Polish Air Force Operations Record Books 1940-1947

1943-05-01

MARTLESHAM HEATH

Flying consisted of 8 sorties for sector recco and 22 sorties for Convoy Patrol.

1943-05-02

Three Sectors were scrambled at 1510 hours and landed back at 1550 hours, no enemy aircraft having been encountered. Eighteen sorties were carried out for convoy patrol.

1943-05-03

One aircraft was tested and 22 sorties made for patrol convoy. Readiness is usually from early morning until late at night. Pilots feel quite a change after many months of almost exclusive flying training.

1943-05-04

Sixteen sorties for convoy patrol. Other flying was 7 aircraft air-sea rescue and two aircraft tested.

1943-05-05

Twelve aircraft on convoy patrol and E boat patrol. One aircraft tested and one aircraft G.C.I. practice.

1943-05-06

Convoy Patrol and patrol over Felixtowe was the operational flying for which 18 sorties were made. Other flying was an aircraft test, G.C.I practice and weather test.

1943-05-07

Eight aircraft were scrambled in sections of two but no enemy aircraft were encountered. Convoys were patrolled and 2 aircraft tested.

1943-05-08

One section was scrambled at 0715 hours. They patrolled the area until 0800 hours but no enemy aircraft were encountered. Convoy patrol was limited to four sorties.

1943-05-09

Except for one section patrolling east of Clacton, all other flying was training.

1943-05-10

Four aircraft of “A” Flight were engaged on a defensive patrol.

1943-05-11

Twelve aircraft were scrambled. At 0620 hours, 3 sections of “B” Flight were scrambled, they patrolled the area until 0720 hours but no enemy aircraft were seen. At 0850 hours another section was scrambled until 0945 hours and again no enemy aircraft were seen. In the afternoon, the first section of “A” Flight was scrambled at 1730 hours until 1855 hours and the second section at 2125 hours until 2210 hours. No enemy aircraft encountered during these flights. Other flying consisted of Patrol’s over convoys and Flight formation and cine-camera gun practices.

1943-05-12

At 0600 hours, F/O. Elmerych and Sgt. Bartys were scrambled for a defensive patrol over the channel. While flying at sea level, as ordered by operations, F/O. Elmerych hit the sea. Sgt. Barty’s patrolled the spot but no-one came to the surface. Twenty aircraft were scrambled in sections of two and on two occasions “B” Flight as a whole / 6 aircraft / was scrambled. No enemy aircraft were encountered. 14 sorties for convoy patrol were carried out.

1943-05-13

MARTLESHAM HEATH

One section was scrambled at 1800 hours and landed back at 1820 hours as the aircraft in the sector was found out to be a friendly one. Thirty two sorties were made for defensive patrols off Clacton and southward and convoy patrol. Two aircraft escorted unarmed aircraft.

1943-05-14

The main flying was for patrols off Offordness for which 16 sorties were made. Two sections were scrambled, the first at 1115 hours and landed back at 1145, the second took off at 1335 hours and landed back at 1445 hours. No enemy aircraft were encountered in either. Convoy patrol and air sea rescue was carried out. Two aircraft acted as escort for M,.T.Bs.

1943-05-15

Very many scrambles and 20 sorties for convoy patrol. There were, in all, 38 sorties of sections of two and on two occasion of all available aircraft for scramble. At 2125 hours, 1 section was ordered to take off to release two sections patrolling a convoy 15 miles east of Orfordness. P/O. Kirchner and Sgt. Tamowicz took off. They were patrolling over the sea when they were ordered to go “Vector 240 towards Orfordness”. When they approached the convoy, they saw a destroyer firing at two low flying F.W. 190s. The FW.190s did not except our aircraft to come from the sea. P/O. Kirchner immediately attacked one of them and fired all his ammunition which he saw burst on the enemy, at a range of 200 o 150 yards. It became very dark in the meantime and although he saw the enemy aircraft smoke, he did not see it crash into the sea. Sgt. Tamowicz fired all his ammunition into the other F.W. 190 from a range of about 300 yards but did not see it crash either. The two sections landed back at 2155 hours after having patrolled the sea. At 2200 hours, all available aircraft were ordered to scramble, some of the aircraft had been barely re-fuelled. They circled over base and coast but were too late for interception of 40 F.W. 190s which according to Operations were in the vicinity when our aircraft were scrambled. Some of the pilots saw something burning near one of the ships in the channel and presumed it to be the F.W. 190 shot down by P/O. Kirchner.

1943-05-16

Air to air firing was carried out in the early morning. Formation flying and camera gun attacks were the other training flights of the day. The operational flying consisted of 20 sorties for convoy patrol and eight sorties for defensive patrols.

1943-05-17

MARTLESHAM HEATH

Air to Air Firing continued. Twenty sorties made for convoy patrol and ten for defensive patrols off Orfordness. Two sections were scrambled, first at 1155 hours and having encountered no enemy aircraft they landed back at 1210 hours. The second section took off at 2000 hours and landed back at 2010 hours without encountering any enemy aircraft. One aircraft test took place.

1943-05-18

One scramble at 2000 hours, one section went up for 10 minutes but no enemy aircraft were seen. Other flying was for convoy patrol and consisted of 28 sorties. One aircraft was tested.

1943-05-19

Dawn patrols and dusk patrols were carried out by the Squadron off the coast. Convoy patrolling as usual took place, and consisted of 18 sorties. One aircraft was tested and 4 of our aircraft escorted to unarmed Handley.

1943-05-20

Nine aircraft were scrambled but no enemy aircraft were encountered. Dawn and dusk patrols carried out. Twelve sorties made for convoy patrol. Three aircraft practiced cloud flying, formation and photo attacks.

1943-05-21

Flying very limited. It consisted of an aircraft test and one sortie of 4 aircraft for dusk patrol.

1943-05-22

Twelve sorties made for convoy patrol, other flying consisted of weather test, an aircraft test, and two aircraft escorting M.T.Bs.

1943-05-23

The usual Dawn and dusk patrols were carried out. Twenty two sorties for convoy patrol were made. Flying training consisted of three aircraft practicing formation flying. Two aircraft were tested.

1943-05-24

Flying was rather limited, owing to the weather. 8 sorties were made for convoy patrol. Six aircraft practiced flight formation and battle formation. Two aircraft were scrambled at 1915 hours and landed back at 2000 hours having encountered no enemy aircraft.

1943-05-25

Six aircraft made scrambled. The first section was scrambled at 1200 hours to protect to convoy. No enemy aircraft were seen. At 1905, two sections were scrambled to 2000 feet over base. They landed back at 1945 hours. Sixteen aircraft were engaged on convoy patrol. Two sections were out for dusk patrol which as the dawn patrol is a “routine” flight.

1943-05-26

Defensive patrols, dusk and dawn flights were carried out, by ten aircraft. Convoy patrols necessitated 15 sorties. One aircraft was tested, and one aircraft did local flying.

1943-05-27

One section was scrambled twice over base, no encounters with enemy aircraft were made. Patrols and defensive sorties consisted of 24 sorties. Formation and photo attacks were the non-operational sorties.

1943-05-28

Flying was on a smaller scale then usual. It consisted of one section patrolling M.T.Bs. Four sorties for convoy patrol and four sorties for dusk patrol. One aircraft did local flying.

1943-05-29

Three sections were scrambled on three different occasions but no enemy aircraft were encountered. Convoy patrolling consisted of 16 sorties. Dawn and dusk patrols were carried out by two sections in each case. Four aircraft were tested.

1943-05-30

“B: Flight had a busy afternoon “scrambling”. From 1600 hours until 2000 hours, 5 sections, each consisting of two aircraft were scrambled. The enemy was not encountered unfortunately. Other flying consisted of 4 sorties for convoy patrols and 4 sorties for dawn patrol.

1943-05-31

A convoy came into our sector, thus although our aircraft should have flown to Heston, they could not do so as they could not be released from Martlesham Heath. Eighteen sorties were made for the purpose of convoy patrol. As enemy aircraft kept trying to approach the convoy and the coast, 4 sections, each of two aircraft, were scrambled at different times during the afternoon. The enemy was not encountered. One aircraft was tested and dawn and dusk patrols were carried out.

Kornicki S/L
Squadron Leader, Commanding
No 317 Polish Squadron.