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In September 1939 Morski Dyzwizjon Lotniczy – MDLot. (Naval Air Wing) was consisted of two mayor parts: Air Sea Group, which was under control of Naval Headquarters and Liaison Platoon which subject to the Land Coastal Command. The main base was Puck, which had the biggest airfield, hangars and barracks. The other naval base was in Rumia-Zagorze with another auxiliary base near Kepa Oksywska.
Before the breakout of war in September 1939, the Polish Naval Air Wing was consisted of 20 obsolete planes. On 1 September 1939 20 Heinkel He-111 bombers from 1st Bombers Wing destroyed the airfield and hangars in Puck, but none of the floatplanes were hit. The commander of the MDLot. cdr pil Szystowski was killed by a bomb. The remaining personnel were evacuated to Hel and the aircraft were dispersed along the coast.
On the night of 2/3 September 1939 two Heinkel He-59s destroyed almost all of the Polish floatplanes, and later on the morning of 3 September 1939 the rest destroyed by German follow-up strikes. Only one Lublin R-XIII G/hydro survived and the CANT Z-506B flew away. The Cant was later destroyed by Heinkel He-111 bomber on 11 September 1939 near Lublin.
On 6 September 1939 the only Lublin R-XIII G/hydro (nr 714) left, made one reconnaissance flight over the Gdansk Bay. The next day during the night this aircraft flew and bombed German positions in Gdansk, with six 12.5 kg bombs, presumably killing several German soldiers. After this aircraft landed safely near Hel, it was later destroyed on 8 September 1939 by German bombers.
The only aircraft that survived the September campaign were auxiliary ones: a RWD-17W and Nikol A-2, were captured by Germans and used in their inventory afterwards. All the wrecks of the Lublin XIII/VIIIs were set on fire by Poles and sunk in the deep waters of the Gdansk Bay on 8 September 1939.
Lublin R XIII bis/ Lublin R XIII ter/G
