Halifax shot down by Russian fighters?

[Graham Boak]

Apologies for extending the political/military diversion rather than sticking to the aviation material only, but to say that the Russian invasion of Poland resulted in no Allied reaction is just plain wrong. One reaction was the delivery of aircraft to Finland to assist in their fight against Russia, with further more sizeable land forces planned, prevented only by the armistice. Plans for bombing the Russian oilfields at Baku were advanced and recce aircraft were operated in the Middle East to prepare the way - plans disrupted by the German invasion of France and hence more immediate need for the bombers.

Whether taking up arms against both Germany and Russia was a sensible thing to do can be argued, but plans to do just that were in place and progressing. That they didn't take place is due to the pressure of other events, not to lack of intention.

It should be no surprise to anyone that there are more than two sides in many conflicts, whether in Warsaw in 1944 or perhaps in Iraq 2007. However, it would be interesting to find more actual evidence, other than propaganda claims, for direct Soviet attacks on Western aircraft over Poland. Not that I rule it out on principle, quite the contrary. However, there is the need for a pinch of salt, not least regarding significant Soviet night fighter capability over the front. It has been in many peoples' interest to claim such, and few interested in hard fact.