page_title: PZL.23 Karaś
section_title: Operational history
hierarchical_section_title: PZL.23 Karaś / Operational history
caption_attribution_description: English: PZL-23A of the production series.
context_page_description: The PZL.23 Karaś was a Polish light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft designed in the early 1930s by PZL in Warsaw.
  During the interwar period, the Polish High Command had placed considerable emphasis upon the role of armed aerial reconnaissance aircraft. To meet this interest, during 1931, PZL decided to embark on the development of a new combat aircraft to meet this role. An earlier proposal for a fast single-engine passenger airliner, designated the PZL.13, was adopted as the basis of the new design. The new aircraft, which was designated as the PZL.23, a relatively modern design, which integrated features such as an all-metal body and unconventional wing construction. As the British Bristol Pegasus radial engine was licensed for use in Poland only, export aircraft were instead equipped with the Gnome-Rhône 14K engine. Powered as such and along with some airframe changes, the PZL.23 became the PZL.43 Karaś.
  It was the primary Polish reconnaissance bomber in use during the invasion of Poland.
context_section_description: During late 1936, a batch of 40 PZL.23As were delivered to the Polish Air Force. Due to engine faults, these aircraft were initially flown with a limited service ceiling and they were used exclusively in the training role, being fitted with dual controls to fit this usage. From 1937, a total of 210 PZL.23Bs were delivered to the Air Force. Around this time, the time became the main armament of Polish bomber and reconnaissance "line squadrons", having replaced the majority of Breguet 19, Potez 25 and Potez 27 biplanes. By August 1939, there had been 23 reported crashes involving the type, which was deemed to have been an average safety result.
  However, due to rapid advances in the field of aviation during the late 1930s, by 1939 the aircraft was considered to be approaching obsolescence. There were increasing questions over the validity of prior air doctrine, leading to a major reorganisation of the PZL.23 squadrons during 1938-1939. The main deficiency of the PZL.23 was its relatively low speed compared to newer aircraft that were then entering service with neighbouring nations. Other issues with the aircraft included a lack of manoeuvrability and unfavourable characteristics when flown at high speeds (the maximum speed of the PZL.23B was 365 km/h, but it was forbidden to exceed 319 km/h due to dangerous flight characteristics). However, at the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939, with the invasion of Poland, it remained Poland's primary light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.
  During late August 1939, in anticipation of imminent hostilities with Nazi Germany, all Polish combat units were relocated from their peacetime bases to secret combat airfields, so they avoided destruction on the ground. Some PZL.23s were also used in wartime improvised units with 114 PZL.23Bs deployed in combat units (a further 75 PZL.23B and 35 PZL.23A were in air schools, held in reserve or under repair). In total, the PZL.23B were operational with five bomber escadrilles (Eskadra Bombowa) of the Bomber Brigade and seven Army reconnaissance escadrilles, each of which equipped with ten aircraft. In Bomber Brigade there existed also bigger units (Dywizjon Bombowy), consisting of two escadrilles each, and traditionally translated as squadron (two other squadrons of the Bomber Brigade were equipped with the PZL.37 Łoś bomber). In addition, a pair of PZL.43A bombers that had been produced for the Bulgarian order were impressed into Polish service in the 41st Escadrille.
  On 2 September 1939, a single PZL.23B of the 21st Escadrille was responsible for the bombing of a factory in Ohlau, inside Germany, the first bombing raid to be conducted against a target within the Third Reich. Over the following days, the PZL.23 bomber squadrons commenced attacks upon several advancing German armoured columns, which were responsible for knocking out as many as thirty per cent of the German ground vehicles. One such high-profile engagement occurred on 3 September 1939. Despite this offensive use of the type, the main task of the Army escadrilles was to perform reconnaissance missions. The five escadrilles of the Bomber Brigade delivered about 52-60 tons of bombs during the campaign, while the Army escadrilles were responsible for the deployment of roughly another dozen tons.
  Due to the plane's low speed, light armour and, perhaps most importantly, a lack of supporting protection from friendly fighter aircraft, the PZL.23 suffered heavy combat losses. Many were shot down by German fighter aircraft, but they were also able to fight back and were responsible for shooting down several in return. Despite the lack of protective armour, Polish aircrews often conducted attacks upon German columns while flying at low altitudes, which made their aircraft particularly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. Reportedly, around twenty aircraft were lost in crash landings on the improvised and rough airfields. During 1939, around 120 PZL.23s (86 per cent of the Polish Air Force's inventory) were destroyed. However, only 67 of these had been due to direct enemy action.
caption: PZL.23A of the production series
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