Stephen Zaloga

Title: Buy the book "Polish Army 1939–1945": feed_id: 5296 pattern_id: 2266 book_

Poland was the first country to fall victim to German aggression during the Second World War. Despite this, her army continued to fight on various fronts throughout the five years of carnage. By the end of the war, the Polish army was the fourth largest among the armies of the Allied powers, second only to the ground forces of the Soviet Union, the United States and Great Britain. Polish soldiers took part in almost all the major campaigns in the European theater of war, and the story of them is complex and tragic. The courage of Polish soldiers often resulted in senseless losses as a result of the activities of unscrupulous politicians. Fate has been cruel to the Poles during all these years, and especially cruel to the soldiers of Poland.

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On the eve of the war, Pride of Poland: cavalry on parade in Warsaw. Headdresses - caps with a hard square crown and a crimson band for mounted riflemen.

The Polish army of 1939 was in many ways the brainchild of its founder, Marshal Jozef Pilsudski. A socialist and revolutionary, Pilsudski formed and in 1918 led the first ragged units of the Polish Army into the battle for independence. After 125 years of foreign rule, free Poland was re-established at the Versailles Peace Conference. Although the exact boundaries were not specified, the armed uprising in Germany naturally determined the Western contours of the state. In the east, the situation was different: both Poland and Bolshevik Russia sought to acquire the territories of the former Russian Empire that lay between them and were inhabited by Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians and Jews. In 1920, the Polish army, led by Pilsudski, seized the initiative and besieged Kyiv, located deep in Ukrainian territory. However, the Polish troops soon had to retreat under the attacks of the First Cavalry Army and formations of the Red Cossacks. The fate of Poland hung in the balance, but at that moment, when the victory of the Bolsheviks already seemed inevitable, the southern wing of the Red Army, under the leadership of Stalin, suspended its advance and did not provide assistance to Tukhachevsky’s Chervonio-Cossack northern flank, although they were already almost at the outskirts of Warsaw. Pilsudski made excellent use of the situation, and the Red Army was forced to withdraw. The euphoria of success for some time overshadowed the dire economic, political and social problems of the new state. Poland found itself sandwiched between two temporarily weakened but not broken neighbors who wanted revenge.

Polish infantry company on the march (photo taken shortly before the war). The soldiers have old French RSC gas masks. Tall windings will soon be replaced by short ones. The stripes of material in the applied colors of the infantry (yellow and blue) on the collars are barely visible.

The victorious Polish army emerged from the 1920 war proud and self-confident. Pilsudski initially refused proposals to take power into his own hands, but painful attempts to establish parliamentary democracy in the country forced him to decide on a coup in 1926. Without holding an official post, he ruled the country until his death in 1936, and then his successors established a “regime of colonels”, which continued the same policy without much success until 1939. The army was Pilsudski’s pride, and the grateful Poles did not regret funds for the maintenance of the armed forces. The share of military expenditures in the national budget was noticeably larger than in other European states, but in absolute numbers the Polish military budget could not be compared with the military budget of Germany or the Soviet Union. To equip at least one armored division, an amount was required that exceeded the entire military budget of Poland, an agricultural country with a poorly developed industry. Pilsudski managed to recruit officers into the Polish Army from the disintegrated armies of Austria-Hungary, Prussia and Russia. Its equipment was an incredible mixture of outdated weapons from the arsenals of almost all European armies. Pilsudski himself was not a career officer, and the Polish army as a whole became a reflection of not only his strengths, but also his weaknesses. Training of senior officers and coordination at the level of senior headquarters were in their infancy, the main emphasis was on “improvisation”. Technical innovations such as cars, planes and tanks were met with little enthusiasm.

Polish infantry on parade, soldiers in full field uniform 1936. The dark blue buttonholes are trimmed with yellow piping along the rear edge and decorated with the traditional silver zigzag. There are no other insignia on the buttonholes. The infantrymen are armed with a Polish-made Mauser 98 rifle. The second soldier from the left in the front rank is armed with a rkm wz.28 light machine gun, a slightly modified version of the Browning automatic rifle produced in Poland.

The organization and tactics of the Polish Army were greatly influenced by the Soviet-Polish War of 1920. In contrast to the First World War, the war of 1920 was very mobile. But this dynamism was caused, first of all, by the lack of modern weapons. Of course, airplanes, machine guns and armored cars gave this war a “modern” look, but they were too few to have a noticeable impact on the course of the campaign. In 1914 in the West, machine guns put an end to the history of cavalry, but in 1920 in Poland there were too few automatic weapons, and here cavalry continued to dominate the battlefield. The Polish cavalry emerged from the war crowned with glory and remained the most prestigious branch of the military. Of course, some changes on the battlefield were taken into account. Mounted attacks were gradually abandoned, and in 1934 the pike was officially removed from cavalry service. Nevertheless, the cavalry regiments continued to remain the elite of the Polish army, attracting the best soldiers and officers into their ranks.

If the cavalry was the elite of the Polish army, then the horse artillery was the elite of the elites. During the 1939 exercises, the deployment of a battery of 75-mm field guns of the 02/26 model - Putilov divisional three-inch guns, converted for French 75-mm ammunition - was practiced. This old weapon turned out to be a formidable opponent of German tanks, and the high training of the crews also played a significant role.

The nightmares of trench warfare led men like Martel, Liddell-Hart, de Gaulle and Guderian to seek a mechanized antidote to machine guns and breech-loading howitzers. But Polish military leaders did not know the hardships of trench warfare and could not grasp this European craving for mechanization. Therefore, the Polish Army remained, in fact, the army from the beginning of the First World War. Poland had 30 infantry divisions and 11 cavalry brigades - the cavalry made up about a tenth of the entire army. The army was distinguished by a very low level of motorization, communications remained at a primitive level. Artillery was almost exclusively horse-drawn, almost all guns remaining from the First World War, but often falling short of these old standards. In response to the formation of a new army in Germany after Hitler came to power in 1936, Poland began to modernize its armed forces. Given the weakness of the Polish industrial base, it was decided to mechanize four cavalry brigades by 1942. Great efforts were made to saturate the troops with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. By the outbreak of war in 1939, the program was far from completed. Only one mechanized brigade was formed, the second was in the process of formation. The tank forces had three battalions of good light tanks, as well as several hundred light tankettes, dispersed among the reconnaissance units of cavalry brigades and infantry divisions. The army adopted the excellent 37mm Bofors anti-tank gun, as well as a Polish-designed anti-tank gun, which caused a lot of trouble for the Germans in 1939.

A soldier of the 1st Light Horse Regiment in a peacetime uniform with buttonholes. The caps of the light cavalry had round crowns and dark red bands. The collar is trimmed with a characteristic “Polish” zigzag made of sewn silver braid for privates and corporals. Ranks above corporals were entitled to zigzags embroidered with silver thread. A zigzag borders the regimental pennant, in this case silver with a dark red stripe down the center. On the muffs there is a monogram "JP" - "1st Light Horse Regiment of Józef Piłsudski".

With the approach of war, the Polish command developed a plan " Z"(from Zachod- West), focused on protecting Poland from Germany. The Polish military leadership was skeptical about the possible prospects of such a conflict. At best, it hoped to hold out for six months, awaiting help from its Western allies - France and Great Britain. The Poles believed that France would launch a major offensive two weeks after declaring war on Germany. The Polish command was quite well aware of German plans and the state of the German army. Back in 1933, they managed to unravel the code of the Enigma encryption machine ( Enigma), but in 1938 the Germans changed all encryption equipment, and this source of information dried up. Unfortunately, the Polish command continued to consider itself sufficiently informed, and as a result underestimated the power of the Wehrmacht. But it is much worse that the capabilities of German tank and motorized divisions to maneuver were underestimated - however, this was typical not only of the Poles. Our own limited experience in using weak tankettes led to skepticism regarding the capabilities of armored units and a lack of serious theoretical developments. The Poles also “overlooked” the incredible capabilities provided by the interaction of artillery and air support.

Officers of the 10th Mechanized Brigade during a meeting, 1939. In the center, wearing berets, Colonel S. Maczek and his adjutant F. Skibinski. By the beginning of the war it was the only Polish mechanized brigade; she was nicknamed “Black” for the characteristic leather jackets that some tank crews wore. A characteristic feature of the equipment of its soldiers were also old German helmets of the 1916 model.

The strategic options available to the Polish Army were unenviable. The country was surrounded on three sides by Germany and its allies, and on the fourth by the Soviet Union. The Poles believed that the political differences between Germany and the USSR could not be overcome, and therefore left the eastern part of the country practically defenseless, concentrating all their forces on the western border. Poland is a plain with no major natural barriers, except for the mountains in the south. The center of the country is crossed by rivers that can be used as natural barriers, but in late summer the water level is low and they can be forced in many places. In addition, retreat beyond these rivers at the very beginning of the campaign would mean the loss of densely populated industrial areas, in which, in addition, the main military warehouses were located. Consequently, it was impossible to surrender these territories either for political or military reasons. The only alternative was the concentration of troops in the border areas and the subsequent slow retreat with fighting. This is precisely the plan that was adopted by the Polish command: the Polish forces were too stretched, but there remained hope that during the organized retreat the Polish troops would be increasingly concentrated. It was a weak strategic decision, completely powerless against mobile German formations, both in terms of the number of troops and their equipment. This murderous strategy was based only on the hope of France entering the war.

The Polish army was half the size of the German army, and the gap in tanks, aircraft and artillery was even greater. The only weapon in which the Poles had an undeniable advantage was the saber. At the end of August, the situation was aggravated by diplomatic pressure from France and Great Britain, who demanded that mobilization not begin so as not to provoke Germany. In the last week of August 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed a Non-Aggression Pact, which contained a secret protocol outlining the plan for dividing Poland between them. In the early morning of September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht went on the offensive; The bloodiest war in human history began. The old battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the small garrison of Westerplatte in Danzig (Gdansk).

SEPTEMBER CAMPAIGN 1939

The Polish army was still in a state of mobilization when the first waves of German dive bombers began to destroy warehouses, roads and communication lines. The popular belief that the Polish air force was burned to the ground on the first day is incorrect. By the beginning of the war, Polish squadrons were dispersed to secret airfields, so they endured the first attacks relatively painlessly. Although the Polish pilots were well trained, the P-11 fighters were “yesterday” compared to the Luftwaffe aircraft, and their numbers were very small. Light bomber "Karas" ( Karas) was a kind of hybrid of the army reconnaissance aircraft "Lysander" ( Lysander) and the Firey Battle bomber ( Fairy Battle). It turned out to be ineffective due to the air superiority of German fighters. Polish fighters and anti-aircraft gunners were able to shoot down an unexpectedly large number of German aircraft, but air supremacy was firmly held by the Germans. Only in the skies over Warsaw did they encounter serious resistance.

Infantry platoon of the 10th mechanized brigade in soft-crowned slingshots. The Ursus truck is equipped with an anti-aircraft machine gun mounting for the ckm wz.30 machine gun, produced under license by the American water-cooled 30 caliber Browning machine gun.

The German army struck the first blow in three main directions: in the north through the Pomeranian corridor, in the center towards Lodz, and in the south towards Krakow. The first German attacks were repulsed in many places, but they continued to storm the positions of the Polish troops and achieved success. The Wehrmacht was not yet at the zenith of its power, but even at that time the German army was undoubtedly one of the strongest in Europe.

The captain of the 1st light tank battalion assigns a task to the tank commander. The officer wears a black tank jacket, and the soldiers wear simple khaki overalls. The small bag on the soldier's chest is a Polish gas mask WSR wz.32, which replaced the old French-style gas mask. Instead of slingshots, tank crews were given black berets.

The September campaign is often associated with images of brave Polish lancers charging German tanks with pikes. Such attacks did not actually happen, but similar stories can be found not only in popular, but also in serious historical literature. The story of the mounted attack on the tanks was the creation of Italian war correspondents stationed on the Pomeranian front. The story was picked up by German propaganda, which greatly embellished it. The events on the basis of which this legend was created took place on the evening of September 1 during a shootout in the area of ​​​​the Kroyanti farm. Positions in the Pomeranian corridor area were held by several Polish infantry divisions and the Pomeranian cavalry brigade. It was impossible to organize a reliable defense here, but troops were deployed to prevent the Germans from annexing the corridor, as happened in the Sudetenland. After the outbreak of hostilities, Polish troops were immediately withdrawn to the south. The retreat was covered by the 18th Lancer Regiment of Colonel Mastelarzh and several infantry regiments. On the morning of September 1, General Guderian's 2nd and 20th Motorized Infantry Divisions attacked Polish forces in the Tuchola Forest area. The infantry and cavalrymen held the line until noon, but then the Germans began to push them back. By evening, the Poles retreated to the railway crossing, and Mastelarzh ordered to push back the enemy at any cost. In addition to the Uhlan regiment, Mastelarzh had a certain amount of infantry and TK tankettes that were part of the brigade. However, the old tankettes were practically unsuitable for combat, so they, along with some units of the regiment, were left on defensive lines. And two squadrons of lancers on horseback attempted to outflank the Germans and then hit them in the rear.

By evening, the Poles discovered a German infantry battalion located in a clearing. The lancers were only a few hundred meters from the enemy; a saber attack seemed the best solution. A few moments later, two squadrons with swords drawn flew out from behind the trees and scattered the Germans, hardly inflicting significant damage on them. But when the lancers lined up after the attack, several German armored vehicles armed with 20-mm automatic cannons and machine guns appeared in the clearing. The Germans immediately opened fire. The Poles, suffering losses, tried to gallop over the nearby hills. Mastelarzh and his staff officers were killed, the losses of the cavalry were terrible. The next day, Italian war correspondents visited the battlefield. They were told about a Polish cavalry attack on tanks, and a legend was born. True, the Italians “forgot” to mention that that evening Guderian had to make a lot of efforts to prevent the retreat of his 2nd Motorized Infantry Division “under heavy pressure from the enemy cavalry.” “Strong pressure” was provided by the Uhlan regiment, which had lost more than half of its personnel and constituted no more than ten percent of the strength of the 2nd Motorized Infantry Division.

The communication parts were given black buttonholes with cornflower blue edging on the rear edge. To tow bobbins with telephone wire, the Poles used shepherd dogs or dogs of other breeds.

But there was hardly another battle in which the Polish cavalry demonstrated such miracles of heroism as the Battle of Mokra on September 1. This was one of the few battles in which the Polish cavalry brigade acted in full force. It is also interesting because here the Polish cavalry brigade was opposed by a German tank division. On the morning of September 1, the Volyn cavalry brigade under the command of Colonel Yulian Filipovich, which had three of its four cavalry regiments, occupied positions in the area of ​​the Mokra farm. The fourth regiment was still on its way. The Volyn Brigade was more than twice as large as the German 4th Panzer Division, which had just crossed the Polish-German border, and the Germans had an even greater superiority in firepower. The anti-tank arsenal of the brigade consisted of 18 37-mm Bofors cannons, 60 anti-tank rifles and 16 old Putilov three-inch guns, adapted for French 75-mm shells. The Germans had 295 tanks, approximately 50 armored vehicles and numerous artillery.

The positions of the Polish cavalrymen were greatly stretched, the horses were withdrawn from the front line by almost a kilometer. As in 90% of Polish cavalry actions in 1939, the cavalry fought dismounted. Several German tanks managed to slip through gaps in the Polish defenses in the morning fog and launch an attack in the very center of the brigade's defense early in the morning. The tanks reached the location of the brigade's horse artillery units. Obsolete or not, the old three-inch guns repulsed a tank attack. Only a few tanks managed to return to their own. A mounted patrol sent to observe the enemy stumbled upon an advancing German column. The cavalrymen dismounted and took cover among a group of buildings. They fought off attacks all day, and only when darkness fell did the few survivors manage to escape from the ring. Meanwhile, the main German forces attacked the positions of the dug-in Poles.

Experiencing an acute shortage of anti-tank weapons, they greeted the German tanks with tame fans. The first attack was repulsed, as were several subsequent ones, but cavalry losses grew at an alarming rate. In unsuccessful morning attacks, the Germans lost more than 30 tanks and armored vehicles, after which they changed tactics. In the afternoon, the attack began to be preceded by a massive artillery barrage, and the tanks moved accompanied by infantry. This time the Germans almost succeeded. The situation was so difficult that the brigade commander personally brought ammunition to the 37-mm Bofors anti-tank guns. The Poles' attempt to counterattack with the available tankettes did not lead to success, but the defenders were greatly supported by the armored train "Smyaly", which took up a firing position behind the Polish positions, on the other side of the river. By evening, the field near the positions of the Polish troops was dotted with burning German tanks, tractors and armored vehicles. The Poles announced the destruction of 75 tanks and 75 units of other equipment; It is possible that these figures are exaggerated, but the 4th Panzer Division washed itself in blood that day. The Poles also suffered heavy losses, especially serious losses in horses and convoy columns that came under attack by German dive bombers. The brigade was able to hold its position for another day, but on September 3, a German infantry division entered its flank from the north, and the Poles had to retreat.

A company of TKS tankettes awaiting orders, Warsaw area, September 13, 1939. Tankmen wear ordinary khaki overalls and French-style protective tank helmets. The TKS tankettes, the most numerous armored vehicles of the Polish army, were armed with only one Hotchkiss machine gun.

The situation was approximately the same in other areas. The Poles were able to repulse the first attacks of the German army, suffering heavy losses, and then began to retreat. However, the Polish plan for a fighting retreat and subsequent regrouping in new defensive positions failed. The Luftwaffe's dominance in the air made it impossible to travel on the roads during the day. The soldiers had to fight during the day and move at night, and as a result, the Polish soldiers were completely exhausted. Reinforcements could not arrive on time at the front line, as the roads were clogged with streams of refugees. The German minority in western Poland was pro-Nazi and acted as a fifth column.

By September 3, Guderian's troops were able to cut the Pomeranian corridor and were able to attack south towards Warsaw, overcoming the weak defensive positions of the Poles. The Polish defense was broken through in several places, and there were no reserves to patch up the holes. Contact between the central command in Warsaw and the field headquarters was interrupted. France and Great Britain formally declared war on Germany, but there was no particular consolation in that. German tank wedges entered the gaps in the Polish defense, and by September 7, the advanced units of the 4th Panzer Division reached the Warsaw outskirts. The Germans tried to immediately enter the capital of Poland, but ran into tough defenses. On September 9 alone, the Poles reported 57 burned German tanks.

Soldiers of the 1st Grenadier Division at the parade on the occasion of the presentation of the new regimental banner, Arras, France. Note the standard French uniform and equipment, as well as the Lebel rifles of the 1886/96 model. The corporal (far left) has two stripes on his shoulder straps. In the center is a non-commissioned officer.

The second week of the war was even harder. After Marshal Eduard Smigly Rydz became supreme commander and head of state, the Polish government chose to leave the capital so as not to fall into the hands of the enemy. The country's leadership positioned itself near the Romanian border, issuing an order to gather the remaining troops for defense and protection of the so-called “Romanian bridgehead.” This was an unfortunate decision: communication with the border areas was very poor, and as a result, the Polish army lost even the unstable connection with the command that it had previously. The only bright spot was the Poznań Army of General Tadeusz Kutrzeba. This group found itself cut off from the main forces, but was able to retreat in an organized manner to the Kutno area. Kutsheba's troops posed a serious threat to the flank of the German 8th Army, and from September 9 they even began to attack across the Bzura River in a southern direction, pushing back the Wehrmacht's 30th Infantry Division, which was not prepared for defense. The Bzura counterattack of the Poles turned out to be completely unexpected for the enemy and cost the commander of the German troops, Blaskowitz, his marshal's baton. The Wehrmacht had to weaken the onslaught on Warsaw and transfer significant forces from the eastern direction against the Kutsheba group. The battle lasted a week and ended with the complete encirclement of eight Polish divisions. In the mad battle, some Polish cavalry and infantry units managed to escape the trap and break through to Warsaw.

Two soldiers from the communications unit of the Polish Independent Mountain Brigade rest on a hillside, Borkenes district, Norway. They wear standard French field uniforms and motorcycle jackets. On the helmets you can see an image of a Polish eagle painted in grayish-white paint.

Stefan Starzynski announced capitulation, hoping to thereby save the surviving townspeople. The small garrison of the Hel Peninsula on the Baltic coast continued to fight until October 1. That day, as German troops paraded through the streets of Warsaw, fighting continued between the Polesie tactical group and the German 13th and 29th motorized infantry divisions. The fire did not stop until October 5.

The Polish General Staff in the interwar period was not optimistic, but no one expected that the campaign would end so quickly and lead to complete destruction. The Poles underestimated the combat effectiveness of the Wehrmacht and hoped too much for help from France, and also placed too many hopes on their hopelessly outdated army. The entry of the Red Army into the war brought the defeat of Polynya closer by several weeks. Soviet troops cut off part of the Polish troops that could have retreated to the territory of Romania and Hungary, which accelerated the fall of the “Romanian bridgehead.” The only thing that is beyond doubt is the determination and courage of the Polish soldiers. Field Marshal Hertz von Rundstedt, who commanded Army Group South in 1939, wrote: “The Polish cavalry attacked heroically; In general, the courage and heroism of the Polish army deserve the greatest respect. However, the High Command was unable to adequately meet the demands of the situation.”

POLISH ARMY IN EXILE

France, 1940

There was not the slightest doubt that the fight would continue. Even before the fall of Warsaw, plans were made to organize underground resistance, and a number of orders called for Polish units to fight their way into France. From infancy, Poles were brought up on stories about the heroic past of their people. Disasters were common in Poland. Throughout the 19th century. Each of the Polish uprisings was invariably suppressed, but each subsequent generation was ready to shed blood for freedom. The history of Poland also knew the example of the existence of an army in exile: thousands of Poles stood under the banner of Napoleon, hoping with his help to return Poland to the map of Europe. During the First World War, Polish units operated in France and eventually achieved the revival of the country. In 1939, Polish soldiers felt they had to restore their reputation in the eyes of the French, not to mention their own people. There was no doubt that the fate of Poland depended on the goodwill of France and Great Britain. Few doubted the idea that France and Great Britain would win the war. The Poles hoped to convince the French government that after the September defeat they still had enough will to continue the fight.

Among the tasks assigned to the Polish units that found themselves in England after the fall of France was the maintenance of armored trains guarding the coastal zone. The crew of this armored train was made up of “supernumerary” Polish officers. In total, 12 such armored trains operated on the British coast.

The task of transporting tens of thousands of Polish soldiers from Romania and Hungary to France turned out to be more difficult than initially expected. The German government put strong pressure on these countries, trying to achieve the internment of Polish soldiers before the end of the war. Nevertheless, Poland's relations with Hungary and Romania were friendly, and both of these states saw their possible destiny in the fate of Poland. Camps for Polish soldiers were indeed created, but it was not difficult to leave them, and everyone who wanted to could escape from them.

Many officials, including Smigly-Rydz himself, were also interned, and escape to France was impossible for them. Therefore, the Polish government in exile was formed from relatively random individuals. To a certain extent, the fact that the pre-war leaders of Poland could not get into France turned out to be even a positive thing: Polish soldiers could not forgive them for the defeat of 1939. This, as well as the pressure of French diplomats, led to the fact that the posts of head of government and supreme commander-in-chief General Wladyslaw Sikorski was appointed to the Polish army. In many ways, this was the best candidate. Beginning in 1920, Sikorski had a brilliant military career, but after the death of Pilsudski during the “regime of colonels” he fell out of favor, was removed from business and did not participate in the September campaign. He took a centrist position, so he was equally acceptable to both the right and the left. In addition, Sikorski had a reputation as a Francophile, so it was easier for him than anyone else to establish trusting ties with the French government.

General W. Sikorski, leader of the Polish government in exile, presents awards to two privates after field training, Scotland, 1941. The general wears a slingshot with three stars and a silver zigzag on the band. Stars and zigzags are repeated on the uniform's shoulder straps. Also visible are the general's buttonholes made of dark blue velvet with a silver eagle and carmine red piping along the upper edge. Two soldiers wear French Mle tank protective helmets. 1935, which Polish units in Britain wore before the introduction of British helmets. Reconnaissance units were most often equipped with such protective headgear.

After negotiations, the French agreed to help form a separate Polish army on their territory. The French felt guilty for their inaction during the September events in Poland, but still public opinion considered the Poles to be completely incompetent, and the whole undertaking a waste of time and money. However, the more fully French military experts analyzed the course of the campaign, the less critical statements they made. In the end, an agreement was reached to form four infantry divisions: the ideas of that period about the Slavs as good infantrymen affected. The size of the corps of military personnel who were able to escape from Poland was supposed to be 35,000 people. However, in addition to the soldiers who arrived in France, Polish emigrants who had previously lived in the country expressed a desire to join the army. As a result, about 45,000 people volunteered. Throughout the autumn and winter of 1939/40. The Poles spent time in French camps, receiving from the French government only blue French uniforms and small arms, which were outdated even by Polish standards.

Further events developed rapidly. The Soviet Union attacked Finland, and France and Great Britain decided to provide military assistance to the resilient Finns. Sikorsky offered the services of Polish units, who were happy to fight the Red Army, which occupied part of their homeland. In January 1940, the French began supplying equipment to the 1st separate Polish mountain brigade "Podhale" ( Podhale). However, before this and other Allied units were prepared, Finland began negotiations with the USSR. Spring came, and the Poles were still forced to beg the French for weapons and equipment. Two divisions were almost ready: the 1st Grenadier and the 2nd Infantry. Finally, the French provided something more substantial, in particular equipment for two battalions of R-35 tanks, which were equipped with the revived 10th Mechanized Cavalry Brigade. The 10th Mechanized Brigade, nicknamed the “Black Brigade” for its distinctive black overcoats, was the only fully mechanized unit of the Polish Army in September 1939. It fought gloriously. Its commander, Colonel Stanislav Maczek, taking advantage of the fact that the unit was fighting near the Romanian border, was able to withdraw almost all the personnel to Romania, and then to France.

By the beginning of the fighting in France in 1940, two Polish divisions were practically formed, and two more (3rd and 4th) were in training camps. The mountain brigade was the first to enter the battle. At the end of April, the brigade under the command of General Zygmund Bohusz-Szyszko was transferred by sea to Anken (Norway) along with a brigade of French Alpine riflemen. The Poles took their first battle on May 14, when they had to knock out the Germans, who had fortified themselves on the top of a hill above the village. During the difficult and bloody battle in the mountains, the French realized that they could rely on the Poles. However, due to the fact that the Germans occupied the Netherlands on May 10, a decision was made on May 26 to evacuate the Norwegian Expeditionary Force. The Polish mountain brigade disembarked at Brest on June 14 and was soon involved in fierce fighting in Brittany.

The fire control section of a battery of 75-mm anti-aircraft guns WZ.36AA awaiting a Luftwaffe bomber raid near Warsaw, September 2, 1939. Anti-aircraft gunners wear khaki overalls and helmets of the 1931 model, worn backwards so that the visor does not interfere with the use of optical instruments. The buttonholes on the officer's uniform (center, with glasses) are green with yellow piping along the back edge and a silver zigzag.

Ironically, the Polish 1st Grenadier Division was stationed in the small Saar pocket, which the French captured in September 1939, demonstrating "assistance" to the Poles when they were attacked by Germany. The 2nd Infantry Division was stationed in the Belfort area on the Swiss border. The French army was in dire need of tanks, so Colonel Maczek's 10th Mechanized Brigade was thrown into battle not yet fully equipped. The 1st Division entered the battle only at the end of the campaign: it covered the retreat of the French XX Army Corps. At the same time, the division commander, General Bronislaw Dukh, was put in a very difficult position: in mid-June, Sikorsky, seeing that France was doomed, ordered all Polish units to evacuate to England. However, General Spirit decided to continue fighting in France in order to avoid reproaches of cowardice. The decision cost the soldiers dearly: from June 17 to 21, the division lost 45% of its personnel. After the surrender of France, the Spirit ordered his soldiers to get to England as best they could, but only a few were able to carry out this order.

The 2nd Infantry Division also saw little action and on June 17, together with the French 45th Army Group, went to Switzerland, where it was interned. The 3rd Division, which had not yet completed its formation and training, took part in bloody battles in Breton, where it was completely defeated. The 4th Division never entered the battle and was evacuated across the Bay of Biscay to England. Machek's tank crews took part in the fiercest fighting during the retreat of the VII Army Corps to Dijon in Champagne. Polish tank crews acted together with Senegalese units. By June 19, the brigade had lost three quarters of its personnel and all its tanks. Maciek ordered the survivors to look for ways to reach England.

A Polish sergeant prepares a charge for a 3.7-inch British anti-aircraft gun. This photograph clearly shows the changes that the Poles made to the British uniform issued to them. The khaki shoulder straps of the British field jacket with white or silver braid and thin red piping indicate military rank. The Polish Army patch at the top of both sleeves was dark red with white lettering, below it was a red patch with a black bow and arrow: the badge of British anti-aircraft gunners. There are Polish buttonholes on the collar: green with yellow edging at the back edge. Polish soldiers stationed in England painted the image of an eagle with yellow paint on their helmets.

Risen Phoenix

So, less than a year later, the Polish army suffered a second crushing defeat. Illusions regarding the invincibility of the French army, as well as hopes for a quick victory and return home, were dispelled. A new defeat meant new losses. Of the 75,000 Poles who reached France, about 19,000 people were evacuated to England, a quarter of whom were pilots. In addition, the Carpathian Brigade of General Stanislav Kopanski, formed in the Middle East, withdrew to Palestine so as not to clash with troops subordinate to the Vichy government. Relations between the Poles and the British were not as cordial as with the French, but in the summer of 1940 there was no need to choose partners. Churchill sympathized with Sikorski's plans for the formation of the Polish Army as an independent fighting unit, and the wandering soldiers found themselves in the Glasgow area. There was little work for the Poles: coastal protection and military training. At first the RAF was reluctant to take Polish pilots into fighter squadrons, but the situation in the air became increasingly tense, and in August 1940 several Polish squadrons were formed, the Polish 303rd Squadron being the most effective during the Battle of Britain. Although the squadron was equipped with outdated types of aircraft, the level of combat training of the Poles turned out to be noticeably higher than that of inexperienced British pilots who had more modern Spitfires and Hurricanes. The successes of Polish pilots in 1940 contributed to the warming of relations with the British, and as a result they were able to obtain a certain amount of more modern military equipment. The Poles turned out to be the most determined army in exile that were located on the territory of the United Kingdom, so very quickly the British forgot their previous disdainful attitude towards the Poles. The defeat of the backward Polish Army in 1939 faded after the defeat of the well-equipped British and French armies. A big problem for the Polish army in 1940 and 1941. there was a shortage of manpower. Volunteers arrived from Poland, literally walking on foot to any neutral port, but the lack of qualified officers and diplomats did not allow even these troops to be brought into proper condition.

In 1941, the Poles and British joyfully greeted the news of a German attack on the Soviet Union. The British were glad to have an ally in their fight against Hitler. The Poles received painful satisfaction from the fact that the full might of the Wehrmacht fell on the Red Army. They hoped that the Russians and Germans would crush each other into dust, as they did in 1914–1918, and this would again give Poland a chance for revival. The British government was not happy with such sentiments and insisted that the Polish government in exile restore diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. The Sikorski Government chose to comply, and in 1941 a corresponding treaty was signed. However, Stalin did not agree to cede the Polish territories captured in 1939, and this immediately led to the emergence of rather strained relations between the two new allies.

1. Private of the 18th Lancer Regiment. 1939

1. The field headdress “slingshot” with a quadrangular crown was introduced in 1937. On the slingshot, only one emblem was supposed to be worn - the Polish military eagle embroidered in gray whining (In 1939, some units still wore old caps, similar to American ones, with a metal eagle). The slingshot should not be confused with the Polish cap, which existed during the same period. The cap also had a traditional square-shaped crown, but not soft, but hard. In addition, the cap was equipped with a black leather visor and a colored band with insignia under the eagle. The color of the cap band indicated the branch of the army, with the exception of cavalry, where each regiment had its own color. Officers' caps were trimmed with silver piping along the edge of the bottom, and also had narrow braid sewn on the bottom in the form of a cross. Light cavalry regiments and border guard units wore similar caps, but with a round, “English” crown.

Uniform reform in the early 1930s. modernized and standardized the Polish uniform, and also eliminated the differences in cut between the uniforms of officers and soldiers. The 1936 wool uniform was made from khaki fabric, a slightly greener shade than the English uniforms. The cut was ordinary: four pockets, shoulder straps, turn-down collar. Oxidized silver buttons. The summer uniform had the same cut, but was made of linen. The cavalrymen wore breeches reinforced with leather harnesses, as well as cavalry boots with spurs. The design shows a soldier of the 18th Lancers wearing peacetime buttonholes: a blue and white pennant with two pigtails with a scarlet central stripe between them. Along the edge of the collar there is a traditional Polish galloon zigzag. In wartime, such buttonholes were not supposed to be worn.

Brown leather waist belt and cavalry style Y-shaped shoulder straps. Two three-section pouches for Mauser-type clips, a carbine of the 1929 model, a cracker bag of the 1933 model. A shovel and a bayonet on the waist belt. The gas mask bag is not visible. Horse equipment - a soldier's bridle and saddle of the 1925 model. The saddle is equipped on the left with a mount for a saber of the 1934 model. During the September 1939 campaign, older sabers of the French, Prussian or Russian model were also encountered. The overcoat of the 1936 model, rolled up, is attached to the front pommel of the saddle. Saddle bags and an oat bag are attached to the back of the saddle. The blanket was supposed to be placed under the saddle cloth.

A French-type pike with a weathervane-badge of regimental colors. In 1939, pikes were not intended to be used in combat, but there was no uniformity. Some units left the pikes in the barracks, others took them with them, but for the most part they carried them in the convoy. Pikes with regimental badges and squadron badges were supposed to be worn at all times.

2. The uniform is the same. Note the French Adrien helmet - in 1939 it remained in almost all cavalry and horse artillery units, as well as in some artillery, reserve infantry and auxiliary units. In the field, of all the insignia, only stripes on shoulder straps were worn according to military rank. The corporal was entitled to two silver chevrons with red edging. Encryption with a number or a monogram for the name of the regiment, as well as with the traditional designations that existed in some units, was worn on shoulder straps only in peacetime. In the field, such encryptions were worn on muffs that could be easily removed from the shoulder straps. The collar pennant is ruby ​​red/blue with a white center stripe, surrounded by a silver non-commissioned officer's zigzag.

The corporal is armed with a rkm wz.28 light machine gun, which was a further development of the Belgian Browning automatic rifle of the 1928 model. The machine gunner has enlarged paired pouches, each pair is connected at the top.

1. Lieutenant of Infantry, 1939

2–3. Private infantry, 1939

1. Field hat-slingshot with an eagle, an overcoat of general cut for officers and lower ranks. There are officer stars on the shoulder straps. All infantrymen had a yellow-blue stripe across the corners of their collars. Officers, as a rule, wore good quality breeches and boots in the field, and if the officer had a horse, spurs were attached to the boots. British officer's uniform, brown leather. Over the left shoulder are the straps of the tablet and binoculars, over the right shoulder is the strap of the ViS pistol holster. Linen WSR gas mask bag with a fabric strap over the right shoulder.

2–3. Standard infantry uniforms and equipment are presented from the front and back. The Polish helmet of the 1931 model is painted with dark olive paint of the “salamander” type, to which fine cork chips have been added, creating a grainy surface texture. Helmets were supplied primarily to infantry units, but by 1939 some artillery and other units also received them. The winter woolen uniform of the 1936 model included straight trousers with short windings and lace-up boots of the 1934 model (sometimes the boots were made from undyed leather). A canvas satchel, model 1932, with a bowler hat, painted olive green or left unpainted, hanging from it. A part of a tent or a blanket was often wrapped around an overcoat, and the entire roll was attached to the backpack in the form of a horseshoe, covering it from above and from the sides. On the left side is a small sapper's shovel and a Mauser-type bayonet, along with a canvas bag of crackers from the 1933 model. On the right, they are balanced by a bag with a WSR gas mask of the same size and weight. There are three-section pouches on the front waist belt. It is interesting that among infantrymen the role of cavalry shoulder straps is played by the backpack straps. The weapon is a Polish-made Mauser rifle, in 1939 it was available in three main variants: the Model 1898 rifle, similar to the German 98a rifle, the Model 1898 carbine, and the Model 1929 carbine, similar to the German 98k. The infantry buttonholes are blue with yellow edging on the back side and a white zigzag. In combat conditions, buttonholes were not supposed to be worn.

1. Private of the 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment of the 10th Mechanized Brigade, 1939.

2. Tankman, 1939

3. Second lieutenant of the mountain rifle regiment of the 21st mountain division, 1939.

1. The only fully mechanized brigade in 1939 was nicknamed the “Black Brigade” because of its characteristic black leather coats with fabric collars and shoulder straps. The coats were sewn with a deep wrap to the right. The 10th Mechanized Brigade was perhaps the only Polish unit whose soldiers continued to wear German 1916-pattern helmets painted khaki in 1939. The black coat covered the usual cavalry uniform and breeches. Cavalry boots in the motorized artillery units of this brigade were decorated with symbolic spurs (stripes of metal around the heels); these decorative “spurs” were not worn in the field. All brigade officers wore the same “spurs” in their evening uniform. Note the cavalry leather outfit with Y-shaped shoulder straps.

2. Tank officers wore black leather coats or jackets, while ordinary tankers usually wore cloth overalls. The head is protected by a khaki-colored helmet, which is a Polish version of the French tank helmet; There were also helmets made in France. Weapon: ViS pistol. On the side is a box with an old French RSC gas mask.

3. In the 21st and 22nd mountain divisions, instead of a slingshot, they wore felt hats, traditional for the mountainous regions of Podhale in southern Poland. On the front of the hat there is a Polish military eagle and under it there is an asterisk indicating the rank of second lieutenant. On the side is the divisional emblem (“broken” cross-swastika on double twigs), with which an eagle feather is pinned to the hat. The division's emblem is also repeated on the collar of the cape, which replaced the overcoat in the mountain divisions. Collar of the cloak with infantry yellow and blue stripe. The cloak was often worn draped over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder free. In this picture, the holster of the ViS pistol and the saber, suspended from the waist belt, are not visible. The soldiers of the 21st Mountain Division wore “Hutsul” hats, traditional for the costumes of the inhabitants of the Eastern Carpathians.

1. Rifleman of the 4th Warsaw Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division, France, 1940.

2. Lieutenant of the 1st Grenadier Division, France. 1940

3. Rifleman of a separate mountain rifle brigade, Norway, 1940.

1. During the “Phantom War”, Polish soldiers in France were dressed in a motley mixture of old French uniforms of dusty blue color with different types of headdresses - caps, caps, berets. Only units of the 1st Grenadier and 2nd Infantry Divisions in the spring of 1940 began to receive French uniforms of the 1935 model in khaki. Some Polish infantry units received brown berets instead of khaki caps (bonnet de police). The Poles continued to wear emblems and insignia of their army, made of metal or compressed rubber, or sewn. Some received quadrangular French buttonholes, but in Polish colors: for example, for infantry, dark blue with yellow edging, but without a unit number. Units of the 2nd Infantry Division wore "bayonet" buttonholes in regimental colors. Cavalrymen and tankmen wore pennant-shaped buttonholes on their collars. The 10th Mechanized Brigade received the standard uniform and equipment of French tank crews. The French infantry helmet of the 1935 model was decorated with an image of a Polish eagle, which was either painted or was an applied plate; some specially ordered forehead plates for helmets.

Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Regiment wore a brown beret with the national emblem. On the left side of the beret was sewn a buttonhole in the regimental colors: light green, divided by a dark blue stripe. The same buttonholes were sewn on the collars of uniforms. There were no other distinctive signs. The standard French field uniform included a tunic, 1938 pattern golf trousers, windings and lace-up boots. Model 1939 pouches are supported by Y-shaped shoulder straps. A modified 1934 model backpack with a blanket in a roll, an ANP 31 gas mask on the left side, a provisions bag (musette) on the right side. The 1935 model flask was worn at the back, exactly in the middle of the belt. Armament - Berthier rifle model 1916.

2. The officer wears a cap with a Polish eagle. Under the eagle and on the left side of the cap there are two stars indicating the rank of lieutenant. The stars are also pinned to the shoulder straps of the French greatcoat. The officer wears a gas mask bag and an M1935A automatic pistol holster.

3. The mountain units were supposed to be equipped according to the model of the French Alpine riflemen, but in reality the picture was very diverse. An image of an eagle is painted on the helmet. Typically, mountain shooters wore khaki berets. Over their uniform, many wore a water-repellent canvas “motorcycle” jacket. Like the similar “motor parts jacket,” it was very popular: the jacket could be worn over a uniform for warmth. Instead of the traditional headdress of Polish mountain units - a French artillery helmet. Wrapped golf trousers are tucked into thick wool socks. The leather equipment is old, 1915, but the rifle is new - MAS 36. Gas mask bag on a shoulder strap.

1. Rifleman of the separate Carpathian Rifle Brigade, Tobruk, Libya, 1941.

2. Rifleman of the 6th Lviv Rifle Brigade of the 5th Kresovsky Infantry Division, Italy, autumn 1944.

3. Lieutenant of the 4th armored battalion "Scorpio" of the 2nd armored division, Italy, early 1945.

1. The uniform of the soldiers of the Carpathian Brigade differed from the British only in Polish insignia: the Poles wore the standard British tropical khaki uniform or field uniform for a temperate climate, cloth equipment of the 1937 model and were armed with British weapons. This soldier wore a khaki wool pullover over the shirt and shorts of his tropical uniform. On his feet are high golf socks and army boots with short canvas gaiters. The British-style helmet is sand-colored and decorated with an image of a Polish eagle on a red field. Rifle No. 1 Mk III SMLE.

2. The machine gunner is dressed in a British field uniform of the so-called “1940 model” with open buttons and pockets without bow folds. Standard cloth equipment from 1937. In Italy, soldiers sometimes wore Wellington boots to combat the fall slush. The camouflage net on the helmet is depicted as “torn” so that the Polish eagle can be seen. Small diamond-shaped buttonholes on the collar of a British field blouse in traditional Polish colors: in this case, infantry, blue with yellow piping. Under the national ribbon-patch in the upper part of the sleeve is the divisional emblem. Even lower, a white lion on a red and blue field is the emblem of the Lviv brigade. After Cassino, Poles began to wear the emblem of the British 8th Army on the upper right sleeve: a dark blue square patch with a white shield bearing a yellow cross. In preparation for the assault on Monte Cassino, they tried not to wear brigade or division emblems for reasons of secrecy. The soldier's weapon is a Bren light machine gun.

3. Black Royal Armored Corps beret with an embroidered Polish eagle above two stars denoting the rank of lieutenant. On the left side of the beret is the regimental emblem: a silver scorpion on a red diamond. The regimental buttonholes on the collar are metal, painted: a black and orange pennant-weathervane with a central red stripe, additionally decorated with an image of a scorpion made of white metal. On the shoulder straps are silver five-pointed stars. The divisional emblem on the left sleeve is sewn closely above a narrow red stripe, indicating the branch of service (in the British Army, belonging to the tank forces was indicated by a two-color stripe with a yellow front and red rear halves. The red stripe denoted infantry. - Ed.). This is what an officer might look like at a parade in the near rear: on the front line he would not wear his Virtuti Militari order. The cloth ammunition, including the pistol holster and pouch, was burnt almost white. The revolver is traditionally fastened to the shoulder with a cord. Light yellow tank gloves with cuffs. Officers preferred to wear pre-war field uniforms with hidden buttons.

1. Private, Polish separate parachute brigade, Netherlands, 1944.

2. Second Lieutenant, 24th Lancer Regiment, 1st Polish Armored Division, Northwestern Europe, 1944–1945.

3. Private, 10th Dragoons, 1st Polish Armored Division, Northwestern Europe, 1944–1945.

1. Polish paratroopers wore the same uniform and equipment as their English comrades: a helmet without a visor and a backplate, a field uniform, Denison landing overalls and equipment of the 1937 model, to which sometimes a rope was added to overcome obstacles. The paratrooper is armed with a Sten submachine gun. Only the yellow eagle on the helmet, dove-gray buttonholes with yellow edging and silver insignia common in parachute units indicate that they belonged to a Polish unit. In addition, the Polish paratroopers' uniform featured a light bluish-gray beret with the traditional Polish eagle and insignia (this headdress is not shown in the picture).

2. The earthy brown overalls of the Polish tank crews seemed to often have two hip pockets instead of one on the left thigh, like the British. The stars on the shoulder straps are the only thing that denotes the officer's dignity of this tanker. The collar of the combat jacket is pulled out over the overalls, and regimental buttonholes in the form of “Uhlan” weathervane badges are visible on it: for the 24th Uhlan Regiment they are white with a yellow central stripe. The Polish eagle and lieutenant's stars are embroidered on the black beret of British tank crews. The fabric equipment includes a tank open hip holster on a long fabric belt. Pay attention to the cord of the revolver, which was always fixed on the right shoulder, regardless of whether the holster was located on the right or left of the belt. Officers were required to wear brown boots.

3. The regiment was part of the 10th motorized cavalry brigade. The regimental buttonholes were crimson and orange, with a central green stripe. In memory of the Polish 10th Mechanized Brigade in 1939, the regiment was left with a black shoulder strap and a cord on the left shoulder. At the top of the left sleeve there was a national ribbon-patch, below it was the emblem of the 1st Armored Division. On the right sleeve, instead of the divisional one, there is a regimental emblem: on a blue shield is the St. Andrew's cross and the coat of arms of the Scottish city of Lanark, where the soldiers of the 10th regiment were trained. There is an eagle on the helmet, equipment of the 1937 model, a field uniform of the 1940 model, weapons - a Thompson submachine gun.

Home Army, August 1944

The Home Army rebels did not have a uniform uniform. Whenever possible, civilian clothing was supplemented with elements of Polish pre-war uniforms or captured German uniforms. At the very beginning of the uprising, a large German uniform warehouse was captured, and the rebels were given many sets of various camouflage uniforms; These "panthers" were very popular. All rebels wore a red and white armband, sometimes additionally depicting the emblems of the units, the Polish eagle, the letter WP (Wojsko Polskie) or an abbreviation for the name of the unit. Sometimes a large Polish eagle was painted on the helmets in white instead of the white and red ribbon shown in Figure 1. This insurgent is dressed in civilian clothes and armed with a homemade flamethrower. Soldier (2) is part of one of the Boy Scout companies. He is wearing a black German cap with a Polish eagle and a "panther" - in this case, a double-sided winter army camouflage top with a Wehrmacht "blur" pattern. He is armed with a Blyskawica submachine gun (lightning) - a Polish analogue of the English Sten submachine gun, of course, much less reliable than the prototype. The courier girl (3) wears an army camouflage jacket with a splintered pattern. Goggles were necessary to protect the eyes from toxic fumes when wading through sewer pipes. Most of the couriers were unarmed, only a few had small-caliber pistols, unsuitable for serious fighting.

From the editor: Pro-Soviet partisan detachments also operated in Poland, under the control of the Krajowa Rada Narodowa. By her decree on January 1, 1944, the Army of Ludova (literally the People's Army) was created. Organization of the Ludova Army at the beginning of 1944:

1st district "Warsaw" (partisan formation "Imeni Chvartakov"); 2nd district “Warsaw - Lewa Podmieska” (two groups, including “Name after K. Pulaski”); 3rd district “Warsaw - Prawa Podmieska” (partisan formations “Yastrzab”, “Jurek”, “Zygmund”, “Imeni Słowacki”, “Dąbrowski”); 18th district "Plock" (groups "Czarny", "Maly", "Kuba", "Waszczyk", "Lasek", "Ryszard", "Macek", "Zelazny"), II district "Lubelski" - main apartment partisan formations (1st partisan brigade “Name of Zhemi Lubelskaya”, partisan formations “Armata”, “Stara”, “Yanovsky”, “Egyer”, partisan battle “Name of Kholod”); III district "Radomsko-Kelecki" (partisan battalion "Name of General Bem"; partisan formations "Name of B. Glowacki", "Name of Zawisza Cherny", "Name of I. Sovinsky", "Name of D. Chakhovsky", "Name of M. Langevich ", "Name after V. Lukaschinsky", "Garbati"); District IV “Krakow” (partisan formations “Hadek Podhalański”, “Gutek”, “Stefan Kola”, “Zygmund”, “Stanko”); District V “Słasko-Dąbrowski” (partisan formations “Imeni Marcin”, “Kvasny”, “Klusovnik”).

1. Private of the 1st Infantry Division. T. Kosciuszko, 1945

2. Tanker of the 1st Polish armored brigade “Heroes of Westerplatte”, Polish Army, 1944–1945.

3. Private of the 1st Infantry Division. T. Kosciuszko, 1945

1. When the formation of units of the Polish Army began in Selets in 1943, the soldiers received Soviet uniforms. But for political reasons, a special uniform later appeared, more reminiscent of the Polish uniform of the 1936 model. A uniform with a turn-down collar, breeches, boots or boots with windings were complemented by a slingshot or “confederate” with a square crown. A Soviet-style helmet, the equipment is also Soviet, leather. The color of the uniform varied, most often it was grayish-green, but there was also a regular one - khaki. The new uniform never replaced the Soviet one. The khaki overcoat was reminiscent of the pre-war Polish overcoat in cut, but standard Soviet overcoats were often used. The soldier is armed with a DP light machine gun, which the Poles nicknamed “gramophones.” A Soviet-style helmet with a white Polish eagle, but for political reasons - without the traditional crown and shield. In Poland, when soldiers of the Polish Army appeared there, such eagles were called “plucked chickens.” Many soldiers continued to use the pre-war emblems, cutting off the crowns from them, and later began commercial production of eagles without a crown. The buttonholes have a new triangular shape, but the infantry colors (blue and yellow) remain the same: confirmed by two orders from 1943 and 1945. At first, infantrymen wore buttonholes with a blue half over a yellow one, and the reverse color combination was given to armor-piercing units. In 1945, the color combination on the buttonholes was reversed in the infantry.

2. A khaki-colored uniform is worn over a tank overall, tucked into boots with short tops. The headdress is a black Soviet summer tank helmet. There were also dark blue overalls and helmets. Model 1935 TT pistol. Specialized units of the Polish Army - tank crews, sappers, etc. - preferred to wear more standard elements of Soviet uniforms and equipment.

3. Mismatches in the colors of the fabric of the headdress, uniform, breeches and overcoat were common. High boots and Soviet-style equipment, including fabric pouches for three magazines for PPSh-41 each. Instead of the Soviet helmets of the 1940 model, the Poles more often wore slingshots, wearing them even in winter, although they were given fur hats with earflaps. The insignia is the same as in Figure 1. The insignia by rank generally remained the same as in the pre-war army. There were only minimal differences: for example, the stars could be yellow rather than white metal, and white thread was used for embroidery instead of silver thread.

One of the most important aspects of the concluded pact was the agreement on the formation of a number of units of the Polish Army on Soviet territory. They were to be staffed by more than 200,000 Polish prisoners of war located on the territory of the USSR. These units were led by former cavalryman General Vladislav Anders. These troops soon became another problem in the Poles' relationship with the Soviet Union. Polish prisoners of war were a crowd of half-starved, ragged people, exhausted by war and captivity. It was very difficult to form combat-ready units from them, especially since the Soviet Union itself experienced a serious shortage of weapons and equipment. In addition, among the prisoners of war, a significant proportion were officers, with a shortage of privates. However, the Soviet side insisted that Polish units take at least a symbolic part in the war as soon as possible, and demanded that Anders form at least one Polish division as quickly as possible and send it to the front. Having such a poorly equipped division would have brought little real benefit and would have resulted in many deaths. The Soviet government insisted that the first Polish division be formed by October 1941, but by this time the 5th Kresovskaya Division was still in rags, and 40% of the soldiers did not have shoes. Politicians talked about the unity and mutual understanding of the allies, and soldiers had to sacrifice their lives for the interests of a foreign state that had just violated the treaty and now refused to recognize their rights to the lands on which their ancestors had lived for centuries. Anders, who was under pressure from the NKVD, nevertheless shared the beliefs of his soldiers and refused to send Polish units into battle, citing a lack of equipment.

Soldiers of the 5th Infantry Division (from June 1943 - Kresovskaya) at the parade, Saratov, USSR, December 1941. Soon the unit was transported to the Middle East, and later its soldiers fought in Italy near Monte Cassino. Horses of soldiers of the banner group of the steppe breed. The uniform is a mixture of elements of Polish and Soviet uniforms.

During the negotiations, the Soviet side admitted that it was not able to adequately equip all Polish units, and it was decided to transport some of them to Great Britain and Iran, where the British side could help equip them. Relations between the Polish and Soviet sides continued to deteriorate, especially since the Poles began to openly accuse the Soviet side of opposing the formation of their units. In particular, Stalin denied the Poles the right to enlist in the Polish Army Ukrainians, Belarusians and Jews who had Polish citizenship before 1939 and lived in Polish territories seized in favor of the USSR. It seemed that the situation was already getting out of control, but in 1942, American and British diplomats were able to convince Stalin to send Polish units to Central Asia. Thanks to this, the Soviet Union was able to release six infantry divisions, which served as occupation forces in Iran together with British units. Western diplomats assured that in this case it would be easier to equip Polish units and then send them to fight the Nazis - either on the Soviet-German front, or somewhere else. By that time, the Soviet government had already begun to openly accuse the Poles of not wanting to fight against the Germans. At the same time, Soviet leaders refused to take into account any statements by the Poles regarding the actions of the Soviets and the Nazis to partition Poland in 1939, as well as to talk about the prospects for the return of occupied Polish territories, including the most important city of Lvov. By the spring of 1943, approximately 115,000 Polish military personnel and members of their families were sent to the Middle East. This was only a small part of the one and a half million Poles who were at that time in Soviet camps as prisoners of war and deportees, detained during the period of “decolonization” of the eastern regions of the country carried out by the NKVD units.

Soldiers of the separate Carpathian Rifle Brigade look out for German planes in the sky, the defense of Tobruk. British-style uniforms and equipment; Poles could be distinguished only by specific insignia, and sometimes by the image of an eagle on a helmet, inscribed in a red oval shield. By the stripes on the shoulder straps, you can determine that the machine gunner on the left has the rank of corporal.

The Poles arrived in Central Asia just at the moment when relations between the Polish and Soviet governments were strained to the limit. The Germans discovered graves with the remains of 4,000 Polish officers in the area of ​​the small town of Katyn. The Poles believed that both Nazis and Soviet units could be guilty of this massacre. Moreover, the suspicions against the Soviet security officers looked more convincing because the Soviet side refused to provide explanations regarding the fate of 15,000 Polish officers captured by the Red Army in 1939. If they really fell into the hands of the Nazis, then why didn’t the Soviets simply make this fact public? The Poles secured an investigation under the auspices of the International Red Cross. The Soviet government regarded this as a reason to break off diplomatic relations and accused the Poles of colluding with the Nazis. The Soviet government expected that the post-war leadership of Poland should be “friendly” towards the USSR, in other words, be formed in accordance with Stalin’s wishes. As a sign of friendly intentions, the Soviet Union demanded that the Sikorski government recognize the Soviet annexation of half the territory of pre-war Poland in exchange for a small part of German lands that were supposed to be taken from Germany during the post-war reconstruction of Europe. Both Churchill and Roosevelt agreed to these proposals at meetings in Tehran and Yalta. The foreign policy of the United States and Great Britain was dominated by a friendly attitude towards the USSR, in addition, Churchill and Roosevelt tried to appease Stalin at a time when Soviet troops bore the brunt of the war on the ground fronts. Public opinion in Great Britain and the United States was pro-Soviet, and Poland’s position seemed like some kind of funny incident, the product of blind anti-Bolshevism and even anti-Semitism. It was an unfair position, but many Americans and Britons at the time naively believed in the idea of ​​a “Soviet paradise”, which crumbled much later when they became aware of the atrocities committed by Stalinism. The breakdown of relations between the Polish government and Stalin was a tragedy; The Soviet side was given the opportunity to form its own puppet Polish government in Moscow. It, in turn, announced the creation of its own army, which was supposed to fight side by side with Soviet troops instead of Anders' army.

Meanwhile, the Polish army returned to the battlefields again, although this concerned only a small part of it. In September 1941, the Carpathian Brigade of General Stanislav Kopanski was transferred to Egypt to participate in the defense of Tobruk. The brigade was formed in 1939 in Syria from Polish soldiers who arrived in the Middle East through the Balkans. After the fall of France, the brigade came under the control of the British army.

The brigade consisted of three infantry battalions and a cavalry regiment (equal in size to a battalion). The brigade defended the western part of the Tobruk perimeter, and during the December breakthrough managed to push back the Italian Brescia division and occupy Akroma. At the Battle of Gazala, the Poles acted side by side with New Zealand units. At the beginning of 1942, the brigade was returned to Palestine, where its personnel were used to form and equip new units from the Polish military arriving from the USSR.

In June 1943, General Sikorsky died in a plane crash over Gibraltar. This was a very big loss, since Sikorski was one of the few influential Poles who enjoyed equal confidence among both his compatriots and the governments of the United States and Great Britain. There was no other leader of the same caliber. Command of the army passed to General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, and Stanislaw Mikolajczyk became prime minister of the Polish government in exile.

Polish II Corps in Italy, 1944–1945.

Anders' army was stationed in Palestine, Iraq and Iran. Army personnel were used to form the Polish II Corps, as well as to replenish the Polish I Corps deployed in Scotland. There were no prospects for the Poles to quickly return to combat units: they were tormented by malaria, they were poorly equipped and exhausted. The training continued from the autumn of 1942 until the autumn of 1943. During this period, Polish troops were used by British counterintelligence as cover, which was supposed to convince the Germans that the British were preparing an invasion of the Balkans. The Poles themselves believed that there was some truth in this: they were ready to take part in the landing operation in Greece or Yugoslavia as part of the allied army in order to then liberate Poland and Central Europe before the approach of Soviet troops. But in 1943 this plan was finally rejected as too risky.

Montenegro, March 3, 1944. Armored personnel carriers of the 3rd platoon of the headquarters company of the 3rd battalion of the 1st brigade of the 3rd Carpathian line division carefully move forward. The platoon commander, armed with a Thompson submachine gun, walks next to the armored personnel carrier, not letting go of his cigarette. The advanced armored personnel carrier is armed with a 14 mm Boys anti-tank rifle.

The three main units of the Polish II Corps were the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division, the backbone of which was the Kopanski veterans who participated in the battle of Tobruk; The 5th Kresovka Infantry Division, transferred to Iraq and Egypt, and the 2nd Separate Armored Brigade, which was deployed to the Warsaw Armored Division in 1945. In September 1943, II Corps began redeploying to Italy and deploying to positions in the Sangro River area. The activity of the Polish units was limited only to participation in patrols: the 8th British Army tried in every possible way to hide the reinforcements arriving at it from the Germans, preparing for the spring offensive on Rome. In May 1944, II Corps was moved into position to take part in the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino. The Poles were given the most difficult task of storming the monastery itself. Three previous assaults were repulsed with huge losses; The monastery was located high in the rocky hills and provided an ideal defensive position, which was defended by soldiers of the 1st Parachute Division. Unlike previous attempts, this time it was decided to launch the offensive immediately along the entire Gustav Line with the joint efforts of the 8th British and 5th American armies. The British XIII Corps, under the command of Lieutenant General Oliver Lees, was to launch an attack into the Liri valley behind the monastery to force the Germans to abandon their position on the hill.

In the early morning of May 12, 1944, after an artillery barrage that lasted two and a half hours, the Kresovsky Division launched an attack on San Angelo and the Carpathian Rifles on Hill 593. The artillery fire was less effective than expected, and Polish losses began to quickly increase. The Carpathian riflemen reached the sharp ridge of height 593, but within a few hours of battle they lost 20% of their personnel. In the evening Liedere withdrew his bloodless units to their original positions. Although the area was not cleared of the enemy, General Lees expressed gratitude to the Poles, emphasizing that without their sacrifices the British advance through the Rapido River valley would not have been successful. The Polish II Corps drew back enemy reserves and artillery that would otherwise have fallen on the XIII Corps. On May 16, the XIII Corps managed to almost completely cut off the monastery from the main German forces, and on May 17, the Poles again entered the battle, this time supported by Sherman tanks from the Polish 2nd Armored Brigade. By nightfall they were on the crest of height 593, which dominated the monastery. That night, the surviving German paratroopers began to retreat so as not to be captured, and on May 18, the Poles pulled up their rearguard units. On this day, the 12th Podolsk Uhlan Regiment hoisted the red and white Polish flag over the Monte Cassino monastery.

During the week of fighting, II Corps suffered heavy casualties: 4,199 men, 25% of whom were killed. The number of those out of action was approximately 25% of the total strength of the two divisions that were part of the corps.

After the Battle of Cassino, II Corps took part in the offensive along the Adriatic coast, capturing Ancona on April 20, 1944, and Bologna in April 1945. The II Corps had barely emerged from the battle in the area of ​​Senio and Bologna when the Poles learned of the results of the Yalta Conference. It became clear that the British and American governments agreed with the territorial claims of the USSR. This was a blow to most of the soldiers of the II Corps: they were from the eastern voivodeships of Poland, which were falling to the Soviet Union. The sacrifices and suffering made by the soldiers seemed in vain. True to their obligations to their allies, the Poles ended the Italian campaign with honor, but they fought with a heavy heart. Like Dombrowski’s legion, which fought in Italy during the Napoleonic era, they could no longer hope to be lucky enough to march through their native streets after the end of the war.

I Corps in Northwestern Europe, 1944–1945

The Polish I Corps was smaller in number than the second. Its main combat units were the Polish 1st Armored Division (the core of which was General Maczek's 10th Mechanized Brigade) and General Stanislaw Sosabowski's separate parachute brigade. I Corps was also responsible for the formation and training of commando groups, which were sent to the territory of occupied France and Poland to interact with partisan detachments.

The Polish 1st Armored Division, together with the Canadian II Corps, was part of the 21st Army Group. She landed in Normandy and on August 8, 1944 took part in a major tank battle during the breakthrough at Caen. The division was positioned at the forefront of the 21st Army Group's advance and advanced rapidly to lead the British-Canadian forces. The division bypassed Falaise and was close to closing the encirclement of German troops in Normandy, capturing the road junction near Chambois and Hill 262. The Germans found themselves locked in the Falaise cauldron: Polish, Canadian and British troops were advancing from the north, and American troops from the south. The Poles, who had become separated from the main Allied forces during the offensive, found themselves in the path of the German troops, who were trying to break out of the encirclement. The positions at Mont-Ormel became the scene of fierce fighting. Parts of the 1st Polish Armored Division had to withdraw to the south and link up with the Americans, and some units managed to link up with other Polish troops operating to the north. Eventually the gap in the Allied defenses was closed, and it is not surprising that the fighting zone became known as “dead land.” The roads, clogged with retreating German motorized columns and horse-drawn convoys, were constantly subject to Allied air raids and artillery shelling. In the battle of Falaise, the Poles suffered heavy losses: about 2000 people, that is, 20% of the personnel, and more than a hundred tanks, which amounted to approximately 40% of the tank fleet.

A mountain patrol from the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division prepares to enter the Agnone-Carpinone area, March 29, 1944. The soldiers are dressed in white camouflage overalls with hoods, khaki caps with large sun visors and woolen earmuffs. Brown canvas vests (apparently made in Canada) can accommodate spare magazines for a Bren light machine gun. Soldiers use mountain goggles; Skis were often used in the mountains. Armament - British SMLE rifles and Mils grenades.

Among the tens of thousands of captured Wehrmacht soldiers taken at Falaise, there were several thousand Poles who immediately agreed to change their German uniforms to English-style uniforms. In this unusual way, the 1st Armored Division was able to make up for its losses. The battle of Falaise was a key one, giving the Allies the opportunity to quickly further advance into France. The losses of the German side in manpower, and especially in equipment, turned out to be irreparable. The role of the Poles in the battle turned out to be decisive. As Montgomery noted on this occasion, the Allies caught the Germans in a “bottle”, and the Poles acted as a cork.

The crew of a Sherman tank of the Polish 1st Armored Division before the breakthrough of the Cap, August 8, 1944. The Poles chat cheerfully with the sergeant of the 42nd Scottish Regiment "Black Watch" (in the center, with a scarf around his neck). Tankers wear khaki protective overalls. The division emblems began to be worn later: not a single soldier in this photo has them.

After the bloody battle of Falaise, the Poles no longer had to participate in such difficult battles. After a short rest for replenishment and reinforcement, the 1st Armored Division was sent to Holland, where it operated in the Saint-Nichlas area, taking part in the crossing of the Axel-Hulst Canal. The division then took part in the liberation of dozens of Dutch cities, among which the most important were Breda and Merdik. The last page in the division's combat chronicle was the capture of the German port of Wilhelmshaven.

The Polish I Corps never operated as an independent unit. The second unit of the corps - the 1st separate parachute brigade - was formed in England with the purpose of landing on Polish territory to interact with the Resistance forces, which were supposed to start an armed uprising. In the summer of 1944, just before the start of the uprising, the British command suddenly changed plans and decided to use the brigade on the Western Front. Naturally, the Polish paratroopers had to obey the orders of the command. The brigade was planned to be used in several small landing operations after the Normandy landings, but they never took place. It was not until September 1944 that the brigade was deployed during Operation Market Garden.

Crew of a three-inch mortar of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division in the area of ​​​​Mount Croce, March 11, 1944. Divisional emblems (on the sleeve of the soldier in the foreground) at the front line preferred to be paired. The emblem of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division is a white and red square with a green spruce. British style field uniform and equipment.

Initially, Polish paratroopers were supposed to be deployed two days after the start of the operation, as a reinforcement of the 1st British Airborne Division, whose task was to capture the bridges in Arnhem. The commander of the Polish brigade, General Sosabowski, was literally horrified when he got acquainted with the detailed plans for the British landing operation: in his opinion, it was disgustingly planned and completely insufficiently supported. Nevertheless, he had to yield under pressure from both the government and his paratroopers, for whom this operation seemed to be perhaps the only opportunity to take part in real battles after long and difficult exercises. Due to bad weather, the brigade's landing was delayed for three days. But even by this time, Urquhart’s 1st Airborne Division, which had previously landed in Arnhem, was unable to complete its tasks, in particular, it was unable to capture the zone intended for the landing of the Polish brigade. In addition, the British paratroopers lost radio contact with the main forces and were unable to inform the British Air Force command about the current situation. As a result, the Polish brigade was thrown onto the opposite bank of the river from the one occupied by the British, directly into the Germans’ location. Many Polish paratroopers were shot in the air, and the survivors had to seize their own bridgehead. Despite several unsuccessful attempts, they were never able to reinforce Urquhart's units, and on September 25, the remnants of the 1st British Airborne Division were withdrawn across the river. During the fighting, the Polish brigade lost 590 people, more than 25% of its personnel.

A patrol from the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division was located in a crater next to a damaged Italian-made StuG M42 mil 75/34 85l(i) assault gun (these self-propelled guns were in service with some Wehrmacht units). District of Castel Bolognese, 13 February 1945. On the right sleeve the national ribbon-patch is visible and below it is the emblem of the British 8th Army. On the left sleeve the soldiers wore the division emblem.

By the end of the war, the Polish army on the Western Front numbered about a quarter of a million soldiers. In addition to the units that took part in the battles, several more divisions and tank brigades were formed, but they did not have to take active action. The Polish army was more of a symbolic force, like other armies in exile. And yet, Polish troops participated in many major operations, often the Poles were given the most difficult tasks, associated with heavy losses. The Polish contribution to the war is all the more significant because Polish soldiers had to face enormous difficulties before they could reach the army that was forming in exile. But in the end, their efforts were in vain. By 1945, it became clear that the United States and Great Britain had agreed to transfer half of the territory of pre-war Poland to the USSR, giving it a small area of ​​​​German lands in return. They also agreed with the formation of a puppet coalition government, acting under pressure from the communists. The Soviet Union could not allow the Polish divisions formed in the West to return to Poland in full force. These units continued to exist until 1947, but then it became finally clear that no one needed them. The new Polish communist government allowed the soldiers to return to their homeland as private citizens, but very few took advantage of this opportunity. After five years in a foreign land, many lost contact with their homeland and families, and their return did not bring joy. Many in their native land ended up in camps, where they remained until 1956. Most Poles remained in England, although there is not a single large city in North or South America, or Australia, where a society of veterans of the Polish Army did not exist.

Unidentified Home Army partisan unit, Eastern Poland. The woman wears a Polish army overcoat, most of the men wear slingshots.

ARMY UNDERGROUND

The history of the numerous disparate resistance groups operating in Poland during the German occupation is very complex. Due to the length requirements of the book, we will limit ourselves to only the briefest notes.

Resistance to the invaders on Polish territory began immediately after the occupation. It was caused not only by long-standing freedom-loving traditions, but also provoked by the inhuman cruelty of the occupiers. The German plans, of which no one made a secret, provided for the destruction of the entire Jewish population and the Polish national elite, and the rest of the population was supposed to be used as slaves, deporting the labor force to various areas of the Reich. In total, during the years of occupation, one and a half million Poles were deported - approximately seven percent of the country's population (excluding Jews and prisoners of war). In 1940, all Polish Jews were herded into ghettos, in which hundreds of thousands of people died, and from 1942, the remainder began to be transferred to death camps.

An officer and radio operator of the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, after an unsuccessful landing, try to make out the positions of the 1st British Airborne Division in the Arnhem area on the other side of the Rhine, September 1944. The Poles wear the standard British airborne uniform, differing only in insignia and emblems on the helmet.

Despite strong anti-Soviet sentiments, Poland was one of the few occupied European countries whose representatives did not serve in the volunteer units of the SS troops on the Soviet-German front. The Germans also failed to form a collaborationist Polish government. The extreme cruelty of the Nazis in the territory of Wormwood could not be compared with their behavior in the occupied countries of Western Europe. For every German soldier killed, the occupiers executed ten Poles. Anyone who helped a Jew was subject to the death penalty, and hundreds of Poles paid with their lives for such “crimes.” In total, about three million Jews and three million Polish citizens of other nationalities died during the years of occupation.

The situation in the Soviet zone of occupation was different, but no less grave. About 1,200,000 Poles (mostly political figures, civil servants, military personnel, and representatives of the educated middle class) were imprisoned in Stalin's camps. The Soviet NKVD, which had more experience than Hitler's Gestapo, posed a much greater threat to the Resistance movement than the Nazi administration.

General K. Sosnkowski, who became the commander-in-chief of the Polish army after the death of Sikorski in 1943, congratulates the second lieutenant of the Carpathian Rifle Division. Next to Sosnkowski is the commander of the Polish II Corps, General W. Anders. Both generals wear corresponding buttonholes and shoulder straps; Sosnkovsky has rank insignia sewn on his cap. Sosnkowski has the emblem of the 3rd Division on his sleeve, and Anders has the emblem of the 2nd Corps - a white Warsaw mermaid on a red shield. Anders usually wore a black tank beret with an eagle and insignia. Please note that both generals pinned the full Virtuti Militari order to their uniforms instead of the usual order bar.

By 1943, most of the Resistance groups belonging to various political movements became part of the Home Army ( AK), which had almost 300,000 members and supported the Sikorski government. The ultranationalists from the NSZ and the communists from the Ludovo Guard had noticeably smaller forces. Strategy of the Home Army in 1939–1943. was based on the rejection of large-scale guerrilla warfare. The underground gathered forces for subsequent major operations. Unlike, for example, Yugoslavia, the territory of Poland is a flat area with a relatively small number of shelters. In addition, large transport arteries feeding the Soviet-German front passed through the country. Therefore, the German command kept quite large forces in Poland. But even under these conditions, the Resistance movement in Poland was more active than in Western European countries. In 1942, the monthly losses of the German army from the actions of Polish partisans averaged 250-320 people, and by the beginning of 1944 - 850-1700.

The Jews driven into the ghetto did not at first dare to take serious action against the Germans, fearing a general deterioration of the situation. However, the first mass deportations of Jews to the Treblinka concentration camp in July 1942 convinced even those who were hesitant that there were no prospects. In the Warsaw ghetto, a right-wing Zionist group ZZW formed, which included about 400 people who had light weapons and gained experience in handling them. After July 1942, the center-left group ZOB was formed, which established cooperation with the Home Army; Some of the weapons were transferred by the Poles, some were purchased on the black market. In total, the ZOB included about 600 militants, armed almost exclusively with pistols and with no combat training. Both Jewish groups acted independently and hardly coordinated their actions. When the Germans tried to transport the remaining ghetto population to Treblinka on April 19, 1943, both groups rebelled. Street fighting lasted for several days, and after most of the ghetto was destroyed and the rebels lost shelters on the surface, the survivors went into underground communications, from where they made separate forays for another month. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was one of the most heroic actions in the history of the European Resistance: about a thousand young men and women, armed almost exclusively with pistols and grenades, fought against the SS men for a whole month.

The leadership of the Home Army intended to raise a national uprising; its plans were developed under the code name “Storm”. The uprising was to begin in the east and gradually spread to more and more territory to the west as the German troops retreated. The goal of the uprising was to prevent the Nazis from carrying out the “scorched earth” tactics, to accelerate the advance of the advancing Soviet units through the territory of Polynya, and also to show the world community that the Home Army and the Polish government in London are the true representatives of Poland. Plan "Storm" began to operate simultaneously with the beginning of the spring offensive of the Soviet troops in 1944. The rebels were led by Tadeusz Komorowski, nicknamed Bur. Tens of thousands of rebels attacked German units, especially in the eastern regions of the country, but the uprising had almost no real impact on the course of the war. Supplies of weapons to the rebels were insignificant. A significant part of the weapons left in caches back in 1939 turned out to be unusable by 1944. Due to technical and political differences between the allies, the Poles received very little weapons and ammunition via air bridges: only about 350 tons (for comparison, the French Resistance movement received 10,000 tons, and the few Greek partisans received about 5,000 tons). Home Army units in the territory liberated by Soviet troops were usually forcibly disbanded, and their personnel were transferred to the Polish Army (more about it in the next chapter). The Storm plan was not supported in the West for political reasons.

A machine gunner armed with a Bren machine gun monitors the movement of vehicles of the 1st Polish Armored Division in the Gilza area (Holland, early 1945). On the sleeve of the overcoat there is the division emblem and the national ribbon-patch. The unit's emblem can also be seen on the white rectangle next to the left mudguard of the armored personnel carrier. On the mudguard itself there is a red abbreviation PL in a white oval.

In the summer of 1944, the Red Army approached Warsaw. The Soviet leadership launched a propaganda campaign aimed, on the one hand, at denigrating the Home Army as an accomplice of the Western powers, and on the other, at calling on the Poles to fight against the Germans. The leadership of the Home Army decided to start an uprising in Warsaw itself, given that the Soviet army was already on the outskirts of the city. The Army leaders hoped to capture the city before the arrival of Soviet troops in order to force the USSR government to consider itself as a real force, and to hold Warsaw until the Western allies recognized it as a valid representative of the Polish people.

A machine gun detachment of the Home Army on the streets of the Warsaw suburb of Prague at the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising on September 1, 1944. You can distinguish a variety of types of machine guns, including the Browning rkm and the German MO 15. Civilian clothing with elements of a military uniform, all with white on the left sleeve - red bandages.

The uprising plan had many serious shortcomings. Many secret weapons warehouses were located outside the city and turned out to be practically inaccessible. The planning of the operation was carried out in a hurry and turned out to be ill-conceived. The forecast of the actions of the German and Soviet sides was based on plausible, but turned out to be false data. The significance of the withdrawal of the German administration from Warsaw at the end of July, as well as the role of the assassination attempt on Hitler in July 1944, was overestimated. The rebels did not know about the arrival of powerful German reinforcements. It was completely incomprehensible why the Soviet command had to take the city by storm, since the Soviet troops already had several convenient bridgeheads on the western bank of the Vistula. In addition, the Poles underestimated Stalin's political cunning. Essentially, the only reason for the start of the uprising was emotion: the traditional Polish willingness to take up arms to defend the symbols of their homeland. In fact, the leadership of the Home Army led the spontaneous uprising.

The immediate reason that prompted the order to march on the afternoon of August 1, 1944, were reports of Soviet tanks that were seen in the Warsaw suburb of Prague, as well as rumors about the Germans preparing to deport the entire male population of the city. The Home Army forces in Warsaw reached 40,000 people, although no more than 5,000 of them were even decently armed. Nevertheless, the Poles were able to quickly dislodge the German garrison and capture almost the entire city - with the exception of a few positions that later turned out to be key and allowed the Germans to seize the initiative. Attempts to capture Oketse airport ended in failure. The Germans also held Prague, part of the city on the eastern bank of the Vistula, preventing the rebels from capturing any of the bridges.

Sapper unit of the 1st Infantry Division of the Polish Army before the battle, Belarus. Soviet-style uniform with Soviet-made slingshots.

Ignoring the British plans for limited supplies of weapons to the Home Army, the rebels persistently demanded that London deliver weapons and ammunition by air. The leadership of the Home Army did not share the jubilation that reigned on the streets of Warsaw. Soviet troops still did not appear. The Poles could not have known that the tanks spotted near Prague were just part of a small reconnaissance group. They, like the main forces of the Soviet troops, were withdrawn 40 km to the east, where they were forced to repel the German counter-offensive. Units of the Red Army reached Warsaw already at the end of the offensive and, even if they wanted, could not help the uprising. Hitler, enraged by the assassination attempt that had just been made on him, ordered Warsaw to be wiped off the face of the earth, destroying its entire population, including all women and children. In addition to regular units of the Wehrmacht and SS troops, SS police companies, as well as SS units staffed by traitors from among former citizens of the USSR, were transferred to Warsaw. Among the punitive forces, the most notorious were the Dirlewanger SS assault brigade, staffed by Germans and criminals, as well as the 29th SS Grenadier Division (the so-called Kaminsky brigade), which consisted of people from the “Bryansk forests”.

Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. T. Kosciuszko at a training camp in Seltse near Moscow, summer 1943. Poles wear pre-war insignia, but for political reasons, images of eagles without a crown and shield. The uniform is gray-green or khaki. Most soldiers are armed with Shpagin submachine guns.

August 5 was the first day of the nightmare. On this day, units of the Dirlewanger and Kaminsky brigades, having a 5:1 advantage, attacked the weakly defended Wola area. They did not capture many streets, but a large number of civilians fell into their hands. The drunken invaders committed a real massacre. It is estimated that around 10,000 men, women and children were executed that day. On August 6, SS-Obergruppenführer von dem Bach-Zelewski took command of the German units in Warsaw. Even this stern general, who participated in punitive operations, was shocked by the atrocities committed in Wola. Kaminsky's brigade was removed from its positions, and he himself was shot. Dirlewanger, a maniac killer and pedophile, escaped Kaminsky's fate only thanks to his patrons in the SS leadership. The Germans changed tactics. Bomb disposal teams were called in to help. With the help of remote-controlled Goliath demolition carts, barricades were destroyed. Artillery shelling and dive-bomber raids caused heavy casualties among the civilian population.

Poorly armed and equipped, the Poles left without food simply begged the British to drop them at least some weapons. Several attempts were made, but the British, South African and Polish transport crews suffered heavy losses and the Allies abandoned further attempts to establish an air bridge to Warsaw. Polish pilots flew to the last, but losses in people and machines led to the complete disappearance of their squadron. Stalin refused to give the Allies an air corridor through the territory of the Soviet Union. He first declared that the uprising had already been crushed, and later branded the Home Army as “criminal.” The Americans were stunned by such duplicity. Churchill continued to insist, but the ill Roosevelt did not persist.

The fighting continued for another month, but on September 9 the Poles began negotiations on the terms of surrender. Meanwhile, the Red Army went on the offensive, Prague was captured, and on September 13, Soviet units reached the eastern bank of the Vistula. On the same day, the Americans received Stalin's permission to use the air corridor to deliver food and equipment to Warsaw through the territory of the Soviet Union. However, at that time most of the city was already in Nazi hands, and a significant number of dumped containers ended up not with the Poles, but with the Germans. It is unclear why Stalin changed his mind. Some believe that he did this under pressure from the British or Polish communists. Other, more cynical historians believe that he simply wanted to “teach a lesson” to the Home Army.

Units of the Polish Army made several attempts to cross the Vistula in the Warsaw area, but all of them ended in failure and brought heavy losses. Soviet night aviation also organized the delivery of ammunition, but the scale was clearly insufficient. By the end of September there was no longer any hope for a Soviet offensive. On October 4, the command of the Home Army announced the surrender of Warsaw. The Allies immediately told the German government that the rebels should have prisoner of war status, threatening harsh sanctions.

Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. T. Kosciuszko in the carriages before being sent to the front, where they will receive a baptism of fire in the Lenino region. The uniform and equipment are Soviet, the insignia is Polish. The soldiers are armed with Mosin rifles.

The suppression of the Warsaw Uprising meant the end of the Home Army, with the exception of small groups in the western regions of the country. It was finally disbanded in October 1944. When the Soviet army liberated Warsaw in January 1945, it was a ghost town. The entire population was deported, and the few surviving houses were blown up by the Nazis during the retreat.

Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. Full marching equipment, Soviet helmets of the 1940 model with a white Piast eagle.

POLISH ARMY

Of the 200,000 Polish soldiers captured by the Red Army in 1939, about 70,000 left with Anders. Among them were the vast majority of surviving officers. However, many of those who remained were pro-Soviet: they either believed that Poland should come to terms with the loss of part of its territories and, to some extent, sovereignty, receiving compensation in the form of German territories, or they were staunch communists and adherents of Stalinist ideas. The remainder of the Polish officers urged Stalin to form a pro-Soviet Polish Army. At first he was not inclined to do this, but the situation changed with the break with the Sikorski government after the Katyn scandal. As a result, the formation of an alternative pro-Soviet government began on the basis of a group of Polish communists - the Union of Polish Patriots ( ZPP), operating in Moscow since 1941. At the same time, the formation of an army - the Polish People's Army ( Ludowe Wojsko Polskie, LWP), whose training center was located south of Moscow. The first regular units of the Polish Army were the 1st Infantry Division. Tadeusz Kosciuszko (commander General Zygmund Berling) and the 1st Polish Armored Brigade. These units were staffed by Polish prisoners of war, Soviet soldiers of Polish nationality and volunteers. Many Poles made a natural choice between the prospect of returning to a concentration camp and fighting for the liberation of their homeland, regardless of the political orientation of the Polish Army. However, due to the purges carried out by the NKVD and the departure of most of the officers with Anders, the Polish Army experienced a severe shortage of commanders, which could not be filled until the very end of the war. Soviet officers often had to be appointed to vacant positions. Some of them were ethnic Poles, but many were Ukrainians or Belarusians. In general, about 40% of officers and non-commissioned officers in the Polish Army were Soviet soldiers of non-Polish nationality, and in the technical branches of the military, such as aviation, artillery, and communications services, this percentage was much higher.

The crew of the SU-85 of the 14th self-propelled artillery regiment of the Polish Army. Soviet black tank helmets made of canvas. The soldier on the left wears a khaki padded jacket, the other two wear Polish Army uniforms. There is a Polish eagle on board the SU-85.

In October 1943, the 1st Infantry Division entered the battle near Smolensk in the Lenino region. A fierce battle took place from October 12 to 14. The division's losses reached 25% of its personnel, and it was withdrawn to the Smolensk region. As the Soviet troops advanced westward, the number of Polish volunteers grew, so the Polish Army was deployed into the 1st Polish Army, which was led by the same Berling. The army (roughly the size of a British or American corps) consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry Divisions and auxiliaries. By the summer of 1944, its number reached 90,000 people. Later, the formation of the 2nd and 3rd Polish armies began, but the latter was soon disbanded, and its personnel were transferred to the 2nd. The idea of ​​creating a Polish front was abandoned due to a lack of command personnel.

In July 1944, the Polish 1st Army began hostilities. Operationally, it was subordinate to the 8th Soviet Guards Army of the 1st Belorussian Front and participated in the crossing of the Bug. The army became the first Polish unit to cross the borders of Poland. The army then took part in the liberation of Deblin and Puław at the end of July - beginning of August. The 1st Polish Armored Brigade took part in the defense of the Studzian bridgehead on the western bank of the Vistula south of Warsaw. In September, Berling's army was transferred to the outskirts of Warsaw - Prague. On September 16, attempts began to cross the Vistula in order to connect with units of the Home Army. They managed to gain a foothold on several bridgeheads, but the Poles were unable to build on their success, and on September 23 the troops were withdrawn. Towards the end of the summer offensive, the 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions, which had pushed German troops back from the bank of the Vistula north of Warsaw, were again withdrawn to the west bank of the river.

Insignia of the Polish Army: 1) marshal; 2) full general; 3) lieutenant general; 4) second lieutenant general; 5) colonel; 6) lieutenant colonel; 7) major; 8) captain; 9) lieutenant; 10) second lieutenant; 11) keeper; 12) staff sergeant; 13) sergeant; 14) platoon leader; 15) corporal; 16) senior private. Rank insignia is embroidered with silver thread, 11–16 with a narrow red edging. Shoulder straps match the color of the uniform, buttons on the 1939 uniform are oxidized, silver.

The Polish 1st Army remained focused on Prague throughout the winter and took part in the liberation of Warsaw in January. Beurling's troops took part in the breakthrough through central Poland, liberating Bydgoszcz on 28 January. The Polish 1st Army was then moved north and took part in the fighting as it advanced along the Baltic coast. The main forces of the army took part in the assault on Kołobrzeg (Kolberg), and the 1st Polish Armored Brigade advanced on Gdansk. In the winter battles, the Polish 1st Army lost 20,000 people. In Szczecin, the Polish 1st Army stopped to regroup before the final push to Berlin.

By the beginning of the spring offensive of 1945, the 2nd Polish Army of General Karol Świerzczewski was also ready for battle. The army consisted of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Infantry Divisions and the 1st Polish Armored Corps. The Polish 2nd Army was part of the 1st Ukrainian Front and operated north of the Czechoslovak border. In 1945, the role of the Polish army increased noticeably, as the number of Polish formations reached 200,000 people, amounting to approximately 10% of the total strength of the forces of Zhukov and Konev that stormed Berlin. The 1st Polish Army crossed the Oder and the Hohenzollern Canal. On March 1, 1945, the 1st Independent Warsaw Cavalry Brigade carried out the last Polish cavalry attack in World War II and stormed German positions in the Schonfeld area. In the last days of the war, the 1st Infantry Division named after. T. Kosciuszko took part in street battles in Berlin, including in the area of ​​the Reichstag and the Imperial Chancellery. The 2nd Polish Army advanced in a southern direction and reached the outskirts of the capital of Czechoslovakia. Participation in these last battles cost the Polish Army the loss of 32,000 people.

Polish divisional emblems:

a) 1st Armored Division - stylized helmet of the Polish “winged hussars” of the 17th century: black design, orange center of the circle;

b) 2nd Armored Division - silver or gray plate arm on khaki field;

c) 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division - green spruce on a white and red square;

d) 5th Kresovskaya Infantry Division - brown bison on a pale yellow field with brown edging.

ASHES OF HOPE

For Poles of the war generation there was no easy choice. Refusal to fight meant for them the loss of national identity and pride, surrender to the mercy of thugs from the Gestapo or the NKVD. Inspired by their heroic and bloody past, they chose armed struggle and suffering. In World War II, Poland suffered such human and material losses as no other European state had ever known. Six million Poles died - one in five. Half of them were Jews, and Europe's largest Jewish community virtually disappeared. Warsaw was destroyed more than any other city, and casualties in 1944 alone exceeded the death toll in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. More than 150,000 Polish soldiers died on the battlefields, and the number of those who perished in the camps cannot be accurately counted. Many of the best young men and women of Wormwood are buried under the ruins of Warsaw, in thousands of unmarked graves throughout Europe - from Falaise to Monte Cassino, along the banks of the Bzura, near Lenino, at Katyn.

For the Polish soldiers fighting in the west, it was a defeat during a victory. The end of the war destroyed their hope of meeting their homeland. For the soldiers of the Polish Army, the victory was also bitter. Many Poles were forced to move from their homelands in the east of the country to new places - former German lands. For several more long years the war continued on the eastern borders - the Polish Army fought with the remnants of Ukrainian gangs. The Home Army laid down its arms, but the new communist government ordered the arrest of some 70,000 of its former members. Some Home Army soldiers refused to surrender and formed partisan units that continued the civil war with units of the Ludowa Army and the security forces of the new government. About 100,000 more Poles were killed in battles between communist units and various Ukrainian and Polish partisan units. In 1947, the provisional coalition government was removed, and power in the state passed to the former NKVD agent Boleslav Berug, and Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky became the Minister of Defense of Poland. It was a period of political games and opportunism, when even the leader of the communist wing of the Resistance, Wladyslaw Gomułka, was arrested and accused of “national deviationism.” It was a dark time.

Still, it would be a mistake to consider the sacrifices made during the war in vain. Deep pride in the heroism of their soldiers is one of the most important factors that ensured the consolidation of Polish society in the first post-war decades. The memory of the stubborn resistance of the Poles did not disappear in the Soviet Union. Soviet tanks crushed popular protests in East Germany, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, but not a single Soviet tank entered Polish territory during the unrest of 1956, 1970 or 1976. Largely thanks to the memory of the military glory of the Polish Army of 1939–1945. the Poles, even during the period of communist rule, were able to build a more liberal society than that existing in the Soviet empire.

Notes

Ironically, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski and Kaminsky, and Marshal Rokossovsky, who commanded Soviet troops in the Warsaw area, were all of Polish origin.

By order of the Soviet command, the units also included soldiers and officers who had nothing to do with Poland, but simply had surnames that were at least vaguely similar to Polish ones. - Note ed.

Let's talk about Polish uniforms, because not everyone has an idea, at least roughly, of what the Poles wore there after WWII. I myself am not a great expert on Polish uniform art, but there is quite enough information about this on the Internet. So please consider everything below not as a review on the topic, but just a brief illustration.

Austria
In short, the Poles from WWII and the first years after that wore the uniform where they were formed. The Polish Legion in the Austrian Army, for example, wore Austrian uniforms.

On the right is the uniform of a lancer of the Polish Legion, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian army

In 1917, the Legion developed its own uniform, in which in 1918 it went to join its comrades in Ukraine and continued to wear it until the 1919 uniform.
Not to mention the fact that after the collapse of the Dual Monarchy, the Poles immediately dressed from Austrian warehouses.

Germany
Part of the Polish army, after the collapse of the German Empire, quickly changed into converted German uniforms with their gray greatcoats, steelhelms and feldgrau. This is what, for example, the Soviet intelligence officer Ravich saw in occupied Bobruisk in 1919:

Approaching a square, I heard drumming and the monotonous melody of pipes. On both sides of the wide square stood horses with handlers between them. The well-groomed, large, bay Poznan horses snorted and beat their hooves. Soldiers lined up in an even line in front of them, decorated with stripes, plaques, edgings and something else. For some reason, this reminded me of horses being brought into the circus arena by handlers. The Poznań column marched across the square. Twelve drummers and twelve flute players beat out and played a monotonous melody. The soldier's boots, shoddy German short German boots, beat to the beat. On the side, with their chests thrust out, the sergeants with dead, stone faces walked. Ahead, the glass of his monocle shining, his straight, unbending legs thrown out, marched an officer. Only officers and sergeants wore Confederate hats - high, rectangular hats; everyone else wore German iron helmets.

N.A. Ravich. Youth of the century. M., 1960. p.159-160

But the coolest thing here was the Polish cavalry, which shamelessly altered the uniforms of the German cavalry. Something turned out fantastic.

Return of the Greater Poland Cavalry Regiment to the barracks after the solemn greeting of the Entente mission, Poznan, March 1, 1919, st. Entrance (now St. Martin)

Ulanka (uniform jacket) of a senior lieutenant of the Wielkopolska Cavalry Regiment in 1919, irregular uniform, from an altered ulanka of the Prussian regiment. Worn only during evening receptions. Collection of the National Museum in Poznań - Wielkopolska War Museum.

But that's not the most amazing thing. The most amazing thing is this hell.

Russia

It is clear that while in Russia, the Poles were also supplied with Russian uniforms. Some of them were even given their own distinctions as a privilege.

I put on a dark blue uniform with a purple insert on the chest, blue breeches and a bright red ulanka (cap). It took less than an hour to prepare. The orderlies were already waiting for us with the horses."
Boleslavsky R. The Path of the Lancer. Memoirs of a Polish officer 1916-1918. / Translation by L. Igorevsky. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2008.

In 1917-1918, the uniform of Polish units in the Russian army was quite varied - Polish regiments in Odessa were distinguished only by red and white armbands, for example. For units located in Ukraine, their own system of distinctions was developed in the form of angular chevrons. Their own uniform was also introduced - for the infantry and artillery, amaranth (crimson) stripes on the pants, crimson piping along the lower edge of the collar and on the cuffs of the sleeves (similar to the Russian guard). For the infantry, artillery and engineering troops, a “matseivka” cap (with a soft top) was introduced. Infantry units did not wear buttonholes, artillery and engineering troops wore black rectangular banners on the collar. English khaki-colored caps with an amaranth band and blue piping along it, as well as a silver edging on the visor, were introduced into the cavalry. The trousers have a double amaranth stripe with a white edging in the middle. The collar had double amaranth-blue banners (with two tongues, like the Polish cavalry buttonholes of the interwar period), and the cuffs had amaranth piping. For officers, it was planned to introduce English-style ammunition (a belt and a belt over the right shoulder), for Russian soldiers. The same insignia should have been used on overcoats as on uniforms.

Headquarters of the Inspector General of Polish Troops in Ukraine. Vinnitsa, 1918
(Left to right) Second Lieutenant M. Mezheevsky, Lieutenant Yu. Dunin-Golelky, Second Lieutenant General Yu. Lesnevsky, Lieutenant General E. where Genning-Michaelis, Colonel A. Kovalevsky, Pilot Master Count G. Tarlo. The photograph clearly shows the insignia (on the left sleeve) in the form of corners, a cap with silver eagle cockades and a white piping and visor. Staff officers use conventional Russian aiguillettes. In gen. E. Michaelis - two gold chevrons of a lieutenant general (lieutenant general of the Russian army) with a “hussar” zigzag on the forearm, two stripes for wounds above the cuff and the Order of St. George 4th century. on the chest.

France
Haller's 6th Army, which was formed in France, was completely dressed in French colonial blue uniforms with Confederate caps, helmets, scalloped buttonholes, etc. They were easily recognized thanks to this.
The units that found themselves on White territory during the Civil War wore Russian and then French blue uniforms, since they were also supplied by the French.

Senior officers in Novonikolaevsk, 1919

Parade on the occasion of the anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald in Novonikolaevsk, 1919.

Polish officers in Vladivostok

Polish officers in Arkhangelsk

Details are here: http://kolchakiya.narod.ru/uniformology/Poles.htm

During the Soviet-Polish War of 1920, the French sent additional supplies, due to which some elements of the French supply (Hadrian helmets, for example) began to be seen more often.

A unit of volunteers from Lviv during the Polish-Soviet war, the so-called. 2nd Death Squadron (August 1920)

Your own

In 1917, the “Maciejevka” and the quadrangular confederate were born for the Polish legions. The latter became the most famous distinction of the Poles.

At the beginning of 1919, new uniforms were finally approved. For Polish units in France, French uniforms of light blue color were left, and for Polish units in other territories - uniforms of gray-green color (taking into account the cut of German and Russian uniforms). All ranks received a slingshot with a leather visor and a metal eagle in the form of a cockade. There were colored buttonholes on the collar, piping on the cuffs and along the seams of the trousers and trousers. Dark blue cloth emblems of the military branches were sewn onto the buttonholes; the infantry and field guards had green and white cloth buttonholes, respectively. Infantrymen were given green piping on their buttonholes and slingshot; the piping on the trousers was yellow. The artillerymen had scarlet piping on their trousers and hats. Officer galloon was silver in the infantry, cavalry and gendarmerie, and gold in the artillery and other units and services.
The insignia of lower ranks up to senior sergeant was made of dark red (actually black) braid and was worn on the sleeve above the cuff. Officers' insignia were made of narrow braid and were worn above the cuffs and on the band of the slingshot. For generals, traditional “snakes” made of silver braid and five-pointed stars of a color opposite to the device were installed. “Snakes” were also worn by officers of the General Staff, who also wore double aiguillettes.

Well, of course, such varied uniforms, which could not be canceled immediately, often produced chic examples.

3. Regimental insignia of military units - infantry, cavalry and artillery regiments, tank battalions, aviation and military educational institutions of Poland.

4. Uniform and overcoat buttonholes by branch of the military; military chaplains have three types of buttonhole crosses - Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox.

5. Cockades for headdresses of the Polish Army 1921-1939, as well as awards and badges of Polish veteran organizations. The sign with a reverse swastika in the center is the sign of the Association of Polish Veterans "For the Defense of the Fatherland".

6. Samples of uniforms of Polish veteran organizations.

7. Uniform of infantry units, on the left is the women’s uniform of a captain of the Women’s Volunteer Legion (1920), in the center is an infantry corporal, on the right is a major.

8. On the left is the uniform of a lieutenant colonel of a mountain rifle brigade, on the buttonholes of his raincoat there is a sign with a swastika. On the right is the uniform of a brigadier general of the Polish Army.

9. This is the sign with a swastika and spruce branches that was worn by the “Podhalian riflemen”, Polish mountain riflemen, on cloaks and hats (they attached a feather to the hat).

10. Polish 37-mm Bofors M1936 anti-tank gun, found during construction in Warsaw in 1979.

11. Mace and hat of Marshal Rydz-Smigły, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Poland in 1939.

12. Samples of ceremonial sabers of the Polish lancers.

13. Polish infantry weapons - 46-mm wz.36 mortar in combat and traveling position, Shosh light machine gun and Ckm wz.30 heavy machine gun, Mosin rifle with a Mauser bayonet.

14. Box of spare parts and accessories for the Ckm wz.30 machine gun.

15. Dashing Polish motorcycle Sokół 600.

16. Marching riding equipment of the Polish uhlan.

17. Uniforms and weapons of the defenders of Vasterplatte.

18. Field uniform of Polish infantrymen - officer and private.

19. Fragments of downed German planes and personal belongings of Luftwaffe pilots. Stamps with a swastika and the year “1939,” judging by the description, were used to mark the coffins (or crosses?) of German soldiers killed in the Polish campaign.

20. Uniform of Polish pilots and tank crews.

21. Uniform of a civil defense soldier.

22. 7.92-mm Ckm wz.30 machine gun on a machine installed for anti-aircraft shooting, and next to it a large-caliber 12.7-mm version of the Maxim (Vickers) machine gun.

23. Uniform of the Border Guard Corps, a formation specially created to protect the eastern border of the Republic of Poland (from the USSR).

24. Sailor's uniform from the Pinsk monitor (ORP on the cap - a ship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). The fate of this monitor is interesting: on September 18, 1939, it was sunk by the crew, was raised by Soviet divers and, under the name “Zhitomir,” first became part of the Dnieper river flotilla, and then part of the Pinsk flotilla. Participated in the battles of 1941 and ran aground (or was damaged by German artillery) on August 31, 1941, and was destroyed by the crew the next day.

25. Polish 81-mm mortar wz.31, Ckm wz.30 machine gun on a cavalry machine and anti-tank rifle wz.35.

26. Light machine gun "Browning" rkm wz.28 with spare magazines and a sight for anti-aircraft shooting.

27. Marine and infantry uniforms.

28. Weapons and ammunition found on the battlefields of 1939 in Poland.

29. Tops of Polish banners.

30. Samples of headdresses of the Polish Army.

31. A set of tools for servicing the PZL P.11 fighter.

32. Uniform of artillery units of the Polish army.

33. Two different examples of the German Enigma encryption machine, the first attempts to analyze the code and decipher Enigma messages began in Poland in the mid-1920s.

34. Section of a 75-mm shrapnel shell and a wz.35 anti-tank rifle and a 7.92-mm cartridge for it.

35. Uniform of the air and naval forces of the second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

During the First World War, Poles fought on both sides, and therefore, after the formation of the Polish state in November 1918, its army was formed from numerous units and units, dressed in a wide variety of uniforms: Austrian, German, French, as well as Russian and even Italian . The first regulations regarding uniforms appeared in 1919, but in the 1930s. new regulations were introduced, according to which the Polish military again put on the uniform in which they met Pe...

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