Poles in WW2

Yes.

Next question ?

 

LOL

Well, technically Katyn didnt happen at the same time as the late war, as the massacres took place in the Spring of 1940. I presume Stalin didnt feel under threat and possibly had no intentions of dealings with the Allies.

But yes... Choose a devil to fight a devil. Churchill often gave very anti-Soviet speeches pre-war, so it was a case of picking one side to fight against another...

I was just reading Louis Fitzgibbon's book on Katyn the other day...

 

The battles you mention cost just as many casualties to the allies. For example:

Arnhem - Brits
Tobruk - Aussies, South Africans, Brits
Monte Cassino - Brits, Canadian, Americans, French, Morrocans

The list could go one. The Poles were not used because they were 'elite', they were used because they were there to be used. Usually 'elite' units go in first not last as was often the case with Polish units. So it could be argued that Allied commanders were making an effort to conserve Polish lives.

As Martin says next!!

 

To be fair though Ross, the Poles were a cork at Falaise...

 

yeah. but that was arguably because of there position on the flank.

 

True...

But they did a good job... didnt take many prisoners though...

 

Just as ruthless as the SS they fought...

They had to call a lot of Canadian artillery in to support them though...

 

Well they did have alot of Germans heading towards them... I would imagine it was touch and go at somepoints. I seem to remember there was alot of CQB there.

Poles ruthless? I can believe that... especially when fighting the SS.

 

I can. Very ruthless when surrounded...

 

Well, you can think what you want, but the fact is that they were not ready at all. The Franco-British armies were not even remotely comparable to their 1914 counterparts.

Less courage? I doubt it… less competence, less will to fight, less hatred against the enemy, take your pick. But it was not lack of courage.

Don't you think we'll bore to death would it not be for these Poles who keep arguing the same things over and over?

 

Ah... but Freddy you are forgetting the old joke...

"1000 French Rifles for sale - Only dropped once."

Sorry matey... couldnt resist it!

But I agree with your statements.

 

Have You read Steven Ambrose "D-Day"?
is that true about polish soldiers who executed 800 SS-man and they gave the rest 200 to US GI's?
Yanks asked them why only 200 they were supposed to hand over around 1000 POW it was somewhere around Falaise

 

Polish Air Force pilots who escaped to France, then the United Kingdom, and helped save England during the Battle of Britain. Treated with disdain at first by their Allied partners, the pilots quickly became legendary for their fearless aerial exploits throughout the war. The Kosciuszko Squadron is credited with shooting down 126 German planes in six weeks of combat, more “kills” than were credited to any other squadron attached to the RAF during that same period. Nine of the Kosciuszko Squadron pilots become aces, and five were awarded the RAF’s Distinguished Flying Cross.

Next question please )))

 

Poles where First or last?


The Wilhelmshaven German commander surrenders this main German U-boot base to Colonel A. Grudziński

 

The Mayor of Breda (Van Slobbe), giving a welcome speech to the 1st Armoured Division which liberated Breda.

First or Last?

 

The Mayor of Breda (Van Slobbe), giving a welcome speech to the 1st Armoured Division which liberated Breda.

First or Last?

 

Many of the books dealing with WWII either deliberately, or through lack of proper research by the authors omit the involvement of Polish troops in the Italian Campaign and especially the battles for Monte Cassino, Ancona and Bologna. Monte Cassino is most commonly referred as an Allied victory. Some books give the credit to the French colonial troops. (!) sic

Breakthrough the Gustav Line was indeed an Allied victory, capturing of the Monte Cassino Hill and the Abbey, Hills 593 and 569, San Angelo and Mas Albaneta was solely a Polish effort.


In the early morning of 12 May 1944, following a two-and-half-hour bombardment, the Kresowa infantry attacked towards San Angelo and the Carpathian Rifles towards the infamous Hill 593.

The artillery proved less effective than hoped for, and Polish loses soon mounted. The Carpathian Rifles gained a tenuous grip on Hill 593, but in a few hours' fighting had already lost 20 percent of their strength. Gen. Anders called his bloodied units back to their start lines in the evening.

Although no ground had been gained Gen. Leese complimented the Poles, noting that without their sacrifices the British drive across the Rapido River into the valley below would not have succeeded. Polish 2nd Corps drew away reserves and artillery that would otherwise have been directed against British XIII Corps .

On 16 May, XIII Corps nearly had the monastery cut off, and on 17 May the second Polish attack begun. This time Poles were supported by the Sherman tanks from the Polish 2nd Armoured Brigade. By nightfall they had a weak grip on Hill 593 overlooking the Monastery. That night most of the surviving German paratroopers began to retreat to avoid being captured, and on 18 May the Poles brushed past their rearguards and the 12th Podolski Lancers Regiment raised the red and white national flag over the Monte Cassino monastery.

In the week's fighting the 2nd Corps had suffered appalling losses; there were 4,199 casualties, 25 percent (over 1,150 ) of these dead.

Following the Cassino Battle, the 2nd Corps took part in the drive up the Adriatic coast, capturing Ancona on 20 July1944 and Bologna in April 1945.

 

Poles liberating Bologna

 

Gen. Rudnicki shaking hand with the US officer entaring Bologna just right after Poles

So Poles were First or Last???

 

diploma given to polish troops for libarating Bologna