sounds reasonable. We could even imagine a slightly better relationship with the USSR in the early 1930's for a common designed I 16.Basically I'm looking at I-16 with V12 engine and 20mm firing through the prop.
sounds reasonable. We could even imagine a slightly better relationship with the USSR in the early 1930's for a common designed I 16.Basically I'm looking at I-16 with V12 engine and 20mm firing through the prop.
We're getting into ASB territory there, given that the French didn't even have a system in 1940. Same thing with producing sufficient trucks and radios when again even the French didn't have enough with a far larger economy.While all these new and improved weapons are nice, you should really look at better radio communications and increasing the level of motorization within the Army.
Having the Poles develop and deploy a functioning radar system would be helpful in air defense.
with the polish air force not destroyed on the ground
(snip) and increasing the level of motorization within the Army.
(snip)
If this is acceptable to you, you could try having the Intermarium project somehow come to fruition after the end of World War I; indeed, this would give Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union a much harder fight in their attempts at expansion. Of course, the effects of the creation of such an Intermarium would begin being visible way before 1939.-With one or several relatively minor POD (meaning modifications about armament/strategy/foreign policy) which remain plausible (I don't think Poland could have produced hundred of medium tanks for example or would have become Germany's ally), try to improve Polish Army's performance.
Not entirely ASB. It may sound far fetched but Poles did make research into radio location. There is a prewar installation that was "probably" devoted for that purpose. Now it is located near Polish-Ukrainian border, in Carpathian Mountains. It is in the middle of nowhere both now, and then, and this "astronomical observatory" was build mostly by military funds. However it is unknown what exactly was going on out there because every paper or device that existed was destroyed before Red Army or Wehrmacht could lay their hands on them, while most of the personel got killed or scattered in next six years. As for radios, Poland had a company producing either at least top notch radios at Wilna.We're getting into ASB territory there, given that the French didn't even have a system in 1940. Same thing with producing sufficient trucks and radios when again even the French didn't have enough with a far larger economy.
Definitely this. When in combat the P.11c did fairly well, and having a slightly improved model is going to have only a very small effect. A well organised air defence system, with reliable communications that don't break down when tested in war, would be a more worthwhile change. The obvious problem is that unlike Fighter Command, Poland doesn't have the luxury of the Channel, so its system would face attack from the ground as well as the air.While all these new and improved weapons are nice, you should really look at better radio communications and increasing the level of motorization within the Army.
Having the Poles develop and deploy a functioning radar system would be helpful in air defense.
Interesting but costly idea and Polish economy isn't the strongest of the region. Motorization could be achieved but only to a limited extent (perhaps a few more cavalry brigades could be converted). radio communications is possible but again to a limited extent. Radar IMHO is impossible.While all these new and improved weapons are nice, you should really look at better radio communications and increasing the level of motorization within the Army.
Having the Poles develop and deploy a functioning radar system would be helpful in air defense.
That PDF is great! Thanks!From a US Army historical website:
Organization of Polish Infantry - 1939 (a .pdf file)
I found the link shown above while casting about for information on Polish Army trucks, half-tracks, cars, etc in 1939. I really couldn't find much data out there. I found a few isolated references to Fiat & Ursus trucks; plus a photo of a Citroen-Kegresse half track, and a military configured Fiat automobile.
MS 406 fighters wouldn't hurt. the AMC 35 tank is a good idea: a good "cavalry tank" (French expression here) which can beat a panzer III and probably a IV. However France had difficulties at producing them (1936 and the nationalizations didn't help) so Poland would only have a small number of these. Unless they begin to produce a licensed version.Poland has obtained an export credit of a billion franc in September 1936 for buy French weaponry but i don't know if they were able to use it. Maybe they can buy the AMC 35 tank and the MS 406.
If this is acceptable to you, you could try having the Intermarium project somehow come to fruition after the end of World War I; indeed, this would give Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union a much harder fight in their attempts at expansion. Of course, the effects of the creation of such an Intermarium would begin being visible way before 1939.
With Romania as a benevolent neutral or even an ally, the fuel situation wouldn't cause much trouble I think.Definitely this. When in combat the P.11c did fairly well, and having a slightly improved model is going to have only a very small effect. A well organised air defence system, with reliable communications that don't break down when tested in war, would be a more worthwhile change. The obvious problem is that unlike Fighter Command, Poland doesn't have the luxury of the Channel, so its system would face attack from the ground as well as the air.
Motorisation might help too, but I'm not sure about Poland's fuel situation in 1939.
8. Use those few bombers for a demonstrative night raid on Berlin and another on Bratislava. Sure, the enemy will retaliate on your cities - they'll bomb them anyway starting on day one, and much worse, so, again for propaganda purposes, do that.
Apparently Polish bombers were going to attack troop concentrations into German/Slovak territory, but were asked by the French and British to not do so since it would reduce the possibilities of a negotiated peace.
So the Pormoze and Poznan Armies weren't too much located in the West?
Sadly I'm French. I'm relatively fluent in English (at least enough to read books).
Well, it wasn't an LMG, it was an automatic rifle. It was certainly behind the times, as it was a WW1 design and not even using the quality upgrades the Belgians made, nor even the improvements other American designers had made. Still the Poles themselves made some improvements:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_wz._1928
They reduced the weight and used the Belgian improvements. It's interesting that they found it superior to all the other options (doesn't look like they considered the Czech ZB-26). Apparently the Germans even found it useful enough to make use of captured Polish BARs. SLA Marshall found that they were one of the best weapons of the Korean War and were great as a SAW. IMHO it was too overpowered for it's role, but it was a highly reliable design and copies of elements of the design were incorporated into post-war FN weapons like the FN MAG.
Apparently the Poles liked it so much they modified it into an aircraft gun. They could have modified it into a true LMG/MMG with a belt feed system.
The thing is they just needed to find a system they liked enough to modify it into a GPMG for the LMG and MMG roles, perhaps also preserving the auto rifle role.
Still I'm very partial to the ZB30 becoming an early Uz vz.59:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uk_vz._59