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THE GREEK PZLs IN OPERATIONS

The first aerial engagement was on the very day the war was declared by the Italians , the 28th October 1940. , with a squadron of SM-79 escorted by CR-42 attacking Thessalonica. The few PZLs that got up were found outnumbered as part of the squadron was moved to the western Albanian front. Yet, they did dash against the agressors and were able to disperes them effectively so that no harm was done to the city or the harbor. One PZL came down in flames but the CR-42 were rather ineffective despite their superiority. Then on the 2nd of November 1940, over the VII (Greek) division’s front in Epirus, 3 PZL-24s of 21 Fighter Sq,mixed F & G types, attacked a hostile formation of fighter-bombers , possibly Cant Z-1007 bis (Alcyon). During the action F/Lt Sakellariou & Sgt Papadopoulos were shot down and killed in action. The third PZL managed to escape.

The same day also saw the first Greek aerial success when a formation of Cant Z-1007 bis bombers tried to bomb again Thessalonica. Six PZLs of 22 Sq. , supported by A/A fire, engaged the enemy. F/Lt Marinos Mitralexes, after unsuccessfully expending all his ammunition against an Italian bomber, he rammed it sawing off its rudder with his propeller’s blades. The bomber crashed to the ground out of control, while Mitralexes successfully crash-landed his own aircraft. During the same action Sgt Epameinondas Dagoulas claimed one more bomber. Mitralexes was decorated with the Golden Order for Valour and later on with the Flying Cross, War Cross, Golden Cross of St. George’s Order with Swords and the Phoenix Order with Swords .

During the evening hours of the same day another formation of 15 enemy bombers, escorted by 7 fighters, raided the city of Thessalonica once again. Aircraft of 22 Sq. took off under the leadership of the unit’s commander, Cpt Andreas Antoniou, who shot down one enemy fighter for the loss of one PZL-24, whose pilot, Sgt Konstantinos Lambropoulos, bailed out safely.

Next day, 3 November, 5 fighters of the same unit tried to chase off a formation of 9 Italian bombers and fighters heading for a third time against Thessalonika. F/Lt Konstantinos Giannikostas claimed one enemy fighter.

14 November 1940. Nine PZLs of 23 Sq. shot down two CR-42s and damaged a third, which was later destroyed during crash-landing. Unfortunately the Greek pilots who claimed these victories are not known.

18 November. On the 18th PZL-24s of 22 & 23 Sqs engaged in combat with Italian fighters over Morova. Valkanas, of 23 Sq, desperate to claim his first victory, rammed on purpose an enemy fighter. Italians on the other end, claimed half of Royal Hellenic Air Force’s aircraft as destroyed, on paper at least ! During the same fight Sgt Demetrakopoulos was shot down but took to his parachute.

20 November. A section of 4 PZLs of 21 Sq were engaged with 3 CR 42s and a Capproni bomber over the Small Prespa Lake. The bomber was shot down by the Squadron’s C.O. Cpt Ioannis (John) Kellas. Only hours later 21 Sq. had all its PZL-24s replaced by British biplanes Gloster Gladiator. Although maneuverable they were prone to frequent mechanical problems due to overuse during their previous service in Britain’s fights against Italian and German aircraft. Yet one of the British pilots Lt 'Pat' Pattle was able to shoot down at least 21 Italian planes with a Gladiator becoming the first RAF scorer at the time

The last engagement for the year came on 3 December 1940 over the region of Moschopolis, when 6 PZLs of 23 Sq. fought against 18 CR-42s, during which P/Officer Konstantinos Tsetsas fell victim of the enemy’s numerical superiority.

During 1941 Royal Hellenic Air Force was significantly supported by the arrival of RAF units in Greece. Greek serviceable aircraft at that time were down to 19 PZL-24s, 2 Bloch MB 151 and 7 Gladiators. From January 1941 onward RHAF (Royal Hellenic Air Force) changed its tactics according to those of its British ally, the RAF, trying to gain control over an area by flying numerous standing patrols over the battlefield.

At 09.30 of 8 January 1941, over Ostrovo, 9 PZLs of 22 Sq. and 6 Gladiators from 21 Sq. attacked a formation of Cant Z1007bis, Cptn Gregorios Fanourgakes of 22 Sq. claiming one as probably shot down. The same Greek formation was later engaged in combat against 9 CR-42s and one Romeo 378bis over Celoure, where Captains Antoniou and Nikolaos Scroubelos claimed one each as confirmed destroyed.

Bad weather during the rest of January prevented further action until the 25th of that month, when the enemy appeared again over Thessalonika. Concentrated actions from 21 & 22 Sqs resulted in one more Cant Z1007 confirmed destroyed by Antoniou.

During the evening hours of that eventful date 7 PZLs and 7 Gladiators from the very same two squadrons attacked against 8 BR-20 bombers over Cleisoura, where Antoniou scored his first “double” of the war –a rare feat in those days. One more was claimed by Staff Sgt Panagiotes Argyropoulos of 22 Sq. A third one was destroyed by the guns of Cptn Kellas of 21 Sq. Two more BR-20 were also destroyed fell to the guns of one more PZL and one Gladiator, although the names of the two victorious pilots remain unknown to this day, raising the score of the day to 6 confirmed destroyed without loss to the Greek side.

January 1941 came to an end with one more Greek success on the 28th, when PZLs from 22 Sq. attacked an enemy bomber formation heading to Thessalonika. Cptn Savellos, former commander of 24 Sq, later transferred to the 22nd, shot down one Cant Z1007. Greek success on the 28th, when PZLs from 22 Sq. attacked an enemy bomber formation heading to Thessalonika. Cptn Savellos, former commander of 24 Sq, later transferred to the 22nd, shot down one Cant Z1007.

A curious incident took place on 8th of February, showing to the extreme the varying capabilities and fighting skills of Greek fighter pilots: during a reconnaissance over Cleisoura, 7 Gladiators of 21 Sq. and 8 PZLs of 22 & 23rd, all attacked against a lone two-engine Italian bomber, which, thanks to the skills of its pilot and the inexperience of the Greek pilots, managed to escape safe and sound!

On the February 9th it was the turn of 24 Fighter Sq. to show up, when the unit’s Bloch MB 151 attacked Italian bombers over Thessalonika . One Cant fell to the guns of Staff Sgt Eleftherios Smyrniotopoulos. Meanwhile a large dogfight took place over Cleisoura between 8 PZLs of 22 & 23 Sq. plus 4 Gladiators of 21 Sq. against 30 Italian bombers escorted by 12 fighters. F/Lt Mitralexes claimed one CR 42 trailing black smoke as probable. Cptn Kellas shot down two fighters and one more was claimed by Stf. Sgt Demetrakopoulos of 21 Sq. Two other pilots belonging to the same unit claimed one probable fighter each. Dagoulas of 22 Sq. on the other hand, described by the archives as …“…a wise and dangerous to the opponent fighter pilot, always on the forefront of the fighting”, added one confirmed destroyed to his tally. There were losses to the Greek side also: two badly damaged fighters were crashed while trying force-landings on their bases.

On 10 February, a mixed patrol of 21, 22 & 23 Squadrons, consisting of 11 fighters in all, attacked three Italian bombers over the area Boubesi-Cleisoura-Premeti, resulting in the probable downing of one bomber by Cptn Fanourgakes.

11 February. Two Gladiators of 21 Sq. on a patrol searching for enemy aircraft reported in their sector, were surprised and shot down by Italian fighters. The pilots, Cptn Anastasios Bardivilias and Stf Sgt Kostorizos, were killed after having damaged two Italian fighters.

15 February. Cptn Fanourgakes claimed one bomber, out of a formation of three, as probable over the Tepeleni area.

On 20 February a fierce scrap took place over the Sendeli area, when a massed force of 19 Greek fighters from all available squadrons –in other words the whole of Royal Hellenic Air Force- escorted friendly bombers. 10 Romeos 37 and 15 G-50s attacked out of the blue and in the ensuing melee the 7 PZLs of 22nd Sq lost contact with the rest of the formation due to a radio malfunction, and were forced to bear the brunt of the fighting on their own. 4 Italian fighters were shot down by Antoniou, Fanourgakes, F/Lt Michaletsianos and Dagoulas. The PZL of the unit’s commanding officer, Antoniou, was badly shot up but the pilot crash landed safely at Premeti.

On February 23rd a mighty formation of Greek fighters consisting of 3 Gladiators of 21 Sq, 5 PZL of 22 Sq and 9 PZL of 23 Sq, engaged 7 Italian fighters but this time, instead of their numerical superiority the battle ended as a Greek defeat, with the death of F/Lt Scroubelos and Staff Sgt Chrissopoulos, whose Gladiator was destroyed while crash landing.

On April the 2nd , 1941, over Florina, took place the last major aerial battle between Greek and Italian aircraft, when 8 Gladiators of 21 pursued 10 Cant Z-1007 bombers. Reportedly two bombers were shot down with no further details. Four days later the German invasion of Greece drew the final curtain to the fighting days of the Royal Hellenic Air Force. Until that moment the Greek fighters fought to the bitter end with whatever they had, along with the experienced RAF which during the two-month period of November-December 1940-41, shot down a total of 42 Italian aircraft for the loss of 16 British aircraft. Without the British support the Greek fight would never have had stood a chance.

Greek Squadrons had flown a total of 1531 hours –mainly: 21 Sq 513h, 23 Sq 455h, 22 Sq 455h, 24 Sq only 158h due to problems with its Bloch MB 151. All those resulted in the confirmed destruction of 64 victories with another 24 probable. Greek losses were 19 aircraft.

Although the number of Greek losses is more than verified, serious doubt was raised during post-war research as to the verification of the victories, since according to the pilots combat reports, the sum of total enemy aircraft shot down was down to a mere 22 confirmed plus 12 probable! Even the sum of confirmed plus probable victories would only give us 34 victories. So the only way the total of 64 can be brought up is by adding the 31 victories reported by the Greek A/A defenses. It still remains unknown if that “mistake” was done in purpose or it was just the result of confusion between confirmed, probable and shared victories -a problem quite complicated even in much more experienced Air Forces of the Allied world, such as the RAF and the USAAF, even as late as 1944-45. On the other hand the Italians have reported not only larger numbers of victories but very often of wrong types ; some 20 Spitfires were mentioned as shot down while no such types were flown in these air battles.

Even against the mighty Luftwaffe of 300 Me-109s & 110s the Greek pilots, while almost considered defeated, at least in the air, managed to score some last victories to the German aerial armada. On 6 April, the very day of the invasion, a German reconnaissance aircraft Hs 126, was shot down, shared between Cptn Antoniou and F/Lt Antonio Katsimbouris. A second aircraft of the same type was shot down, this time shared among three pilots, Cptn Doukas, F/Lt Kontogeorgios and Katsimbouris. During the same day a Dornier 17 bomber was shot down by F/Lt Oikonomopoulos. On April the 15th one more Hs 126 was destroyed by Staff Sgt Pericles Koutroubas of 23 Sq, killed in action later in the day. The remnants of RHAF from all four fighter squadrons were all scrambled in a dogfight over Bascilikee, trying to fight off a large formation of German bombers escorted by fighters. One Gladiator, one PZL and one Bloch were shot down and Staff Sgt Georgios Mokkas was killed. Whatever was left of the Greek fighter force was destroyed on the ground by the subsequent German raids against the airfields.