26 July marks the anniversary of Operation “Most III” (Bridge III) — one of the most important and boldest intelligence operations of the Polish Underground State and the Home Army, whose success could have influenced the course of World War II.
On the night of 25–26 July 1944, on a specially prepared clearing — the “Motyl” (Butterfly) landing strip near Wał-Ruda (Małopolska Region), in the heart of occupied Poland and in the vicinity of German military units, an Allied Dakota transport aircraft landed. On board was, among others, the famous courier Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, and the return flight carried eminent politicians, couriers and — most importantly — parts of the German V2 rocket and documentation prepared by Polish scientists. It was this cargo, obtained by Home Army intelligence and delivered to London, that enabled the Allies to better understand the workings of Hitler’s new weapon and prepare an effective defence against it.
Operation Most III lasted over 10 hours and is still considered a masterpiece of conspiratorial organisation, international cooperation and the heroism of the Polish underground. Despite the dramatic circumstances — soft ground, German patrols nearby and technical problems with the aircraft — the operation was a success. The Dakota took off literally at the last moment, thanks to the ingenuity of Home Army soldiers who used elements of horse-drawn carts as a take-off ramp.
In 2024, the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, together with the Most III Operation Museum in Zabawa, jointly prepared the temporary exhibition “Stealing the V2 Secret and the Most Operations”, realised as part of the “Home Museums” project. The exhibition introduced visitors not only to the course of the operation, but also to the behind-the-scenes activities of Home Army intelligence, the profiles of its participants and the dramatic fate of engineer Antoni Kocjan — an outstanding glider designer and organiser of V2 rocket research, who was killed by the Gestapo just before the Dakota’s departure.
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Operation Most III, our Museum, in cooperation with Centrum Sztuki Mościce and the Museum of the Tarnów Region, organised a special educational and historical event “Winged Tarnów”. The inspiration for its creation was precisely the memory of the success of the operation on the night of 25/26 July 1944, which took place at the “Motyl” landing strip.
During the celebrations, our Museum’s flying exhibits could be admired — the historic aircraft Yak-18 and Piper Cub, which took to the air, paying tribute to this exceptional operation.
Our collection includes an original V2 rocket engine, which can be viewed in the Engine Room — one of the largest exhibitions of aviation engines in Europe. This unique exhibit recalls the contribution of Poles to unmasking one of the most dangerous weapons of the 20th century and the role they played in the history of global technical intelligence.
