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303squadron

(753 posts)
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 05:25 PM Mar 2025

Homage to the "tip of the spear"

I wrote the story below in a thread asking to explain your DU name. Rather than bury it at the bottom of a thread I thought it deserved its own.



It’s the summer of 1940. The German army had just kicked the shit out of both the French and British armies and France had fallen. The Allies had no answer for the German blitzkreig and were totally outclassed by German armor.

Hitler was ready to invade England and if he had moved his panzer corps across the English Channel that country would have fallen to the Nazis.

There was just one problem: If you couldn’t control the air your troops would be defenseless on the beaches. So, the Germans needed to defeat the RAF, and in September of 1940 they came close to doing just that.

But the RAF held firm and saved England in her darkest hour. “Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.” ~ Winston Churchill

The “tip of the spear” was the most decorated RAF unit: 303 Squadron. This was a unit of Polish fighter pilots who fled Poland after it fell. The Polish Air Force in the 1930’s was one of the best trained air forces in the world with requirements of many more flight hours before a pilot could earn his wings than pilots in other air forces.

Initially defeated in the air over Poland with antiquated fighter planes, the 303 Squadron was given Hawker Hurricanes with the RAF. Polish pilots, knowing full well of the systematic killing of their brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers by the Nazis fearlessly pressed home their attacks on German planes, getting closer to them than their English counterparts.

303 Squardon shot down or damaged more German planes than any other RAF squadron.

I’m not related to any of those brave men. I am related to too many people who never made it out of Auschwitz……and I fucking hate Nazis and their Nazi thinking.

My name here is an homage to the tip of the spear!

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Homage to the "tip of the spear" (Original Post) 303squadron Mar 2025 OP
I love the story of the 303. Irish_Dem Mar 2025 #1
I don't have a drop of Polish blood. Aristus Mar 2025 #2
Great name! We the People are up against NAZIs today. Kid Berwyn Mar 2025 #3
Very cool story. Nothing beats determination. Nt Phoenix61 Mar 2025 #4

Irish_Dem

(76,117 posts)
1. I love the story of the 303.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 05:30 PM
Mar 2025

One of the most amazing stories regarding the Battle of Britain.

Thanks for posting.

Aristus

(71,065 posts)
2. I don't have a drop of Polish blood.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 05:51 PM
Mar 2025

But my admiration for those 303rd pilots in the Battle of Britain knowns no bounds. Those guys were just incredible. I didn't know about the flight hours requirement for them getting their wings. I just thought they were talented pilots with a score to settle with the Germans.

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