Kołobrzeg 2024-11-16
Iljuszyn Ił-28 nb 52.
The copy in the collection of the Polish Arms Museum served until 1978, in military unit no. 2571 in Słupsk, where it had the number nb 64. However, the Polish Air Force had an Il-28 nb 52 aircraft. The aircraft had the serial number 2113. It was delivered to Modlin in 1954, to the 35th PLB. On the other hand, the Il-28 nb 64 no. 2113 was delivered to Poland in 1955, to the 35th PLB, then to the 7th PLB. In 1978, it was transferred to the museum in Kołobrzeg. The aircraft has a false number nb 52.
Il-28 in the Polish Army. 1952.
In Poland, the period 1944-1948 was characterized by the consolidation of Soviet rule and people’s power. And it was probably 1949 that made us realize that we had to forget about a sovereign state for a while. Everything in the country was organized in the Soviet way. The “Seven-Year Development Plan for the Polish Army for 1949-1955” was introduced for implementation. The plan was realistic and within the capabilities of the country devastated by war.
However, history likes to play tricks and makes difficult matters even more difficult. In 1950, many thousands of kilometers from Poland, war broke out in Korea. At first, it did not have much significance for us. But the rapid escalation of hostilities had a decisive influence on the development of events on the East-West line. World War III was real. In this situation, the Kremlin decided to arm the allied armies, including Poland, with new technology and ordered the expansion of structures to a size that exceeded the capabilities of our country. The implementation of the “Seven-Year Development Plan of the Polish Army for the years 1949-1955” was disrupted. In February 1951, a modified “Plan of Organizational Intentions for the years 1951-1952” was implemented, assuming, among other things, a dynamic quantitative growth of the Air Force, which was to form 25 air regiments from scratch.
One of the points was the development of bomber aviation and the introduction of turbojet aircraft into service. The legal basis for the implementation of the plan was Directive No. 00020 issued by the Ministry of National Defense on February 21, 1951, on the basis of which the Order of the Ministry of National Defense No. 0036/Org. of April 7, 1951 was developed, ordering the Commander of the Air Force to form the 15th DLB (Bomber Aviation Division) at the Malbork airport by August 1, 1951, consisting of: the 7th and 33rd Bomber Aviation Regiment, the 68th Signal Company and the 48th Mobile Aviation Repair Workshops. The basic aircraft was to be the Tupolev Tu-2 piston-powered bomber. The choice of Malbork as a base was not accidental. In the realities of the time, it provided the most convenient position for conducting an attack in the north-west direction, which was in line with Moscow’s plans.
Two bomber aviation regiments were not enough. The implementation of the “Plan of organizational intentions for the years 1951-1952” resulted in the development of the MON order no. 0096/Org of December 11, 1951, by virtue of which the Minister of National Defense ordered the Commander of the Air Force to introduce a new organization of the 15th Bomber Aviation Regiment, enlarged by the new 35th Bomber Aviation Regiment. The new regiment was to be formed by December 1, 1952, at the Inowrocław airport. The main executor of the order to form the 35th Bomber Aviation Regiment was the commander of the 15th Bomber Aviation Regiment.
At that time, a decision was made to purchase Il-28 turbojet bombers. The division made the first preparations. The first analyses showed that Il-28 jets could only be used from airports of an appropriate standard. The airport in Malbork did not meet these requirements, mainly due to the lack of a suitable concrete runway and taxiways. In this situation, on 3–4 April 1952, the entire 15th DLB was relocated to the new airport in Bydgoszcz. This airport had a concrete runway and taxiways. It was larger and had better facilities. It was perfectly suited to accepting the new type of bombers.
Throughout 1952, the 15th DLB at the Bydgoszcz airport made intensive preparations to accept the new technology in the form of Il-28 bombers. Bydgoszcz became the central base for rearming and retraining the bomber aviation. In the autumn of 1952, theoretical training of the selected flight and technical personnel began. On 31 October 1952, the first batch of 8 Il-28 jet bombers landed at the Bydgoszcz airport. At the same time, a group of Soviet instructors from units based in the GDR and from the CCCP was brought in.
The Il-28 aircraft were brand new. They were left in the colour of natural duralumin. Checkerboards were applied to the vertical tail, the rear part of the fuselage and the wings. The side (side) numbers were painted in accordance with Soviet standards. The aircraft received consecutive numbers, unrelated to the serial numbers. And so; 7 PLB – numbers from 1 to 20, 33 PLB – from 21 to 40, 35 PLM – (since 1954, when it began accepting Il-28 aircraft) from 40 to 60. Most importantly, the numbers were in different colors, depending on the affiliation to a given regiment. And so; 7 PLB had red side numbers, 33PLB – in blue, 35PLB – in dark yellow with a navy blue border. Anticipating the facts, I will point out that over the years, as aircraft were transferred to other units (21st SPLR – independent reconnaissance aviation regiment, 15th SELR MW – independent navy reconnaissance aviation squadron, OSL-4 in Dęblin, 19th LEH – towing aviation squadron), the principle of ordered numbers in squadrons was abandoned. For example, in the 35th PLB, the following tactical numbers were introduced from the series “60”, “70” and “80”. The UIł-28 training aircraft also received the following serial numbers preceded by the letter S, while the reconnaissance Ił-28 R aircraft received the following serial numbers preceded by a zero. Of course, there were exceptions.
In order to ensure proper training of Polish personnel, on 11 December 1952, the first training and combat UIł-28 (factory number 64204) landed at the Bydgoszcz airport. In addition, 6 more combat Ił-28s were delivered. In total, by the end of 1952, the 15th DLB already had 14 combat Ił-28s and 1 UIł-28.
On April 4, 1952, the 7th PLB and 33rd PLB were relocated to the Bydgoszcz airport. In 1952, intensive work was also undertaken to form the third next bomber aviation regiment, the 35th PLB. After arriving from Malbork to Bydgoszcz, its staff began receiving assignments. The division commander, by organizational order no. 0105 of August 18, 1952, established the command of the 35th PLB. On October 1, 1952, the commander of the 35th PLB issued the first regimental order. Initially, the regiment had piston-powered bomber aircraft: seven Pe-2 FT bombers, one UPe-2 combat training aircraft, and one Po-2 training aircraft. In the following months, more piston aircraft were taken over. Meanwhile, modern Il-28s were taken over by the 7th PLB and 33rd PLB.
1953.
The beginning of 1953 was an intensive period of training on new equipment. Training was carried out quickly and without major disruptions. More Il-28 aircraft arrived in Bydgoszcz. Pilots of the new bombers were usually pilots of Pe-2 or Tu-2 bombers. Interestingly, despite the completely different drive, retraining did not pose any major problems. Usually, after a few flights on the UIl-28 version, the pilot could fly solo.
The Air Force Command began to consider moving the 7th PLB to a permanent base in the north of the country, but after a MiG-15 bis aircraft from Słupsk was hijacked to the island of Bornholm (and two months later another MiG-15 bis), a decision was made to leave the modern Il-28s inland. The main forces of the 15th DLB in the form of the 7th PLB and the 33rd PLB were relocated on April 8, 1953, from Bydgoszcz to Warsaw (Bemowo airport). Bydgoszcz remained the central base of Il-28 bombers.
The dislocation of the 7th PLB and 33rd PLB units changed. It was decided that the place where these regiments with modern Il-28 aircraft would be stationed would be Modlin. Exactly half a year later, on October 8, 1953, both regiments were relocated to Modlin Airport.
1954.
In 1954, the Il-28 crews gathered at the Modlin Airport continued their training in individual and group day flights and bombing.
Already in the spring of 1954, the decision was made to make the first public display of Il-28 aircraft in flight. This took place on July 22, 1954, during a parade over Katowice (at that time called Stalinogród). The parade was attended by crews from the 7th PLB and 33rd PLB on Il-28 aircraft.
In mid-1954, the time came for the training of the last regiment of the 15th DLB, i.e. the 35th PLB, for the new Il-28 bombers. In accordance with the order of the Commander of the WL in connection with the commencement of training for the new equipment, the 35th PLB was to relocate from Przasnysz to the Modlin airport on 20–22 May 1954. Since the regiment was to receive Il-28 jets in Modlin, the existing Pe-2 FTs were left at the Przasnysz airport and were designated for scrapping. Two crews, who were at the training ground in Świdwin, flew Tu-2s (tact number 05, 08), which were handed over to the forming towing flight on 11 June 1954 (order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army no. 0138/Org.). Thus, only the three remaining CSS-13 planes were airlifted to Modlin.
By the end of May 1954, at the Modlin airport, the regiment’s personnel were preparing a barracks and training base. The necessary offices and lecture halls were prepared from scratch in a short time, and they were equipped with literature, equipment and other training aids. By the end of May 1954, the Science Department was put into operation, which turned out to be the best facility of its kind in the entire division. At the same time, the flight and technical personnel were selected and qualified for training on the Il-28 jets. In accordance with the developed schedule, in the period June-August 1954, the designated personnel underwent theoretical training. On June 6, 1954, the first two Il-28s were accepted into the 35th PLB, which were intensively used for theoretical training classes. After the completion of the three-month theoretical course, practical training in the air began.
On September 25, 1954, the first crew of the 35th PLB under the command of Pilot Maj. Józef Ostrowski performed a solo flight in an Il-28. On October 15, 1954, the regiment had 21 aircraft of various types, including: 15 Il-28 bomber aircraft, three UIl-28 combat trainer aircraft and three CSS-13 trainer aircraft. In mid-October 1954, the 35th PLB began preparing its jet equipment for winter operation for the first time. Until the end of 1954, the 35th PLB conducted intensive air training, achieving an increasingly higher level. Four pilots were trained: Lt. Józef Cholewa, 2nd Lt. Feliks Kostka, 2nd Lt. Szczerbetko and 2nd Lt. Edmund Szczygieł. Two crews were trained to the flight level: Maj. Józef Ostrowski and Capt. Zdzisław Szczucki. In turn, six pilots were permitted to fly circuits on training-combat UIł-28s.
Also 1954 ended with a large flight time for the 15th DLB, mainly on Il-28 aircraft. For example, the 35th PLB achieved a flight time of 615.25 hours, including: on combat aircraft – 273.54 hours, on combat training aircraft – 118.58 hours and on training aircraft – 265.33 hours. During the annual briefing in the division, the results of the competition were announced; 1st place 7th PLB, 2nd place 35th PLB, 3rd place 33rd PLB.
1955.
In 1955, there were further very significant changes in the Polish bomber aviation. Their main reason was the introduction of the third (and last) version of the aircraft, the Il-28 R and the introduction of Il-28 bombers to naval aviation. January 1955 began with personnel changes to secure future tasks both in the division and in other units intended to operate Il-28 aircraft.
The 35th PLB unit continued to perform tasks of securing anti-aircraft artillery fire at the Mrzeżyno training ground. But this time, for the first time, using Il-28 aircraft. From May 1955, two crews were sent to the airport in Świdwin for this task. On June 9, 1955, a batch of 6 Il-28 aircraft (factory numbers: 56701, 56710, 56716, 56721, 56724, 56735) landed at the airport in Modlin. These aircraft were transferred to the 35th PLB. In this way, the regiment reached its full staff strength – 20 Il-28 aircraft.
In mid-June 1955, the division commander received an order to present the Il-28s for a parade over Warsaw on July 22, 1955. The Il-28s were to be demonstrated in three groups. The first group was to be presented by the 7th PLB (15 Il-28s), the second by the 33rd PLB (9 Il-28s), the third by the 35th PLB (9 Il-28s), with the 21st SPLR (independent reconnaissance aviation regiment, 6 Il-28s). Training was initially conducted in flight units, later in the group of the entire bomber throw. The crews took off and landed at the Modlin airport for the parade.
On the morning of July 22, 1955, the planes were lined up at the airport in the order they were to take off. The next crews took off systematically every 30 seconds, and after gathering in the air, flew to the designated route. On the first section: Modlin-Gąbin, the entire column of the division was formed, and after a 180-degree turn, they returned to Modlin, where they performed a maneuver onto the combat route and from Nasielsk along the combat route to Warsaw. The flight over the honorary tribune took place according to plan. After flying over Warsaw, after a few minutes, a right turn over Otwock, where the column was dissolved, and over Modlin, the individual crews. The parade was a good test of the level of training of the division crews.
For the whole of 1955, the division achieved another record result of hours spent in the air. For example, the 35th PLB achieved a flight time of 1,325.34 hours, including 531.02 hours in combat aircraft, 379 hours in combat training aircraft, and 415.32 hours in training aircraft. Another year ended with a high score for the division. The competition repeated the order from the previous year. Additionally, the 7th PLB and 35th PLB ended the year without any accidents, which is a huge success.
Sochaczew was the base of the 21st SPLR (independent reconnaissance aviation regiment). In May 1955, deliveries of Il-28R reconnaissance aircraft intended for the 21st SPLR began to be delivered to Poland. This regiment was also to receive Il-28 bombers and UIl-28 training aircraft. In the autumn of 1955, the commander of the 15th DLB received an order to transfer Il-28 aircraft to the 21st SPLR to supplement the two long-range reconnaissance squadrons. Each regiment was to allocate four aircraft. The command of the 35th PLB decided to transfer the following aircraft to the team in Sochaczew: “41”, “42”, “43” and „44″.
In 1955, the naval aviation included, among others, the 30th Polish Navy Air Regiment (Navy Air Regiment). It was stationed at the Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz airport. The unit consisted of two attack squadrons and one long-range reconnaissance squadron. The latter was equipped with Tu-2 bombers. However, in 1955, plans were already being made to train personnel for the Il-28 turbojet. Almost simultaneously, actions were taken to separate the Squadron from the structure of the 30th Regiment and form an independent unit with a separate base on its basis. This is how the 15th SELR was born.
The process of creating the new 15th Independent Navy Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron (15 SELR MW) lasted almost a year. Captain Mar. Pilot Hilary Zarucki, former commander of the 16th Navy Liaison Aviation Squadron, was appointed as the commander of the new unit. In the autumn of 1955, the last two Tu-2 aircraft were transferred to the 19th Air Towing Squadron in Słupsk. The flying and technical personnel of the Independent Long-Range Reconnaissance Squadron began training on the Il-28 in October 1955. It was held at the 15th Bomber Aviation Division at the Modlin airport. The assistant commander of the 2nd Squadron in the 35th PLB – Capt. Pilot Edmund Jałocha – was appointed as the chief instructor. In December 1955, after completing theoretical training, the squadron personnel began flying UIl-28 training and combat aircraft. The honour of performing the first independent flight on the new type of aircraft, on 16 December 1955, was awarded to the crew consisting of Capt. Mar. Pilot Hilary Zarucki, Lt. Mar. Navigator Tadeusz Pawlaczek and Rifleman/X-Ray. Lieutenant Mar. Henryk Kuza.
1956.
In 1956, the division received another delivery of nine Il-28 aircraft, which filled the gaps after the aircraft transferred to Sochaczew. The aircraft were distributed three to each regiment. On January 17, 1956, two Il-28s with factory numbers 56606209, 56606216 were added to the 35th PLB, and on January 27, 1956, another one, 56606212.
In accordance with the order developed by the Command of the WL and the OPL OK in December 1955, in May 1956, the organization of the third squadron began in the 35th PLB. In September 1956, the 3rd Aviation Squadron was formed with the task of starting training of flight personnel from 1957. This decision was related to the disbandment of the training course for attack and bomber aviation pilots in OSL-4 in Dęblin. In reality, this squadron became a training squadron.
At the end of June 1956, all regiments of the division were put on full combat readiness. However, this state was not maintained for long. This was related to the unrest and workers’ strike that occurred in Poznań (Poznań Uprising) and, as a consequence, the movements of the Red Army troops.
In the summer of 1956, the division performed 70% of the total flight, which was a significant effort of the entire staff. At the end of 1956, the division achieved another record for hours spent in the air. For example, the 35th PLB achieved a high flight time of 1,321.09 hours, of which as many as 859.14 in combat aircraft and for the first time won 1st place in the competition.
Meanwhile, preparations for the formation of the 15th SELR MW were completed. It was established on the basis of the order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army no. 0144/org of August 8, 1956. The Squadron consisted of 113 soldiers and one contract civilian employee. Babie Doły was designated as the place of formation, and Łebunia near Lębork as the base. It was a new airport, built from scratch for the needs of the Polish Navy Aviation. Initially, it was difficult to even determine the name of the new base. The first documents (as above) mention the name of the town of Łebunia, later it was decided to use Cewice – the nearby seat of local authorities. In fact, however, the closest settlement to the airport is Siemirowice, where the first blocks of the garrison housing estate were built. To this day, the military use both names interchangeably, although the most famous is Siemirowice; 15th SELR Siemirowice. In May 1956, the squadron staff was trained on the reconnaissance variant of the Il-28 R and immediately relocated from Modlin to the airport in Babie Doły. Already on June 30, 1956, six aircraft of the squadron took part in a parade over Gdynia on the occasion of the Days of the Sea and Navy.
The Siemirowice airport had a concrete runway 2,000 m long and 60 m wide. 20 individual parking places were built for the aircraft. In addition, there was an MPS warehouse with a railway siding and a technical warehouse, battery room and compressor room. The local garrison allowed for securing the base of a fighter aviation regiment with an airport service battalion and a blind landing squadron. The air throw of the squadron relocated to Siemirowice (Cewice) on October 1, 1956. At the new location, basic training in daylight flying in difficult weather conditions was completed by the end of the year. The process of forming the unit was finally completed in mid-1957.
15. SELR Siemirowice had the following structure; command, political section, staff, engineering and operational section and three flight units. The equipment included 2 Il-28, 3 Il-28 R, 1 UIl-28 and a liaison Po-2. The squadron was to perform tasks covering two periods of operations. The first one included operational reconnaissance conducted during the preparation period for the operation, while the second and basic task was to determine the enemy’s force group, the nature of its operation and the conditions that would enable effective use of the Navy’s forces and resources deep within its group. As part of tactical reconnaissance, the squadron crews were tasked with conducting reconnaissance of specific objects at sea and in bases combined with their photography. This also included photographing the effectiveness of our own firepower used against detected enemy objects.
The reconnaissance aviation performed these tasks using visual observation, photography and radiolocation means. The introduction of Il-28 R reconnaissance aircraft with an on-board PSBN radar (operating range from 15 to 100 km) into service allowed the squadron to perform reconnaissance on the sea in all weather conditions, regardless of the time of day. The tactical and technical capabilities of these aircraft allowed for reconnaissance within a radius of up to 950 km for three hours (taking into account a 20% fuel reserve). The squadron’s aircraft conducted daily reconnaissance operations along designated routes over the Baltic Sea (searches in the assigned direction).
The 15th Squadron (SELR) was not to be the exclusive host of the Siemirowice garrison. The 30th Navy Aviation Regiment and the 50th Airport Service Battalion were ordered to be stationed at the same airport by the organizational order of the Navy Commander No. 014/Org of 13 May 1956, by 10 August 1956. The creation of living facilities for the staff and conscript soldiers forced the expansion of the housing, commercial and recreational infrastructure. Despite this, service in this “green garrison” located far from larger urban centers was not easy. Even in the following decade, there were winters during which the base and the housing estate were “cut off from the world” for almost two days. At the same time, intensive training of crews was underway. Unfortunately, the first year of the Squadron’s operation also brought its first loss – on October 4, 1956, as a result of an oxygen system failure during a training and combat flight at an altitude of 11,000 m, the crew’s navigator, 2nd Lt. Mar. Navigator Franciszek Dudek, lost consciousness. Despite a quick return to the airport, resuscitation did not save the pilot’s life.
1957.
In 1957, the end of deliveries of Il-28 aircraft to Poland came. In the years 1952-1957, a total of; 73 Il-28, 16 UIl-28 (Il-28 U) and 9 Il-28 R were purchased. Units in which Il-28 aircraft were operated; 15. DLB (7. PLB, 33. PLB, 35 PLB) in Modlin, and later also Powidz. OSL-4 in Dęblin; a few units for a short period (1953-1957). 21. SPLR in Sochaczew; including 6 Il-28 R. 15. SELR in Siemirowice; including 3 Il-28 R. 19. EH (towing squadron) in Słupsk. At the beginning of 1957, at the meeting of the 35th PLB, the command read the organizational order of the Commander of the WL and OPL OK, in which the purpose of the regiment was changed from bomber to training and combat. Thus, the regiment was named 35th PLSzB.
In June 1957, the division commander was tasked with preparing the assigned forces and resources for the air shows and parade on the occasion of Aviation Day. The parade took place on September 8, 1957, over the Warsaw Bemowo (Babice) airport. The first group of bombers (a column of wedges – 25 Il-28 aircraft). In this column, the first three wedges (15 Il-28 aircraft) came from the 7th PLB, the next two (10 Il-28 aircraft) were provided by the 35th PLB. The second column was represented entirely by the 33rd PLB. In total, 50 Il-28 aircraft.
Immediately after this parade, the division received another task to take part in displays and a parade over Łódź. However, on September 14, 1957, due to poor weather conditions, only a flight of bombers flew over the city of Łódź. The flight took place along the route: Modlin – Łowicz – Zgierz – Łódź – Skierniewice – Modlin.
The next presentation of bomber aviation by the crews of the 15th DLB was the participation in displays over southern regions of Poland in September 1957. On September 20, 1957, the Il-28 flight was relocated to Mierzęcice, from where on September 22, 1957, it flew as part of a regional air parade over Kraków and a little later over Katowice. This time, the flight route was as follows: Mierzęcice – Tarnowskie Góry – Kraków – Dąbrowa Górnicza – Katowice – Mikołów – Mierzęcice.
For the Polish Army Day, the division command planned a ceremony to present the 33rd and 35th regiments with banners funded by the State Council. On October 12, 1957, subunits of the 15th DLB lined up on the parade ground and the ceremony took place. When completing its flight training in 1957, the division once again achieved a record flight time. For example, the 35th PLB achieved a flight time of 1,851.28 hours, including 1,251 hours in combat aircraft, 229 hours in training and combat aircraft, and 351.28 hours in training aircraft. During the training briefing held at the division level, the regiment once again took first place in the summary.
1958.
The 35th PLB was disbanded. In 1958, there were further significant changes in the division. The reason was the rapid decline of the Il-28 bombers capable of flying. This is all the more strange, as the oldest machines had only six years of service, and that was in peacetime. We are convinced that the official reason was the decrease in the number of Il-28 aircraft. A more likely reason was cost-saving. We had already been through the 1957 thaw, and our country could not afford to maintain such a large army. In addition, we did not have enough properly trained crews. Remember that in 1953, when the 35th PLB was relocated from Inowrocław to Przasnysz, the crews had to return by Li-2 aircraft for the second part of the bombers. The disbandment of the 35th PLB allowed the personnel of the remaining two regiments to be supplemented to a level that ensured the proper performance of tasks. There is no doubt, however, that in view of this situation, at the request of the Operational Aviation Command, the MON management decided to disband the 35th PLB, and the aircraft were ordered to be transferred to the 7th PLB in Powidz and to the 33rd PLB on site in Modlin.
Until the end of May 1958, i.e. until its liquidation, the 35th PLB conducted intensive air training, performing 1,417 sorties in 632 hours and 11 minutes. On May 24, 1958, the regiment, as part of the squadron, took part in a tactical exercise of the land forces, providing them with support on the training ground in the area of: Nieszawa – Włocławek – Lipno. Nine crews took part in these flights. However, this was the last aviation undertaking carried out by the 35th PLB.
On May 19, 1958, the MON order no. 05/Org. was issued. ordering the Commander of Operational Aviation to disband the 35th PLB. The personnel, soldiers on conscript duty and the equipment and supplies of the regiment were ordered to be distributed within the 15th DLB. Based on this order, the Commander of Operational Aviation developed order no. 055/Org of 27 May 1958. Based on the above-mentioned orders, the Commander of the 15th DLB issued Executive Order no. 047 of 30 May 1958, in which he ordered the disbandment of the 35th PLB by 15 June 1958. The last assembly of the entire personnel of the 35th PLB took place on 8 June 1958, on the parade ground, where the banner and the personnel and soldiers departing for other garrisons were bid farewell. During the period of activity of the 35th PLB, the flying personnel of the regiment performed a total flight time of 6,704 hours and 8 minutes.
15 SELR MW. In 1958, three years had passed since the beginning of the Il-28 aircraft in naval aviation. Unfortunately, the good results of flight training were burdened by another tragedy – on January 11, 1958, during a weather reconnaissance flight, the SIl-28 aircraft no. S-3 (U-3) collided with the ground. The entire crew died on the spot: instructor Cdr. 2nd Lt. pilot Hilary Zarucki (Squadron Commander), 2nd Lt. marshal pilot Walenty Urbanowicz, X-ray gunner senior marshal Jan Czubiński.
1959.
15 SELR MW. On 18 March 1958, the unit commander was taken over by Captain Mar. Pilot Leon Jędrzejczyk. Fate also brought him a tragic end to his service. On 18 March 1959, exactly one year after taking over the duties of Squadron Commander, Captain Mar. Pilot Leon Jędrzejczyk, and together with him Lieutenant Mar. Navigator Aleksander Czyżykowski and X-ray gunner Mar. Adam Bochenek, died an airman’s death when their Il-28 R aircraft disintegrated in the air after an overly energetic maneuver over their home airport. The duties of the unit commander were assumed as temporarily acting by the previous Chief of Staff, Captain Mar. Dipl. Czesław Głuszcz.
However, temporary problems did not stop the training. The unit’s tasks included: detecting enemy ships and guiding strike groups, aerial photography, and finally towing a sleeve for anti-aircraft shooting of ships. In December 1959, the unit was included in the permanent duty in the “Alarm Rescue Team of the Navy”, maintaining one crew in constant readiness to provide assistance to ships in the Baltic. In 1959, a large air parade was organized once again on the occasion of the communist holiday. Il-28 bombers could not be missing from it. All units with these aircraft presented their bombers for the parade. On July 22, 1959, a large rhombus consisting of 16 Il-28 aircraft and a column of five rhombuses with 4 aircraft each were presented. A total of 36 Il-28 aircraft were shown in the air.
1960-1970.
Il-28 E version; At the beginning of the 1960s, the Il-28s were no longer meeting the requirements for bomber aircraft and were assigned to reconnaissance tasks. Bomber units were transformed into reconnaissance regiments. Thus, the 7th PLB and 33rd PLB changed their names to operational reconnaissance aviation regiments, and the numbering remained unchanged. In the mid-1960s, electronic warfare equipment kits were purchased from CCCP and 10 Polish Il-28s were converted into EW aircraft designated Il-28 E. Each kit was equipped with an SRS-2 or SRS-3 radio-technical reconnaissance station and an SPS-2 active electronic interference station or an ASO-28 cut metalized foil ejector (popular “chaff cutter”).
Il-28 E aircraft served in the 33rd PLRO (operational reconnaissance aviation regiment) in Powidz. For 60 years, a successor to the Il-28 was sought. The purchase of supersonic Yak-27s and later Yak-28s was considered. However, more detailed analyses showed that they had no significant advantage over the Il-28. It was not until 1974 that the Polish Military Aviation received a successor to the Il-28. It was the Su-20 fighter-bomber.
In 1966, the most complex figure was shown over Warsaw: an eagle consisting of 33 Il-28s.
15. SELR, 19. EH.
Better training of the 15th SELR personnel resulted in a shift in the weight of the tasks performed. From 1961, all flights for cooperation at sea began to be treated as tactical and combat, and from May to the end of October 1961, 70% of flights were performed over the sea. The quality of the flights and reconnaissance performed was constantly improving. All crews were allowed to perform flights at night, in difficult weather conditions. Crews increasingly cooperated with ships at sea (including the GDR Navy) and fighter-attack aviation. In September 1961, one of the squadron crews took part for the first time in the WL and OPL OK Reconnaissance Aviation competition, which allowed them to gain new experience in reconnaissance flights for the benefit of the land forces and other types of aviation, and combating ground targets. In 1962, training of crews on Il-28 aircraft for the needs of the Towing Squadron began. In August 1962, both air units from Siemirowice (although operating from Słupsk airport) participated in bilateral exercises of allied fleets.
In 1964, actions were taken to increase the possibilities of photo-reconnaissance. Successful tests of photography were carried out using modern slit cameras, taking photos at low altitude and at high speed. Representatives of the then Aviation Inspectorate came to the Squadron to analyze and exchange experiences in the field of processing and photography on color materials, working in infrared and zone-spectral. There was also an exercise on cooperation with the Torpedo Boat Brigade and fighter-attack aviation in the field of detecting and guiding our own strike groups to detected ships.
There were also real combat flights, aimed at detecting and recognizing electronic intelligence ships of NATO countries operating on the border of Polish territorial waters. Foreign aircraft were also encountered in the air, especially Atlantic Bundesmarine (Kriegsmarine), which was usually an opportunity to mutually enrich the album of service photographs. Among the exercises of that period, actions in simulated conditions of use of nuclear weapons are noteworthy, with particular emphasis on procedures for deactivating people and equipment.
Air shows and parades added variety to the rhythm of training. Particularly memorable were the celebrations of the Sea Day in 1965, when a formation consisting of one Il-28 was shown, accompanied by four PZL TS-11 “Iskra” arriving from Radom. The Navy aviation also demonstrated a sheet of Il-28s and an anchor consisting of PZL Lim aircraft. An extraordinary spectacle was the evening illumination of ships standing in the roadstead of the Gdynia port, using illuminating bombs dropped from Il-28 aircraft.
In 1966, the need arose to reorganize the Squadron. The previous equipment gradually wore out, and there were no plans to replace the Il-28 aircraft with modern aircraft. In this situation, an ad hoc solution was adopted, i.e. introducing tactical reconnaissance aircraft from the SB Lim-2 family into service at the beginning of 1967. As a result, the unit, renamed the 15th Navy Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron, grew in quantity, but did not develop qualitatively. Three flight units were established using UTI MiG-15 Art (SB Lim-2 A) aircraft. The first “Art.-y” aircraft arrived in Siemirowice in October 1967.
1970-1979.
Meanwhile, the end of the era of the Il-28 aircraft was approaching. On December 29, 1977, the combat operation of the Il-28 in the Polish Air Force was ceremonially ended. Training on them ended on August 27, 1978. On December 23, 1978, the operation of the Il-28 aircraft in the Naval Aviation ended, specifically in the 15th ELR (SELR) in Siemirowice. On October 2, 1979, the last flights of the Il-28 aircraft in Poland by naval pilots took place, specifically in the 19th EH in Słupsk. Officially, the last flight was to the training ground in Nadarzyce. Several aircraft from Słupsk (at least 4 machines) flew to Nadarzyce, where they served as ground targets on the training ground. In the following months, the remaining operational Il-28s were distributed to airports throughout Poland, intended as targets on training grounds or as exhibits for museums and military collections. Unfortunately, despite the demand, this aircraft, good in its years, did not have a successor.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman