Polish Armor 1939 - Vehicles of Polish Armed Forces in the West 1940-1945

Armored Fighting Vehicles of Polish Armed Forces
in the West 1940-1945Polskie Sily Zbrojne na Zachodzie

 

Polish Sexton
Polish Sexton

Polish Sexton from 1st Polish Armored Division
on display at the Museum of the Polish Army in Warsaw.

First units of the Polish Armed Forces in the West were formed in October of 1939 in France and soon took active partin the war against Germany. First Polish action was at Narvik, Norway followed by heavy fighting in France in 1940.Following the fall of France, Polish soldiers were either transferred to England or English controlled territories in North Africa. Poles then fought in North Africa, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. In addition to the ground units,Poles fielded airforce and navy units.

Tanks

French Char Leger Renault FT Modele 1917 / 1918 light tank

  • France 1940 - training use only.

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    French Char Leger Renault R-35 / R-40 (Renault Type ZM) light tank

  • France 1940 - training and combat use.

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    French Char Leger Hotchkiss H-35 / H-38 / H-39 light tank

  • France 1940 - training use only.

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    French Renault UE / AMX UE / Chenillette Lorraine light infantry carrier

  • France 1940 - combat use.
  • England 1940-1942 - training use only.

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    British Light Tank Mk.VIB

  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1943 - training use only.

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    German Panzerkampfwagen III (50mm)

  • North Africa (Egypt) 1942 - training use only.

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    American M3 / M5 General Stuart light tank

  • Middle East / North Africa - 1942-1943 - training (M3A1 Stuart III) and combat use.
  • Italy - 1944-1945 - training and combat use.
  • Western Europe - 1944-1945 - training and combat use.

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    British Infantry Tank Mk.I (A11) Matilda I

  • England 1940-1942 - training use only.

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    British Infantry Tank Mk.III Valentine

  • England 1940-1944 - training use only.
  • Middle East 1942-1943 - training use only.

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    British Heavy Infantry Tank Mark IV Churchill (A22)

  • England 1941-1942 - training use only.

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    British Cruiser Tank Mk.V (A13 - Mark III) Covenanter

  • England 1942-1944 - training use only.

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    British Cruiser Tank Mk.VI (A15) Crusader

  • England 1942-1944 - training use only.
  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1943 - training use only.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - training use only.

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    British Cruiser Tank Mk.VIII (A27) Centaur / Cromwell

  • England 1943-1945 - training use only.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Cruiser Tank (A30) Challenger

  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    American M3 General Lee / General Grant medium tank

  • Middle East 1943 - training use only.
  • Italy 1944 - combat use only.

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    American M4 General Sherman medium tank

  • Middle East / North Africa - 1943 - training use.
  • Italy 1944-1945 - combat use.
  • England 1943-1945 - training use only.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf H

  • Italy 1944 - combat use.

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    Self-Propelled Guns

    American M3 (T12) tank destroyer

  • Italy 1944-1945 - combat use.
  • England 1945 - training use only.

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    American M10 Achilles tank destroyer

  • England 1943-1945 - training use only.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.
  • Middle East / North Africa 1943 - training use only.
  • Italy 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Archer tank destroyer

  • Italy 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Sexton self-propelled howitzers

  • England 1943-1944 - training use only.
  • Italy 1945 - combat use.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Crusader AA tank

  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    American MGMC M16

  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    Armored Cars

    British Scout Car Daimler Dingo

  • England 1942-1945 - training use only.
  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1943 - training and combat use.
  • Italy 1943-1945 - training and combat use.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    Canadian Scout Car Ford Lynx

  • Italy 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Scout Car Humber

  • England 1943-1945 - training use only.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Light Armored Reconnaissance Car Standard Beaverette

  • England 1941-1943 - training use only.

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    British Light Armored Reconnaissance Car Humber

  • England 1942-1945 - training use only.
  • Western Europe 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    British Light Armored Reconnaissance Car Morris

  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1943 - training and combat use.
  • England 1944-1945 - training use only.

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    Canadian Light Armored Reconnaissance Car GM Otter

  • Italy 1943-1945 - training and combat use.

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    British Armored Car Rolls-Royce

  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1943 - training use only.

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    South African Marmon-Herrington armored car

  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1945 - training use only.

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    Italian Autoblinda AB 40/41 armored car

  • North Africa (Egypt) 1942 - training use only.

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    British Humber armored car

  • England 1940-1945 - training use only.

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    Canadian GM Mark I Fox armored car

  • Italy 1944 - combat use.
  • Middle East / North Africa 1943-1945 - training use only.

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    British Daimler armored car

  • England 1942-1943 - training use only.

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    British Staghound armored car

  • Middle East / North Africa 1942-1943 - training use only.
  • Italy 1944-1945 - combat use.

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    American M8 Greyhound armored car

  • Italy 1945 - training and combat use.

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