NATO's Front: Inside 🇵🇱 Poland’s Armored Infantry

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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:29 - Mechanized Company
5:44 - Motorized Company
6:33 - Battalions
7:26 - Brigades
9:09 - Divisions

Primary Sources:
• "ĆWICZEBNE STRUKTURY ORGANIZACYJNE PODODDZIAŁÓW WOJSK LĄDOWYCH" by Grobelny & Tomasik (2017), General Tadeusz Land Forces Academy
• "ZMIANY ORGANIZACYJNO-ETATOWE W PODODDZIAŁACH WOJSK PANCERNYCH I ZMECHANIZOWANYCH" , Land Forces Command (~2013)
• Consultation with Polish servicemembers

News Sources:

[BattleOrder]

9:13 - The insignias for the 12th and 16th Divisions are flipped. I actually went back and re-edited this to fix it last minute but being on no sleep I re-uploaded the wrong file lmao

[mogusdrip]

Polish infantryman here. I remember how our platoon leader have once said that he wishes all BMP-1's to be destroyed as soon as possible in case of a war, because infantrymen are safer and more effective on foot than in those thin, obsolete, driving coffins :D We were also told that there is only one grenade launcher in a mechanized platoon, namely the one in the support team, but I think it may vary indeed. There is really a big mess in our organization structure right now.

[varoth]

One note for 8:22 : artillery batalion is called in polish "Dywizjon". There is also polish word "Dywizja" which means "Division". So polish "Dywizjon" has nothing to do with english "Division". I know, its comlicated. ;) But there is a reason: Polish military keept traditional names for some specialised military units, so artillery batalion is caled "dywizjon", and company in a unit with cavalery traditions is called "szwadron" (like in Armoured Cavalery inits or Air Cavalery units).

[gdziewojsko]

In Rosomak battalion recon is 3x Rosomak, not BRDM-2.

[jannegrey]

You don't post that often, but when you do it is extremely well done and well researched. Also very informative and educational. And while I know Polish "Battle Order", I'm certain I will still learn something new or remember something I did know but forgot. New Subscriber I guess!

[UlookinMe]

As former US military who’s worked very close with the Polish military for quite a few years, I’d rate their combat arms troops as very professional and competent, but they are self aware how under equipped they are and it bothers them greatly . Fitness and mindset was top notch.

Their engineers are some cooky dudes and absolutely jump at the chance to do ANYTHING, but they are weirdly forgotten in training and war games and their equipment very reflects that.

Their support troops are.. lacking. In spirit, fitness and hustle to work.


Overall, 7/10. I’d put them below the Lithuanians but on par with Germans and above most of the other former Soviet states.

[kamilszadkowski]

8:17 Now, to make it clear, what Battle Order mentions about the SP Artillery Battalions, they are called "dywizjon" which translates to divizion in English, do not confuse with division(dywizja). The term divizion in Slavic-speaking countries is usually used to describe units in cavalry and artillery that are equivalent in size to the battalion (in the infantry) as well as a group of vessels. In the case of Poland, this term is also used for air force units, equivalent to a squadron.

[michaelwest]

Often overlooked and too often underappreciated, Poland is now the pointy tip of the spear. Great work illuminating their forces.

[TheTimer]

# 0:45 - Squad Types
# 2:10 - Mechanized Infantry Squad
# 4:24 - Mechanized Infantry Platoon
# 4:58 - Mechanized Infantry Company
# 5:47 - Motorized Infantry Squad
# 6:37 - Mechanized / Motorized Battalion
# 7:32 - Brigade - Level
# 8:13 - Maneuver Brigade
# 9:13 - Division - Overview
# 11:12 - Division - Level

Tnx for your informations.

[annymusguy]

I would love a similar video about the territorial defense forces. They're a really interesting formation and not many people know about them.

[MrZephyr]

Adding the personnel counts under the units is super helpful for those of us still trying to get unit sizes straight! Appreciate the extra context!

[CNVAIR]

Damn, I'm a Pole and tbh this was most condensed video about our mechanized forces I have seen in a while. Great job!

[jannegrey]

OK. For clarification for those a bit confused. While "Dywizjon" sounds like "Division", it isn't the same as "Dywizja" that would be translated to "Division" in English. It's more like Battalion and/or regiment - depending on which part of armed forces we're talking about and in which period. Famously during Battle of Britain there was "303 Squadron" - in Polish "Dywizjon 303". Think of it as more mathematical word, than military - it's something that is just a "division" of larger unit, or more in English, just like some (sub)units are called "detachment", despite not being detachable in doctrine.

Yes, I'm confused as well, it's military it doesn't have to make sense in a normal way ;)

But I do remember that when Poles were deciphering Russian codes in Polish-Bolshevik War, they were looking for word "Diwizija" (Division in normal sense - big unit), since it had 3 "i" letters making it more susceptible to certain types of cryptographic attacks.

[pigeonman]

The mix of eastern, western and westernized equipment has always been my favourite aesthetic

[rick]

Another masterpiece from my favorite military channel!

[edsutherland]

Brilliant and detailed explanation of the Polish Army structure! I really like how well researched the videos are, and especially the fact that you freely admit when you’re not sure. The true mark of good quality research is the admission that you can’t always get all the information you’d like.

[domin]

M-72 is not for RPG-7 but RGP-76 Komar.
There is also a MSBS sub-carbine, it's tests were finished successfully like a 2 months ago.

[jcorbo]

Loved the graphics showing the vehicles and personnel by squad then having them lined up in the platoon and laid out for the company! Oh and the gun firing while describing the vehicle.

[juliuszkocinski]

As always this is so packed with info. I feel there's no second wasted in the video

[JOSWAY]

In the Netherlands I saw that Polish troops are still very respected. Many people don’t know the Polish paratroopers participated and gave huge sacrifices in Operation Market Garden.

The Polish 1st independent paratroopers brigade, under command of General Sosabowski were dropped near Arnhem to relieve and reinforce the British paratroopers. The British suffered heavy losses, they were surrounded at Oosterbeek and losing ground in Arnhem.
However, the Polish brigade were dropped too late and Germans already reinforced the whole drop zone. The Germans nearly massacred half of the brigade, it was a true turkey shoot.
Despite all of this, General Sosabowski survived and led his remaining men to dig in south of the rhine near driel.

At night 2 British officers swam the rhine to ask general sosabowski for reinforcements the next morning. But even tho the General knew they would face heavy German resistance, he decided to cross his men that same night.
With small rubber boats they started crossing the river while the germans were shooting at them from elevated positions.
Boat after boat would sink and No matter how much losses they suffered, they kept going until the last rubber boat sank. It was a failed attempt.

A couple days later the British 30th corps tried the rhine crossing again yet failed again. This was the moment of realization for the Allies… The Operation was a failure and they retreated.

General Sosabowski earned the dutch version of the Medal of Honor (the Willems order) for his selfless heroism.

Fun fact: General Sosabowski despised Monty’s cockiness and the 2 often had heated discussions, where sosa would warn Monty that the paratroopers would be dropped too far from their targets and it would take away the “surprise effect”. Ofcourse stubborn Monty thought General Sosabowski was a “dumb pole” and didn’t listen to a word he had to say.

It turns out Sosabowski was absolutely right. I wonder how it would have been successful if General Sosabowski led the operation…