FoW: Anti-Tank Platoons Obrona Narodowa (National Defence)

Finally! We have come to the end of all of the modelling projects to do with the Polish National Defence forces of 1939. This will be the last one that covers any of the different troop types and their modelling.

A full Obrona Narodowa anti tank platoon

In this final swan song for the Obrona Narodowa we are going to take a look at the Anti-Tank platoons that, in theory, each of the battalions was furnished with...

... of course 'in theory' is very much the operative words in this case! There was such a lack of the bofors wz.36 37mm anti tank guns available that very few actually managed to reach the Obrona Narodowa.

The WIP of the Intelligence Briefing page detailing the anti tank platoon that is available

In fact, despite their establishment lists stating that they should be in receipt of at least a platoon of three guns very often they had none, or maybe one if they were lucky.

It would seem that the Type III Silesian Battalions may have been the exception here as the Army headquarters saw a significant combat value in them owing to the intensity of their training and the length of time that they had been under arms which may  explain why almost all of the National Defence Battalions were amalgamated into Reserve Infantry Regiments and Divisions on the Silesian front.

A Bofors 37mm wz.36 in action

Major Parczynski of the Naklo National Defence Battalion fighting around the area of Bydgoszcz was in a particularly strong position, situated as they were behind canals on the Notec river that had had their lock gates opened providing a significant impedance to German advances. Unfortunately he was forced to repeatedly ask for a provision of anti tank guns to be emplaced in suitable positions to help them resist German armour... this was not done and within 24 hours they were forced to abandon their positions along with the 15th Infantry Division.

A Bofors 37mm wz.36 relegated to a rusty museum piece

The Kepno National Defence Battalion was a story of opposite value. Army high command deemed the Kepno region to be of critical importance and the Kepno National Defence Battalion was deemed to have a combat capability as high as any regular army units and as such was tasked with independent shielding duties and with the exception of those battalions that had been collected into Reserve Regiments, the Kepno battalion proved to be one of the few unamalgamated battalions that received a full complement of anti tank guns.

A Bofors 37mm wz.36 being wheeled into position

Another prominent example of a National Defence battalion receiving anti tank guns was the Zywiec Battalion that was stationed around the town of Zywiec in the Karpaty. This Battalion received two but instead of concentrating them into a single anti tank platoon they instead split them, allocating the first to the battalions 1 Company which was left to defend the Zywiec area whilst the second was sent off with another company to defend the area of Skomielna Biala. the Zywiec Battalion was one of two battalions that were to take such an active participation in the Black Brigades defence of Jordanow and Wysoka although their AT guns were not present at these engagements, being deployed elsewhere.

A frontal view of a full National Defence Anti-tank platoon with command element

OK so there is a brief exposure to the use of anti tank guns by the Obrona Narodowa and now that that is done its time to take a brief look at the modelling that went into creating a full platoon of these death dealing beauties!

Another side view of the same Anti-tank platoon as above

So, given the way that I have been modelling my Obrona Narodowa from the start and the resources that I have been using to form them I am sure that much of this will come as no surprise to any of you that will have read any of my Polish oriented blog posts over the last two years.

The Bofors 37mm wz.36 anti tank guns are all from True North Miniatures, sold in the UK by the inestimable Andy Copestake who owns Old Glory UK. Each of these models comes without crew but with a caisson which I have obviously chosen not to use owing to a shortage of real estate on the bases!

More of a top down view of the very same platoon as mentioned almost ad nauseum...

The limbers are all Battlefront Miniatures, and are actually the same ones that I use for both my Cavalry and my Piechoty armies. They are serving triple duty and I only expect that duty to increase as time goes by! 

The command wagon is a Museum Miniatures one from their equipment range. A range I have to be honest; I am rather enamoured with, providing as it does many items of hard to findness that would just create a mountain of struggle if looking anywhere else... oh yeah, and they just have such a great variety of wagons and stuff that it would be criminal not to employ it somewhere!

A closer look at the command team with its personal cart and horse

The figures all come from the same resources as much of the rest of the stuff with the command figures coming from Peter Pigs Spanish Civil War Carlist range with judicious Peter Pig headswaps applied, swapping out the Carlist tasseled berets for French Adrian helmets (which I honestly think just look so damned cool!)

Another perspective view of the same command element and transport

As per usual with my Obrona Narodowa I have kept with the Catholic lunatic theme and opted to have a cross bearer within the command staff! God is on their side y'know? 

A side on view of a complete gun section with the gun base and its horse & limber

 The crews for the actual guns themselves have come from Peter Pigs WW2 French Motorised Troops range specifically using the Motorised Gun Crew and the Motorised 60mm Mortar Crews.

Yup, another view...

 Where the painting for all of these bits and pieces is concerned I will try not to bore you with too much detail... in fact I will just say that if you want to know how I paint the specifics have a look through the earlier Piechoty based blog posts where the actual paint and colour schemes can be found.

... and yes! The final view for this blog post!

So there we have it ladies and gents. So finishes my rather voluminous guided tour around Poland National Defence that fought tooth and nail in defence of their homes and homeland in 1939.

..and that I am sure the majority of you will be pleased to hear will be the last of the Polish oriented modelling stuff that I will be doing this year. Apart from the announcement of the release of my Intelligence Briefing for the Obrona Narodowa which I will hope (fingers very tightly crossed at this stage) to announce next week, this will be the very last thing Polish you will hear about this year. 

Its now time for something completely new!

Whats next I wonder?