Polish Panzerfausts

The Monroe Effect (shaped charge) was known long before World War II, and simple rockets were, also. Could Poland, if concerned about German and Russian tanks, have both developed and deployed either panzerfaust or bazooka style anti-tank weapons before the German and Russian invasions?

If they were deployed in quantity..and secretly...what would the effects of the blitzkreig having many tanks destroyed? And wold the USSR jump in if Panzers were exploding right and left?
 
I saw a TL with this exact premise some years ago. Not Panzerfausts but bazookas-like weapons. Basically Poles are able to hurt Germans in 1939 but not win (IIRC) forcing Germans to rething their whole doctrine.
 
I saw a TL with this exact premise some years ago. Not Panzerfausts but bazookas-like weapons. Basically Poles are able to hurt Germans in 1939 but not win (IIRC) forcing Germans to rething their whole doctrine.

I remember seeing that TL too.
 
I saw a TL with this exact premise some years ago. Not Panzerfausts but bazookas-like weapons. Basically Poles are able to hurt Germans in 1939 but not win (IIRC) forcing Germans to rething their whole doctrine.
Dale Cozort's web-page.
 
4 words :

Brandt HEAT riffle grenades.

PoD : when proposed to the french GHQ in 1935, a polish attache sees the proposal and convinces his country to place an initial order. This speeds up production wrt OTL and means the polish army is equipped with it in 39 - and the french one in 40 - ( IOTL, french GHQ rejected it and Thomson-Brandt continued on private funding alone; this slowed things so that, when french GHQ changed it's mind, it was too late and production never reached the front line units ).

Imagine what happens to the panzers when EVERY riffle armed polish and french soldier has an effective AT weapon, even if the range is short ( penetration of 40 mm and range about 100m, IIRC )
 
Last edited:
WOW!

That's a great POD. Very small reasonable change, enormous impact.

I'll have to check out that TL.

Wonder how much it slows down the Germans?

Could they lose enough confidence/tanks to not invade Russia?

Hell, upon reflection, that might be the coolest POD, I've read of yet!:cool:
 
... Basically Poles are able to hurt Germans in 1939 but not win (IIRC) ...

I think the only thing this would do is force the Germans to slowly grind the Polish Army instead of rapidly tear it apart. I have doubts that a doctrine would be in place to properly deploy the anti-panzer firepower in such a way to negate the armored spearheads. Encircled and flanked forces still have to retreat and withdraw and the basic/primary actions of the campaign remain. I suppose implications on the other warring powers and German speed in France or the Soviet Union is more open to debate.
 
Grinding it down

I think the only thing this would do is force the Germans to slowly grind the Polish Army instead of rapidly tear it apart. I have doubts that a doctrine would be in place to properly deploy the anti-panzer firepower in such a way to negate the armored spearheads. Encircled and flanked forces still have to retreat and withdraw and the basic/primary actions of the campaign remain. I suppose implications on the other warring powers and German speed in France or the Soviet Union is more open to debate.

The Germans could grind it down--but the casualty count would be much higher, possibly. I'm not expecting a Polish win. But, everyone would know that tanks have thinner armor on the sides than on the front, so there would be plans to take them from the flanks. Germany could end up with many fewer tans, and fewer tank crews.

If Germany was getting chewed up, would the USSR honor its treaty comitments to Germany, or would Stalin grin as German panzers burst into flames? USSR not invading Poland would be a massive change. (So would the USSR getting some of its tanks shredded.)

If Stalin was on the edge of going or not going, he might pressure Poland to provide samples of their wonderful tank killer, and manufacturing specs, in exchange for peace.

Hmmmm...Red Army gets Bazookas/Panzerfausts, and starts issueing them widely. Might that end up causing Germany to reconsider Barbaroas?
 
The Poles did have anti-tank rifles. These were effective against all armour that the Germans had in 1939.
The problem is that AT rifles and Panzerfausts are close distance weapons, no good against a fast moving armoured force on open ground. But helpful in urban combat or when the armour is slowed down by obstacles. Then, however, the armour commander will send his infantry ahead.
 
And firing a Panzerfaust will betray its operator's location to everybody around the next 200 to 300 metres.
 
You fire a 0.50" rifle and it's gonna be heard a damn sight more than two or three hundred metres away also there is just about as much muzzle-flash as there is flame from an AT rocket.
 
Top