SEPTEMBER STORM: The German Invasion of Poland
Gordon Rottman & Stephen Andrew
German forces thrown at Poland in Fall Weiss were some 700,000
troops backed by almost 3,300 tanks. The Luftwaffe would commit
almost 2,100 aircraft. This massive juggernaut was faced by a well
trained, but under-equipped Polish Army that consisted of 500,000
troops with a reserve pool of 3 million men.
The invasion commenced on 1 September 1939 taking the Poles
completely by surprise. The Poles gave a good account of themselves
in spite of the overwhelming odds. Stiff Polish resistance caused
the Germans delays and some setbacks. A week into the campaign the
Germans approached Warsaw and fighting there would be vicious and
prolonged. The city did not surrender until 27 September after
heavy aerial bombardment. On 17 September the Soviets invaded from
the east against negligible resistance. The last Polish forces
surrendered on 6 October, making it far longer than the "18-day
campaign" claimed by German propagandists. In spit of mass
surrenders, up to 100,000 Polish troops made it out of Poland into
nearby countries to later fight on the side of the Allies in other
theaters.
The Germans lost some 16,000 dead and 32,000 wounded. Over 670
tanks were knocked out with just over 200 being un-repairable. Over
66,000 Polish military were killed and 134,000 wounded. The Germans
took 587,000 prisoners and the Soviets 200,000. This successful
campaign prompted the Germans to look to the West and later face
the French and British military.
This book is authored by Gordon Rottman, a renowned WWII historian,
backed up by many rare photos of German soldiers in the Polish
campaign.
Format 21 x 28 cm, Paperback, 52 Seiten, 143 s/w-Fotos, 4
Farbtafeln, englischer Text, Best.-Nr. Con6510