Peking Plan

Peking Plan The Peking Plan was a prewar Polish naval aviation evacuation operation executed in late August 1939 to relocate key Polish aircraft and aircrews from Poland to allied bases in France and the United Kingdom ahead of the Invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany. Conceived during diplomatic and military preparations involving Polish, French, and British military planners, the operation sought to preserve combat-capable aviation assets for continued participation in the Second World War, notably in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. The plan's execution involved sorties from bases near the Gulf of Gdańsk across the Baltic Sea to Scapa Flow and allied airfields, influencing early-war Polish naval strategy and Allied perceptions.

Background

In the late 1930s Polish strategic calculations were shaped by tensions with Nazi Germany, the rise of the Wehrmacht, and the commitments of the Polish–French Alliance and Polish ties to the United Kingdom. Polish naval and air leadership, including elements of the Polish Navy and the Polish Air Force, faced the prospect of rapid German operations like those seen in the Anschluss and Sudeten Crisis. High-level discussions among officers, politicians, and diplomats—drawing on lessons from the Royal Navy and the French Navy—resulted in contingency planning to prevent the capture or destruction of valuable assets such as the naval aviation and to enable continued military contribution alongside allies during the expected European conflagration.

Implementation

Polish General Staff directives authorized evacuation of strategic units. Orders originating from Polish naval command and the Ministry of National Defence directed specific squadrons to prepare for cross-Baltic flights. Coordination with French Air Force and Royal Air Force planners arranged reception facilities at Lannion and Le Bourget in France and later at Scapa Flow in United Kingdom naval areas. Operational planning referenced navigation routes near Bornholm, timing to avoid Luftwaffe reconnaissance and interception, and diplomatic clearances secured from Denmark and Sweden were considered in contingency scenarios discussed by Polish staff, French military attachés, and British naval liaisons.

Aircraft and Units Involved

The operation employed aircraft from the Polish naval aviation component, including six PZL P.11 fighters, six PZL.23 Karaś light bombers, and two Lublin R-XIII liaison planes, with aircrews drawn from established squadrons and training units. Pilots and observers included personnel who had served in earlier conflicts and training exchanges with units tied to the Aéronautique Militaire and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Maintenance personnel and command staff accompanied aircrews to facilitate reassembly and operational readiness at destination airfields, while the Polish naval escorts and liaison ships provided support and communications, interacting with elements of the Royal Navy en route.

Voyage and Operations

Departing late August 1939, flights routed from bases near Gdynia and Puck over the Baltic Sea toward Gotland and Bornholm, with some crews navigating toward Scapa Flow and allied airstrips in France. The air armada avoided direct contact with the Kriegsmarine surface fleet and Luftwaffe patrols by flying in small formations and under radio silence; naval escorts maintained radio and visual contact when weather permitted. Upon arrival at Scapa Flow and French airfields, Polish aircrews underwent re-equipment and integration talks with RAF and Armée de l'Air staff, and several pilots subsequently transferred to operational units that later saw action during the Phoney War and Battle of Britain.

Strategic and Political Impact

The evacuation preserved trained Polish aircrews and operational aircraft for the Allied cause, shaping Polish contributions to subsequent campaigns such as the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. The operation demonstrated prewar Allied cooperation and influenced wartime Polish government-in-exile decisions regarding military continuity and coalition diplomacy with the United Kingdom and Free France. Politically, the move underscored Polish resolve and affected Allied wartime propaganda narratives alongside actions by émigré Polish formations like the Polish Underground State and the émigré Polish Armed Forces in the West, while also impacting German strategic perceptions in the early stages of the Second World War.

Category:Military operations of World War II Category:Poland in World War II