REASON FOR LOSS:

The German Luftwaffe started their attack on Poland at 04.30 hrs. when Ju87B's of 3./St.GI crossed the Polish border to attack various points to prevent the Poles from blowing up various bridges over the Vistula river.

At first light the Luftwaffe then attacked the Krakow air base, being bombed first by a number of He III's from KG 4, followed by Stukas from 1./St.G2, with another attack made very shortly afterwards by Do 17's of KG77.

The Ju 87's then attacked the Polish P11c fighters taking off from Krakow at 05.15 hrs. 
Cpt. Medwecki, being the commanding officer of 121 Squadron, led the attack into the Luftwaffe Stukas, but was shot down by Sgt. Frank Neubert and Franz Klinger from 1./St.G2 and his aircraft crashed approx. 2 - 3 KM. from the airfield.

  
Cpt. Medwecki (Courtesy Peter Sikora) with the New York Times front page 1st September 1939


PZL.P.11c of 121 Eskadra Mysliwska (Courtesy Peter Sikora)
Captain Mieczyslaw Medwecki became the first Polish airforce casualty of WW2. His grave pictured below, has been taken care of by soldiers of the 8th Air Base Krakow.



Parish Cemetery, Morawica, Krakow (Courtesy Peter Sikora)

Burial Details:

Cpt. Mieczyslaw Medwecki. Parish Cemetery, Morawica, Krakow, Poland Born 7th June 1904 in Pasieczna, Poland. Son of Antoni and Maria.

Acknowledgments: Peter Sikora, Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - "Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945"

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