Polish Wings No. 15
Supermarine Spitfire IX
Part 2 - 1944-1946

by Wojtek Matusiak
with illustrations by Robert Grudzien

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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New from MMPBooks and published by Wydawnictwo Stratus, this book is part two of the MMPBook’s coverage of the use of the Supermarine Mk IX Spitfire by the Polish manned squadrons and Polish pilots flying in RAF auxiliary units during the period 1944 to1946.

To quote from the text of the book:

“By the advent of 1944 the Polish Air Force had fourteen operational squadrons, including day fighter ones in three Wings. Although politically and legally it was an independent force of another country, it was logistically and operationally integrated with the Royal Air Force. Of the three Polish Fighter Wings only one was fully equipped with Spitfire IXs and then XVIs: the 1st Fighter Wing, based at Northolt until spring 1944 and engaged in offensive operations over occupied Europe. From November 1943 it included Nos. 302, 308 and 317 Sqns and this composition would remain unchanged until the end of its existence.

In October 1943 it became part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF) and was renamed No. 131 Airfield.”

Other Mk IX equipped Polish Squadrons were No 303 and No 318 (No 318 flew in the Mediterranean Theatre). Individual Polish pilots also flew the Mk IX operationally within RAF units in both the Western European and Mediterranean Theatres.

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Comprising 80 pages, the Polish units covered include:

• No 131 Airfield/Wing
  

• No 131 Airfield/Wing HQ
  

• 302 Squadron
  

• 303 Squadron
  

• 308 Squadron
  

• 317 Squadron
  

• 318 Squadron
  

Photographic coverage and artwork is also included for several RAF squadrons but in the main it is for 601 Squadron.

The final pages are devoted to the story of Mk 520 which has been dubbed “the first private Spitfire” and follows its history, its users and its various colour schemes and the markings it carried from early 1944 through to its eventual “sale” for several hundred cigarettes to a US Colonel in 1946.

The book is very well illustrated with some first-rate quality period images, some of which are extremely sharp and clear so as to give you an excellent idea of what these machines looked like as well as making research a cinch. The layout has been very cleverly done too in that the author has chosen a sharp and clear image of a machine and has had it illustrated immediately below the image in the same scale. With regard to the illustrations they have been superbly rendered by Robert Grudzien and exhibit shading as well as weathering. There are 30 colour profiles in all, the majority of them being side profiles.

Whilst on the images, there are over 200 black and white period photographs (about half of which have not been published before) and a single period colour image. There are also six contemporary colour images of restored machines.

The book is A4 in size and is soft bound and is printed entirely in the English language.

This is an excellent volume from MMP Books. It gives you some really good quality images and artwork to use as reference for modelling as well as relating the story of the Polish Air Force’s and Polish pilots involvement with the Mk IX Spitfire.

Thanks to MMP Books  for the sample.

All MMP Books are available direct from the publishers, who now accept credit cards (Visa, MC, Amex, Switch)  

North American distributors are MMD, Australian distributors are Platypus Publications. In Europe, the books are available from any good bookshop (via our UK distributors, Orca). Contact MMP direct in case of difficulties. 

Thanks to Roger at MMP Books  for the sample.

Review Copyright 2012 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 30 April, 2012
Last updated 30 April, 2012

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