The mission target was in the area of Cormeilles-Romilly. The squadron flew on 8,000 feet and crossing French coast came under AA fire. No damage done, Polish Mustangs continued toward Le Touquet. Near Beauvais W/O Slon broke the radio silence: "Central leader, this is central twenty-seven, low in front Focke-Wulfs!" Horbaczewski did not responded. Presuming that he must have had a broken radio, blue section leader Pietrzak took initiative. Not seeing the enemy himself ordered: "Attack central twenty seven!"
Slon jumped forward and wiggled his wings. Whole squadron followed. At this moment, a group of 12 Fw-190 was taking off from a strip beside the forest, 7 miles NE of Beauvais-Tille; 24 Fw-190 were gathering immediately above that forest at 3,000 feet. Another pack of 24 Fw-190 was climbing 12 miles SE of Beauvais while separate 3 Fw-190 were spotted at 7,000 feet.
Poles had advantage of speed and altitude over few groups of Fw-190s (JG26). They jettisoned their dropable tanks and in full swing down, swooped down on e/a. S/Ldr Horbaczewski led them, and his section was first to shoot. His wingman, F/O Nowosielski witnessed his commander destroying first Rotte of taking off Focke Wulfs, almost within seconds apart. A wild brawl erupted in which Poles had an upper hand. After seeing S/Ldr Horbaczewski destroying his third e/a, F/O Nowosielski lost sight of him. Polish commander did not return to airbase. Nobody saw what happened to him, and only after the war it became known what happened to him that day. F/Lt Pietrzak gathered his colleagues at 8K over Beauvais, and led them back to England.
Konrad Stembrowicz recalls: On 18 August 1944, at 5.45am, the intelligence officer of 315 Squadron, F/O Tomszyk, woke up S/Ldr Horbaczewski with information that the squadron was to carry out a sweep over France in the region of Beauvais and attack any ground targets that presented themselves.
Dziubek had been ill for some days with flu and on that day he looked terrible. His face was grey, eyes sunk deep in his face, and he was breathing heavily and with difficulty. The squadron medical officer had forbidden Dziubek to fly some days previously and all who saw him that morning tried to stop him. Indeed, FIO Tomszyk begged him not to fly.
Dziubek could be very stubborn when he felt like it and all our pleading was in vain.
“I am going,” he said, looking like death warmed up.
Collecting his maps and flying helmet Dziubek quietly whispered to Tomszyk: “I tell you, if we meet Germans I shall not come back, my legs are giving way and every time I lower my head I black out.”
Tomszyk used some strong words, not the words to use to one’s squadron commander, but to no effect. “I am going,” was the short answer.
At 07.20 hours 12 Mustangs, call sign “Central”, took off from Brenzett on Rodeo mission 385. In 15 minutes they crossed the “exit gate” over Brighton and set course for France.
At 07.47 hours, at 8,000 feet, the squadron crossed the French coast over Le Touquet. Sweeping in a wide arc in the region of Beauvais, WIO Slon reported enemy aircraft taking off below (he noticed the waves of grass made by aircraft).
F/Lt Pietrzak, the C/O’s deputy, heard the warning but Dziubek did not react. He assumed that the C/O’s radio was not functioning. He ordered W/O Slon to attack and followed with his four ordering the second and third four to cover them from above.
As they saw the number of Fwl9O’s, some taking off, some already assembling in the air, the whole squadron attacked.
Mustangs attacking from the light and with the element of surprise, created havoc.
Dziubek’s No. 2 saw him shoot down three enemy aircraft but in the fight and himself attacked, soon lost sight of his C/O.
F/Lt Pietrzak called on the radio for the squadron to reassemble over Beauvais at 8,000 feet. In due course single P-51 Mustangs joined him. That is, all but one the C/O was missing.
