PZL P.37 Los

PZL p. 37 History of Los Angeles

Poland before World War II (1939-1945) was not without aviation. In fact, the PZL dominated the Polish Air Force from 1928 to 1939, and some of its products were used to defend Poland during the German invasion of September 1939. The PZL P. 37 Los ("Moose"), a medium bomber in a twin-engine configuration, was one of the contributors to this failed mission. More than 120 samples of this type were produced, some of which actively fought against the Axis powers in the follow-up battles in the early days of World War II.

Production time span from 1938 to 1939. The captured prototype was later taken over by the Romanian Air Force. These prototypes were in use until 1944. The Germans also tested two samples captured, and the Soviets evaluated three samples.

Medium bombers were well known prior to World War II for their ability to deliver a viable bomb load at a range at a viable speed. The Poles understood this and invested in the type, just like any other air power at the time. P. 37 stems from work begun in the mid-1930s under the direction of Jerzy Dabrowski. As early as December 13, 1936, the prototype was ready for its maiden flight.

When it entered service in 1938, the P.37 was hailed as one of the most advanced bomb platforms in the world.

The final production model became the P. 37B (I/II) with twin tails and PZL Pegaz XX series air-cooled radial piston engines, each producing 970 hp.

The P.37C and P.37D were proposed versions of the Gnome-Rhone 14N-01 and 14N-21 engines respectively - neither were produced. The P. 49 Mis was another bomber variant proposed based on the P. 37, but only an incomplete prototype was built due to the German invasion that halted its development.

During the war, the bomber served with the 10th and 15th Bomber Squadrons of the Polish Air Force. Deliveries began in early 1938, but limited engine supplies meant durability was difficult to achieve. By the time Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, about 86 men were on standby in defense, although less than 50% actually served in the ensuing battle. During bombing raids, the bombers were airborne with lower bomb loads than expected because they took off from unprepared airfields, which limited their tactical and strategic value. As the invasion progressed, the series suffered from a lack of combat escort - which made these large targets prey for German pilots.

Before the end, about 25 stockpiles were airlifted to Romania, where they were buried by local authorities (and served in the Romanian Air Force until mid-1944). About 30 P. 37 bombers were destroyed by the Poles before they were captured by the Germans.

P. 37's planned pre-war customers included Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

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