War in Poland 1939 - false myths?

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Was the Polish Army mobilized too late?

One of the long-lived myths is that the Polish Army did not have time to mobilize. The German Army began mobilizing 26th August.

Let us see how the 40 Polish Infantry Divisions (of wich two Mountain Divisions) completed their mobilization.

§ = Mobilization disturbed. §§ = Mobilization uncomplete.

23rd Mrs ID 9, ID 20, ID 26
1st Aug ID 21
15th Aug ID 13
16th Aug ID 27
25th Aug ID 7
26th Aug ID 18, ID 19, ID 25, ID 28
27th Aug ID 1, ID 4, ID 14, ID 15, ID 17, ID 29, ID 30, ID 33 §
29th Aug ID 12, ID 22
30th Aug ID 23, ID 36
31st Aug ID 2
1st Sep ID 6, ID 8, ID 10, ID 16, ID 24, ID 55 §§
= 30 Divisions mobilized before outbreak of war.

3rd Sep ID 3, ID 5 §, ID 11 §, ID 45 §§
5th Sep ID 35, ID 38, ID 39, ID 41 §§, ID 44, ID 60
= 10 Divisions mobilized after outbreak of war.


The table above show us that of the 40 Polish Infantry Divisions 6 were mobilized long before outbreak of war, 27 were mobilized according to plans. 3 Divisions mobilized under disturbed conditions and 4 never reached full strenght but some 70%.

This leaves us with some 97% of the Polish Infantry Divisions mobilized.

Thus the Polish Army was in fact mobilized in time.

Picture: Polish Infantry.