The Polish Air Forces was the name of the Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the Allies were experienced veterans of the 1939 invasion of Poland. They contributed to the Allied victory in the Battle of Britain and most World War II air operations.
Polish 7th Air Escadrille, better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US volunteers. It was one of the most active Polish squadrons in the war.
The following is the order of battle of the Polish Air Force prior to the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War of 1939. During the mobilization waves of March and August of that year, all peace-time units were deployed to airfields throughout the country and attached to respective commands of Air Force, Naval Air Service and squadrons supporting each of the Polish armies. In the last stages of the air campaign, whole units coordinated all actions in the fight against the invaders.
The 111th Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army. Created in 1921, immediately after the end of the Polish-Soviet War, the unit inherited the traditions of the famous war-time Polish 7th Air Escadrille, in which both Polish and American volunteers served.
Stefan Stanisław Stec was a Polish aviator and military pilot, one of the pioneers of Polish aviation. He is also credited as the originator of the Polish Air Force checkerboard.
The Pursuit Brigade was a Polish World War II unit of the Polish Air Force. It took part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939 as the main aerial reserve of the commander in chief and was used for air cover of the Polish capital of Warsaw. It was similar in shape to the Bomber Brigade. It was composed of two squadrons, each in turn composed of a number of escadrilles.
The Bomber Brigade was a World War II unit of the Polish Air Force commanded by płk obs. Władysław Heller. It resisted the Invasion of Poland in 1939 as the main aerial reserve of the commander in chief and was used for bombing enemy units in central Poland. It was created just before the war and did not have time to reach full operational readiness. Its equipment consisted of 36 modern PZL.37 Łoś medium bombers and 50 older PZL.23 Karaś light bombers, plus 21 support planes. It was organised into four squadrons, each in turn composed of two escadrilles. It was similar in make-up to the Pursuit Brigade.
Independent Operational Group Narew was one of the Polish Army Corps that defended Poland during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. It was created on 23 March 1939 and was commanded by general Czesław Młot-Fijałkowski.
The 112th Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army.
The 114th Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army at the beginning of the WW2.
The 123rd Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army in 1939.
The 132nd Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army in 1939. It was attached to the Army Poznań.
The 122nd Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army in 1939.
The 121st Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army in 1939.
The 151st Fighter Escadrille of the Polish Air Force was one of the fighter units of the Polish Army in 1939.
Short Range Reconnaissance Escadrille was a unit of the Polish Naval Air Squadron at the beginning of world war 2.
Long Range Reconnaissance Escadrille was a unit of the Naval Air Squadron at the beginning of world war 2.
The 42nd Reconnaissance Escadrille was a unit of the Polish Air Force at the start of World War II. The unit was attached to the Pomorze Army.
A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force. Land based squadrons equipped with heavier type aircraft such as long-range bombers, cargo aircraft, or air refueling tankers have around 12 aircraft as a typical authorization, while most land-based fighter equipped units have an authorized number of 18 to 24 aircraft.
An escadrille is a type of military unit, most often found in the air forces of some French speaking countries. While the term is frequently translated into English as "squadron", an escadrille was originally a smaller unit. In Polish, the name of a similar unit is eskadra.
