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. Formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between Polish government in exile and UK on 2 August of 1940 and became officially operational on 31 August. Famous for achieving the highest number of kills during the Battle of Britain. Disbanded in December 1946.

Operational History

Formed on August 2, 1940, it became operational on August 31 same year.

On August 30, 1940 the squadron scores its first victory, against a German Do-17Z bomber.

303 Squadron achieved the highest number of kills of 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it only joined the combat 2 months after the battle begun. In its first seven days of combat, the squadron destroyed nearly forty enemy planes. The squadron became a legend of the battle and its pilots were called "the glamour boys of England".

Also 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 22 sqadrons. The 303 Squadron coming first by a 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

178th German airplane shot down by the 303 squadron. From the left side: Sgt. Rokitnicki, F/Sgt Wunsche, F/Lt Bieńkowski, F/O Horbaczewski and F/O Lipiński. In the background Spitfire VB, BM144 -D flight by Zumbach.

(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)

Commanders

(under British command until January 1, 1941)

303 squadron pilots. From the left side: P/O Ferić, F/Lt Kent, F/O Grzeszczak, P/O Radomski, P/O Zumbach, P/O Łukciewski, F/O Henneberg, Sgt. Rogowski, Sgt. Szaposznikow (in 1940).

• 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

Locations

The dog "Misia", mascot of the 303 squadron, sitting on a Spitfire.

• 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
  

  Fg Off Bronisław Kłosin holding the aerial gunnery contest award, on the left side of him, Flt Lt Bieńkowski, on the right side Flt Lt Zumbach.
• 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).
  

  303 squadron pilots. From the left side: Sgt. Stasik, P/O Socha, P/O Kolecki, F/O Lipiński, F/O Horbaczewski, F/O Schmidt, F/Sgt Giermar (on the wing), F/Lt Zumbach, S/Ldr Kołaczewski, F/Lt Żak, F/Sgt Popek, F/O Bieńkowski, F/O Kłosin, F/O Kolubiński, F/Sgt Karczmarz, F/Sgt Sochacki, F/Sgt Wojciechowski and on the propeller F/O Głowacki (May 1942, Northolt).

• 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).
  

  126 German airplanes shot down by the 303 squadron during the Battle of Britain. Painted on a Hurricane.

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.

Spitfire VB of the 303 squadron in the "left stairs down" formation, on a combat flight during the Jubilee operation.

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 (http://www.geocities.com/psp1945/303/303Squadron.html)