The Polish Military Museum was established on the basis of a 1920 decree by the Supreme Commander, Marshall Jozef Pilsudski. Initially housed together with the National Museum in a building in Podwale Street, in 1934 it moved to a section of the National Museum's new building, a purpose-built edifice constructed in 1926-38 after the design by Tadeusz Tolwinski. Reopened after World War II in 1946, the Museum started its new divisions, the Museum of Katyn and the Museum of Polish Military Technology, in the 9th Czerniakowski Fort in 1993.
The holdings tell the story of the Polish armed forces from the Middle Ages to contemporary times and include collections of edged weapons, firearms and protective weapons; eighteenth century and later uniforms; sixteenth century and later standards and banners; military orders and distinctions; equestrian equipment; hunting and sports weapons; marine and aviation equipment; oriental and exotic arms. The Art Department houses a collection of battle-scene paintings, graphics, posters and drawings. The special holdings encompass extensive iconographic, archival and cartographic collections. Among the Museum's prized possessions are the personal effects of distinguished military leaders and commanders from Hetman Jan Tarnowski to Jozef Pilsudski.
The first artillery unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West that received the "Sexton" SP guns was the 1st Motor Artillery Regiment of the 1st Armored Division. The 7th Horse Artillery Regiment, an artillery unit assigned to the 2nd Warszawska Armored Division, which was raised shortly prior to the war’s end, was another unit that used vehicles of this type. An estimated number of 60 - 80 "Sextons" were in use by the Polish units.
The vehicle on this photo carries the markings of the 1st Motor Artillery Regiment of the 1st Armored Division.
The T-55AMS tank is a variant of the Polish-produced T-55AM tank, which in turn was a modified version of the Soviet T-55A tank that was produced in Poland under a license agreement.
The T-55AMS tank was introduced to service with the Army of the Peoples Republic of Poland in the latter 1980s. As the preceding T-55AM tank, the T-55AMS has been provided with MERIDA fire control system (incorporating a laser range finder and digital ballistic computer), DOBRAVA warning laser detection system and ERB smoke grenade launchers. The T-55AMS has been added with provisions for attaching engineering equipment: the KMT-5 mine-clearing device or the USCz-55 dozer blade. Each T-55 tank company comprised 10 tanks: one T-55AD2M (command vehicle), six T-55AM and three T-55AMS tanks.
I have a personal fillings to this tank because my grandfather was one of its crew members during WWII. This tank passed 4760KM war path (1820KM in combat). It was fighting in the Battle of Lenino, Battle of Studzianki, Battle to break the “Wał Pomorski” (Pomeranian Position – the highly fortified German defense line). During the attack at Zabinek (2-3 march 1945) the tank was hit by Panzerfaust and it was forced to withdraw for repairs. From 17th of january 1946 tank is one of the exhibits in Polish Military Museum.
British BL 5.5 inch (139,7mm) Medium Gun - this gun was the standard weapon of the British medium artillery regiments during WWII. The 5.5 guns were the combat equipment of the Polish 10th an 11th Heavy Artillery Regimends of the Polish 2nd Corp's Artillery Group - Polish Armed Forces in the West.
In 1976 program of new jet trainer for the Polish Air Force started in Instytut Lotnictwa (polish: Institute of Aeronautics) to replace TS-11 Iskra. Iryda was designed in PZL Mielec (then WSK-Mielec). The first prototype was flown on March 3, 1985. Project was finally cancelled in the 1990s due to problems and lacks of fundings. Additional cause was a crash of the pre-production series aircraft, even though the cause of accident was exceeding of the performance limits during forced flutter tests.
יחסית קרוב לבית שלי במינסק (כיום בלארוס אבל אני מדבר על התקופה הסובייטית), היה מפעל של מכוניות שייצר את המובילים לטילים ארוכי התווך. המפעל היה סודי וכנ"ל לגבי המובילים (שכונו בעדינות "מרבי רגליים" בגלל מספר הגלגלים הרב). לא ראיתי רכבים כאלה בעיניי בחיים אבל כשהם יצאו מהמפעל בשעות הלילה, לרוב בסביבות השעה 03:00 כל העיר התעוררה בגלל הרעשים והחריקות הנוראיים שהמכונה הזאת ייצרה. גם כן פרוייקט סודי.
התמונות של הMAZ הזכירו לי את החוויה.
This improvised armored car was build by Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa - AK) "Krybar" unit from Powisle district of Warsaw. Its main role was to be used as personnel carrier for "desant" like attacks on German strongpoints in the city.
In the background Ckm wz.30 (Polish-made clone of the American Browning M1917 heavy machine gun) and 7.92mm light machine gun wz.15 (Polish version of French Chauchat).
Polish Armed Forces in the USSR. From the left we may see: PPSh-41 Submachine gun, TT-33 (7,62mm) pistol, DP (7,52mm) light machine gun, Mosin 7,62mm and SVT40 semi-automatic rifle.
From the left: Vickers Mk.I machine gun, Browning M1919A4 machine gun, German Panzerfaust 100, British PIAT, The Ordnance SBML 2-inch Mortar and MG-42 machine gun.