Polish Air Force Read more here: Polish Air Force [SIZE=-1]Poland[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Air Force[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Title:[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Sily Powietrzne Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej (Polish Air Force) [/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Brief History:[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]During the First World War, numerous Poles had been drafted into the air arms of the three occupying powers (Russia, Austria and Germany), and Polish flying units had been set up in these three countries and France. On 19th August 1917, a Polish aviation unit was incorporated into the Polish Army Corps, which had been formed with the agreement if the pre-revolutionary Russian government. After the Russian revolution this unit was dissolved. Another aviation unit was formed in October 1918 in territory held by White Russian forces, and this then made its way to Poland. The Poles also seized a number of air bases from the retreating Austrian and German armies, and began assembling a single co-ordinated air arm. In the meantime, a group of Polish aviators had begun training in France in the Summer of 1918. Flying French supplied aircraft, this group arrived in Poland in June 1919. On 29th September 1919 the air force was officially established. The air force subsequently played a vital role in stalling the Soviet offensive of August 1920. In the peace that followed, the air force was completely reorganised and expanded. In 1938 the air force became independent of the army, but remained a defensive force principally dedicated to army support. In late August 1939, with tensions between Poland and Germany reaching crisis point, the air force secretly deployed all combat units to pre-assigned emergency airfields around the country. The Luftwaffe's first airfield strikes on 1st September 1939 were thus largely ineffective, but the technical and numerical superiority of the German forces soon wore down the Polish resistance. On 17th September 1939, surviving Polish aircraft escaped to Romania. Many Polish aircrews then fled to France and Britain. The combat record of the fourteen Polish-manned squadrons in the Royal Air Force throughout World War Two was outstanding. During 1942 Polish units were also formed within the Soviet Air Force and these operated in support of units liberating Poland. In mid 1945 some of the ex-RAF crews returned home, but most were barred from joining the new Polish air force which was then being assembled around the former Soviet units. The new communist controlled force included many Soviet personnel and advisors. In October 1956 all Russians personnel seconded to the the air force were withdrawn. A separate missile-based Air Defence Force, independent of the air force, was later set up, along the lines of the Soviet PVO. In 1990 the air force and the air defence force were merged into a single force. [/SIZE]
