The Polish Independent Airborne in Warsaw

[Leeward]

September 10th, 1944
Warsaw

Like dandelions they fell.

The fighting in the embattled city stopped, if only for a moment, as thousands of silken parachutes descended from the heavens, trailing behind the Dakotas.

Cheers rose from the city center as the spirits of the Armia Krajowa rose to a fever pitch.

Men in green and brown camouflage smocks landed among the cheering Poles, red and white armbands on their shoulders.

There were, of course, misdrops, most notably a company landing in the Old Town, not knowing that it had fallen days before. With the element of surprise on their side, they managed to reestablish a Polish presence in that area, though tenuous.

General Komarowski stepped out of his battered headquarters, sharing in the jubilation that surrounded him. A mustachioed man in a red beret approached him, thrusting his hand out to shake. Komarowski took it.

"General," the man said, "my name is Stanisław Sosabowski, and my men are here to fight."

The Polish airborne had come to Warsaw's aid.

How much help could they provide?

 

[nbcman]

How did the C-47s make it to Warsaw when they didn't have the range from their bases that were to the north and west of London to do so IOTL.

2,400 light infantry with no real hope for resupply from the West and no hope for assistance from the Bear isn't going to help much - assuming any of the Poles make the flight in C-47s across Germany to get to Warsaw with no escort for most of the way...

 

[fasquardon]

The question of how the PIA get to Warsaw is probably the most interesting part of this. Either they'd need to be allowed to fly from Soviet bases (which implies a VERY different Soviet policy towards Poland), or from Sweden (Sweden entering the war would be pretty huge, even if all they did was allow air bases) or the WAllies have somehow managed to drive up Italy or the Balkans at an impressive rate.

Some of these changes might actually make the Warsaw rising viable even.

fasquardon

 

[KillerT]

They didn’t wear the maroon beret,they had grey ones. It’s a great what if though. There was also 2nd mechanised commando and the Grenadier Company also capable of small unit and raiding operations, if you fancy increasing the numbers,

 

[Leeward]

How did the C-47s make it to Warsaw when they didn't have the range from their bases that were to the north and west of London to do so IOTL.

2,400 light infantry with no real hope for resupply from the West and no hope for assistance from the Bear isn't going to help much - assuming any of the Poles make the flight in C-47s across Germany to get to Warsaw with no escort for most of the way...

It's a what-if that always fascinated me. I know the logistics are implausible, but I just wanted to take it and see where it would end up.

 

[fasquardon]

It's a what-if that always fascinated me. I know the logistics are implausible, but I just wanted to take it and see where it would end up.

I think that if the C-47s are coming from the Balkans or from Sweden, most likely the Soviets just take a longer break and let the Poles kill more Germans for them (and the Germans kill more "Polish reactionaries" for them).

So the most interesting potentialities probably crop up in a world where the C-47s fly in from Soviet air bases. So why the heck would the Soviets allow this? Has Stalin died early and a candidate for new leader is using this a way to win points with the WAllies? Has Stalin made a deal that he'll give the AK a chance? In exchange for what? Having a friendly Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union was a major war goal for Stalin and the AK represented political forces unfriendly to the Soviets (especially since the Soviets were now purging their way through the political undesirables in the parts of Poland they occupied at this point).

IMO the best chances for this come if Stalin has died and allowing the air drop is seen as a cheap way to score points with nervous allies. The Soviets could say "yes, we can help you get your troops to Warsaw, but our troops are two weeks away from being able to fight, so don't die while we're getting ready to come help!" (And of course, would be hoping that the PIA did indeed die.)

fasquardon