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Thanks for all kind comments!
Slightly delayed by the problems with Majhost, here starts the next chapter of this thread.
(In case somebody thought that there's just text and no point in scrolling down, there are pics below )

Polish Air Force in France 1939-1940 - introduction

Although combat operations of the Polish Campaign lasted until 5 October 1939, Soviet invasion of 17 September 1939 forced the majority of remaining Polish forces (as well as supreme state authorities), concentrated in then-southeastern Poland (today's western Ukraine), in the so-called Romanian Bridgehead, to cross the borders of Romania and Hungary, where they were placed in internment camps. Among these were some 80% of the pre-war personnel of Polish Military Aviation - most of them in Romania (around 9000) with some 900 in Hungary (900). Additionaly some 600 were interned in Latvia and 250 in Lithunania, while around 1000 were taken POW by Soviets.

Because state authorities - including president Ignacy Mościcki, commander-in-chief marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły, prime minister gen. Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski and foreign minister Józef Beck - were interned in Romania, and lost freedom of action, a government-in-exile was formed in France (and enjoying the support of France and Great Britain). According to 1935 constitution, Mościcki appointed Władysław Raczkiewicz as his succesor (on 30 september), while the post of prime minister, minister of military affairs and commander-in-chief of the armed forces was taken by general Władysław Sikorski (already a prime-minister 1922-1923, and since 1926 major opponent of the then-ruling sanacja regime).

Most important task of the government-in-exile was a creation of Polish Armed Forces in the West (Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Zachodzie, shortly: PSZ). They were to be based mostly on cadre soldiers kept in Romania (and Hungary), with rank-and-file being largely made both from those interned in Romania, as well as Polish expatriates from Western Europe and America. Soldiers interned in Romania and Hungary were able to flee en masse with help of Polish diplomatic posts - either via Yugoslavia and Italy or by sea - because of the traditionally friendly relations of these countries and Poland, leading the authorities to deliberately turn the blind eye. Priority in the transit had soldiers of technical arms, esp. aviation.

Unfortunately, our western allies were at the time in happy ignorance about the realities of blitzkrieg and real value of Maginot Line, as well as in misguidded contempt of percieved inferiority of Polish soldiers (as one French general put it: "we're not some Poland, here something like that (blitzkrieg) simply couldn't happen") and weren't in a hurry to support meaningful efforts of creating PSZ - nor even to fully supply quarters and most basic supplies for arriving Polish soldiers. Negotiations and planning dragged on, and by late october only the basic plan was made that army would be formed in France, navy in Great Britain and air force in both these countries (Polish Air Force in Great Britain will be described later).

Only in early 1940 process of forming PSZ in France started to gain meaningful progress, after signing on 4 January 1940 two major Polish-French treaties:
-general military treaty (Accords Militaires Condus entre la Pologne et la France) about legal basis of forming Polish Armed Forces in France,
-treaty about Polish Air Force (Accord Relatif aux Forces Aeriennes Polonaises).
These two treaties allowed to start training of Polish air personnel in Lyon-Bron and Montpellier, and later in various other training centres, both in Metropolitan France and in French North Africa. Additional document was signed on 17 February 1940, that specified organization of the Polish Air Force (Polskie Siły Powietrzne, PSP), organizational base of training, aircraft markings and the like. According to it, PSP in France was to be comprised initially of 2 fighter Groupes, 1 or 2 army co-operation escadrilles and support units. Additionaly certain amount of Polish personnel was to be attached to French operational units. Also, on 22 February 1940, by order of the commander-in-chief, air force become a separate arm of the military, on par with army and navy (instead of being subordinate element of these).

By late April 1940 PSP in France numbered around 6600 personnel (additional ca. 2000 were in Great Britain), which shortly after allowed a revision of the planned strenght. It was decided that ultimate strength would be of either of two options:
-variant I: 4 fighter groups, 3 bomber groups (incl. 1 in Syria), 3 army co-operation groups (incl. 1 in Syria),
-variant II: 6 fighter groups, 2 bomber groups, 4 army co-operation groups (all of them in Metropolitan France);
In the subsequent weeks forming of additional units, according to that plan, followed, by rapid defeat of France meant that they generally didn't participated in combat operations.

By 1 June 1940 PSP in France numbered 6863 personnel (with additional 2164 in Great Britain), plus 1103 personnel of anti-aircraft artillery and 385 of air force signals troops.
In the second half of June 1940, on the eve of the fall of France, PSP in France comprised of:
-4 fighter groups (2 operational, incl. 1 divided into detachments spread among French units, 1 awaiting delivery of combat planes and 1 during training),
-1 bomber group (1 escadrille operational, 1 awaiting delivery of planes),
-2 army co-operation groups (1 awaiting delivery of planes, 1 during training),
-independent fighter flights attached to French units, territorial air defence units and small groups of airmen attached to French units.
-training establishments - Lyon-Bron training centre and Polish escadrilles in French training units,
-support and maintenance units, mostly around Montpellier.

Willingnes to sign armistice with Germany, declared by marshal Petain on 17 June 1940 led to decision to evacuate Polish military personnel to great Britain. Until 25 June these were mostly large groups using ships sailing officialy from French ports. Smaller-scale evacuation, mostly through North Africa, lasted until 15 July. By this time it was possible to evacuate to Great Britain 4203 personnel of Air Force.

Between 27 march and 20 june 1940 PSP in France has made the following combat effort:
-714 combat missions with 1916 sorties in 2238 hours of flight,
-51 9/10 aircraft destroyed, 3 destroyed probably, 6 3/5 damaged (nearly 8% of the allied air victories in the French Campaign),
-11 airmed KIA, 2 WIA, 5 MIA, 44 aircraft lost.

Notes:
1) Pre-war organization of French Air Force corresponds quite well with the contemporary organization of Polish Military Aviation, but rather poorly with Royal Air Force. Lowest basic organizational element was escadrille of 6 (bombers) to 12 (fighters) aircraft (so basically equivalent of Polish eskadra, and roughly of RAF bomber flight or fighter squadron). Escadrilles inherited traditions of WW1 units, and practically rarely operated separately. Most important level of organization was groupe of 13 to 26 aircraft (basically equivalent of Polish dywizjon, and roughly of RAF bomber squadron or small fighter wing, but practically being on par simply with squadron - Free French squadrons of RAF in French were called groupes). Groupes in turn were grouped into Escadres, basically equivalent of Polish pułk, and arguably corresponding with RAF wings.
2) During the inter-war period most French aircraft had three-digit type designations, although actually only first two of them referred to separate type, and third one was essentialy describing variant of the type.

Polish Air Force in France 1939-1940, Part I - training and support aircraft

As mentioned, first groups of Polish airmen were trained initially in the French training units in Montpellier and Lyon-Bron, with that second base becoming gradually a major training centre of PSP. Formally, the Ośrodek Szkolenia Lotniczego, OSL (Le Depot d'Instruction de l'Aviation Polonaise) was opened on 26 March 1940, but actually it took it's duties already some time earlier. Initially it provided mostly refresher (elementary) and fighter training courses, but gradually it's curriculum expanded into multi-engine training as well. Second most important training centre of PSP was located in Algeria and attached to French École des Mitrailleurs (gunnery and bombardment school) in Blida near Algiers. A strong grouping was formed there with both fighter and bomber Polish escadrilles.
Also, Polish aviation personnel was trained in various French schools, where they were usually grouped into Escadrilles Polonaises (Polish Flights/Squadrons):
-basic flight training: St. Etienne, Roanne, Botheon, Tours, Versailles, Marrakech;
-observers and gunners: Clermont-Ferrand, Rennes, Rabat
-bomber aviation: Caen, Toulouse-Gaillac, Toulouse-Francazal,
-reconnaissance aviation - St. Etienne de St. Georgis, Roanne
-aerial gunnery and bombardment - Bordeaux-Merignac, Cazaux
-technical and various other specialists - St. Etienne de St. Jean d'Angeli, Maison Blanche;

Basic Trainers

Elementary trainers Morane-Saulnier MS.230 and their lighter brothers MS.315 were flown by Polish pilots in the flight schools at St. Etienne, Roanne and Botheon, as well as for the refresher training and technique control at OSL Lyon-Bron.

Poland, Morane-Saulnier MS.230


Next stage in training was done on Romano Ro.82 trainers (before being accepted to fly fighter trainers), which were also used in several operational units as liaison planes.

Poland, Romano Ro.82


Modern and relatively sophisticated tourist planes Caudron C.635 Simoun were used as advanced trainers for future fast fighter pilots, giving them familiarity with low-wing monoplanes with wing mechanization and variable-pitch propellers. They were used by PSP in Lyon-Bron and in some operational units as liaisons.

Poland, Caudron C.635 Simoun


Fighter Trainers

Old biplane fighters Bleriot-SPAD 510C1 were used in small numbers in some training units - future fighter pilots were supposed to make several flights on them before advancing to more modern types, but in opinion of Polish instructors they added no real value to the training process, so were in fact rarely used at all.
Note: unfortunately I couldn't find any confirmed picture of "Polish" S.510, so a basic French is shown below.

France, Bleriot-SPAD 510


Last of the Nieuport's sesquiplane family, Nieuport-Delage NiD.52/62/72 (here: NiD.622C1), had even lower performance than S.510. They were used at the École des Mitrailleurs in Blida (Algeria) for early stages of air combat training. In may 1940 these Nieuports were used to form Polish-manned Escadrille de Chasse de Defense Regionale (Regional Defence Fighter Flight) to give the bases of Blida and Maison-Blanche at least token air defence from expected raids of Regia Aeronautica - which - thankfuly, considering Nieuports obsolescence - never materialized.

Poland, Nieuport-Delage NiD.62


Loire Lo.46 was a French rip-off of PZL P.11, only less successful. They were flown by Polish pilots mostly at the gunnery school at Cazaux.

Poland, Loire, Lo.46


Old Dewoitine 501 and 510 fighter were used in some training units, including Lyon-Bron before as intermediate fighter-trainers. Also they were briefly used in several Polish-manned fighter detachments (described later).
Many thanks to DarthPanda for his drawing of D.501/510.

Poland, Dewoitine 501


Gunnery and Bomber Trainers and Transport aircraft

Old Potez 25 bomber-recce biplanes (that were also used in large numbers by pre-war Polish aviation) were used in Blida school for training of aerial gunners.

Poland, Potez 25


Liore et Olivier LeO-20 bombers of 1920s vintage, after being retired from front-line service were used as initial multi-engine trainers, as well as gunnery, bombardment, navigation and parachute training and as transports. Polish airmen encountered these planes at bombardment school at Caen and multi-engine flight school at Rennes.

Poland, Liore et Olivier LeO-20


Relatively new, but already obsolete Amiot 143 bombers, dubbed "flying bus" due to large amount of fuselage windows, in 1940 were already being replaced by more modern types and moved to training units where they served as intermediate bomber trainers and sometimes as transports. They were flown by Polish crews at bombardment school at Caen and in Lyon-Bron centre. In the last days of French campaign they were used to evacuate significant amount of personnel to southern France.

Poland, Amiot 143


Another (of rather many in French aviation) obsolete type of bomber Bloch MB.200 were flown by Polish crews in Blida school. On 25 May 1940 a mostly Polish-manned provisional combat unit was formed there: 201e Escadrille de l'Aviation Mediterranee (201st Mediterranean Aviation Flight), while still continuing training duties. 201e Escadrille made at least several operational (long-range patrol) sorties, at least once encountering Italian recce aircraft.
Many thanks to PomboCZ for his drawing of MB.200 (in Czechoslovak colors)

Poland, Bloch MB.200


Bloch MB.210 Verdun was France's first low-wing monoplane bomber with retractable undercarriage, but by 1940 it was already outdated and mostly relegated to training duties, though few combat units still used them. Polish crews flew these planes in training units at Caen, Mions-Corbas and Toulouse. Additionaly, in the early june 1940 group of Polish airmen led by kpt. Kazimierz Konopasek was attached to French Groupe de Bombardeemnt I/21, taking parts in several combat operations against targets in Italy. In the last days of campaign that group commandeered several aircraft for evacuation.

Poland, Bloch MB.210 Verdun


Potez 54 (540) was a representative of the same generation as Amiot 143 and generally shared it's fate. Polish crews flew them at caen, St. Etienne and Bordeaux-Merignac, where they were taught operating retractable landing gear, wing mechanization and variable-pitch propellers. In the last days of campaign they were used for evacuation to North Africa.

Poland, Potez 540


Modern light transport Caudron C.445 Goeland was a popular plane in it's category and was widely used by French military aviation, both as transport and as trainers. They were used for multi-engine pilot and navigator training of PSP personnel at St. Etienne, Toulouse, and Lyon-Bron.

Poland, Caudron 445


Blank versions and paint schemes of other countries will be posted soon elsewhere.

Amazing stuff eswube.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Thanks Novice!

This thread just never ceases to amaze me with the amount of historical info and great art combined.
Now we have a load of French aircraft too! Amazing stuff. Just a pity the French knew how to make their aircraft so ugly!

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Nice drawings! Mind if i do some repaint job with those French bombers?

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Currently working on:

• Fiat G.50
  Breda Ba.64/65/75
  Dornier Do.17/Do.215
  Heinkel He.79
  Junkers Ju.52
  Junkers J.I

Repainting:

• Grumman F4F Wildcat/Grumman G-36
  Caproni Ca.135bis

Well, sorta do -not- follow Shipbucket anyway; I prefer some contact with members, whish I could adore; My Polish mate eswube once again proved to rule around with his work; And it's amazing; and it's a bit poor to see he get such less comments, he actually should get for this.

Reading some Airforce books and quotes of pilots and such..

''Everybody deserves someone who makes them look forward to tomorrow.''

Well, reading that quote; I'd say, eswube is one of the small amount of members that would, worthy, to login at every moring; to see what his posted again for us. We all should be honored seeing these unique works.

~ Sasha

Thanks Alex for Your touching words, dear friend!

Btw. new update tomorrow morning.