Last modified: 2024-09-07 by rob raeside
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mirrors
[cos98] show 4 plates, one for each
airfield and one without any text beside: "1918" [in fact it is variation
of Warsaw)
Insignia in a abstract of "Early Polish Aircraft Markings" (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol.html)
also show 4 images, one for each
airfield and one with no reference [also a variation of Warsaw in fact]
For Warsaw 1918, [cos98] show a diagonaly divided (top right to bottom left) white-red shield as wings, fusalage and rudder. The extra "1918" plate show black discs on wings, shield on fuselage (diagonaly devided from top left to bottom right) and diagonaly divided disc on rudder.
I suspect that the black discs are not marking but was painted to hide
the former German markings.
Insignia (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol2.jpg)
show for warsaw "Red and White shields are painted over the German fuselage
crosses. The rudder carries a diagonally divided circle in Red and White"
and in the other image (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol1.jpg)
shields on fusalage and rudder on black plate [probably also to cover former
marking). Note that both Insignia markings are diagonaly devided from top
left to bottom right which doesn't mean neccesaraly the [cos98]
is mistaken due the numerous variants that existed.
For Lwow 1918 [cos98] show a red over white rudder and white-red wing tips. Insignia add an eagle to the fusalage (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol3.jpg) and report: " Fin/ rudder is divided horizontally in Red and White. Eagle is Black and White. Red and White stripes are on all four wing positions, with Red to the left in all cases." Note that [cos98] show white on the left so it is a mistake.
For Cracow, [cos98] show red "Z" on white and this time Insignia agree (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol4.jpg) and report: "The insignia consists of a Red 'Z' on a White square, and appears on the fuselage, rudder and four wing positions"
This situation was over in 1919:
http://www.internetmodeler.com/cd-roms/RNP_CD/Poland/index.htm
reports:
"Officially, the Polish red/white checkerboard marking was approved
1.12.1918 but up until the end of 1918 "old" markings were used. Add to
this special markings used on planes in Silesian Uprisings 1919-1921 (blue
square on left wing and white on right - both with black outline). Another
set of marking was used in 'Zeligowski's revolt' in Lithuania in 1920-21
- red square with white outline on left wing and white square with red
outline on right."
Those Silesian (1921) markings are reported also by [cos98] who adds a vertical blue-black-white rudder stripe. The 'Zeligowski's revolt' markings were already discussed under my LT review.
Nevertheless, the new markings were of a chequred square (red in 1,4, white on 2,3) as appear in our <pl-afs18.gif> without the red outline. See http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v2/v2n2/lvg_cv.gif.
Year passed by and in 1920, the known Polish markings were adopted <pl-afs21.gif>.
Red is in 1,4 and white in 2,3. In time and as rudders became thiner, the
rudder marking became a fin flash.
See http://www.airliners.net/open.file/595537/L/.
The change in Poland in 1993 brought to change in the marking by mirror it. White was moved to 1,4 and red to 2,3 <pl-afs93.gif> . See http://www.airliners.net/open.file/600733/L/.
Somehow, [cos98] missed this evolution, and he show the two posibilities as "1920 onward".
All other air units beside the Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej using the same marking including naval air arm (Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej) and army aviation (Lotnictwo Wojsk Ladowych )
More information at:
Polish
Air Service - The
White Eagles: Polish Aviation 1918-1920 - Polish
Air Force - Naval
aviation - The
Polish Airforce 1918-1939 - http://www.scramble.nl/pl.htm.
Dov Gutterman, 22 Jun 2004
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 7 August 2024
image by Zoltan Horvath, 8 August 2024
The French Navy Books (edition 2000 and
subsequent editions incl. 2023 version) show a different aircraft marking for
Polish Coast Guard (Border Guard).
Zoltan Horvath, 8 August 2024
images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 8 August 2024
The Border Guard roundel can be seen on a helicopter.
Nozomi Kariyasu,
8 August 2024
This law
https://sip.lex.pl (2011), annex 4, confirms the drawing.
https://isap.sejm.gov.pl is a PDF of the law.
Zachary Harden, 8
August 2024
image by Zoltan Horvath, 8 August 2024
The same lagislation illustrates the Coast Guard racing stripe.
Zoltan Horvath, 8 August 2024