[edwest]

Larry,


Regarding Polish troops on the ground, after the ammunition was gone, where were they going to get more? The British and the French mounted no military actions to aid Poland. The average Polish soldier was immediately outgunned, with many leaving the country and reforming under the command of General Anders as described in his book, An Army in Exile. The Poles would end up joining forces with the British primarily. My father was in the Polish Army and like all World War II veterans I knew, rarely spoke about the war. He did what he could but after being separated from his unit, out of food and ammunition, he was captured by German troops. Since his country no longer existed, he was sent to a Forced Labor camp in Germany. He referred to the SS as "crazy" and when word reached him they were in his area, he hid in a cave until they passed.

The German attack was expected, the Russian attack was a surprise.



Best,
Ed