Wydawnictwo Stratus S.C.

Polish Wings 2: Morane MS 406 C1, Caudron CR 714 C1 Cyclone, Bloch MB 151/152 C1

by  Bartlomiej Belcarz

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $22.95 ISBN: 978-83-89450-69-2 Available in the US from Mushroom Publications (www.mmpbooks.biz) and MMD/Squadron www.squadron.com The Book This series of excellent paperbacks originating in Poland covers a little known but significant part of the history of World War II in the air, the contribution of numerous Polish airmen and support personnel who continued fighting after the Nazis and Soviets had taken over their homeland in 1939. The major problem the author had was finding documentation and records concerning the operation of Polish units fighting in the French and Finnish air forces. The book covers three main types used by Polish units, the Caudron CR 714, the Morane MS 406, and the Bloch MB 151 and MB 152. (For some reason, the title has two of the types in reverse order). The author goes through each type known to have been operated by Poles, and tells, when possible, the fate of both the pilots and the airplanes. Numerous photos, some taken by Luftwaffe personnel after the French surrender, identify specific aircraft. In addition, color profiles show the markings and camouflage used, and each aircraft is discussed in detail. In reality, about the time of the surrender, many Poles escaped to Britain, where they formed a very effective part of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. One photo shows a Bloch MB 152 after its arrival in Britain, complete with RAF insignia, a candidate for an unusual model if I ever saw one. This series, Polish Wings, has other works on this subject, including a work on Spitfires flown by Polish pilots, which is known as Polish Wings 6, and is distributed by Mushroom Model Publications, but this is probably an earlier issue published entirely in Poland, although the text is completely English. Both are very high quality publications, although the one on the French fighters is a little on the specific side, giving details and operational unit histories rather than overall commentaries. A section at the end discusses camouflage and markings, which adhered closely to those of the French. There are even a few color photos, including a couple of a French Douglas DB-7 light bomber captured by the Germans, with some MB-152's in the background. That was icing on the cake, as I've never seen color photos of that vintage from France before. Reccomendation If you have any interest in French fighters operated by the Poles, this book is worth getting. These books fill in the gaps in any library, and provide excellent documentation for models of aircraft that are outside of the usual standard types that most modelers seem to concentrate on. Don't miss out on this one. Highly recommended. Thanks to IPMS and Stratus Publications for the review copy.

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