First MiG behind the Iron Curtain

On March 5 1953 Polish Lt. Franciszek Jarecki flew from Slupsk (Polish Air Force Base) to Ronne Airfield at Bornholm Island in a MiG-15bis - a modern Soviet fighter. Western air specialists checked the aircraft and several days later, the MiG returned to Poland by ship. Jarecki, however, went to the United States, where he provided much important information about modern Soviet aircraft and air tactics.

Between 1949 and 1956 four Polish MiGs and one Il-2M3 defected from communist Poland to Denmark and Sweden.

  • On 1949 Lt. Arkadiusz Korobczynski from Navy Flight in Wicko Morskie defect with Il-2M3 attack aircraft (No 3) to Gotland Island in Sweden.
  • On march 5 1953 Lt. Franciszek Jarecki from 28th Fighter Squadron in Slupsk defect with MiG-15bis (No 346) to Ronne Airfield at Bornholm.
  • On may 20 1953 Lt. Zdzislaw Jazwinski from 28th Fighter Squadron in Slupsk defect with MiG-15bis to Ronne Airfield at Bornholm.
  • On november 7 1955 Lt. Kozuchowski from 31th Fighter Squadron in Lask defect with Lim-2 (MiG-15bis, No 1919) and crash landing near Halland in Sweden.
  • On september 25 1956 Lt. Zygmunt Gosciniak from Zegrze Pomorskie defect with MiG-15bis (No 1327) and landing without gear in Ronne Airfield at Bornholm.


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