Polish Army Tanks AFTER 1939

[Wolfshanze]

I know the Polish 1st Armored Division was formed after the fall of Poland in England, and it was crucial in battles such as the battle of the Falais Gap...

One thing I am trying to find out, is exactly what equipment (in tanks) did the "Free Poles" have after the fall of Poland...

Shermans, Stuarts, Cromwells, etc... does anybody know exactly what tanks and/or models of said tanks the Free Poles were equiped with from 1940-45?

I am trying to accurately reflect this for my equipment roster in the game Pacific General.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... rmory.html

Thanks in advance!

[mark67]

Let's start from 1st Armoured Division in NWE
- data after "Half Yearly Report on the Progress of the Royal Armoured Corps?:

June 1944:
- Sherman V (M4A4) ? 139
- Sherman VC Firefly (M4A4, 17 pdr) ? 23
- Sherman IC Firefly (M4, 17 pdr) ? 2 .
- Sherman V OP (Observation Post) ? 5
- Sherman V ARV (Armoured Recovery Vehicle) ? 11
- Cromwell IV/V/VII ? 53
- Cromwell VI ? 6
- Cromwell OP - 0
- Cromwell ARV ? 3 .
- Stuart ? 0 (waiting for delivery)
- Valentine Bridgelayer ? 3
- Crusader AA ? 0 (waiting for delivery)


December 1944 :
- Sherman 75 mm ? 41 .
- Sherman Firefly (VC + few IC) ? 40 .
- Sherman 76 mm ? 51 - it's M4A1(76).
- Sherman OP ? 5 .
- Sherman ARV ? 12 .
- Cromwell 75 mm ? 60 .
- Cromwell CS 95 mm ? 5 .
- Cromwell OP - 0
- Cromwell ARV - 0
- Stuart ? 40 (M5A1).
- Valentine Bridgelayer ? 0
- Crusader AA ? 5 .

June 1945:
- Sherman Firefly (as above) ? 40 .
- Sherman (as above) 76 mm ? 181.
- Sherman OP ? 11.
- Sherman ARV ? 11 .
- Sherman Dozer (dozer M1) ? 3.
- Cromwell 75 mm ? 49 .
- Cromwell CS 95 mm ? 7 t.
- Cromwell OP ? 3 .
- Cromwell ARV ? 3 .
- Challenger ? 13 .
- Stuart ? 36 (as above).
- Valentine Bridgelayer - 1


More later.

Marek

[mark67]

Now the second Polish tank unit which was active in the Western Europe - in Italy particulary.

15 Army Group - AFV Situation as at 30th December 1944
2 Polish Armoured Brigade
Sherman 75mm 160 (no other types, 76mm 17pr or 105mm listed for them though
other units had them)
Grant ARV 1
Valentine Bridgelayer 2
Stuart including Recce 33
Scout Cars - Humber 15 Daimler 26

Recce Regiments - no specific units listed, they had between them 166
Humber, 33 GM - Fox? - 49 Greyhound, 56 Staghound 37mm and 19 Humber AA
Armoured Cars plus 12 Daimler Scout Cars

1 Canadian Armoured Car Regt, Carpathian Lancers - between them, 43 AEC II,
1 Greyhound, 143 Staghound 37mm, 31 Staghound 3" Howitzer, 20 Staghound AA,
54 Humber AA plus 8 Daimler Scout Cars

15 Army Group - AFV Holdings as at 25th June 1945
2 Polish Armoured Brigade
Shermans - 75mm 112, 105mm 18, 17pr 37 (no 76mm)
Sherman III ARV 2
Valentine Bridgelayer 2
Stuart Recce 29 (note - no 37mm ones listed for them)
Tank Dozers (no type given) 2
Sherman Fascine 6
Scout Cars - Humber 26 Daimler 16

12 Podolski Lancers, 7 and 25 Polish Recce Regts
Staghound 37mm 90, 3" Howitzer 15, AA 5
Greyhound 37mm 1
Scout Cars - Humber 5 Daimler 5
75mm M3 Half Track 6

[Wolfshanze]

That's good information... I'll take that and incorporate it into Poland's Equipment Roster for Pacific General!

[Petrus]

As for the Stuarts, most if not all of the 2nd Armd. Bde's vehicles had their turrets removed. This is why the 37mm gun vehicles are not mentioned in the list from June 1945.

In the 1st Armd. Div. the Stuarts were being used in their basic version, which however does not apply to the 10th Mounted Rifles Regt. (10. Pułk Strzelców Konnych), the division's armoured recce element. In autumn of 1944 turrets of their Stuarts were removed. The vehicles became known as "the ducks" (kaczki, sing. kaczka).

Regards,
Piotr

[Wolfshanze]

Yeah, I just noticed, Stuarts are mentioned, but what model were they again... M3, M5? I didn't know there were M4 Stuarts?

[mark67]

Yeah, I just noticed, Stuarts are mentioned, but what model were they again... M3, M5? I didn't know there were M4 Stuarts?

Sorry my typo - 1AD M5A1, 2AB - M3A3.
Marek

[Wolfshanze]

Okay... thanks again!