfield without lights due to an air raid alert. He saw the rooftops of a small village and took evasive action. He had no power to climb and pancaked into woodland near Stiffkey in Norfolk. He had undoubtedly saved the lives of the villagers and all of his crew. After the War he retired to the Isle of Wight where he and his wife restored 13th Century Morton Manor and developed it as a business incorporating the historic house, gardens and a vineyard. He died on 2nd January 2003 and is buried in the garden of the Manor.
If you can give me any more information or photographs to add to the tribute, I would be delighted to use it. Please just post it here or contact me direct; you can find my e-mail address in the members section.
I missed your initial posting as I have been out of the country for a while and I have not been to this forum for a few weeks.
Neville
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