Pictures tell a story—please ensure yours includes a brief historical explanation.
Polish soldiers use their M10 tank destroyer as an observation point 400 meters from the enemy line at Hooge Zwaluwe during the liberation of Holland, 1944.
A lot of shell casings scattered about. Maybe a little more than just looking around 😉
Colorized pic show two cameramen filming on Marszałkowska Street during German bombing raids on Warsaw, 1939.
The size difference between a captured Polish TKS tankette and a German Panzer IV.
Polish with his Browning M1919A4 .30 MG mounted on a Universal Carrier in North Africa, Feb 1942. See the Boys anti-tank rifle behind him.
Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) insurgents during the Warsaw Uprising, August 1944. The uprising began as Polish resistance forces attempted to liberate Warsaw from German occupation before the advancing Soviet Army reached the city, hoping to restore an independent Polish authority. Fighters were often young volunteers and civilians with limited equipment, relying on captured weapons and improvised defenses such as the sandbag barricade seen here. The photograph captures a rare moment of camaraderie amid the destruction, reflecting both the determination and human spirit of the insurgents during one of the most intense urban struggles of the Second World War.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Polish ladies in training in Scotland 1943.
Interesting...
The "ORP Orzeł" was the most celebrated submarine of the Polish Navy, a vessel whose brief wartime career became a symbol of resolve, ingenuity, and national endurance. Commissioned in early 1939, she was one of two modern Orzeł-class submarines built in the Netherlands, designed for long‑range patrols with twelve torpedo tubes, strong diesel engines, and excellent seakeeping. Sleek, fast, and technologically advanced, she was among the most capable submarines in the Baltic on the eve of war.
When Germany invaded Poland on Sep 1939, Orzeł began her assigned patrol in the Baltic, but the situation deteriorated rapidly. German aircraft and patrol craft intensified their searches, while the Soviet invasion on 17 Sep closed off potential escape routes. Mechanical problems and the sudden illness of her captain forced the submarine to seek refuge in the neutral Estonian port of Tallinn on 14 Sept. What followed became one of the most daring submarine escapes in naval history.
Under German pressure, Estonian authorities attempted to intern the submarine, removing her charts, disabling her weapons, and placing guards aboard. The Polish crew responded with bold improvisation. Working silently through the night, they overpowered the guards, cut the mooring lines, and slipped out of harbour with no charts, no functional deck gun, and only dead‑reckoning to guide them. Navigating through minefields and hostile patrol zones, they reached the North Sea after a hazardous two‑week voyage and made landfall in Britain on 14 Oct 1939. The escape electrified Allied morale and embarrassed Germany, which had expected the submarine’s capture.
From her new base at Rosyth, Orzeł conducted aggressive patrols in the North Sea. Her most significant success came on 8 April 1940 with the sinking of the German troop transport Rio de Janeiro, an event that inadvertently revealed the impending invasion of Norway.
In June 1940, during a routine patrol, ORP Orzeł disappeared without trace—likely the victim of a mine. Her loss remains one of the enduring mysteries of the war, but her legacy endures as a testament to courage and determination at sea.
@louis She looked really modern didn't she? 😯
"If brute force doesn't work you aren't using enough brute force." - mTk
War does not determine who is right, but it does determine who is left. - B.Russell
"Turn based games don't need a pause key". - mTk
"Overkill is underrated." - Col John "Hannibal" Smith
Senatus Populusque Romanus- SPQR - The Senate and People of Rome (circa 60 BC)
It's a shame about the uncertainty surrounding his end. Not knowing what really happened to him. 😕
That silly little door in the side of the conning tower kills me. It reminds me of the old joke about a screen door on a submarine. Hopefully that door is outside of the pressure hull.
Paratroopers of the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade sit geared up inside a transport aircraft, moments before deployment into combat.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
A Polish cavalry squadron maneuvers across rough terrain in April 1939, reflecting a force still valued for mobility and shock action rather than outdated tactics. Contrary to popular myth, these units were not sent charging tanks but were used effectively against infantry, with propaganda later distorting their role.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade somewhere in Britain.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Polish paratroopers of the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade rest beside their aircraft during Operation Market Garden in 1944.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Polish troops on the offensive during in 1939.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Polish cavalry surge forward during the 1939 campaign, showcasing a force still built for speed, coordination, and shock action. Despite being outmatched in numbers and equipment, they remained an active and disciplined element in Poland’s defense against the invasion.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
So, a German, a Polish, and Soviet soldier are in a car…
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Members of the 1st Polish Armoured Div are being welcomed by residents of the Dutch town of Gilze as they march down the Bisschop de Vetplein. Oct 27, 1944.
