Poland

[Otto Halfhand]

poland sucked did they even use guns? a friend told me they used horses

lol, what an ignorance.
Red Army and Werhmacht used horses too. Does it mean they sucked too?
Horses were effective and cheap way to transport troops to and from battle. In Poland there wasn't a lot of good quality roads ( in Soviet Union too), so Polish soliders were using horses as they were capable of crossing terrain that trucks couldn't.

Tovarich I am disappointed in you! When Patton first noted the use of  Horse drawn vehicles during the Cobra Operation he remarked it was the  end for the Germans. He went on to draw a parallel to Buonaparte's  retreat from Moscow.

And yes, Poles used guns.

THe poles used their Brains. THey Broke the German Naval Code in 1935(?) This directly led to the loss of "The Battle of the Atlantic" for the Germans. A MAJOR contribution to the war effort.

[GodlikeDennis]

Is this gonna be another Sweden topic, where if Red doesn't believe Poland was any good then they weren't? I've read somewhere that Poland actually had a larger army than Germany at the time it was invaded but nobody could've anticipated the Blitzkrieg tactics the Germans used. Communications were cut and Polish units were isolated. Is this true? Did Poland have a larger (not necessarily more advanced) army than the Wehrmacht at the time?

[cephalos]

Poland mobilised about 1.000.000 soliders to fight with about 1.500.000 Germans and 700.000 Soviets. Also most of polish equipment was outdated, and germans had like 5 times more tanks and airforce. Navy doesn't count.
Bliztkrieg tactics was totally succesful against polish army. I guess it would work everywhere in the same, effecive way, as GodlikeDennis said, we were first to discover how blitzkrieg was deadly.

I was just kidding but cool dude

ur real cool

I'm really sorry if I insulted you  I'm getting furoius when somebody is insuling my country 

[Killar]

Germany had more soldiers than poland. That doesnt really matter when you look at the war against soviets later on. Airforce superiority and tank superiority in numbers was the key. Poland couldnt deal with the stuka attacks on key points and had only 800 tanks (vs. 2400 german tanks). Most of the tanks were WWI french crappy FT17. Their own tanks (7TP) could easily deal with german Panzer I, II and even IV.

Most problem i think was Poland generals completly underestimated the situation. They were a proud nation and didnt want to defend. Their troops wanted to advance towards berlin (Marsz na Berlin! Marsz na Berlin!). They had a deep trust in the french counterattack, which didnt came.
Even the french generals told them to back off and prepare a defence.
When the russians attacked the polish border police even welcomed them because they didnt get any orders from high command and were confused.

The Soviets didnt attack instantly because they feared a war with england and france.

Finally poland was steamrolled without surrendering.

[Paciat]

Poland couldnt deal with the stuka attacks on key points and had only 800 tanks (vs. 2400 german tanks). Most of the tanks were WWI french crappy FT17. Their own tanks (7TP) could easily deal with german Panzer I, II and even IV.

The main Polish armor were accually 2,5ton TK-3 and TKS tankettes equiped with 1 MG or rarelly a 20mm gun.

7TP was the best Polish tank of 1939 but saing "could easily deal with german Panzer I, II and even IV" is wrong. Very similar to Soviet T-26. Its armor could be penetrated by a 20mm gun from 500m.

[Seeme]

Polish were greatly outnumbered. I think the French were the ones that had an army the was as strong as the Germans. The only reason they lost was because No one could of defended France as bad as the French did

[Paciat]

Polish were greatly outnumbered. I think the French were the ones that had an army the was as strong as the Germans. The only reason they lost was because No one could of defended France as bad as the French did

Germany accualy had only 9 (as I remember) divisions on the western front then. A massive attack pointed towards Germans industrial center would win the war in 1939 (or a year earlier if Chechoslovacia decided to fight. It took France some time to mobilize their army (Polish army was ~50% mobilized on the 1st of September), French launched very limited offensives (staing in range of Maginot line guns) On the sameday French high command decided to leave its allies alone Stalins army attacked. He probably feared Germany will loose a 2 front war quickly so he waited for his spies to confirm that it is safe to attack, without going to war with allies (we all know how prepared to war the SU was looking at the war with Finland 3 months later).

[RedGuard]

so in other words the poles heavy battle tank was a bren carrier? lolz

[Killar]

7TP was the best Polish tank of 1939 but saing "could easily deal with german Panzer I, II and even IV" is wrong.

Not wrong from the 7PT gun´s perspective

The main Polish armor were accually 2,5ton TK-3 and TKS tankettes equiped with 1 MG or rarelly a 20mm gun.

like the main german force was equipped with panzerI and II 

[Otto Halfhand]

I think it fair to say that all of the tanks in use in 1939 were obsolete by the Standard of 1943. I think the Poles were overwhelmed by the Innovative combined arms tactics promulgated by Liddell HArt and Germany's three pronged envelopment strategy. THe Soviet invasion didn't help either.

Moderators: please consider moving this thread to other topics.

[Paciat]

I think it fair to say that all of the tanks in use in 1939 were obsolete by the Standard of 1943. I think the Poles were overwhelmed by the Innovative combined arms tactics promulgated by Liddell HArt and Germany's three pronged envelopment strategy.

...and by the number of men and equipment. Sunny weather and open plains didnt help the defenders too.

Moderators: please consider moving this thread to other topics.

This topic was a unit suggestion at first.

[HyperSniper999]

Hahahah "Peace in our time," Chamberlain. Look at what he did.

[Sommarkatze]

Is this gonna be another Sweden topic, where if Red doesn't believe Poland was any good then they weren't? I've read somewhere that Poland actually had a larger army than Germany at the time it was invaded but nobody could've anticipated the Blitzkrieg tactics the Germans used. Communications were cut and Polish units were isolated. Is this true? Did Poland have a larger (not necessarily more advanced) army than the Wehrmacht at the time?

I just have to ask whata hell this have to do with Sweden? XD ( thats my homecountry yes !)

[cephalos]

Is this gonna be another Sweden topic, where if Red doesn't believe Poland was any good then they weren't? I've read somewhere that Poland actually had a larger army than Germany at the time it was invaded but nobody could've anticipated the Blitzkrieg tactics the Germans used. Communications were cut and Polish units were isolated. Is this true? Did Poland have a larger (not necessarily more advanced) army than the Wehrmacht at the time?

I just have to ask whata hell this have to do with Sweden? XD ( thats my homecountry yes !)

somebody suggested Sweden faction AFAIK.

[tigerclawstyle]

"I just have to ask whata hell this have to do with Sweden? XD ( thats my homecountry yes !)"

Discussion in the Operation Unthinkable thread about Sweden.