After the fall of the Czechoslovak Republic, the newly stablished Slovak Air Force seized the B-534 that were based in their territory and , when the war started back in September 1939, they were the only official ally of the Luftwaffe.
The Slovak Air Force committed three squadrons to fight against Poland. Two of them were fighter squadrons. However, the Slovak units limited themselves to occupy only some parts of northern Slovakia that had been under Polish control since 1918. Their participation was limited to the escort role of German Ju.87 during eight missions performed from Vinné air base close to the Slovak city of Michalovce.
It was during this campaign that the catár (Sergeant) Viliam Grun was shot down in Polish territory but wasn't taken prisoner as he scaped back to Slovakia.
Another pilot, the desiatnik (Corporal) Viliam Jaloviar was killed in a landing accident after returning from a sortie in Presov.
The only confirmed victory of the B-534 during the Polish Campaign came on 26th September when a two-airplane patrol attacked, and shot dow, a Polish RWD-8 that was fleeing to Hungary by the catár Grun. The Polish airplane force landed near Presov.
Some years later, during the autumn of 1944, the B-534 formed the backbone of the combined squadron of the Slovak Insurgent Air Force. Even if the Slovak National Uprising failed, the last operational air mission of the B-534-IV happened during that event when the Master Sergeant Frantisek Cyprich shot down a Hungarian Junkers Ju.52 which was on it's way to a base in Poland. That was the first aerial victory for the rebel air force and the penultimate biplane air-to-air victory. As the rebellion was being crushed, the B-534-IV were burned at Tri Duby when the base was burned on 25th October 1944 to prevent it's usage by the axis users.
Sources:
1. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/avia_slovakia.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avia_B-534
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
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