Polish Artillery 1939
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| Like most armies in 1939 the Polish used horse transport for 105mm guns |
The artillery equipment at the disposal of the Polish Army was mainly of French, captured Russian, German, Austrian and Czech origin. The Polish also produced licensed pieces in the country. Some armament was of Czechoslovak design, mostly produced under license by domestic armaments factories.
Infantry artillery was; 39 light artillery regiments, thirty heavy artillery regiments, eleven horse artillery regiments, two motorized artillery regiments, and ninety-three artillery platoons in infantry regiments. Extra-divisional artillery consisted of eight heavy artillery regiments, ten howitzer and heavy artillery regiments, three mountain artillery batteries and 26 fortress artillery platoons, 14 light artillery regiments, and anti-aircraft artillery. Artillery equipment also formed part of armored vehicles and aircraft, as well as naval armament and coastal defense artillery.
- 75 mm wz. 97 guns - 1,374, attached to light artillery one battery of 4 guns and infantry regiments
- 75 mm wz. 02/26 guns - 466, attached to horse artillery and infantry regiments one battery of 4 guns (12 were fitted with rubberized tyres for the horse artillery)
- 100 mm wz. 14/19 howitzers - 900, attached to light artillery regiments one battery of 4 guns and one or two batteries to infantry regiments, also mounted on the armoured trains, 4 were fitted with rubberized tyres, supplied to the 10th cavalry brigade.
- 105 mm wz. 13 and 29 guns - 254, light regiment artillery pieces, one battery of 4 guns per regiment (wz 13 box trail, wz29 split trail, only one was rubberized and attached to the 10th cavalry brigade)
- 120 mm wz. 98/31 guns - 43, one battery of a heavy artillery regt (the 6th DAC was the only motorised with 12 guns)
- 155 mm wz. 17 howitzers - 341, one battery in each heavy artillery regt, and one battery of 3 guns in the Polish armoured div, towed by C4P or Somua MCG 4
In total, 3,429 guns and mortars were at disposal, some of them were set aside as reserves, and the rest, as a result of mobilization, were formed into;
30 heavy artillery divisions, for 30 active divisions, numbered from 1 to 30. They had one battery of 105 mm guns and one battery of 155 mm howitzers, the batteries consisted of three-guns.
From the extra-divisional heavy artillery units, the following were formed:
- 4 independent heavy artillery divisions of 155 mm howitzers
- 3 independent heavy artillery divisions of 120 mm
guns - 8 two-division heavy artillery regiments.
- 3 divisions of the heaviest 220mm artillery. 3 guns per division
As a result of mobilization, a total of 53 heavy artillery divisions were created, comprising 129 batteries with 456 guns, and 3 dan divisions with 18 mortars.
In the light artillery, 39 regiments were formed. Each regiment consisted of 3 divisions, 9 batteries. The mobilized light artillery regiments had 1,404 guns and howitzers.
12 independent light artillery divisions had a total of 144 75mm guns, and two divisions were armed with 24 100mm howitzers.
In addition to the field artillery, there was fortress artillery, which consisted of two-gun platoons of 75mm wz. 02/26 guns; 26 platoons had a total of 52 guns.
In total, the field artillery had 1,968 guns.
For the mountain brigades, three four-gun batteries were organized, using French 65mm mountain guns from the First World War.
On September 1, 1939, the anti-aircraft artillery had the following number of guns:
- 75 mm wz. 1897 and 1914/1917 anti- aircraft guns - 94 guns (The obsolete French model 1897 guns proved almost useless mounted on wooden platform and frame, with or without wheels).
In total, we had 510 anti-aircraft guns of various types. The 40mm guns were distributed as follows: infantry divisions and the Warsaw Armored-Motored Brigade; four-gun batteries, cavalry brigades and the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade; two-gun batteries of 4 guns; A total of 148 guns.
Home air defense, coastal air defense, anti-aircraft artillery reserve centers, a total of 202 guns.
The total number of 40mm guns distributed according to the above was 350 guns.
Polish-made 75mm anti-aircraft guns, wz. 36 and 37 were distributed as follows:
- 11th Motorized - 12 guns,
- 156th and 157th Motorized Batteries - 8 guns,
- 101st, 102nd, 103rd Semi-Fixed Batteries - 12 guns,
- 9th Depot - 4 guns,
- 9th Battery (motorized) - 4 guns
- Anti-aircraft artillery reserve centers No. 1 and 2 - 8 guns,
- Improvised Batteries "F" - Stalowa Wola - 4 guns,
Total 52 guns.
The distribution of the French 75 mm guns model 1897 was as follows:
- to the capital's air defense system; 42 guns,
- to Kraków's air defense system 16 guns,
- to Łódź's air defense system - 12 guns;
- 111th Depot (Dęblin) - 12 guns;
- Truck-mounted - 12 75mm wz12/24 guns. 4 guns mounted on the Fiat 621 and 8 on the De Dion-Bouton 1913
According to the above breakdown, there were 94 guns of this pattern in total. In addition, it is worth mentioning the 14 French 75mm model 22/24 guns stationed in the 1st and 2nd naval depots in fixed positions with naval crew.
The 510 anti-aircraft guns were at disposal, it was unable to meet the challenges facing anti-aircraft defense.
- 75 mm wz. 97 guns - 1,374, attached to light artillery one battery of 4 guns and infantry regiments
- 75 mm wz. 02/26 guns - 466, attached to horse artillery and infantry regiments one battery of 4 guns (12 were fitted with rubberized tyres for the horse artillery)
- 100 mm wz. 14/19 howitzers - 900, attached to light artillery regiments one battery of 4 guns and one or two batteries to infantry regiments, also mounted on the armoured trains, 4 were fitted with rubberized tyres, supplied to the 10th cavalry brigade.
- 105 mm wz. 13 and 29 guns - 254, light regiment artillery pieces, one battery of 4 guns per regiment (wz 13 box trail, wz29 split trail, only one was rubberized and attached to the 10th cavalry brigade)
- 120 mm wz. 98/31 guns - 43, one battery of a heavy artillery regt (the 6th DAC was the only motorised with 12 guns)
- 155 mm wz. 17 howitzers - 341, one battery in each heavy artillery regt, and one battery of 3 guns in the Polish armoured div, towed by C4P or Somua MCG 4
- 220 mm wz. 28/32 - 27, 2 guns we’re attached to the armoured division, remainder in the heavy artillery regiments, all were motorized with C7P tractors
- 65 mm (mountain) guns - 24. All were assigned to the 1st and second mountain brigades
- 65 mm (mountain) guns - 24. All were assigned to the 1st and second mountain brigades
In total, 3,429 guns and mortars were at disposal, some of them were set aside as reserves, and the rest, as a result of mobilization, were formed into;
30 heavy artillery divisions, for 30 active divisions, numbered from 1 to 30. They had one battery of 105 mm guns and one battery of 155 mm howitzers, the batteries consisted of three-guns.
From the extra-divisional heavy artillery units, the following were formed:
- 4 independent heavy artillery divisions of 155 mm howitzers
- 3 independent heavy artillery divisions of 120 mm
guns - 8 two-division heavy artillery regiments.
- 3 divisions of the heaviest 220mm artillery. 3 guns per division
As a result of mobilization, a total of 53 heavy artillery divisions were created, comprising 129 batteries with 456 guns, and 3 dan divisions with 18 mortars.
In the light artillery, 39 regiments were formed. Each regiment consisted of 3 divisions, 9 batteries. The mobilized light artillery regiments had 1,404 guns and howitzers.
12 independent light artillery divisions had a total of 144 75mm guns, and two divisions were armed with 24 100mm howitzers.
The Two motorized artillery divisions had 12 75mm guns and four 100mm howitzers, for a total of 184 guns, and the 11th light artillery division had 14 75mm wz. 02/26 guns.
In addition, 90 infantry regiments had a platoon of 75mm wz. 02/26 guns (2 guns each), for a total of 180 guns.
In addition to the field artillery, there was fortress artillery, which consisted of two-gun platoons of 75mm wz. 02/26 guns; 26 platoons had a total of 52 guns.
In total, the field artillery had 1,968 guns.
For the mountain brigades, three four-gun batteries were organized, using French 65mm mountain guns from the First World War.
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| A common photo, sadly only twelve 75mm were fitted with rubber wheels for the horse artillery |
Anti Aircraft guns
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| The excellent 75mm flak 36 |
On September 1, 1939, the anti-aircraft artillery had the following number of guns:
- 75 mm wz. 1897 and 1914/1917 anti- aircraft guns - 94 guns (The obsolete French model 1897 guns proved almost useless mounted on wooden platform and frame, with or without wheels).
- 75 mm wz. 22/24 anti-aircraft guns - 14 guns each battery had 4 guns
- 75 mm wz. 36 and 37 - 52 pcs. Each battery had 4 guns
- 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns- 350 guns.
- 75 mm wz. 36 and 37 - 52 pcs. Each battery had 4 guns
- 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns- 350 guns.
In total, we had 510 anti-aircraft guns of various types. The 40mm guns were distributed as follows: infantry divisions and the Warsaw Armored-Motored Brigade; four-gun batteries, cavalry brigades and the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade; two-gun batteries of 4 guns; A total of 148 guns.
Home air defense, coastal air defense, anti-aircraft artillery reserve centers, a total of 202 guns.
The total number of 40mm guns distributed according to the above was 350 guns.
Polish-made 75mm anti-aircraft guns, wz. 36 and 37 were distributed as follows:
- 11th Motorized - 12 guns,
- 156th and 157th Motorized Batteries - 8 guns,
- 101st, 102nd, 103rd Semi-Fixed Batteries - 12 guns,
- 9th Depot - 4 guns,
- 9th Battery (motorized) - 4 guns
- Anti-aircraft artillery reserve centers No. 1 and 2 - 8 guns,
- Improvised Batteries "F" - Stalowa Wola - 4 guns,
Total 52 guns.
The distribution of the French 75 mm guns model 1897 was as follows:
- to the capital's air defense system; 42 guns,
- to Kraków's air defense system 16 guns,
- to Łódź's air defense system - 12 guns;
- 111th Depot (Dęblin) - 12 guns;
- Truck-mounted - 12 75mm wz12/24 guns. 4 guns mounted on the Fiat 621 and 8 on the De Dion-Bouton 1913
According to the above breakdown, there were 94 guns of this pattern in total. In addition, it is worth mentioning the 14 French 75mm model 22/24 guns stationed in the 1st and 2nd naval depots in fixed positions with naval crew.
The 510 anti-aircraft guns were at disposal, it was unable to meet the challenges facing anti-aircraft defense.
