70 years ago today: Schleswig Holstein fires 1st shots of WW11

[dobrepiwo]

It was 70 years ago today (actually 22:47 central time on 8/31) that the Schleswig Holstein started WW11 by shelling Westerplaten base near Gdansk Poland. I've been to that spot once, and looked out at the exact place the battleship fired from. It was there on a "courtesy call" and stationed for a few days before it opened fire. Many folks don't realize the war started as a naval engagement, but it did. 16 days later on it's eastern border, Russia attacked Poland thus crushing it in a defacto Hammer and anvil.

It's funny how history gets twisted. When people talk about the "blitzkrieg" that rolled over Poland, the Poles are frequently ridiculed. Horse Calvary charging tanks and antiquated equipment used by amateurs vs the finest equipment, soldiers and tactics on the earth. That Poland lasted 27 days before it's army completely capitulated (and was actually ordered to leave the country with as much equipment as it could, and return to fight under any other flag that was allied) seems lost. Only France held out longer at 39 days, though it was only being attacked on one front. Aside from the two antagonists  Germany and Russia, no other invaded counties army lasted as long...

[Junk Yard Dog]

Poland may be ridiculed for it's horse cavalry, but I would suspect it's by people who don't realize that the men on those horses attacked the mechanized German army anyway and were killed by the thousands.  It takes huge balls to do something like that, riding a horse, with at most a sabre and maybe a carbine, or pistol against, tanks, machine guns, and modern artillery.

[dobrepiwo]

Poland may be ridiculed for it's horse cavalry, but I would suspect it's by people who don't realize that the men on those horses attacked the mechanized German army anyway and were killed by the thousands.  It takes huge balls to do something like that, riding a horse, with at most a sabre and maybe a carbine, or pistol against, tanks, machine guns, and modern artillery.

True enough. The Russians used horse calvary as well as several of the other armies in WWll. Germans used horses, but not in traditional "sabers drawn" calvary attacks. You use what you have at your disposal, or what works on the terrain. US Special Opps groups used/use them in both Iraq wars and Afghanistan. Talk about different centuries colliding....

[Junk Yard Dog]

I remember the film footage shot during the early days of the Great War, all the cavalry in their magnificent uniforms, and polished sabers heading off for the front at a trot, most of them never came back. 
    Yes, I had read someplace about the old Army Mule back in action again in the mountains of Afghanistan.  They are using 19th century weapons, and we are using 19th century transportation, with living conditions 15,000 BC for both sides.

[mosinnagantm9130]

I didn't even know that some of the ships of the Deutschland class were still in comission in 39, talk about being obsolete! Here's a pick taken from the Schleswig Holstein as it bombards Westerplaten, courtesy of wikipedia.