#hurricane: 303 squadron

[captain-price-unofficially]

Hawker Hurricanes of No. 303 Polish Squadron of RAF

[usafphantom2]

9 September 1940. Hawker Hurricane Mk.I P3700 ‘RF-E’ of 303 Polish Squadron piloted by Sergeant Kazimierz Wunsche was shot down. The wreckage was discovered 9 September 2015.

@ron_eisele via X

[carbone14]

Le pilote de chasse tchécoslovaque Josef František du 303 Squadron RAF posant devant son Hurricane – Bataille d'Angleterre – Septembre 1940

Josef František est un pilote tchécoslovaque qui a combattu dans les armées de l'air polonaises, françaises et anglaises. Il est le pilote non anglais de la RAF ayant obtenu le plus grand nombre de victoires pendant la bataille d'Angleterre (17 victoires en septembre) avant de se crasher le 8 octobre 1940.

[grande-caps]

Hurricane (2018) GALLERY LINK : [x] Quality : BluRay screencaptures Amount : 2369 files  Resolution : 1920x800px

-Please like/reblog if taking! -Please credit grande_caps/kissthemgoodbye!

[pinturas-sgm-aviacion]

1940 09 Undaunted by Odds - Robert Taylor

Hurricanes of 303 Polish Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain as the unit climbs steadily to intercept yet another incoming wave of enemy bombers heading for London in September 1940. Soon the already battle-hardened Polish pilots will once again be in the thick of the action.

[barbariankingdom]

Hawker Hurricane serial number V6684. This Mk I Hurricane was allocated to RAF 303 (Polish) Squadron and flown by Fl/Lt Witold Urbanowicz during the Battle of Britain carrying squadron code RF-F.

[pol-ski]

On July 10th, 1940, the Battle of Britain began.

A total of 145 experienced and battle-hardened Polish airmen fought in the Battle of Britain - 79 airmen in various RAF squadrons, 32 in No. 302 Fighter Squadron and 34 in No. 303 Fighter Squadron.

303 Squadron made the highest number of victory claims during the Battle of Britain, despite only joining it halfway through.

(www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Polish-Pilots-the-Battle-of-Britain/)

Overall the Squadron scored nearly three times the number of kills of the average British fighter squadron with one third the casualty rate.

In fact, the Polish record was so impressive that Stanley Vincent, the RAF commander of the base at Northolt, took it upon himself to verify their claims. Following the squadron into combat Vincent witnessed how the Poles dived at the German bombers in their Hurricanes ‘with near suicidal impetus’. On landing back at base Vincent exclaimed ‘My God, they are doing it!’. One RAF pilot noted with admiration ‘When they go tearing into the enemy bombers and fighters they go so close you would think they were going to collide’.

Glory to the heroes!

[greatworldwar2]

• Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa

The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (隼, "Peregrine Falcon" was a single-engine land based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.

The Ki-43 was designed by Hideo Itokawa, who would later become famous as a pioneer of Japanese rocketry. The Ki-43 prototype was produced in response to a December 1937 specification for a successor to the popular fixed-gear Nakajima Ki-27 Nate. The specification called for a top speed of 500 km/h (311 mph), a climb rate of 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in five minutes and a range of 800 km (500 mi). Maneuverability was to be at least as good as that of the Ki-27. When first flown in early January 1939, the Ki-43 prototype was a disappointment. Japanese test pilots complained that it was less maneuverable than the Ki-27 Nate and not much faster. In order to solve these problems, Nakajima produced a series of progressively modified prototypes through 1939 and 1940. These changes involved a major weight saving program, a slimmer fuselage with the tail surfaces moved further aft and a new canopy.

Crucially, the 11th prototype introduced the unique differential "butterfly" maneuvering Fowler flaps, which dramatically improved performance in tight turns. The 13th prototype combined all these changes, and tests of this aircraft resulted in an instruction for Nakajima to place the Ki-43 into production, the Ki-27 jigs being transferred to the Mansyu factory at Harbin in Japanese occupied Manchukuo. The Ki-43 (Oscar) was initially produced in November 1939, given the designation Ki-43-I. Deliveries from Nakajima's Ota factory commenced in February 1941. In addition to outstanding maneuverability, the Ki-43-I had an impressive rate of climb due to its light weight. Power was provided by the Nakajima Ha-25 engine turning a two-bladed, two-position variable-pitch metal propeller. The Ki-43 was equipped with two synchronized cowling machine guns in various configurations, with either two 7.7 mm (.303 in) Type 89 machine guns, one 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 machine gun and one 7.7 mm (.303 in) gun, or two 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 guns; the aircraft was given various sub-designations to reflect these differences.

Prototypes for the Ki-43-II flew in February 1942. The Ha-25 engine was upgraded with the 2-stage supercharger, thus becoming the more powerful Nakajima Ha-115 engine, which was installed in a longer-chord cowling. The new engine turned a three-bladed propeller. The wing structure, which had suffered failures in the Ki-43-I, was strengthened and equipped with racks for drop tanks or bombs. The Ki-43-II was also fitted with a 13 mm armor plate for the pilot's head and back, and the aircraft's fuel tanks were coated in rubber to form a crude self-sealing tank. This was later replaced by a 3-layer rubber bladder, 8mm core construction; with 2mm oil-proof lamination. The pilot also enjoyed a slightly taller canopy and a reflector gunsight in place of the earlier telescopic gunsight. Nakajima commenced production of the Ki-43-II at its Ota factory in November 1942.

The Ki-43 was the most widely used Army fighter, and equipped 30 sentai FR,(flight regiment) and 12 chutais IS,(independent squadrons). The first unit equipped with the Ki 43-I was the 59th FR at Hankow Airfield, during June–August 1941 and began operational sorties over Hengyang on October 29th, 1941. The second unit to re-equip with the new Aircraft was the 64th FR, from August to November 1941. The first version, Ki-43-I, entered service in 1941, the Ki-43-II in December 1942, the Ki-43-II-Kai in June 1943, and the Ki-43-IIIa in summer 1944. The aircraft fought in China, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, New Guinea, the Philippines, South Pacific islands and the Japanese home islands. Like the Zero, the Ki-43 initially enjoyed air superiority in the skies of Malaya, Netherlands East Indies, Burma and New Guinea. This was partly due to the better performance of the Oscar and partly due to the relatively small numbers of combat-ready Allied fighters, mostly the Curtiss P-36 Hawk, Curtiss P-40, Brewster Buffalo, Hawker Hurricane and Curtiss-Wright CW-21 in Asia and the Pacific during the first months of the war.

As the war progressed, however, the fighter suffered from the same weaknesses as the slower, fixed-gear Ki-27 "Nate" predecessor to the Oscar, and the more advanced naval A6M Zero; light armor and less-than-effective self-sealing fuel tanks, which caused high casualties in combat. Its armament of two machine guns also proved inadequate against the more heavily armored Allied aircraft. As newer Allied aircraft were introduced, such as the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, North American P-51 Mustang. The Japanese were forced into a defensive war and most aircraft were flown by inexperienced pilots. However, even near the end, the Oscar's excellent maneuverability could still gain advantage over rash Allied pilots. Like most Japanese combat types, many Hayabusas were at the end expended in kamikaze strikes.

The Ki-43 also served in an air defense role over Formosa, Okinawa and the Japanese home islands. Some examples were supplied to the pro-Japanese regimes of Thailand, Manchukuo and Wang Jingwei Government as well. The Thai units sometimes fought against the USAAF in southern China. Hayabusas were well liked in the JAAF because of the pleasant flight characteristics and excellent maneuverability, and almost all JAAF fighter aces claimed victories with Hayabusa in some part of their career. At the end of the war, most Hayabusa units received Ki-84 Hayate "Frank" fighters, but some units flew the Hayabusa to the end of the war. The top-scoring Hayabusa pilot was Sergeant Satoshi Anabuki with 39 confirmed victories, almost all scored with the Ki-43.

After the war, some captured examples served in limited numbers in the French Air Force in Indochina against Viet Minh rebels. Ki-43s abandoned in the Netherlands East Indies were taken over by the newly declared Indonesian government and put into service during the fight against Dutch forces. Over the course of the war 5,819 Ki-43-I, Ki-43-II and Ki-43-IIIa builds were produced. Several surviving examples are a Ki-43-I on display at Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington, a Ki-43-II displayed unrestored at the Australian War Museum in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Ki-43 originally under restoration/rebuild at Texas Airplane Factory, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas, and a Ki-43 awaiting restoration at The Fighter Collection in Duxford, United Kingdom.

[usafphantom2]

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc LF363 in its current colours as ‘RF-J’ of 303 Kościuszko (Polish) Squadron…the original Hurricane ‘RF-J’, which LF363 now represents, was Hurricane Mk 1 V6665…@RAFBBMF @BBMF_Sugden #HawkerHurricane

@ShutterbugWGC via X

[mostly-history]

Pilots of 'B' Flight, No. 32 Squadron, relax on the grass at RAF Hawkinge in front of a Hurricane Mk. I.  Left to right: R. F. Smythe, Keith R. Gillman, J. E. Procter, Flight Lieutenant P. M. Brothers, D. H. Grice, P. M. Gardner, and A. F. Eckford (all Pilot Officers except for Brothers).  Gillman was posted missing August 25th, 1940, but the rest all survived the war.

A further contingent of NZ airmen are welcomed upon arrival by the High Commissioner for New Zealand.  The men are armourers, and wireless operators for ground duties, and have arrived by ship along with members of the Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Two armourers service the machine guns of a Hawker Hurricane Mk. I of No. 85 Squadron, while another unpacks belts of .303 inch ammunition (RAF Debden, July 25th, 1940).

A pilot of No. 64 Squadron RAF runs towards his Supermarine Spitfire Mark 1A as the squadron is scrambled at 10:45 am at Kenley (August 15th, 1940).

WAAF telephone operators in Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford, receiving reports of enemy aircraft pilots from Observer Corps posts (September 1940).

A Hurricane pilot discusses his flight with the intelligence officer after returning from aerial combat (October 17th, 1940).

Pilots of No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF and their British flight commanders, grouped in front of a Hawker Hurricane Mk. I at RAF Duxford (September 7th, 1940).

Left to right (standing): Pilot Officer Svatopluk Janouch, Sergeant Josef Vopalecky, Sergeant Raimund Puda, Sergeant Karel Seda, Sergeant Bohumir Furst, and Sergeant Rudolf Zima.

Left to right (sitting): Pilot Officer Vilem Goth, Flight Lieutenant Josef Maly, Flight Lieutenant Gordon L. Sinclair DFC, Flying Officer John E. Boulton, Flight Lieutenant J. Jefferies, Pilot Officer Stanislav Zimprich, Sergeant Jan Kaucky, Flight Lieutenant Frantisek Rypl, Pilot Officer Emil Fechtner, and Pilot Officer Vaclav Bergman.

[goodqueenkaro]

Happy birthday Iwan Rheon!

Jose Ortega y Gasset and George Santayana both were sure, that those, who do not learn from past and history, are condemned to repeat it.

There are two films based on the events which took place during Battle of Britain. I know, that this is strange “present”, but I wanted to publish it for a while and... this is a good occasion to say: Thank you, Iwan, for commemorating one of the Polish fliers.

These are historical photos (black&white) and movie photos (color) of actors, who played Poles in Hurricane: 303 Squadron (polish title: 303: Bitwa o Anglię, USA: Mission of Honor), including Rheon (left corner) as Jan Zumbach (right corner)

More info about the movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_(2018_film)

Short interviews with Marcin Dorociński, Milo Gibson and Iwan Rheon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEsPdTBRkFY

[carpedzem]

2020 Challenge :)

Rules: Name 20 movies and 20 TV shows you loved that premiered this decade (then tag people!)

i was tagged by one and the best @thisonesatellite​​ - thank you twice as much since I was sure I’m gonna miss this challenge :>

Movies:

So xD Sorry...?

Animations because I’m an ‘artist’ and I love good animation:

1. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

4. Klaus (2019)

5. Tangled (2010)

6. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

7. Megamind (2010)

8. Kimi no na wa (Your Name) (2016)

Honourable mention for magnificent animation: Amhrán na Mara (Song of the Sea) (2014)

Movies about WWII and/or Hitler because I’m Polish and I’m weird

9. The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)

10. Hurricane: Squadron 303 (2018)

11. Ambassada (2013)

12. Er ist wieder da (Look Who's Back) (2015)

And more movies - offensive ones or nobody never heard about ones:

13. Perfetti sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers) (2016)

14. Contratiempo (The Invisible Guest) (2016)

15. The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

16. Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu? (Serial (Bad) Weddings) (2014)

17. The King’s Speech (2010)

18. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

19. The Dictator (2012)

20. Intouchables (The Intouchables) (2011)

TV shows:

Ah this one gonna be way harder because I... didn’t watch that much of a TV shows when I was a teen. A lot of things is on my ‘to watch list’ like Good Omens or The Good Place or The Mandalorian or so on... But I used to watch a lot of anime so I put a few titles on the list even if that was long time ago and I still love to watch cartoons

TV shows I actually love:

1. Once Upon a Time (2011)

2. Dark (2017)

3. Brooklyn 9-9 (2013)

4. The Witcher (2019)

5. Lucifer (2016)

6. Carmen Sandiego (2019)

7. Hilda (2018)

8. Ever After High (2015) [*]

9. Gravity Falls (2012)

10. Hazbin Hotel (2019) (even if there is only one episode!)

11. Noragami (2013)

Honourable mention for gem of comedy: Super Science Friends (2015)

TV shows I used to love in season 1 but then season 2 and 3 were a joke and I’m still so angry about it how they could destroy it like that I’m crying every time I think about it I can’t watch it any more goodnight sweet prince:

12. Miraculous (2015)

TV shows I enjoyed watching but wouldn't consider myself as a fan or still haven’t finished:

13. Sex Education (2019)

14. Sherlock (2010)

15. Atypical (2017)

16. His Dark Materials (2019)

17. Game of Thrones (2011)

18. She-ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

19. Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) (2013)

20. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018)

Tag list (sorry if you did it already): @lillpon​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @itsfabianadocarmo​ @imagnifika​ @mariakov81​ and @lux-lunaris​

[historianatlarge]

So I was tagged in a thing.

I usually don’t do these, but perhaps people would like to know a little about me, at least. Got tagged by the excellent @psifitopia, too, and they are a nice enough person I’d do it just because it’s them, really.

Taking a couple of these out for repetition/privacy, but I’ll compensate you all with a bit more elsewhere.

Name/Alias: Charles

Hobbies: Reading, by and large. I suppose writing still counts, since I find the work I do on here quite enjoyable. Still have some fun with games of various descriptions, in my spare time. I’ve also got some model kits (all of them historical, go figure) that are laying about incomplete that I really ought to get back to, at some point.

Favorite colors: Orange! The story behind how it became my favourite is a complex one, but nowadays it’s still going strong – and has been ever since I was a small child. Oddly enough, however, I don’t usually care for it as a colour on cars.

Last song listened to: I’ve been listening a lot to Anna Akiko Meyers, who is just an utterly superb violinist. Specifically, I love her interpretation of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres. The piece isn’t even my usual style with classical music, but something about it just works when I need to get work done.

Last film watched: Most recently, the film Hurricane about the 303rd Squadron in the Battle of Britain. I found it rather rushed overall, though I’m glad some attention was being paid to these brave Polish pilots. It had a good underlying message that tied past British events to current ones, but I’m hoping to see Dywizjon 303 to make a comparison.

Inspiration or muse: Well, my wife helps inspire me quite a bit. Perhaps above all in reminding me that what I do is interesting and relevant. I’m also inspired by the idea of sharing historical knowledge with people who may not have it – historical knowledge is critically important these days in the defence of democracy. In other words, it helps to know there’s a good reason to do what you’re doing. (And it’s just fascinating, but individual mileage may vary on that one!)

Meaning behind your url:  Well this one is relatively simple – I have a terrible time thinking up usernames. Whatever other creativity I have, it fails me utterly there. It was the first idea that came up that I didn’t think sounded ridiculous, so I went with that.

Currently reading:  Working my way through a couple books, far too slowly. Trying out Ursula K. LeGuin’s Steering the Craft, and starting Bitter Glory, about Poland’s history between 1918-1939. I’ve got a stack beside them to either read or finish re-reading, foremost amongst them a re-read of the superb Into the Dark Valley, which details the descent into extremism in the 1930s, and has very important lessons for today.

Dream job: I’ve already got it! I’m a teacher of History and English with an Ontario school board. I’ve been proud of every day I’ve spent on the job. I’ve had some truly remarkable young minds under my tutelage, and I could pick out the ones I think will be making this country better one day.

Top three ships:  This one is supposed to be about fandom, isn’t it, I can’t just list my three favourite actual ships of all time? Can I do both? I’m going to cheat and do both. Well, I love the liner Normandie, and consider her the most beautiful ocean liner ever constructed. After that, I’ve always been fascinated by the submarine Surcouf because the entire concept of a cruiser submarine seems so alien and out-of-place today, beyond which the very idea of a submarine capable of sinking a destroyer on the surface is just so wild to look back at. Lastly, I absolutely love the sailing ship Sørlandet, and feel so very lucky to have had the chance to board her. Possibly the most beautiful ship around today.

Now, for those who may or may not enjoy well-written pairings in fiction. The first I’ll mention is Nick and Nora Charles – it’s so rare, even today, to see a married couple written as actually enjoying time with each other. I find the ‘take my wife, please’ stuff rather tiresome – it’s far more enjoyable to see the positive aspects of a couple, their partnership and how they compliment and improve each other. For the sci-fi fans out there, I’ve always enjoyed the suitably operatic pairing of Aeryn Sun and John Chricton from FarScape. Frankly, I find the entire show just delightful, especially the space muppets. Lastly, a bit of an obscure one: Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors from the Star Wars: Dark Forces games and books. In part, I suppose, because they might be the first fictional couple whose development I enjoyed.

Lipstick or chapstick: Chapstick, though the only one I use these days is a orange-scented one my wife found me. I wish I could remember the names of the people who made it, but they also made Harry Potter-themed lip balms that are rather delightful. If you are someone making such lipbalm in Southwestern Ontario, let me know and I’ll tag you here.

[barbariankingdom]

Hawker Hurricane Mk. Is of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron

[yugoslavfub]

Winston Churchill described the Battle of Britain pilots as "these splendid men… who will have the glory of saving their native land". But they weren't all British. A new film, Hurricane, tells the story of the Polish pilots of 303 Squadron - and highlights the brilliance of an often-overlooked Czech flying ace, Josef Frantisek.

[gphobby]

Let me present you my newest build, Hurricane Mk. I in the livery of the Polish 303 Squadron (like the Spitfire before). This particular aircraft was flown by P/O M. Ferić during the Battle of Britain. Model in 1/72 scale by the Polish company Arma Hobby.