Kościuszko's Squadron
| Kościuszko Squadron | |
|---|---|
American aviators in Paris meet Ignacy Jan Paderewski, prime minister of Poland, in 1919 | |
| Active | December 1919 |
| Allegiance | Second Polish Republic |
| Branch | Polish Air Force |
| Type | Fighter squadron |
| Patron | Tadeusz Kościuszko |
| Engagements | |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Albatros D.III (Oeffag), Ansaldo A.1 Balilla |
The Kościuszko Squadron (officially: Polish 7th Air Escadrille) was a Polish Air Force fighter squadron established in late 1919 by Merian C. Cooper, an American aviator who would go on to direct the film King Kong in 1933, then to advocate for McCarthyism in 1950s.
The unit was named after Tadeusz Kościuszko, and Major Cedric Fauntleroy became its commander. The squadron's insignia was designed by Elliot William Chess (1899–1962), an American pilot serving with the Polish Army during the Polish–Soviet War.
To encourage the recruitment of Americans of Polish descent, the Polish military set up a unit called the Polish–American Air Group.
The most famous successor to this original Kościuszko Squadron was the World War II No. 303 "Kościuszko" Polish Fighter Squadron (Warszawski im. Tadeusza Kościuszki), the most successful fighter squadron in the Battle of Britain.