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84-546: The Group was commanded by General Władysław Bortnowski and comprised several Army units and five air squadrons . Altogether, 35,966 Polish officers and soldiers participated in the annexation of Zaolzie. The Group comprised mostly units of the 4th Infantry Division , as well as regiments of the 14th Infantry Division , 15th Infantry Division , 16th Infantry Division , 23rd Infantry Division , 25th Infantry Division , and 21st Mountain Infantry Division . Additionally,

168-476: A customs union since 1852. However, from September 1914 food deliveries from Austria-Hungary began to decrease, which quickly soured the initial war support. By 1916 all food deliveries from Austria-Hungary had ceased, which forced Liechtenstein to seek closer ties with Switzerland in order to ensure food deliveries continued. From 1916, Liechtenstein was embargoed by the Entente countries due to their connections to

252-614: A naval raid on the Russian ports of Odessa , Sevastopol , Novorossiysk , Feodosia , and Yalta , thus engaging in military action in accordance with its alliance obligations with Germany. Shorty after, the Triple Entente declared war on the Ottoman Empire. After Bulgaria's defeat in July 1913 at the hands of Serbia, Greece and Romania . It signed a treaty of defensive alliance with

336-736: A cavalry regiment was created, comprising units of the Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade and the Pomeranian Cavalry Brigade . After its creation, the military unit was stationed near the borders of Poland and Czechoslovakia. As a result of the Munich crisis , the Czechoslovak government yielded to Polish pressure and gave up a part of the Cieszyn Silesia region (namely Trans-Olza /Zaolzie) to Poland (as demanded by Poland under

420-520: A colonial power after participating in the Berlin Conference . Then, private companies were founded and began settling parts of Africa, the Pacific, and China. Later these groups became German protectorates and colonies. Cameroon was a German colony existing from 1884 until its complete occupation in 1915. It was ceded to France as a League of Nations Mandate at the war's end. German East Africa

504-519: A contract with the United States for the purchase of 70 AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Stand off Missile, for US$ 250 million. Also contained in the contract are upgrades to the fleet of Polish F-16s to be completed by Lockheed Martin. On 28 May 2019, the Polish Minister of Defence announced that Poland had sent a request for quotation for the acquisition of 32 F-35A aircraft. On 11 September 2019,

588-462: A formal alliance with Germany signed on 2 August 1914. The alliance treaty expected that the Ottoman Empire would become involved in the conflict in a short amount of time. However, for the first several months of the war, the Ottoman Empire maintained neutrality though it allowed a German naval squadron to enter and stay near the strait of Bosphorus . Ottoman officials informed the German government that

672-570: A further twelve Polish squadrons were created in the United Kingdom: The fighter squadrons initially flew Hurricanes, then switched to Supermarine Spitfires , and eventually to North American Mustangs . 307 Squadron, like other night fighter squadrons (such as 410 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force), flew Boulton Paul Defiants , Bristol Beaufighters and finally de Havilland Mosquitoes . The bomber squadrons were initially equipped with Fairey Battles and Vickers Wellingtons . 300 Squadron

756-604: A level that makes their neutrality disputable. The Ethiopian Empire was officially neutral throughout World War I but widely suspected of sympathy for the Central Powers between 1915 and 1916. At the time, Ethiopia was one of only two fully independent states in Africa (the other being Liberia ) and a major power in the Horn of Africa . Its ruler, Lij Iyasu , was widely suspected of harbouring pro-Islamic sentiments and being sympathetic to

840-877: A multirole aircraft from 1951, the An-2 from 1955 and subsequently the Wilga-35 P . Transport aircraft used by the Polish Air Force during this period included: the Il-14 (first in service in 1955), the Il-18 (first in service in 1961), the An-12 B (first in service in 1966), the An-26 (first in service in 1972), the Yak-40 (first in service in 1973) and the Tupolev Tu-154 . A number of helicopters were used by

924-574: A threat of military action). The Independent Operational Group Silesia was carrying out the annexation from 2 to 11 October 1938. On 9 December 1938 the Independent Operational Group Silesia was ordered to leave the occupied territory and the group was dissolved after that. This Polish military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force ( Polish : Siły Powietrzne , lit.   'Air Forces')

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1008-625: A two-front war, enacted what was known as the Schlieffen Plan , which involved German armed forces moving through Belgium and swinging south into France and towards the French capital of Paris . This plan was hoped to quickly gain victory against the French and allow German forces to concentrate on the Eastern Front. Belgium was a neutral country and would not accept German forces crossing its territory. Germany disregarded Belgian neutrality and invaded

1092-468: Is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces . Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej ( lit.   ' Aerial and Air Defense Forces ' ). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel and about 475 aircraft, distributed among ten bases throughout Poland. The Polish Air Force can trace its origins to the second half of 1917 and

1176-625: The AIM-120C-5 and AIM-9X ). In the aftermath of the presidential Tu-154 crash in 2010 and later Polish-led investigation, the 36th Special Aviation Regiment , responsible for transporting the President and the Polish Government, was disbanded, while the defense minister resigned. A new unit, the 1st Air Base, replaced the 36th regiment. Between June 2010 and December 2017 most official flights were served by two leased Embraer E-175 operated by

1260-463: The Battle of Britain . Prior to the conflict Poland also bought 234 planes abroad. First of them were on delivery when the conflict started. These were Hawker Hurricane (14 planes), Morane-Saulnier 406 (120 planes) and Fairey Battle (100 planes). The ship SS Lassell with 14 Hawker Hurricanes on board left Liverpool on 28 August 1939, deliveries from France were also on way when the conflict broke out. After

1344-628: The Franco-Prussian War , the German Empire incorporated the province of Alsace-Lorraine upon its founding in 1871. However, the province was still claimed by French revanchists , leading to its recession to France at the Treaty of Versailles. The German Empire was late to colonization, only beginning overseas expansion in the 1870s and 1880s. Colonization was opposed by much of the government, including chancellor Otto von Bismarck , but it became

1428-799: The Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive , German forces launched an assault on Russian positions to lessen pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to the south, diverting Russian troops from the Austro-Hungarian lines. At the Battle of Caporetto , Austro-Hungarian forces broke through the Italian lines, in part due to the German use of mustard gas on the Italian Second Army . Germany had plans to create a Mitteleuropa economic association. Members would include Austria-Hungary, Germany, and others. At

1512-618: The JAS 39 Gripen . The Polish Block 52+ F-16s are equipped with the latest Pratt and Whitney F-100-229 afterburning turbofan engines, and the avionics suite includes the APG-68 (V)9 terrain mapping radar system and the ALQ-211 (V)4 electronic warfare suite. All Polish F-16s can carry modern US precision ordnance, ranging from the JDAM/JSOW to the latest in export-certificate-authorized air-to-air weaponry (including

1596-624: The Junak-2 (in service since 1952), the TS-9 Junak-3 (in service since 1954) and the PZL TS-8 Bies (since 1958) were later replaced by a jet trainer, the domestically built TS-11 Iskra . Another Polish jet trainer, the PZL I-22 Iryda , was used for some time but, because of continuing problems, all machines were returned to PZL for modification and did not resume service. The Yak-12 was used as

1680-584: The Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia . In Bosnia and Herzegovina , sovereign authority was shared by both Austria and Hungary. The Ottoman Empire joined the war on the side of the Central Powers in November 1914. The Ottoman Empire had gained strong economic connections with Germany through the Berlin-to-Baghdad railway project that was still incomplete at the time. The Ottoman Empire made

1764-505: The Kuban river. Up until that point Polish pilots had only flown as members of Russian, German or Austro-Hungarian militaries. The first known air force units in service to the re-emerging Polish state were: I Polski Oddział Awiacyjny (1st Polish Aviation Squad) in Minsk formed on 19 June 1917, the 1st and 2nd Aviation Units of the 2nd Corps, the aerial fleet of the 4th Rifle Division , as well as

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1848-721: The LOT Polish Airlines . On 14 November 2016 the Defense Ministry ordered two Gulfstream G550 VIP planes. On 31 March 2017 a deal with Boeing Company was signed to supply two Boeing Business Jet 2 and one Boeing 737-800 for the head of state and the government transport. On 27 February 2014 Poland signed a €280 million contract with Alenia Aermacchi for 8 M-346 Master advanced training jets. The first two Masters arrived in Poland accompanied by Team Iskry on 14 November 2016. On 11 December 2014 Polish officials signed

1932-470: The PZL P.7a , was designed and produced, with 150 entering service. The design was followed by 30 improved PZL P.11a aircraft and a final design, the PZL P.11c , was delivered in 1935 and was a respectable fighter for its time; 175 entered service and it remained the only Polish fighter until 1939, by which time foreign aircraft design had overtaken it. Its final version, the PZL P.24 , was built for export only and

2016-571: The Pursuit Brigade , deployed in the Warsaw area. Despite being obsolete, Polish PZL-11 fighters shot down over 170 German aircraft. The bombers, grouped in nine escadres of the Bomber Brigade , attacked armoured ground columns but suffered heavy losses. Seven reconnaissance- and 12 observation escadres, deployed to particular armies, were used primarily for reconnaissance. Part of the Polish Air Force

2100-795: The Samodzielny Polski Oddział Awiacyjny (Independent Polish Aviation Squad) in Odesa . Poland was under German and Austro-Hungarian occupation until the armistice , but the Poles started to take control as the Central Powers collapsed. Initially, the Polish air force consisted of mostly German and Austrian aircraft, left by former occupiers or captured from them, mostly during the Greater Poland Uprising . These planes were first used by

2184-609: The Sudanese government and aligned with the Ottomans. They were able to contact them via the Senussi . Prior to this they were a British ally. The Anglo-Egyptian Darfur Expedition preemptively invaded to prevent an attack on Sudan. A small force was sent after the sultan and he was killed in action in November 1916. The invasion ended with an Anglo-Egyptian victory in November 1916. The Zaian Confederation began to fight against France in

2268-754: The Triple Alliance before, Italy did not take part in World War I on the side of the Central Powers and later joined on the side of the Allied Powers . The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria did not join until after World War I had begun. The Central Powers faced, and were defeated by, the Allied Powers, which themselves had formed around the Triple Entente . The Central Powers started with the Dual Alliance between

2352-675: The Yak-17 fighter came into service, as did the Ilyushin Il-12 transport and the Yak-18 trainer. From 1951 onwards, the Polish Air Force was equipped with Yak-23 jet fighters and MiG-15 jets, along with a training version, the MiG-15 UTI , and later, in 1961, the MiG-17 . As well as Soviet-produced aircraft, from 1952 onwards Soviet MiG-15 and later MiG-17 fighters were produced under licence in Poland as

2436-620: The Zaian War to prevent French expansion into Morocco . The fighting lasted from 1914 and continued after the First World War ended, to 1921. The Central Powers (mainly the Germans) began to attempt to incite unrest to hopefully divert French resources from Europe. The Dervish State fought against the British , Ethiopian , Italian , and French Empires between 1896 and 1925. During World War I,

2520-608: The 1st Mixed Air Corps, consisting of a bomber division, an assault division, a fighter division and a mixed division. After the war, these returned to Poland and gave birth to the air force of the People's Republic of Poland . In 1949, the Li-2sb transport aircraft was adapted into a bomber and in 1950, Poland received Petlyakov Pe-2 and Tupolev Tu-2 bombers from the Soviet Union along with USB-1 and USB-2 training bombers. In 1950 also,

2604-777: The Allied forces in 1915. Other movements supported the efforts of the Central Powers for their own reasons, such as the radical Irish Nationalists who launched the Easter Rising in Dublin in April 1916; they referred to their "gallant allies in Europe". However, most Irish Nationalists supported the British and allied war effort up until 1916, when the Irish political landscape was changing. In 1914, Józef Piłsudski

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2688-416: The Central Powers, which caused mass unemployment in the country. The government remained sympathetic to the Central Powers until 7 November 1918, when the November 1918 Liechtenstein putsch took place and a new government took power. Upper Asir revolted away from Asir in 1916 and fought against them. The Kingdom of Greece was in a political dispute with Venizelists . The Central Powers supported

2772-419: The Department of Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that Poland had been cleared to purchase 32 F-35A fighters, along with associated equipment, for an estimated cost of $ 6.5 billion. On 27 September 2019 the US Congress approved the sale. On 31 January 2020, Poland signed a $ 4.6 billion deal for 32 F-35A fighters. On 8 March 2022, the Polish government offered to transfer its entire MiG-29 fleet to

2856-459: The Dervish State received many supplies from the German and Ottoman Empires to carry on fighting the Allies. However, looting from other Somali tribes in the Korahe raid eventually led to its collapse in 1925. Both the Ottomans and Germans had client states , they are listed below. States listed in this section were not officially members of the Central Powers. Still, during the war, they cooperated with one or more Central Powers members on

2940-425: The German Empire and Austria-Hungary. Then the Ottoman Empire joined with the German–Ottoman alliance , then Bulgaria with the Bulgaria–Germany treaty . The name "Central Powers" is derived from the location of these countries; all four were located between the Russian Empire in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. Some examples of the Central Powers collaborating are listed below. In

3024-434: The German government informed the Austro-Hungarian government that Germany would uphold its alliance with Austria-Hungary and defend it from possible Russian intervention if a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia took place. When Russia enacted a general mobilization , Germany viewed the act as provocative. The Russian government promised Germany that its general mobilization did not mean preparation for war with Germany but

3108-444: The Italian made RAT-31DL a AESA system, and the Polish made NUR-15 radar which provides a 3D picture of the controlled airspace. The NUR-31 a mobile unit, employing a medium-range airspace control radar. Armed Forces Operational Command , in Warsaw The current aviator badge of the Polish Air Force has been in use since the 1920s. The badge is called gapa and represents silver eagle in flight with gold laurel wreath in

3192-418: The Karas was outdated. In 1938 the Polish factory PZL designed a modern twin-engine medium bomber, the PZL.37 Łoś (Elk). The Łoś had a bomb payload of 2580 kg and a top speed of 439 km/h. Unfortunately, only about 30 Łoś A bombers (single tailfin) and 70 Łoś B (twin tailfin) bombers had been delivered before the Nazi invasion. As an observation and close reconnaissance plane, Polish escadres used

3276-485: The Lim-1, Lim-2 and later the Lim-5. A domestic ground attack variant of the Lim-5M was developed as the Lim-6bis in 1964. The only jet bomber used by the Polish Air Force during this period was the Ilyushin Il-28 , from 1952 onwards. Poland used only a small number of MiG-19s from 1959, in favour of the MiG-21 from 1963 onwards, which became its main supersonic fighter. This aircraft was used in numerous variants from MiG-21F-13, through MiG-21PF and MF to MiG-21bis. Later,

3360-421: The Muslim Dervish rebels during the Somaliland Campaign of 1915 to 1916, indirectly helping the Central Powers' cause. The Allies jointly pressured the aristocracy for the designated emperor's removal on the 10th of September, 1916 stating he was a threat to both the Allies and Ethiopia. Fearing the rising influence of Iyasu and the Ottoman Empire, the Christian nobles of Ethiopia conspired against Iyasu. Iyasu

3444-419: The Ottoman Empire on 19 August 1914. Bulgaria was the last country to join the Central Powers, which it did in October 1915 by declaring war on Serbia. It invaded Serbia in conjunction with German and Austro-Hungarian forces . Bulgaria held claims on the region of Vardar Macedonia then held by Serbia following the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 and the Treaty of Bucharest (1913) . As a condition of entering

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3528-424: The Ottoman Empire. The German Empire also attempted to reach out to Iyasu, dispatching several unsuccessful expeditions to the region to attempt to encourage it to collaborate in an Arab Revolt -style uprising in East Africa. One of the unsuccessful expeditions was led by Leo Frobenius , a celebrated ethnographer and personal friend of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Under Iyasu's directions, Ethiopia probably supplied weapons to

3612-402: The Polish Air Force has three squadrons of F-16s: two stationed at the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznań and the 10th Tactical Squadron at the 32nd Air Base near Łask . The acquisition of the US F-16 was not without fierce competition from European aerospace companies; the sale was hotly pursued by the French company Dassault, with their Mirage 2000 and by the Swedish company Saab, with

3696-683: The Polish Air Force in the Polish-Ukrainian War in late 1918, during combat operations centered around the city of Lwów (now Lviv ). On 2 November 1918 pilot Stefan Bastyr performed the first combat flight of Polish aircraft from Lwów. When the Polish-Soviet War broke out in February 1920, the Polish Air Force used a variety of former German and Austro-Hungarian, as well as newly acquired western-made Allied aircraft. Most common at that time were light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, among most numerous were French Breguet 14 bombers, German LVG C.V reconnaissance aircraft, British Bristol F2B scouts and Italian Ansaldo Balilla fighters. After

3780-428: The Polish Air Force received 37 MiG-23s (1979) and 12 MiG-29s (1989). The main fighter-bomber and ground attack aircraft after 1949 was the Il-10 (a training version, the UIl-10 , entering service in 1951). From 1965 onwards, Poland also used a substantial number of Su-7Bs for bombing and ground attack, replaced with 27 Sukhoi Su-20s in 1974 and 110 Sukhoi Su-22s in 1984. Propeller-driven training aircraft,

3864-486: The Polish Air Force was merged with the Air Defence Force, creating the Air and Country Air Defence Forces ( Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Przeciwlotniczej Obszaru Kraju   – WLiOPL OK), a military organisation composed of both flying and anti-aircraft units. In 1962, the WLiOPL OK were separated back again into their two original component bodies: the Air Force ( Wojska Lotnicze ) and the Country Air Defence Force ( Wojska Obrony Powietrznej Kraju ). After political upheaval and

3948-461: The Polish Air Force was the SPAD 61 and its main bombers were the French produced Potez 15 and the Potez 25 , which was eventually manufactured in Poland under license from Aéroplanes Henry Potez. The first Polish-designed and mass-produced aircraft to serve in the country's air force was a high wing fighter, the PWS-10 , first manufactured in 1930 by the Podlasie Aircraft Factory. In 1933, Zygmunt Pulawski's first high wing, all-metal aircraft,

4032-441: The Polish Army: the SM-1 (a Mil Mi-1 manufactured under licence), which was a multirole helicopter, in operation since 1956; the Mil Mi-4 , multirole, since 1958; the PZL SM-2 , multirole, since 1960; the Mil Mi-2 and Mil Mi-8 (later also Mil Mi-17 ), multirole, since 1968 and the Mil Mi-24 , a combat helicopter, since 1976. Also the Mil Mi-14 , an amphibious helicopter, and the Mil Mi-6 , both used as transports. In 1954,

4116-418: The Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, most of the worn out World War I aircraft were gradually withdrawn and from 1924 the air force started to be equipped with new French aircraft. In total in 1918–1924 there were 2160 aircraft in the Polish Air Force and naval aviation (not all in operable condition), in which there were 1384 reconnaissance aircraft and 410 fighters. From 1924 to 1930 the primary fighter of

4200-420: The Russian government would not tolerate Austria-Hungary invading Serbia. However, with Germany supporting Austria-Hungary's actions, the Austro-Hungarian government hoped that Russia would not intervene and that the conflict with Serbia would remain a regional conflict. Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia resulted in Russia declaring war on the country, and Germany, in turn, declared war on Russia, setting off

4284-457: The US government via Ramstein Air Base as lethal aid to the Ukrainian air force against the ongoing Russian invasion in return for aircraft of corresponding operational capabilities (most likely F-16s). The exchange was eventually not carried out. Note: Three C-17 Globemaster IIIs are available through the Heavy Airlift Wing based in Hungary . The 3rd Wrocław Radio Engineering Brigade has several radar types under its command including

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4368-408: The United Kingdom, some of whom returned to Poland in 1989 after the fall of communism. Along with the Polish People's Army ( Ludowe Wojsko Polskie ) in the USSR , the Polish People's Air Force (Ludowe Lotnictwo Polskie) was created, in defence of the Soviet Union against Nazi invasion. Three regiments were formed in late 1943: During 1944–5, further regiments were created, coming together to form

4452-417: The WLiOP were the MiG-29 and the Su-22 . As of 2010, the fleet of Su-22s is in need of modernization to retain any value as a combat aircraft and its future is unclear. In 2002, the F-16C/D Block 52+ from the American company Lockheed Martin was chosen as a new multirole fighter for the WLiOP, the first deliveries taking place in November 2006 and continued until 2008 under Peace Sky program. As of 2011

4536-440: The assassination and complete compliance by Serbia in agreeing to the terms demanded by Austria-Hungary. Serbia submitted to accept most of the demands. However, Austria-Hungary viewed this as insufficient and used this lack of full compliance to justify military intervention. These demands have been viewed as a diplomatic cover for an inevitable Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia. Russia had warned Austria-Hungary that

4620-419: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as having been orchestrated with the assistance of Serbia . The country viewed the assassination as setting a dangerous precedent of encouraging the country's South Slav population to rebel and threaten to tear apart the multinational country. Austria-Hungary sent a formal ultimatum to Serbia demanding a full-scale investigation of Serbian government complicity in

4704-474: The badge has a green laurel wreath. Central Powers The Central Powers , also known as the Central Empires , were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire , Austria-Hungary , the Ottoman Empire , and Bulgaria ; this was also known as the Quadruple Alliance. The Central Powers' origin was the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879 . Despite having nominally joined

4788-423: The beginning of the clash of alliances that resulted in the World War. Austria-Hungary was internally divided into two states with their own governments, joined through the Habsburg throne. Austria, also known as Cisleithania , contained various duchies and principalities but also the Kingdom of Bohemia , the Kingdom of Dalmatia , and the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria . Hungary ( Transleithania ) comprised

4872-423: The bill. Navigator/Observer badge (below) represents the same eagle, but in gold with added lightning bolts. The gapa is worn in the usual place on the upper left breast above the pocket, but unlike other air forces it is suspended on a chain. It adorned the uniform of Polish Air Force officers in the RAF during World War II along with their RAF wings. In the combat version (for at least 7 flights in combat conditions)

4956-469: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and a consequent reduction in the state of military anxiety in the whole of Europe, the Polish Air Force saw reductions in size. On 1 July 1990 the Polish Air Force and the Air Defence Force were merged again ( Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej  – WLiOP or WLOP). The attack capability of this force consisted primarily of MiG-21s , MiG-23s , MiG-29s , Su-20s and Su-22s . The remaining Lim-6bis were withdrawn in

5040-478: The country needed time to prepare for conflict. Germany provided financial aid and weapons shipments to the Ottoman Empire. After pressure escalated from the German government demanding that the Ottoman Empire fulfill its treaty obligations, or else Germany would expel the country from the alliance and terminate economic and military assistance, the Ottoman government entered the war with the recently acquired cruisers from Germany, along with their own navy, launching

5124-467: The country to launch an offensive towards Paris. This caused Great Britain to declare war against the German Empire, as the action violated the Treaty of London that both nations signed in 1839 guaranteeing Belgian neutrality. Subsequently, several states declared war on Germany in late August 1914, with Italy declaring war on Germany in August 1916, the United States in April 1917, and Greece in July 1917. After successfully beating France in

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5208-433: The early 1990s, followed soon afterwards by the withdrawal of the remaining Su-20 aircraft. The small number of remaining MiG-23s were withdrawn by 1999. Throughout the 1990s, Poland had not purchased any new combat aircraft and only managed to acquire further MiG-29s from the Czech Republic in 1995 and from Germany in 2004. MiG-21s were finally withdrawn from service in 2003. In 2004, the only remaining combat aircraft flown by

5292-541: The face of British and Arab gains in Palestine and Syria . Austria and Hungary concluded ceasefires separately during the first week of November following the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire and the Italian offensive at Vittorio Veneto ; Germany signed the armistice ending the war on the morning of 11 November 1918 after the Hundred Days Offensive , and a succession of advances by New Zealand , Australian , Canadian , Belgian , British , French and US forces in north-eastern France and Belgium . There

5376-406: The fall of Poland, the Polish Air Force started to regroup in France. The only complete unit created before the German attack on France was the GC I/145 fighter squadron , flying Caudron C.714 light fighters. It was the only unit operating the C.714 at the time. The Polish pilots were also deployed to various French squadrons, flying on all types of French fighters, but mostly on the MS-406 . After

5460-417: The nation until King Constantine's abdication in 1917. Following their armistice with the Central Powers, Romania was involved in the Russian Civil War against both the Whites and the Reds. Romania fought alongside the Central Powers until the country rejoined the war against them on November 10, 1918. Kelantanese rebels were supported by the Ottoman and German Empires during their rebellion against

5544-438: The newly founded colony of Tanganyika . South West Africa , modern-day Namibia , came under German rule in 1885 and was absorbed into South Africa following its invasion in 1915. Togoland , now part of Ghana , was made a German protectorate in 1884. However, after a swift campaign , it was occupied by the Allies in 1915 and divided between French Togoland and British Togoland . The Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory

5628-485: The officially recognised date of regaining independence (11 November 1918). The first independent units of the Polish Air Force, in service to the re-emerging Polish sovereign state, were actually formed before, in 1917, before World War I had come to an end. When the Russian Revolution began and the tsardom gradually lost control of the country, Polish pilots took advantage of the chaos and formed spontaneous aerial units in areas of present-day Belarus, south Ukraine, and by

5712-445: The outbreak of the war. On 1 September 1939, at the beginning of the invasion of Poland , all the Polish combat aircraft had been dispersed to secondary airfields, contrary to a commonly-held belief, based on German propaganda, that they had all been destroyed by bombing at their airbases. The aircraft destroyed by German bombers on the airfields were mostly trainers . The fighters were grouped into 15 escadres; five of them constituted

5796-434: The pilots were battle-hardened and Polish flying skills had been well learned from the invasion of Poland . The pilots were regarded as fearless, sometimes bordering on reckless. Nevertheless, success rates were very high in comparison to UK and Empire pilots. 303 Squadron became the most efficient RAF fighter squadron at that time. Many Polish pilots also flew individually in other RAF squadrons. As World War II progressed,

5880-501: The slow and easily damaged Lublin R-XIII , and later the RWD-14 Czapla . Polish naval aviation used the Lublin R-XIII on floats. Just before the war, some Italian torpedo planes, the CANT Z.506 , were ordered, but only one was delivered, and it was without armament. The principal aircraft used to train pilots were the Polish-built high-wing RWD-8 and the PWS-26 biplane. In 1939, Poland ordered 160 MS-406s and 10 Hawker Hurricane fighters from abroad, but they were not delivered before

5964-405: The start of the war, the Central Powers consisted of the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire . The Ottoman Empire joined later in 1914, followed by the Tsardom of Bulgaria in 1915. In early July 1914, in the aftermath of the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and faced with the prospect of war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia , Kaiser Wilhelm II and

6048-668: The surrender of France, many of these pilots managed to escape to Britain to continue the fight against the Luftwaffe. Following the fall of France in 1940, Polish units were formed in the United Kingdom, as a part of the Royal Air Force and known as the Polish Air Force (PAF). Four Polish squadrons were formed: The two Polish fighter squadrons first saw action in the third phase of the Battle of Britain in August 1940, with much success;

6132-568: The two countries. Later that day, France , an ally of Russia, declared a state of general mobilization. In August 1914, Germany attacked Russia, citing Russian aggression as demonstrated by the mobilization of the Russian army, which had resulted in Germany mobilizing in response. After Germany declared war on Russia, France, with its alliance with Russia, prepared a general mobilization in expectation of war. On 3 August 1914, Germany responded to this action by declaring war on France. Germany, facing

6216-728: The war on the side of the Central Powers, Bulgaria was granted the right to reclaim that territory. In opposition to offensive operations by Union of South Africa , which had joined the war, Boer army officers of what is now known as the Maritz Rebellion "refounded" the South African Republic in September 1914. Germany assisted the rebels, with some operating in and out of the German colony of German South-West Africa . The rebels were all defeated or captured by South African government forces by 4 February 1915. The Senussi Order

6300-734: Was a Muslim political-religious tariqa ( Sufi order ) and clan in Libya , previously under Ottoman control , which had been lost to Italy in 1912 . In 1915, they were courted by the Ottoman Empire and Germany, and Grand Senussi Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi declared jihad and attacked the Italians in Libya and the British in Egypt in the Senussi Campaign . In 1915, the Sultanate of Darfur renounced allegiance to

6384-652: Was a German dependency in East Asia leased from China in 1898. Japanese forces occupied it following the Siege of Tsingtao . German New Guinea was a German protectorate in the Pacific. It was occupied by Australian forces in 1914. German Samoa was a German protectorate following the Tripartite Convention . It was occupied by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1914. Austria-Hungary regarded

6468-414: Was a reaction to the tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. The German government regarded the Russian promise of no war with Germany to be nonsense in light of its general mobilization, and Germany, in turn, mobilized for war. On 1 August, Germany sent an ultimatum to Russia stating that since both Germany and Russia were in a state of military mobilization, an effective state of war existed between

6552-554: Was bought by four countries. A new fighter prototype, the PZL.50 Jastrząb (Hawk), similar to the Seversky P-35 in layout, was curtailed by the Nazi invasion and the PZL.38 Wilk twin-engine heavy fighter remained a prototype. As far as bombers are concerned, the Potez 25 and Breguet 19 were replaced by an all-metal monoplane, the PZL.23 Karaś , with 250 built from 1936 onwards, but by 1939

6636-447: Was destroyed in the campaign; the surviving aircraft were either captured or withdrawn to Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia or Sweden, whose air forces subsequently employed these aircraft for their own use (in the case of Romania until 1956). A great number of pilots and aircrew managed to escape to France and then to Britain, where they played a significant part in the defence of the United Kingdom against Nazi invasion, during

6720-493: Was first excommunicated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch and eventually deposed in a coup d'état on 27 September 1916. A less pro-Ottoman regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen , was installed on the throne. Liechtenstein was officially neutral throughout World War I, though the general population and government was supportive of the Central Powers, particularly Austria-Hungary , of which the two countries had been in

6804-509: Was founded in 1885 and expanded to include modern-day Tanzania (except Zanzibar ), Rwanda , Burundi , and parts of Mozambique . It was the only German colony to not be fully conquered during the war, with resistance by commander Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck lasting until November 1918. Later it was surrendered to the Allies in 1919 and split between the Belgian Congo , Portuguese Mozambique , and

6888-417: Was later assigned Avro Lancasters , 301 Squadron Handley Page Halifaxes and Consolidated Liberators and 305 Squadron, de Havilland Mosquitoes and North American Mitchells . 663 Squadron (air observation/artillery spotting) flew Taylorcraft Auster IIIs and Vs. After the war, all equipment was returned to the British, but only some of the pilots and crews actually returned to Poland, with many settling in

6972-610: Was officially established in the months following the end of World War I in 1918. During the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in 1939, 70% of its aircraft were destroyed. Most pilots, after the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September, escaped via Romania and Hungary to continue fighting throughout World War II in allied air forces, first in France, then in Britain, and later also the Soviet Union. Military aviation in Poland started even before

7056-543: Was permitted by Germany and Austria-Hungary to form independent Polish legions . Piłsudski wanted his legions to help the Central Powers defeat Russia and then side with France and the UK and win the war with them. Below is a list of these non-state combatants. Bulgaria signed an armistice with the Allies on 29 September 1918, following a successful Allied advance in Macedonia . The Ottoman Empire followed suit on 30 October 1918 in

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