Mirosławiec 2012-03-14
We finished the previous chapter about the Mirosławiec Airport at the end of World War II.
History of the Polish Mirosławiec Airport.
The Polish history of Mirosławiec Airport began in 1951.
1944.
The formation of the 8th Assault Aviation Regiment began at the turn of September and October 1944, on the premises of CCCP, near Kharkiv at the Volchansk airfield. The date of formation was assumed to be October 12, 1944. (According to other sources, December 10, 1944).
The basis for the formation of the unit was the General Staff Directive No. 10/9954 of September 7, 1944. The base on which the unit was formed was the Russian 384th Assault Aviation Regiment, which came from the 9th Reserve Brigade of the Russian Army. The regiment commander was Lt. Col. pil. Ruksza, who in April 1945 was replaced by Capt. pil. Boris Zimin. The flight personnel of the regiment were Russian pilots who came from the aviation school in Czuguyevsk, trained on Po-2 planes and front pilots, with combat experience, and Polish on-board shooters came to the regiment after completing the specialist course in Kinel and Gracówka. The regiment had 30 Ił-2 combat aircraft, the Po-2 liaison aircraft and the UIL-2 training and training aircraft, according to the number of full-time jobs.
The Russians made sure that the Polish units established in the CCCP did not take part in the fighting in the eastern areas of the Second Polish Republic. Therefore, although many units were ready to fight, they were not sent to the front until March 1945. It was the same with the 8th PLSz. At the end of March 1945, the Regiment officially completed its training and was ordered to travel to Poland. This command was carried out after improving the weather conditions. On April 11, 1945, 31 planes of the Regiment, including 29 Ił-2 combat aircraft, landed at Lublinek Airport (Łódź). The rest of the staff traveled to Łódź by train. The regiment had 205 people, including 33 flying crews. At Lublinek Airport, the Regiment, while training, was waiting for an order to ferry to the front-line airports, already in the area of the Odra River.
On April 23, 1945, some of the personnel and equipment of the 8th PLSz were transferred to the Białołęki Airport, and then on April 24, 1945 to the Baranówko Airport near Myślibórz. 28 Il-2 combat aircraft and one UIł-2 training aircraft landed here. One crew from the 8th PLSz pilot, 2nd Lt. Jerzy Burakowa, due to damage to the machine, it did not reach and landed in an emergency near Słupca.
Immediately after the ferrying, preparations were made for combat operations on the next day. The task was complex, because it was necessary to defeat the German troops of General Steiner’s group, which were concentrated in front of the 1st Polish Army, with the intention of breaking through to the encircled Berlin, with air strikes.
In the period from April 24, 1945 to May 2, 1945, for six days, the Regiment performed about 90 sorties. Other data say that during the 16-day stay at the front (from April 24 to May 9, 1945) the 8th PLSz conducted operations for 6 days. During this period, 104 combat flights were performed in the period of 124 hours. 11 min. About 300 bombs weighing over 11,000 kg were dropped on the enemy troops, about 200 RS-82 missiles and about 25,000 shells from cannons and machine guns were fired. As a result of combat operations, 3 enemy planes were set on fire at the Neuruppin airport, about 20 cars were destroyed, about 30 fires were started, 2 ammunition magazines were blown up. The fire of 2 field artillery batteries and 4 anti-aircraft batteries was incapacitated, a battalion of the enemy troops was dispersed and about 100 soldiers were killed.
During its stay at the front of the 8th PLSz, it operated from the following airports: Baranówko, Streinbeck and Vehlfanz. In the course of combat operations, the regiment lost one crew (second lieutenant Paweł Franin and platoon Piortowski) and two planes, and another four were damaged. In addition, 4 combat aircraft were damaged during the operations.
Immediately after Stalin announced that the Germans had capitulated, an order was issued to transfer Polish units to Poland. As the post-war borders of our homeland had not yet been established, the 8th PLSz was transferred to Lublinek Airport. The air throw reached Łódź on May 10, 1954. Let us remember that everything was decided by Moscow.
The 8th PLSz was based in Łódź until January 1946, when it was disbanded. The order to dismantle the 8th PLSz is dated January 22, 1946. Some of the staff moved to other units, some were demobilized, others returned to the CCCP. The equipment of the regiment was transferred to aviation schools and other assault regiments. The documents of the regiment were officially transferred to the archives, and in fact to Moscow, and they are inaccessible there. For these reasons, it is difficult to recreate a fuller outline of the history and combat operations of the 8th PLSz, supposedly of a Polish aviation unit.
1950.
Probably at the end of 1950, a decision was made to locate one of the air regiments at the Mirosławiec Airport. In a typical green garrison. In 1951, military renovation and construction units started work at the airport.
1951.
At the beginning of the 1950s, due to the Korean War, the Kremlin puts pressure on the Polish Army to develop its military strength. Significant changes are taking place in the structures of the Polish Military Aviation. Aviation grew organizationally. New tactical associations are formed, including the 16th Assault Aviation Division. It happened under Order No. 070 / Org. Ministry of National Defense of July 11, 1950, and the Order of the Air Force Commander No. 0160 / Org. of September 1, 1950.
The basic regiment in the 16th Assault Aviation Division is the 6th Assault Aviation Regiment, which from October 1952 was stationed at the airport in Piła. On its basis, the formation of the 51st PLSz and 53rd PLSz began. This was in accordance with Order No. 096 / Org. Of December 11, 1951. Therefore, the date of establishing the 51st PLSz and the 53rd PLSz is taken on December 11, 1951.
The formation of the 53rd Assault Aviation Regiment began to be organized at the Bednary Airport near Poznań. But already in November 1952, the 53rd PLSz was transferred to the Mirosławiec Airport as JW. 4449.
Ultimately, the 16th DLSz in Piła had three regiments in its composition:
- 6 PLSz in Piła
- 53 PLSz in Mirosławiec
- 51 PLSz in Piła
Also in November 1952, the 53rd PLSz received the banner. According to other sources, it was in October 1952. The basic aircraft of the regiment was the Il-10, of Russian or Czechoslovak production. The Il-10 was an obsolete structure developed during the Second World War. Already at the beginning of 50 years, the plane did not fulfill the tasks set for it. In fact, there were no typical attack aircraft, because the Russians did not design such machines at that time. The first half of the 1950s was a period of turbulent development of the Polish Military Aviation, but the attack aviation equipment remained in the shadows.
It was not until 1955 that the first turbojet planes appeared in assault aviation regiments. These were mainly MiG-15 / Lim-1 planes withdrawn from fighter regiments. The Lim-1/2 plane is not a typical stormtrooper, so the Regiment changed its character to a fighter-assault aircraft. As this applied to all assault regiments, the divisions became fighter-assault ones. At the same time, the Il-10 (B-33) piston aircraft remained in service until 1959. In the 53rd PLSz, the complete conversion into turbojet airplanes took place on March 29, 1960. The last flights on the Il-10 planes were made in Mirosławiec at the end of 1960. The regiment in Mirosławiec was one of the last two in Poland to operate Ił-10 planes. The latter was the 48th PLSz. In the Regiment in Mirosławiec, the Lim-2 became the basic aircraft.
The training of the flying and technical personnel from the 53rd PLSz for turbojet airplanes was carried out at Bydgoszcz Airport.
In 1957, major structural changes took place in the Polish Military Aviation. They began with the establishment of the Warsaw Pact. As a result, among others, the Operational Aviation was established, which during the "W" would become the Air Force. Without going into the intricate period of changes, let’s just say that all the Fighter-Assault Aviation Divisions were under the leadership of Operational Aviation, including the 16th DLM-Sz in Piła with subordinate regiments, including our hero, the 53rd PLM-Sz. Therefore, in 1957, the regiment received a new banner.
1960.
The second half of the 50-year period was the time of intensive training of the regiment’s personnel. At the end of 1960, the combat readiness of the Regiment and the training of individual soldiers increased significantly. Most of the soldiers from the flying personnel already had 1st or 2nd pilot class, which was quite an achievement.
On December 2, 1960, by the 16th DLM-Sz, the first coveted Lim-5 M attack aircraft arrived at the Piła airport. They were probably two machines, and their operation was to be a trial. By May 1961, there were already about 30 Lim-5 M machines in the Division. In total, Polish industry built 60 of these machines. Some of them were additionally equipped with an aviation camera. These aircraft were designated Lim-5 MR. These planes also found their way to the Naval Aviation at Siemirowice Airport. There is no evidence that the Lim-5 M planes were based at the Mirosławiec Airport. It is certain, however, that the pilots from the 53rd PLM-Sz took part in training for a new type of aircraft.
I do not know what exactly the operation of the Lim-5 M in the 16th DLM-Sz in Piła looked like. It is known that the first weeks of operation of the Lim-5 M aircraft in the Polish Aviation did not turn out positive. Several breakdowns and disasters occurred. The aircraft began to be operated with significant restrictions, and after a few months the machines were returned to the manufacturer for modernization. The Polish aviation industry made a modification by developing the Lim-6 aircraft and building 40 examples. But the Army did not accept them, demanding more corrections. This is how the Lim-6 bis was created, which was successful and, as it turned out, stayed in the Polish skies for many years. The previously built Lim-5 M and Lim-6 planes, totaling 100 machines, were brought to the Lim-6 bis standard and put into service. In the following years, about 60 Lim-5 P machines were adapted for assault purposes and received the designation Lim-6 M.
1963.
In 1963, the first Lim-6 bis units started arriving at the 53rd PLM-Sz in Mirosławiec. In the period 1963 – 1965, 32 new Lim-6 bis were delivered to Mirosławiec for sure. In the following years, the losses were supplemented with the rebuilt Lim-6 M / MR.
The combat value of the regiment was systematically increased. The unit has been awarded many times for its excellent combat preparation and training results. The unit also contributed to numerous air shows. During the parade on the occasion of the 1000th Anniversary of the Polish State in 1966, the pilots of the Regiment demonstrated the figure of the "Brave Sword".
But these results also came with losses and tragedies;
On June 12, 1963, during the flight by Sec. pil. Cieśluk, the first Lim-6 bis aircraft was lost as a result of a fault in the engine control system. The pilot successfully catapulted.
On June 21, 1963, the first fatal accident happened, Lim-6 bis from 53 PLM-Sz piloted by Capt. pil. Kozaka crashed near Mirosławiec. Honor his memory!
On September 11, 1963, there was another catastrophe with the death toll in the 53rd PLM-Sz, Sec. pil. Błahut hit the forest during bombing flights at the training ground in Nadarzyce. Honor his memory!
1964.
In 1964, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the People’s Republic of Poland, a parade was organized. Among other things, the "Herringbone" pattern was demonstrated in the air. The first two wedges in this Jodełka were Lim-6 bis planes, which were shown to the public for the first time. Machines and pilots came from the 51st and 53rd PLM-Sz.
1967.
Another major reorganization in the Polish Aviation took place around 1967. We wrote "about" because such processes usually last several months. One of the bases for the changes was a return to the aviation traditions of the Polish Army units established in the CCCP and participating in the Second World War.
On June 30, 1967 (other sources state September 30, 1967) 53rd PLM-Sz in Mirosławiec by the order of the Ministry of National Defense No. 025 / Org. in recognition of his merits, he inherited the tradition of the 8th PLSz (1944-1946) and was given the name of the 8th Brandenburg Fighter-Assault Aviation Regiment. At the same time (in 1969), the 16th DLM-Sz changed its name to the 2nd Brandenburg Fighter Assault Division.
1969.
The planes from the regiment were to take part in the air parade on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the People’s Republic of Poland (People’s Poland), which was to take place over the Warsaw Bemowo airport (Babice) on July 22, 1969. The Lim-6 bis planes in the number of 54 machines from the 8th PLM-Sz in Mirosławiec and the 6th PLM-Sz in Piła were to form an array of "two Grunwald swords". The ripping of the crews began at the end of April 1969 at the airports in Piła and Mirosławiec. Around 2 July 1969, 60 planes were transferred to the airport in Sochaczew, so that the pilots could train under real conditions. Unfortunately, on the day of the parade over Warsaw, the weather conditions were very bad and the flight did not take place.
1971.
In 1971, further changes took place in the 8th Regiment. Firstly, the Regiment is organizationally transferred from the 2nd Brandenburg Assault and Reconnaissance Division to the 3rd Brandenburg Assault and Reconnaissance Division, in which it operated nearby; 40th PLSz from Świdwin, 32nd Aviation Regiment of Tactical Reconnaissance and Artillery in Sochaczew and 48th Aviation Squadron from Świdwin. Secondly, the Regiment became only the Assault Regiment, and not the Fighter-Assault Regiment as before. The tasks of the regiment focused on supporting the land forces by destroying ground targets. Elements of reconnaissance tasks were also introduced. This is where Lim-6 MR planes equipped with an aircraft camera turned out to be helpful. It was at that time that the Photo sub-unit with back-up facilities was organized. Since then, the Regiment did not have any hunting tasks that the subsonic planes would not be able to perform anyway. We had to wait for new equipment.
1972.
For information, we would like to inform you that in 1972 the leader of Cuba, Commandant Fidel Castro and General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the then Minister of National Defense of the Polish People’s Republic, stayed at the Mirosławiec Airport. No comment.
1974.
In 1974, the Regiment’s commemorative badge was designed and introduced.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman