When Captain Francis Gabreski arrived in England in late 1942, no American fighter unit was ready for combat. Gabreski, being of Polish descent, quickly wrangled a temporary exchange assignment with a Polish RAF fighter squadron to gain experience. Flying Spitfire IXs with No. 315 Squadron, "Gabby" was wingman to Flight Lieutenant Andersz when they were bounced by Fw 190s during an escort mission. Some intense moments followed, but Gabreski survived his first combat unscathed. Though he didn't score any kills then, flying missions with the Poles helped start him on the road to becoming one of the 8th Air Force's leading Thunderbolt aces. He would score 28 kills in Europe.
