Polish-American Fighter Pilot Extraordinaire
Colonel Francis (Gabby) Gabreski (born Franciszek Stanisław Gabryszewski) (1919-2002) was the top American fighter ace in Europe during World War 2, a jet fighter ace in the Korean War, the first U.S. combat pilot to become an ace in two wars and one of only seven U.S. pilots to do so, and the third highest scoring ace in U.S. history.
Gabreski’s parents emigrated from Poland to Oil City, Pennsylvania, in the early 1900s. His father owned and operated a market, putting in 12-hour days, and like many immigrant-owned businesses in those days, the whole family worked at the market. However, Gabreski’s parents wanted him to attend Notre Dame University, where he subsequently enrolled.
He left Notre Dame during his second year to enlist in the United States Army Air Corps and earned his wings and a commission in March 1941. He met his future wife, Catherine “Kay” Cochran, at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii and became engaged shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the attack, Gabreski joined several members of his squadron flying P-36 fighters in an attempt to intercept the attackers but the Japanese had already withdrawn.
While in Hawaii, he closely followed reports on the Battle of Britain and the role of the Polish RAF squadrons in the battle, especially by the legendary 303rd Kościuszko Squadron. He then decided that, since Polish squadrons had proved to be very capable within the RAF and, since he himself was of Polish origin and spoke Polish, he offered to serve as a liaison officer to the Polish squadrons to learn from their experience. The idea was approved and in September 1942, he left Hawaii for U.S. 8th Air Force’s headquarters in England. While there, he tried to arrange duty with the 303rd but it had been taken out of action for a period of rest. Instead, he was posted to the 315th Polish RAF Squadron at RAF Northolt in January 1943.
At RAF Northolt, Gabreski flew patrol sweeps over the English Channel. The well-seasoned Poles, who had been fighting the Germans since 1939, accepted Gabreski, if reluctantly at first. Squadron Leader Tadeusz Andersz helped him transition to the Spitfire and fly the squadron’s “finger-four†formation as well as “rodeo†and “circus†maneuvers designed to entice Luftwaffe pilots to come up and fight. Andersz also taught Gabby how to hold his fire until he got close behind an enemy aircraft, as well as to resist the tendency to overshoot by going too fast. And there was that basic lesson every fighter pilot should learn: Always be alert for enemy fighters attacking out of the sun. These were lessons that served him well later in the war. In all, Gabreski flew 20 missions with the Poles, engaging in combat once.
He was then posted as flight leader to the U.S. 61st Fighter Squadron and later took command of the unit. In August, 1943, he recorded his first credited kill. From then on, it was just a matter of time. In June 1944, he commanded a fighter squadron that helped sweep the skies over the D-Day invasion of Normandy. In July, 1944, he became the top fighter ace in European Theater with 28 kills. This total was never surpassed by any U.S. pilot fighting the Luftwaffe.
In July, 1944, Gabreski had reached the 300-hour combat time limit for fighter pilots and was waiting for a transport aircraft to take him to the United States on leave and reassignment. He had already advised Kay Cochran to proceed with wedding plans and his hometown of Oil City had raised money for a wedding present in anticipation of his return. Gabreski found out, however, that a bomber escort mission to Russelsheim, Germany, was scheduled for that morning and, instead of boarding the transport to the U.S., he requested to “fly just one more.” Returning from the escort mission, Gabreski saw German Heinkels parked on the airfield at Bassenheim, Germany, and attacked with a strafing run. He was dissatisfied with his first run and went for a second pass. When his tracers went above the parked aircraft, he dropped the nose of his Thunderbolt to adjust and his propeller clipped a rise in the runway, bending the tips. He was then forced to crash land. Gabreski ran into nearby woods and eluded capture for five days. After being captured and interrogated, he was sent to Stalag Luft I, where he endured 10 months as a prisoner of war. Gabreski was freed when the Red Army liberated the camp in April 1945.
He was recalled to active duty in April 1947 at the start of the Cold War. The Air Force sent him to Columbia University to complete his degree and study Russian. Graduating in June 1949, he was promoted to colonel and posted to Korea in June 1951. There he commanded the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing (to this day still at Osan Air Base) and led a fierce rivalry with the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing. The 51st, with only 2 operational squadrons (48 aircraft), scored 96 MiG kills while the 4th, with 3 operational squadrons (72 aircraft), scored 125. Comparing the enemy kill rates of both Wings, Gabreski’s 51st had 2.00 enemy kills per aircraft while the 4th had 1.74 kills per aircraft. This rivalry most certainly aided the war effort and increased the effectiveness of American air power.
Francis and Kay Gabreski had nine children during their 48 years of marriage. Two of three sons graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and became career Air Force pilots. A daughter-in-law, Terry L. Gabreski, the daughter of an Air Force pilot, was promoted to lieutenant general in August 2005, the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. Air Force until her retirement in 2010.
