On 31 August the Squadron was assigned to operate with the III/2 Dywizjon (Group) and it relocated to a reserve airfield in Balice.

[4] Just after take off and at about 300 meters altitude the Polish fighters were surprised by a pair of German Ju 87B dive-bombers from I/StG 2 "Immelmann", heading home after bombing main Kraków Rakowice airfield.

[4] Unteroffizier Frank Neubert successfully fired at Medwecki and scored probably the first aerial victory of the war.

According to Marius Emmerling [pl], based on German wartime sources two Do 17Es from 7./KG 77 did crash near Żurada, but this was caused by a Polish anti-aircraft artillery, which damaged one Do 17 which then collided with the other.

[8] However, according to a research by a historian Jerzy Cynk, in a wartime report Gnyś described in detail chasing two bombers with twin tailfins (Do 17) heading towards Olkusz, and firing at one of them at a low altitude, what was also confirmed by witnesses in Żurada examined already the same day.

[6] The controversy was strengthened by the fact, that Gnyś in his later memoirs started to claim, that he also fired at, or eventually even shoot down a Ju 87 after Medwecki's death.

After the fall of Poland, Gnyś fled to France and served as a pilot with the French Air Force.

[9] Flying the Morane MS 406-C with GC III./1 and stationed at Toul Croix, Gnyś scored three shared victories; a He 111 on 12 May and two Do 17s on 16 May.

Despite his wounds, he escaped from a POW field hospital a few days later, found by the French Maquis and returned to the Allied lines safely.