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List of Polish armoured fighting vehicles

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This is a list of armoured fighting vehicles used by Polish forces.

Armoured cars

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  • Peugeot 1918 armoured car (Poland bought 20 Peugeot 1918 armoured cars from France in 1920)
  • Ford FT-B armoured car (Ford Model T with added armour and a turret with one machine gun, 17 built)
  • Austin-Putilov armoured car (Poland captured during the Russian Civil War and Polish-Soviet War more than 20 Austin-Putilov armoured cars in different variants. Some were subsequently employed by the Polish. Five remained in service after the war, some until the 1930s.)
  • wz. 28 armoured car
  • Samochód pancerny wz. 34 (based on wz. 28 armoured car, around 80 built)
  • wz. 29 "Ursus" armoured car (11 built)
  • AB-41 armoured car (Used for training by the Carpathian Lancers in Egypt from June 1942.)
  • Kubuś (made by Warsaw uprisers. Kubuś, translated as "Jackie", a nickname of "Jacob", is currently preserved in the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. It was built upon a Chevrolet truck chassis, and used during the first days of the Warsaw uprising in August 1944. It was designed to carry an assault squad and had no fixed weapons. Firing ports for installed for 2 LMGs and rifles or SMGs. It was used during the attack on Warsaw University.)
  • BA-20 (Polish units received 4 BA-20 armoured cars (also in railroad version - BA-20ZD), which were joined to 31. and 59.Division of Armoured Trains of 1.Polish Army(1.WP) Polish BA-20 were used since 1944 to January 1945. Polish divisions with BA-20 fought mainly near Warsaw. After January 1945 they were probably given back to the Soviets. Most probably had standard Soviet painting (dark geen/olive drab) with Polish insignias (white eagle).)
  • BA-20ZD (Polish units received 4 BA-20 armoured cars (also in railroad version - BA-20ZD), which were joined to 31. and 59.Division of Armoured Trains of 1.Polish Army(1.WP) Polish BA-20 were used since 1944 to January 1945. Polish divisions with BA-20 fought mainly near Warsaw. After January 1945 they were probably given back to the Soviets. Most probably had standard Soviet painting (dark geen/olive drab) with Polish insignias (white eagle).)
  • BA-64
  • BRDM-1
  • BRDM-2
  • FUG
  • Honker
  • AMZ Dzik-AT (AT for antyterrorystyczny - anti-terrorist) (with 3 doors, room for up to 8 people and 10 firing ports. It succeeded BTR-60 in Polish police)
  • AMZ Dzik-2 armoured car (with 5 doors, room for up to 8 people, 8 firing ports and a rotating machine gun turret in the roof)
  • AMZ Dzik Cargo (with 2 doors, 2 firing ports, room for up to 3 people and a cargo hold)
  • AMZ Żubr New armoured personnel carrier, began production in 2008, can carry 10 fully equipped soldiers. Along with the standard variant are command and air defense variants.
  • HMMWV Several variants designated as Tumak.
  • M-ATV
  • Cougar Operated by Polish forces during the war in Afghanistan
  • MaxxPro Operated by Polish forces during the war in Afghanistan

Armoured personnel carriers

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  • Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251/1 Ausführung D (Two, possibly more Sd.Kfz.-251/1 ausf. D were captured and used during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. One was named "Szary Wilk" (in English - Grey Wolf. Originally named "Jas" - in English - "Johnny"), and was modified by adding an armoured roof made by adding two armour plates opening to the sides. When closed, they made a kind of a sloped "house roof" above the crew compartment. Between them and hull sides were rifle ports. At least one other Sd.Kfz.-251/1 ausf. D was captured and named "Starowka" which is the name of the oldest district of Warsaw.)
  • Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250/10 leichte Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK) (It was captured and later used in 13th Polish Artillery Regiment of 1st Polish Army, March–May 1945, Poland. This vehicle was painted in standard ex-German colours: dark sand (dunkelgelb RAL 8002, FS 33275–33434). German cross was over painted by most probably green paint.)
  • Universal Carrier
  • BTR-40
  • BTR-152
  • BTR-60PU Armoured personnel carrier (Polish army used few BTR-60PU)
  • BTR-60 Armoured personnel carrier (unknown variant details) (ZOMO and later Polish police used those armoured personnel carriers)
  • TOPAS (Poland used about 200 of those until half of 1980s when they have been taken out service.)
  • OT-64 SKOT-2A Armoured personnel carrier (also known by the Czechoslovak designation OT-64) (Polish-Czechoslovak armoured personnel carrier, armed with 1 14,5 mm KPWT high calibre machine gun, 1 7,62 mm PKT machine gun)
  • OT-64 SKOT-2AP Armoured personnel carrier (also known by the Czechoslovak designation OT-64) (Polish-Czechoslovak Armoured personnel carrier, armed with 1 14,5 mm KPWT high calibre machine gun, 1 7,62 mm PKT machine gun)
  • MT-LB
  • M113 Used only as command vehicles
  • KTO Rosomak (Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony Rosomak - Wheeled Armoured Carrier Wolverine) (Finish Patria AMV (Advanced Modular Vehicle) in Polish service. Poland uses 690 of those in APC, AFV and in various other configurations (delivered between 2004 and 2013). All of them have the ability to swim.)

Infantry fighting vehicles

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  • BWP-2 (Poland used 60 of those but sold them to other countries)
  • BWP-1 (Polish BMP-1 (Bojowy Wóz Piechoty - Infantry Fighting Vehicle))
  • BWR-1S (Polish BRM-1 (Bojowy Wóz Rozpoznawczy - Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle))
  • BWR-1K (Polish BRM-1K (Bojowy Wóz Rozpoznawczy - Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle))
  • KTO Rosomak (Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony Rosomak - Wheeled Armoured Carrier Wolverine) (Finish Patria AMV (Advanced Modular Vehicle) in Polish service. Poland uses 313 of those in an AFV version with the Italian Oto Melara 30mm turret with the ability to swim (up-armoured version lost the ability to swim). Some of the Polish vehicles are currently employed in Afghanistan.)
  • BWP Borsuk (Bojowy Wóz Piechoty Borsuk - Infantry Fighting Vehicle Badger)

Tankettes

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  • Carden-Loyd Mark VI two man tankette (Poland ordered 10 or 11 of those two man tankettes on 29 June 1929. After the fall of Poland Polish units that made it to France used those two man tankettes in 1940)
  • TK-1 tankette (based on Carden-Loyd Mark IV tankette, only 1 prototype built)
  • TK-2 tankette (based on Carden-Loyd Mark IV tankette, only 1 prototype built)
  • TK-3 tankette (based on TK-1 and TK-2 tankettes, about 300 built)
  • TKW tankette (based on TK-3 tankette, only few build)
  • TKD tankette (based on TK-1 and TK-2 tankettes, only 4 prototypes built)
  • TKF tankette (based on TK-3 tankette, about 18 built)
  • TKS tankette (based on TK-3 tankette, about 390 built)
  • TKS-D tankette (based on TKS tankette, only 2 prototypes built)

Tanks

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Light tanks

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Medium tanks

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Cruiser tanks

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Infantry tanks

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Heavy tanks

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  • IS-2 (also known IS-122) heavy tank (Poland used 71 of those tanks)
  • IS-3 heavy tank (Polish Army received only two IS-3 tanks. These tanks were delivered in 1946. The first was used in Military Technic Academy at Warsaw (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna), second Polish IS-3 was sent to Officers Armor School (Oficerska Szkola Wojsk Pancernych) at Poznań city. (this IS-3 is still on exhibition.))

Main battle tanks

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  • T-54 main battle tank
  • T-55 main battle tank
  • T-55A main battle tank
  • T-55 AM Merida main battle tank (modernized T-55 main battle tank)
  • T-55AD-2M main battle tank (modernized T-55 main battle tank, a command variant)
  • T-55AMS main battle tank (modernized T-55 main battle tank)
  • T-55AD-1M main battle tank (modernized T-55 main battle tank)
  • T-72 main battle tank
  • T-72M main battle tank
  • T-72M1 main battle tank
  • T-72M1D main battle tank
  • T-72M1M main battle tank
  • PT-91 "Twardy" main battle tank (based on T-72M1 main battle tank, 233 built)
  • T-72M1Z main battle tank (T-72M1 main battle tank upgraded to PT-91 "Twardy" main battle tank standard)
  • PT-94 "Goryl" main battle tank (Project of a Polish main battle tank designed using experience gained on PT-91 project. The tank would be similar in its design to Merkava. This program was also known under the name Anders. The program was cancelled due to lack of funds.)
  • PT-91A "Twardy" main battle tank (first proposition for export)
  • PT-91Z "Twardy" main battle tank (demonstrator of export variant showed on military exhibitions)
  • PT-91M "Twardy" main battle tank (production export variant for Malaysia, 48 built)
  • PT-91E "Twardy" main battle tank (demonstrator of export variant showed on MSPO 2006 military exhibitions, Poland)
  • Leopard 2 main battle tank
  • K2 Black Panther main battle tank

Tank destroyers

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Self-propelled guns

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  • ISU-122 (Polish Army received 22 ISU-122 self-propelled guns from the Soviets during the Summer of 1944. Polish ISU-122 took part in the battles in Czechoslovakia and the Berlin Operation. Polish lost 16 units in combat. You may still see four ISU-122 in Poland today. They are located at the Museum of the Polish Army at Warsaw, The Military Museum at Kołobrzeg, The Military Museum at Poznań, and at The Officers NATO Armor School at Poznań.)
  • ISU-152 (The Poles received 10 ISU-152s from the USSR (more were received after the war). The first were delivered in November 1944. It was ISU no.40532 joined to 3rd Training Tank Regiment (Szkolny Pulk Czolgow). Polish ISU-152s were used in combat during the battles on Wal Pomorski (Baltic harbour), near Szczecin city, (old North Prussia), and in the Berlin Operation. During the Berlin Operation, the 13th Polish Artillery Regiment equipped with SU-85 and ISU-152 fought near Klietz city and went deep into German territory. Polish ISU-152 were scrapped in early 60s. Some of these ISU were rebuilt to engineering vehicles. Today there are three surviving ISU-152s in Poland (at the Officers Tank School at Poznań, in the Military Museum at Kolobrzeg and in the Historical Museum at Dukla).)
  • SU-152 (Polish Army received three Soviet SU-152s. Two were given to the Officers Tank School and one to the 3rd Training Tank Regiment. All three Polish SUs were used as trainers in years 1945-`49. One SU-152 is on exhibition on cemetery of Soviet soldiers at Cybinka in Poland.)
  • ASU-57
  • ASU-85
  • 2S7 Pion (Poland used those from 1985 to 2006)
  • ShKH DANA wz. 1977 (Poland uses those since 1983)
  • 2S1 "Goździk" (Poland uses 533 of those)
  • Krab

Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons

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Amphibious vehicles

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  • PZInż 130 amphibious tank (based on 4TP light tank (Also known as PZInż.140 light tank), only one prototype built)
  • PT-76 amphibious light tank (Poland used 30 of those tanks)
  • PTS

See also

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References

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