Red Stars – Black Cross’s Ally over Poland. Soviet Aviation over East Part of Poland in IX, X 1939, a New Book

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

There will be edited a new book in Poland concerning Soviet-Polish air war in 1939. It should be released in August or September 2008. Just now I have done some author’s and editorial’s corrections. The end of editorial works is seen, :-)

The title: Red Stars – Black Cross’s Ally over Poland. Soviet Aviation over East Part of Poland in September, October 1939.

The book has about 200 pages (size A-5), about 51.400 words. There are 16 color drawings of Soviet and Polish planes, plus about 60 black and white photos. Some used photos are known but other are not.

For many English readers it is not good information - the whole book is done only in Polish. There are no any English text, summary etc. I do not suppose, that this material could be done in English in the future (it is quite small market for such “strange” stories). Maybe I am wrong?

This is the first book focused about this quite less know small air war on the beginning of WW II. The Soviet during invasion on Poland (17 IX 1939) had also used quite large air forces (about 3.300 combat, land military planes). During this very short war there were used in fact less aviation forces - about 1.000 combat planes. There were in fact not so many air combats between Soviet invasion air forces and Polish Lotnictwo Wojskowe.

During this air war Soviet had used additional (beside to VVS RKKA) aviation forces like: a few NKVD air units, plus tens of civil planes taken from GVF - Aeroflot. The last, large, air force, which was also used against Poland was maritime aviation (Baltic and Black See aviation units).
The Soviet planes had done the last combat flights about 7 October 1939. Soviet air units had done the last flights later, then Luftwaffe against Poles.

This is the third material, which I have written about this particular topic. First was printed in 2003, next in 2005, and just now it will be a book.
The whole material has been written with the support of many sources: Soviet archive document, Polish documents, many book printed in Russian, Poland and other countries and last but not least – support of friends.

Other my texts about this “small Russian-Poles air war”:

2005: Ratas over Eastern Part of Poland. I-16 During Soviet Aggression on Poland. „Szczury” nad Kresami. Myśliwce I-16 podczas sowieckiej agresji na Polskę IX-X 1939 r., p. 7, 18 b&w photos, [in:] Militaria XX wieku 5 (8)/2005.
2003: Soviet Aviation in War over Poland, September 1939, Vol. 2. Lotnictwo sowieckie w wojnie nad Polską wrzesień 1939 roku, cz.1; p. 6, 7 b&w photos, [in:] Militaria i Fakty 5-6/2003.
2003: Soviet Aviation in War over Poland, September 1939, Vol. I. Lotnictwo sowieckie w wojnie nad Polską wrzesień 1939 r., cz. 1; p. 5, 7 b&w photos, [in:] Militaria i Fakty 4/2003.

Regards,
Mirek Wawrzyński