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Osprey Combat #52
German Soldier Vs Polish Soldier: Poland 1939
This is an expert assessment of the realities of close-quarter infantry combat between German and Polish troops during the 1939 Blitzkrieg campaign in Poland.
The Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939 saw mostly untested German troops face equally inexperienced Polish forces. With the Polish senior leadership endeavoring to hold the country's industrialized east, Hitler's forces unleashed what was essentially a large pincer operation intended to encircle and eliminate much of Poland's military strength. Harnessing this initial operational advantage, the Germans were able to attack Polish logistics, communications, and command centers, thereby gaining and maintaining battlefield momentum. With the average infantry soldier on both sides comparatively well-led, equipped, and transported, vital differences in battlefield support (especially air power and artillery), tactics, organization, and technology would make all the difference in combat.
Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photography, and battle maps, this study focuses upon three actions that reveal the evolving nature of the 1939 campaign. The battle of Tuchola Forest (1-5 September) pitted fast-moving German forces against uncoordinated Polish resistance, while the battle of Wizna (7-10 September) saw outnumbered Polish forces impede the German push north-east of Warsaw. Finally, the battle of Bzura (9-19 September) demonstrated the Polish forces' ability to surprise the Germans operationally during a spirited counterattack against the invaders. All three battles featured in this book cast light on the motivation, training, tactics, and combat performance of the fighting men of both sides in the 1939 struggle for Poland.
The Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939 saw mostly untested German troops face equally inexperienced Polish forces. With the Polish senior leadership endeavoring to hold the country's industrialized east, Hitler's forces unleashed what was essentially a large pincer operation intended to encircle and eliminate much of Poland's military strength. Harnessing this initial operational advantage, the Germans were able to attack Polish logistics, communications, and command centers, thereby gaining and maintaining battlefield momentum. With the average infantry soldier on both sides comparatively well-led, equipped, and transported, vital differences in battlefield support (especially air power and artillery), tactics, organization, and technology would make all the difference in combat.
Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photography, and battle maps, this study focuses upon three actions that reveal the evolving nature of the 1939 campaign. The battle of Tuchola Forest (1-5 September) pitted fast-moving German forces against uncoordinated Polish resistance, while the battle of Wizna (7-10 September) saw outnumbered Polish forces impede the German push north-east of Warsaw. Finally, the battle of Bzura (9-19 September) demonstrated the Polish forces' ability to surprise the Germans operationally during a spirited counterattack against the invaders. All three battles featured in this book cast light on the motivation, training, tactics, and combat performance of the fighting men of both sides in the 1939 struggle for Poland.
80 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2020
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About the author
David R. Higgins
14 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
David R. Higgins attended the Columbus College of Art & Design, and received a BFA from Ohio State University and an MISM from Keller. In addition to 'The Roer River Battles' and 'King Tiger vs. IS-2: Operation Solstice 1945' he has written over 40 articles for magazines such as 'Strategy and Tactics', 'Armchair General', 'Modern War' and 'World at War', as well as MCS Group's 'States of Conflict'. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.
David R. Higgins attended the Columbus College of Art & Design, and received a BFA from Ohio State University and an MISM from Keller. In addition to 'The Roer River Battles' and 'King Tiger vs. IS-2: Operation Solstice 1945' he has written over 40 articles for magazines such as 'Strategy and Tactics', 'Armchair General', 'Modern War' and 'World at War', as well as MCS Group's 'States of Conflict'. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.
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October 16, 2020
In Osprey Publishing’s latest Combat series offering, David Higgins surveys the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. The angle he takes to cover well-worn historical ground is to emphasize the soldiers while explaining the action. It is a tricky balancing act in such a condensed format, but one Higgins handles well.
Higgins begins with a potted history of post-World War I Poland and its relationship with Germany, ending with Hitler’s decision to invade Poland in September 1939. He then examines the doctrine and combat roles of both armies. He finds the Poles woefully behind in military spending, slow to modernize, and biased towards its cavalry arm that only compromised ten percent of Poland’s army. The Germans were also well ahead in logistics, technology, and tactics, though morale on both sides was generally high on the eve of the invasion. With both sides established, Higgins takes us into the three major engagements that led to Polish defeat: Cutting the ‘Polish Corridor’, thus isolating and destroying Polish units and forcing the Poles into retreat despite several, albeit unsuccessful, counterattacks; the fighting around Łomża and Nowogród where the Germans found it harder going; and the Polish counterattack that created the Bzura Pocket but could not be sustained. Higgins helpfully analyses all this condensed action in his concluding section with a nod to the campaign’s aftermath.
German Soldier versus Polish Soldier is a solid contribution to the Combat series. Higgins confidently narrates the major fighting, showing that the Germans did not have it all their own way despite their seemingly rapid success. The text is amply illustrated with colour plate illustrations of soldiers in action, maps, and black and white photographs. There is arguably too much operational narrative in a book on soldiers in combat, making some of it feel like a bit of a rehash, but a newcomer to the invasion will appreciate the context. Wargamers and other military hobbyists will certainly enjoy reading this.
Higgins begins with a potted history of post-World War I Poland and its relationship with Germany, ending with Hitler’s decision to invade Poland in September 1939. He then examines the doctrine and combat roles of both armies. He finds the Poles woefully behind in military spending, slow to modernize, and biased towards its cavalry arm that only compromised ten percent of Poland’s army. The Germans were also well ahead in logistics, technology, and tactics, though morale on both sides was generally high on the eve of the invasion. With both sides established, Higgins takes us into the three major engagements that led to Polish defeat: Cutting the ‘Polish Corridor’, thus isolating and destroying Polish units and forcing the Poles into retreat despite several, albeit unsuccessful, counterattacks; the fighting around Łomża and Nowogród where the Germans found it harder going; and the Polish counterattack that created the Bzura Pocket but could not be sustained. Higgins helpfully analyses all this condensed action in his concluding section with a nod to the campaign’s aftermath.
German Soldier versus Polish Soldier is a solid contribution to the Combat series. Higgins confidently narrates the major fighting, showing that the Germans did not have it all their own way despite their seemingly rapid success. The text is amply illustrated with colour plate illustrations of soldiers in action, maps, and black and white photographs. There is arguably too much operational narrative in a book on soldiers in combat, making some of it feel like a bit of a rehash, but a newcomer to the invasion will appreciate the context. Wargamers and other military hobbyists will certainly enjoy reading this.
Displaying 1 of 1 review