{"id":1575003,"date":"2018-07-03T18:27:44","date_gmt":"2018-07-03T16:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/?p=1575003"},"modified":"2024-07-22T11:37:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T09:37:46","slug":"p-11c-mystery-of-the-camouflaged-3-40001-70015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/blog\/2018\/07\/03\/p-11c-mystery-of-the-camouflaged-3-40001-70015\/","title":{"rendered":"Mystery of the \u201ccamouflaged 3\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most known \u201celevens\u201d of the September 1939 is PZL P.11c airplane serialed \u201c8.138\u201d with \u201cwhite 3\u201d side marking. Its two-tone splinter camouflage is similar with the Luftwaffe schemes. Despite its popularity this extraordinary airplane is quite mysterious and very little is known about its history.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-profile-02-ok.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1575014\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-profile-02-ok.jpg\" alt=\"\u0142aciata &quot;3&quot; pzl p.11c camouflaged &quot;3&quot;\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-profile-02-ok.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-profile-02-ok-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-profile-02-ok-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Drafted into the Luftwaffe?<\/h3>\n<p>We know the \u201ccamouflaged 3\u201d mostly from quite numerous photos of its wreck, taken by the Germans during the 1939 Autumn. Some of these photos were widely known already many decades ago. Poor quality of the reproductions in the books or magazines allowed to recognize only some of the two-tone German-like camouflage details and white number \u201c3\u201d on the fuselage side. Lack of the recognisable serial or a unit marking made the precise recognition of this airframe impossible. There was even hypothesis, that the plane has been used by the Germans for tests or a film and so repainted by them in Luftwaffe camouflage.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1574996\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-1.jpg\" alt=\"p.11c g\u00f3ra\" width=\"1000\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-1-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-1-768x460.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cCamouflaged 3\u201d somewhere on the Mazovian field, photographed by the Germans. While the photo is sharp and has good resolution, many details of the marking and painting are obscured. Photo from Dr Tomasz Kopa\u0144ski collection.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Some decades later many better photos became known (mostly found and bought by Polish researchers on German auction-website). The researchers have been finding some additional information in the archive documents and pilot\u2019s and ground crews accounts, which can directly or indirectly be connected with the \u201ccamouflaged 3\u201d history. The most important were data from located in Warsaw Instytut Techniki Lotnictwa (Aviation Technology Institute) about testing the new camouflage schemes for PZL P.11c just before the war.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"2V8yORIvar\"><p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/blog\/2020\/12\/21\/swallow-no-4\/\">\u2018Swallow no. 4\u2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8222;\u2018Swallow no. 4\u2019&#8221; &#8212; Arma Hobby - blog firmowy\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/blog\/2020\/12\/21\/swallow-no-4\/embed\/#?secret=2V8yORIvar\" data-secret=\"2V8yORIvar\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>From aviation schools and research facilities to the front<\/h3>\n<p>During 1939 September fights at least three PZL P.11 airplanes have been delivered to the III\/1 Fighter Wing as a war losses replacement. First of these machines, coming on 3<sup>rd<\/sup> September from Warsaw-Ok\u0119cie airbase, was most probably \u201c8.46\u201d from the Warsaw 1. Aviation Regiment stocks, with pre-war \u201c67 N\u201d underwing code in white. This plane has been crashed by Cadet Maciej Drecki after the fight against the Stukas on the following day. Two other \u201celevens\u201d came on 5<sup>th<\/sup> September. One was flown by 2<sup>nd<\/sup> Lt Aleksander Wr\u00f3blewski from Pozna\u0144 III\/3 Wing, who after fight against Heinkels had lost his own plane and, with many adventures, has come to Warsaw where he got \u201c<em>an airplane. Original PZL P.11c from Air Cadet Oficer\u2019s School\u2019s Technical Group, which served there for practical assembly and disassembly training. It is finally assembled and ready to be test-flown<\/em>\u201d \u2013 told Wr\u00f3blewski in the interview with another pilot, Miros\u0142aw Feri\u0107, responsible for the Squadron chronicle (<em>Memoirs of the Tadeusz Ko\u015bciuszko Squadron Pilot<\/em>, quoted here after excellent publication of \u0141ukasz \u0141yd\u017cba and Marek Rogusz<em> III\/1 Dywizjon My\u015bliwski<\/em>. Vesper Edition, 2015).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2013 <em>I took-off<\/em> \u2013 recounts Wr\u00f3blewski. \u2013 <em>The machine goes up immediately, I\u2019m trying to use the trimer \u2013 it doesn\u2019t work, some poorly fixed pieces of metal flutters on the wing, oil obscures the windscreen. The airplane is \u201cpuking\u201d, rudely speaking, but hangs firmly in the air. I\u2019m landing, my guts are shaking as the tail shock absorber is dead-stiff. On the ground it turns out that the trimer cables have been crossed. The machine guns are factory-fresh, just installed in the airframe, without synchronization, without testing and without gunsight adjustment.\u201d <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The same day another pilot delivered third \u201eeleven\u201d, which has earlier been flown by 2nd Lt Witold Urbanowicz from D\u0119blin aviation school with the message for the Army Aviation Command in Warsaw. This airplane was \u201cnon-combat\u201d one too and only in Warsaw-Ok\u0119cie got the armament and other equipment necessary for the frontline service. While none of these accounts is directly connected with the camouflaged \u201cwhite 3\u201d, it is possible that some details have been mistaken in the post-war memoirs, or, maybe, while \u201cour\u201d airplane was yet another machine, its history might have looked similar with those described.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1574995\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-2.jpg\" alt=\"p.11c Pu\u0142tusk\" width=\"997\" height=\"546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-2.jpg 997w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-2-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-2-768x421.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cCamouflaged 3\u201d disassembled on the Pu\u0142tusk marketplace. The Pu\u0142tusk castle is visible in the background. This photo allows us to at least roughly localize the area of operation of the airplane. Photo from Dr Tomasz Kopa\u0144ski collection.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Step-by-step reconstruction<\/h3>\n<p>For a long time the only information about this airplane available to the aviation researchers and enthusiasts were the ex-German photos showing the plane on the field after the crash, initially on its back, then put on its nose by the Germans taking souvenir-photos. The camouflage is quite well-visible, especially on the wing top surface, and the replaced engine cover typical for the earlier PZL P.11a variant with cutout on the top. While on some of these photos a characteristic viaduct is visible in the background, the location of the plane crash has not been finally determined. More photos became available later, including ones showing dismantled airplane on the Pu\u0142tusk marketplace, which allows us to at least roughly localize the area of operation of the airplane as north-east of Warsaw, indicating the possibility of its use by the Brygada Po\u015bcigowa (Pursuit Brigade) \u2013 most probably the 113. and 114. squadrons operating from Poniat\u00f3w airfield or 152. Fighter Squadron attached to the Army \u201cModlin\u201d. But still no photo showed the serial number. The photos with the readable serial became available only very lately. It was \u201c8.138\u201d, which fits the archive documents from Aviation Technology Institute. It also fits the black \u201c62 W\u201d underwing number visible on photos, incorrect for the combat unit, but proper for the Institute. Nothing more about this airplane is known, but the topic is constantly researched and it is possible that some new information may be published soon.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-3a.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1574993\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-3a.jpg\" alt=\"P.11c nr 8.138\" width=\"961\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-3a.jpg 961w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-3a-288x300.jpg 288w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-3a-768x799.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 961px) 100vw, 961px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>The newest photo purchased in Germany in the end of May 2018. The serial number is already clearly visible! Photo from Dr Tomasz Kopa\u0144ski collection.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>The painting scheme<\/h3>\n<p>Thanks to availability of many photos of the \u201c8.138\u201d PZL P.11c, reconstruction of its camouflage and markings is possible in almost every detail. Only few areas are still mysterious \u2013 remain obscured or in shadow. The biggest unknown area is the second camouflage colour. First, the base one, is almost surely standard \u201cPolish khaki\u201d in its \u201clate\u201d or \u201cdark\u201d variant. It is indicated by the fact that the red serial number remains in the unpainted rectangular area of this colour and appears clearly lighter than the base colour. This allows us to assume that the darker camouflage fields were \u201cPolish khaki\u201d. As a second colour we accepted the version suggested by the renowned Stratus publisher in its excellent book <em>Polish Fighter Colours 1939-1947. <\/em>It is light olive-green, but possibly ochre or dark sand colour is probable too\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1574994\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-4.jpg\" alt=\"p.11c sp\u00f3d\" width=\"1000\" height=\"871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-4.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-4-300x261.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-4-768x669.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cCamouflaged 3\u2019s\u201d bottom \u2013 numbers in black colour clearly visible. Viaduct in the background is still unidentified (maybe it did not survive the war?)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Markings painted on this airplane include big underwing low-visibility checkerboards without white fields, underwing number \u201c62 W\u201d with quite fancy font, white \u201c3\u201d on both fuselage sides and \u201c8.138\u201d serial on the port side. The checkerboards on the wing top and the tail have been overpainted or never applied. We don\u2019t know if the type marking \u201cP.11c\u201d on the fin\u2019s top was present \u2013 the tail is damaged in the airplane\u2019s crash. Propeller blades have decals with producer\u2019s (Szoma\u0144ski company) logo applied. The plane has little aerial masts on the both wings and the semi-circular cover of the flexible shaft powering the generator for the radio on the starboard side of the fuselage, under the wing. Bomb racks are on the positions typical for the later production series, closer to the wing tips, over the checkerboards. There are no wing machine guns. Damaged paint surface visible on several photos, especially in the engine area, suggest that the plane may have been burning.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.armahobby.com\/category\/samoloty-pzl?hash=4124d1af9a7ea1f5bece2c836dcc1e82\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1574886\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-boxart-300x203.jpg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-boxart-300x203.jpg 300w, http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-boxart-768x520.jpg 768w, http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/ah-70015-boxart.jpg 1000w\" alt=\"P-11c model 1\/72\" width=\"295\" height=\"200\" \/><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.armahobby.com\/category\/samoloty-pzl?hash=4124d1af9a7ea1f5bece2c836dcc1e82\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1582625 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/40001-web-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/40001-web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/40001-web-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/40001-web-610x407.jpg 610w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/40001-web.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.armahobby.com\/category\/samoloty-pzl?hash=4124d1af9a7ea1f5bece2c836dcc1e82\"><strong>&#8220;Camouflaged 3&#8221; markings you can find in 1\/72 PZL P.11c Expert Set model kit<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armahobby.com\/40001-pzl-p-11c-1-48.html?hash=4124d1af9a7ea1f5bece2c836dcc1e82\"><strong>1\/48 PZL P.11c Expert Set<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>All the photographs in the article comes from dr. Tomasz Kopa\u0144ski collection.<\/p>\n<h2>Recommended reading:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u0141ukasz \u0141yd\u017cba. <em>IV\/1 Dywizjon My\u015bliwski<\/em>. Wyd. Vesper, Czerwonak 2013<\/li>\n<li>\u0141ukasz \u0141yd\u017cba. Marek Rogusz. <em>III\/1 Dywizjon My\u015bliwski<\/em>. Wyd. Vesper, Czerwonak 2015<\/li>\n<li><em>Polish Fighter Colours 1939-1947. <\/em>Praca zbiorowa. Stratus, Sandomierz 2016<\/li>\n<li>Krzysztof Klimaszewski. <em>Eskadry nad Poniatowem. Wrzesie\u0144 1939 r.<\/em> Stratus, Sandomierz 2012<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1574997\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-7.jpg\" alt=\"p.11c na plecach\" width=\"1000\" height=\"566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-7.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-7-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-7-768x435.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1574998\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-5.jpg\" alt=\"p.11c z 3\/4 z lewa\" width=\"1000\" height=\"764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-5.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-5-300x229.jpg 300w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-5-768x587.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1574999 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-6.jpg\" alt=\"niemcy i p.11c\" width=\"707\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-6.jpg 707w, https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/laciata-6-212x300.jpg 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most known \u201celevens\u201d of the September 1939 is PZL P.11c airplane serialed \u201c8.138\u201d with \u201cwhite 3\u201d side marking. Its two-tone splinter camouflage is similar with the Luftwaffe schemes. Despite its popularity this extraordinary airplane is quite mysterious and very little is known about its history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":1582798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,20],"tags":[286,184,452,205,273,147],"class_list":["post-1575003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arma-hobby-kits","category-history","tag-nr40001-en","tag-nr70015-en","tag-452","tag-colours-and-markings","tag-pzl-en","tag-pzl-p-11c-en","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1575003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1575003"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1575003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1595919,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1575003\/revisions\/1595919"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1582798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1575003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1575003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1575003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}