Pancerne preludium. Udział francuskiej broni pancernej w offensive pour la Pologne (9–14 września 1939 r.) Wstęp do zagadnienia
Armoured Prelude. The Participation of French Armoured Units in the offensive pour la Pologne (9–14 September 1939). An Introduction to the Issue

Summary/Abstract: The military action planned by the French General Staff during the spring/summer of 1939 in the event of an attack on Poland by the Third Reich, was to be relatively limited in scope. Significant forces were allocated to its implementation – including armoured units. After France entered the war on 3 September orders were issued to implement the plan. French tanks first engaged German forces on 8 September, with the proper offensive pour la Pologne starting the next morning. The well-prepared defence of the enemy, as well as the decision to disperse its own armoured forces for tactical purposes, made it impossible for the French to effectively exploit their use. The belief that the Third Reich was preparing to counterattack the French units in front of its fortifications was not conducive to the rapid progress of operations. Ultimately, the offensive pour la Pologne was cancelled by a series of orders issued on 13 and 14 September 1939. Approximately 250 French tanks had taken part in the action. The experiences gathered during the fighting were subjected to detailed analyses, which largely identified the most important problems encountered. However, overcoming these shortcomings turned out to be difficult and many of them still existed when the Third Reich invaded France on 10 May 1940.

• Details
• Contents