The 42nd Reconnaissance Escadrille () was a unit of the Polish Air Force active at the onset of World War II. It was assigned to the Pomorze Army, and played a role in aerial reconnaissance during the Invasion of Poland in 1939.
History The squadron was initially formed in 1924, and was originally named the 42nd Reconnaissance Squadron. It was initially assigned used and outdated aircraft, such as the Ansaldo A.300 and the Breguet 14. The squadron was renamed into the 42nd Air Reconnaissance Squadron, and received several Potez XV trainer aircraft in the same year, allowing it to partake in regular pilot exercises. In 1928, part of the squadron undertook exercises with the 15th Infantry Division.
The number of aircraft in the squadron increased to 10 aircraft following the reorganization of the Polish air force in 1929. The unit was also renamed to the 42nd Line Squadron. During the summer of 1930, the squadron's crew participated in exercises with the "Toruń" Cavalry Brigade. In 1931, the outdated Potez 27 aircraft were gradually replaced with Breguet 19 aircraft.
In the summer of 1936, the squadron participated in an air parade in Warsaw. During the subsequent inter-divisional exercises in Pomerania, the squadron achieved good results while cooperating with the staff command of major units participating in the exercise.
Due to the planned replacement of the squadron's older planes with PZL.23B Karaś aircraft, the squadron's observers and mechanics completed a course in the operation and maintenance of these aircraft.
The aircraft were replaced by the end of 1937. In March 1938, the crew of the squadron flew on alert to the Lida airbase. After Polish-Lithuanian diplomatic relations were restored later in the same month, the crew returned to Toruń on 23 March 1938.
World War II In September 1939, the unit was attached to the Pomorze Army. At 8:00 a.m. on 1 September, the squadron commander received orders to send three reconnaissance aircraft to Zdun, while the rest were to remain in Toruń. At 9:00 a.m., the aircraft took off to carry out their missions.
Aircraft
Aircraft used in 1939 10 PZL.23B Karaś 1 RWD-8
Personnel +Squadron personnel in 1939Personnel of the squadron commandRankRoleNameCaptainSquadron commanderWacław Alfred WalteraCaptainTactical officerWiktor SzumbarskiTechnical warrant officerTechnical officerAntoni ChruszczyńskiSecond lieutenant of the medical corpsSquadron doctorAlfons OlejnikSenior military foremanChief mechanicMichał SchmidtPlatoon-leaderChief administratorStanisław BurczykSquadron personnelRankRoleNameLieutenantPilotMieczysław LewandowskiLieutenantPilotRomuald SulińskiSergeantPilotWładysław ŻołnowskiCorporalPilotWacław BanaszukCorporalPilotEdward HajdukiewiczCorporalPilotMieczysław LigęzaCorporalPilotKonrad MuchowskiCorporalPilotZbigniew PerkowskiCorporalPilotPaweł PrzybylakCorporalPilotAleksander SowińskiCorporalPilotLudwik SteinkeCorporalPilotStefan WojciechowskiLieutenantAir observerMieczysław DaabLieutenantAir observerJulian PalkaLieutenantAir observerStanisław StarowiczSecond lieutenantAir observerWitold BukowskiSecond lieutenantAir observerMieczysław KretowiczSecond lieutenantAir observerZygmunt MazurkiewiczSecond lieutenantAir observerHenryk OlearczykOfficer cadetAir observerKazimierz BorowskiOfficer cadetAir observerBohdan MakowskiOfficer cadetAir observerWłodzimierz PflegerOfficer cadetAir observerWitold SiudaOfficer cadetAir observerWłodzimierz DanielewiczCorporal officer cadetAir observerZdzisław ŚliwowskiCorporal officer cadetAir observerJan WilczyńskiCorporalAir gunnerTadeusz AranowskiCorporalAir gunnerJerzy FontainCorporalAir gunnerKazimierz FrąckiewiczCorporalAir gunnerAntoni JasińskiCorporalAir gunnerMieczysław KieresCorporalAir gunnerMarian ManasiakCorporalAir gunnerHelmut SłotowskiCorporalAir gunnerBronisław WięckowskiSenior privateAir gunnerStanisław PęczakSenior privateAir gunnerWacław Tracz
See also Polish Air Force order of battle in 1939
References