Armoured Car Tactics

[gila]

Originally Posted by Marek_Tucan

Nobody did that actually, the cavalry attacked an infantry column and when the presence of tanks was revealed, the shortest route to forest and thus to safety simply led through the Panzer column for a part of the Cavalry force

Although, i can't find any real proof of polish calvary rushing germans tanks it's is a fact they did out of desparation!

[Marek_Tucan]

Originally Posted by Ramm

Where did you hear that Marek?

Andrew

Various sources, but Weakipedia has pretty good account
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Krojanty

Apparently my memory failed me, as there were even no tanks involved, just armored cars.

[narwan]

Marek is right. The story of polish cavalry charging german armor with lances is a myth. Never happened. But it makes for a good story so it keeps getting repeated including by people (and historians) who should know better.

@Marek
Wasn't there another incident near the end of the war in Poland where a polish cavalry force, or part of it, had to move through a german armored formation that was blocking their escape route to Rumania?

Narwan

[Charles22]

I heard something also, but don't recall where, where they talked to some Polish vets, and they said it was nothing more than propaganda by the Germans to make them look stupid, as indeed it would be stupid to deliberately attack like that.

[Ziploc]

Well I can't provide the definitive answer on Polish lancers but some interesting perspectives have been preseneted on armoured cars.

Reading Reset's appreciation of recon assets and employment reminded me of my approach to other wargames in the past which has been to strive to move aggressively and fight defensively. Certainly armoured cars can provide part of the advance guard to secure the terrain or objectives which will dictate the course of the ensuing battle.

[Marek_Tucan]

Originally Posted by Charles22

I heard something also, but don't recall where, where they talked to some Polish vets, and they said it was nothing more than propaganda by the Germans to make them look stupid, as indeed it would be stupid to deliberately attack like that.

Actually it would be a three-legged propaganda tool I believe.

1) Nazis. Obviously, "Gee see these stupid backwards untermenschen, lances against tanks tee hee..."
2) Communists: "Gee see these stupid backwards capitalists who were stealing money with boh hands and didn't prepare adequately for defense."
3) Paradoxically the Poles themselves - maybe I'm off the mark here, but a cav attack against tanks would resemble the famous Polish cavalry charge at Somosierra, hence "Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, our brave cavalrymen valiantly fought with whatever means available"...

(description of charge of Polish Chevaux-Legéres-Lanciers at Somosierra here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Somosierra)

[gila]

Originally Posted by Marek_Tucan

Various sources, but Weakipedia has pretty good account
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Krojanty

Apparently my memory failed me, as there were even no tanks involved, just armored cars.

I stand corrected,
Apparrently,I confused "Armour" as meaning tanks
The poles weren't stupid just using what they had availible.
And I'm sure they didn't just charge the armour just the fleshy elements perhaps..

[Marek_Tucan]

That's what the article states. The Polish cavalry charged German infantry Bn, which got dispersed, the armor came in after that, caused casaulties and forced the Poles to retreat. Tanks came in the next day, and on that day the war correspondents came as well, so they saw Panzers and dead cavalrymen on one place...

[Charles22]

Originally Posted by Marek_Tucan

That's what the article states. The Polish cavalry charged German infantry Bn, which got dispersed, the armor came in after that, caused casaulties and forced the Poles to retreat. Tanks came in the next day, and on that day the war correspondents came as well, so they saw Panzers and dead cavalrymen on one place...

To read some of the accounts, you would see that if they engaged anything, accidentally or otherwise, it was armored cars, and yet the lie has ballooned enough for people to not only think they were charging tanks, but that also the Poles were entirely a primitive army relying on horse cavalry.