wwii axis reenactment forum

I would like to start the new thread presenting units of mountain troops of the other countries than German. I think this is a very interesting subject for all of us. If you think you can add any other unit - pls feel free to.

Let me start with Polish Podhale Rifles.

Poland has got quite long tradition of moutain troops, as all of our southern border lies in the mountaineous area, including High Tatras.

The text here comes after english wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podhale_rifles)

Podhale rifles (Polish: Strzelcy podhalańscy) is a traditional name of the mountain infantry units of the Polish Army. Formed in 1918 out of volunteers of the region of Podhale, in 1919 the smaller detachments of Podhale rifles were pressed into two mountain infantry divisions, the 21st Mountain Infantry and 22nd Mountain Infantry Divisions, as well as into three brigades of mountain infantry. Considered an elite of the Polish Army, the units were roughly equivalent to the German Gebirgsjäger troops.

Picture of pre-war Podhale Rifles unit:


After the Polish defeat in the Polish September Campaign, the Podhale units were recreated in France as Polish Independent Highland Brigade, had seen some action at Narvik, and later fought in the Battle of France and fled into Switzerland upon the French defeat. Some units were also created in the underground as part of the partisan forces of the Armia Krajowa. The traditions of the Podhale rifles are continued by the modern 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade.

The traditional symbols of the Podhale rifles include the edelweiss flower and the Mountain Cross, a swastika symbol popular in folk culture of the Polish mountainous regions. The units of Podhale rifles, both historical and modern, are notable for their high morale and distinctive uniforms. Prior to World War II the mountain units were one of only two infantry units wearing non-standard uniforms based on Mountaineer folk garment rather than military uniforms. This tradition is continued.

Insignia are very similar to those of GJ:


You can see the spectacular modern parade uniforms, which come from old Polish traditional mountain clothes (cap and coat):



Here, parade and field uniform compared (young soldier greets commanding general, see edelweiss insignia on the field cap, in the middle - man wearing traditional folk clothes of the Polish Podhale mountains):


And, cloth insignia being worn on field uniforms:

At the last photo You may see gen. Janusz Bronowicz former commander of 21 Podhale Rifles Brigade based in city of Rzeszow. Ive got priviledge to knew him personally. Ill try to put some additional photos from podhale rifles when they parade throught streets of Strzyzow.

Grüß Di' Bergkameraden,

Great post of the Podhale Rifles! I have a cap, a nice portrait, and would eventually like to put a uniform together.




Berg und Ski Heil!

My dear "Papa" do you have any room in your house with all that collection

Servus Bergkameraden,

Well...the great thing about mountain troops stuff...it's all suppose to fit into a rucksack!!! Right!

Unfortunately, most of my collection lives in boxes until I take them out for displays at events.

Hurra die Gams!
Patrick

Heeresbergführer wrote: I have a cap, a nice portrait, and would eventually like to put a uniform together.

Well Patrick, to clear it out...

The photo you have shown here displays pre-war Podhale rifle soldier. On his collar he wears the Highlander Cross badge of the Podhale Rifles Regiment, worn until 1945, displayed here:


On the other hand, the cap is of post war design of the socialist era The eagle wears no crown and the feather is a bit different. Nowadays, after 1989, cap design is similar to the old pre-war one - as you can see on the pics above.

The eagle of the Polish Land Forces is roughly like that now (observe the crown on the eagle's head):


To see the difference in design see it closely here:


For the interest, pls note that similar parade uniforms are worn by some units of Polish Border Guards, which is clearly seen on the photos of their parade orchestra:


(see the traditional Podhale ice pick being specifically used here and High Tatras scenery)

and another spectacular photo :

Mario forgot to add, that when not wearing parade uniforms with traditional Podhale hat and coat, Podhalan Rifles wore regular army uniform, but with Highlander Cross badge insignia on the collar and eagle`s feather on Polish Army four peaked cap. Maybe it is not so visible in that picture, but this is the best photo I recently have in my collection:



There was also a big competition between the officers of Podhalan Rifles which one of them has the longest feather in hat - the winner was the most respected and popular among women in the garrison

My dear Mario the Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Podhalańskich/Independent Podhalańska Rifle Brigade was the unit that fought in Narvik would they be part of this unit or is there more ?

The history of Polish Forces in the West 1939-47 is a very complicated one. Mountain units are no different.

I will try to explain it step by step, using simple texts from English Wikipedia. I will try to mark the most important campaigns too.

Polish Independent Highland Brigade (Polish: Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Podhalańskich) was Polish military unit created in France in 1939, after the fall of Poland, as part of the Polish Army in France. It had approximately 5,000 soldiers trained in mountain warfare and was commanded by General Zygmunt Szyszko-Bohusz. It was named after the region of Podhale in southern Poland.

In February it was assigned to the Anglo-French expeditionary corps prepared to be sent to Finland. Eventually in May and June of 1940 it took part in the Allied campaign in Norway and fought with distinction in the Battle of Narvik. After the beginning of hostilities on the Western Front, the brigade was withdrawn to France, where it fought in the defence of Brittany. Disbanded, some of its soldiers were evacuated to Britain and Egypt, while others joined the French resistance or fled to Switzerland.


Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade (Polish Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Karpackich, SBSK) was a Polish military unit formed in 1940 in French Syria of the Polish soldiers exiled after the Invasion of Poland in 1939 as part of the Polish Army in France. It was commanded by General Stanisław Kopański.

In December of 1939 Polish commander-in-chief Gen. Władysław Sikorski decided that a Polish unit in the French territory of Levant be created. On April 12, 1940 the brigade was officially formed in Syria, with Col Kopański as its commander. The main base of the brigade was established in Homs and the new unit instantly entered the ranks of the French Armée du Levant. As a unit specializing in mountain warfare, the brigade was thought of as a Polish addition to Allied plans for landings in the Balkans. It was modelled after the standard French mountain infantry brigade, with 2 infantry regiments (2 battalions each), artillery regiment, reconnaissance regiment (mounted and motorized), signals, engineers and a staff. Although new recruits arrived on a daily basis (mostly evacuated from Poland through Romania, Hungary, Greece and Yugoslavia), the brigade did not reach the planned numbers of 208 officers and 6840 soldiers and NCO's.

After its capitulation and the annulment of all France's pacts with Poland and the United Kingdom, the commander of the Armée du Levant General Eugène Mittelhauser decided to support the new Vichy government of Philippe Pétain while the Poles were ordered by Sikorski to leave French territory. On June 30, 1940 the brigade defected to Palestine, where it joined the British forces stationed there. Initially composed of 319 officers and 3437 soldiers, it was soon reinforced to roughly 5000 men. Among the distinctive features of the unit was a high morale of the soldiers, all of whom were volunteers. In addition, roughly 25% were well educated, a thing uncommon in European armies of the time.

Based in Latrun, the brigade was equipped with British weapons, reinforced and trained. In October 1940 it was moved to Egypt, where it undertook garrison duties. Among other tasks it guarded POW camps and prepared the fortification of Alexandria. However, as Poland was still formally at peace with Italy, it could not have been sent to the front. On January 12, 1941 the reorganization along the British regulations ended and the unit was renamed to Polish Independent Brigade Group. It was modelled after a British motorized infantry brigade and was then moved to the port of Haifa, whence it was to be transported to Greece. However, before the first of the detachments was embarked on the ships, the Battle of Greece ended as the Germans overran that country.

During the offensive of Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps, the brigade was finally moved to the front near the fort of Mersa Matruh and then to Sidi Baggush. After a month or so on the front it was again withdrawn to the El Amiriya camp near Alexandria, and on August 18, 1941 the first convoy with brigade's units left for besieged Tobruk. Transported in seven convoys, between August 21 and August 28 the brigade took over the westernmost perimeter of the allied defences and took part in what became known as the Siege of Tobruk. Overnight on December 9, during Eighth Army's Operation Crusader, the Polish brigade seized the strategically-important Madauar Hill, town of Acroma and broke through to the British 8th Army, thus ending the siege. Because of their impact on the battle, the Polish soldiers were awarded with a prestigious title of the Tobruk Rats by their Australian comrades in arms.

On December 13 the Carpathian Uhlan Regiment was detached while the remainder of the brigade was attached to the XIII Corps of the Eighth Army and took part in the attack on the Axis Gazala defensive line on 15 December. Rommel made a fighting withdrawal to defensive positions around El Agheila but a counterattack by him on 21 January 1942 led to the armies once nore facing each other at the Gazala position by early February. On March 17, 1942 the brigade was withdrawn from the front to the El Amiriya camp and then back to Palestine. There it was joined by the Polish forces of General Władysław Anders evacuated from the USSR and was reformed into the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division.


The Polish 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division (Polish: 3 Dywizja Strzelców Karpackich, sometimes translated as 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division), also commonly known as Christmas Tree Division due to the characteristic emblem, was an Allied unit fighting during World War II on the Italian Front. It was formed in 1942 of the Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade and the forces of General Władysław Anders' 2nd Polish Corps evacuated from the USSR.

The division participated in the North African and the Italian Campaigns (1941-1945) as part of the British Eighth Army. Notable actions include the victories in the Battle of Monte Cassino, Ancona and Bologna. Disbanded after the war, most soldiers chose not to return to the new, Communist Poland. After the war the division set up camp in Hodgemoor Woods, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, England. They maintained a presence there until 1962. There were and may still be many Polish families in the area today.

Fantastic footage of pre-war Podhale Rifles unit swearing the oath (1938-39). Please note the ceremony of granting 'then-recruits, now-soldiers' the sign of acceptance to the mountain units - the eagle feather. Please also note the Polish traditional military song 'Heart in a rucksack' ('Serce w plecaku').

And, for the taste - modern Podhale rifles just returning from Afghanistan. Pls note the edelweiss insignia in tropical version