FoW: HMG Support Platoons Obrona Narodowa (National Defence)

So in our latest installment of our tour around the nuts and bolts of the Polish National Defence we are going to take a look at some of the company support platoon options that are available to a National Defence commander.

All in all there were three main types of heavy machine guns that came to be used by the Obrona Narodowa in 1939.

A Type I battalion HMG platoon with its two HMG sections, command and wagon transports

For the battalions that were either new or were not considered to have a combat efficiency high enough older retired weapons were supplied. The Hotchkiss wz.14 & wz.25 and the Maxim wz.08 were the two weapons that were most prevalent in the states stockpiles. For those battalions that were the oldest types which has been refined and trained to the point where there was little distinction between them and their regular counterparts supplies of the Polish home produced Ckm wz.30 HMG may have been made available to some of these, most likely in the Type III Silesian battalions which were considered some of the best National Defence troops in the entirety of Poland.

A WIP of the Intelligence Briefing Page for some of the HMG options

In 1939 Poland had about 2,600 wz.14’s and about 1000 wz.25’s. There were many supporters of the Hotchkiss in Poland mainly because of the air cooled nature of the weapon and its simple, reliable and robust construction. Many of the extant weapons were used in the States armoured vehicles but the remainder largely went to equipping the Obrona Narodowa. The downside was a relatively sedate rate of fire of 400 rpm.

A Polish owned Hotchkiss wz.14 tripod mounted HMG being operated by a member of the National Defence

The German Ckm 7.92mm wz.08 version of the Maxim was the most popular version of this weapon anywhere in the world. Manufactured at the Spandau and DWM plant in Germany before the first world war Poland was able to retain almost 6000 units when the State was reborn. Water cooled and highly rugged the weapon was installed on a four legged sled. Heavy but owing to its 500 rpm rate of fire by 1939 they had long since been withdrawn from the front line infantry and cavalry and were left for the reserve divisions, anti aircraft companies and some of the independent cavalry units.

A Polish owned German Ckm 7.92mm wz.08 on four legged sled

Owing to the less positive reviews of the upgraded Hotchkiss wz.25’s at the start of 1928 Ckm held a state competition for the provision of a new HMG for the armed forces. The winner was Browning with its wz.1919. A simple construction, water cooled with the ability to change mid operation, it was resistant to dirt blockages and jams. Able to operate over long ranges whilst being able to retain a high degree of accuracy it also had a respectable 500 rpm rate of fire. It was produced in such numbers with such positive reviews that it ended up being used in almost all Polish vehicles where available and supplying almost all of the armed forces. Only the most highly rated Obrona Narodowa battalions would have received any of these however and they were a rarity within the formation as a whole.

A Polish license produced Browning HMG labelled as Ckm wz.30

The lightest formations with regards to both manpower and equipment supplies was the Type I National Defence Battalions which were largely established as a reaction to Polands deteriorating international situation, the collapse of the Czechoslovakian state and Poland becoming hedged in by the Nazi’s on three of its borders. 

A typical HMG platoon command element with its horse drawn supply cart.

The Type I battalions were seens as only having to supply support services behind the front line fighting, dealing with fifth column activists and ensuring the civilian panic was not getting out of hand behind the lines.

Another typical example of a Type I battalion HMG platoon

Because of these facts the Type I battalions were only provided with what amounted to a token support platoon of just two Hotchkiss wz.14 HMG’s transported in horse drawn carts appropriated from the local populace.

A Hotchkiss wz.14 supplied Obrona Narodowa HMG base

The Type II and Type III battalions had their HMG support platoons held at Battalion level and were parsed out amongst the companies that needed them as circumstances required. They would be supplied with a combined HMG and Mortar platoon with three HMG sections and one Mortar section within the single support platoon.

A rear view of the above Hotchkiss wz.14 supplied Obrona Narodowa HMG base

The Type IV battalions would have a single HMG platoon within each of the battalions three rifle companies with each of the HMG platoons having three HMG sections providing each of the three rifle companies with some instant call up clout!

A combined HMG and Mortar platoon typical of the Type III & IV Battalions

The Type S ‘fortress’ battalions (of which there were only three by the time hostilities commenced in 1939) had an abundant supply of HMG’s with each rifle company having two rifle and two HMG platoons, with each HMG platoon having three HMG sections.

An example of the many types of local horse drawn wagons and carts that were appropriated for use by the ON.

 All of the wagons and carts came from the same supplier; Museum Miniatures. In order to create a little more variety within the models themselves I added a few tarpaulins sculpted out of Magic Sculpt.

The rear view of the above wagon.

A cart piled high with baggage

 The painting on each of the wagons is pretty standard using one of the Vallejo Wood Paint selections and using their instructional book in order to create a well worn wooden look. The wheel rims and other metal attachments on each of the wagons were painted with Molten Metal Steel with a red brown wash thinly washed over them to give the impression of rusty metal.

Another rear view of the above cart

 The rest of the colours are really down to personal choice, but I opted to go for the washed out drab look for all of the bundles that were piled into the back of each cart and wagon.

…and yes another cart.

…and just to add some variety a wagon… piled high with ammunition!

Where the Type K companies were concerned, whilst the troops were all mounted on bicycles the HMG platoon would be provided with a small provision of Motorcycle and Sidecar combinations with which to ferry around their weapons.

The complete Type K HMG platoon with all of its accompanying Sokol 1000 motorcycle transports.

The command base with its personal votive means

The motorcycles were provided by a couple of packs of spare True North Miniature Black Brigade motorcycle troops. All of the original crews had been repurposed leaving the motorcycles spare. This finally gave me the opportunity to use them.

An example of the 7.92mm wz.08 heavy machine gun

 The German 7.92mm wz.08’s were Peter Pig Austrian Schwarzlose HMGs from their World War One range with the usual head swaps that I keep doing. I’ve gone over the way that I paint Polish so many times now that I wont bore you with it all again.

Another view of the above HMG team

A closer look at one of the motorcycle transport bases

A rear view of the above seen transport team

Another view of the complete Type K HMG platoon.

So there you have it. Loads and loads of heavy machine guns of different types to play around with, a WIP of an Intelligence Briefing Page and buckets of modelling photos… and not a bayonet in sight!

Next time we will take a look at the Mortar and Grenade Launchers that were present in the organisations.

Until next time gents… Fix BAYONETS!!!!