Our Bolt Action range isn’t all about later war monsters – we have a large, and growing, early war selection too.
We think it’s rather unfair for the brave Poles to have to fight the Russian and German invaders on two separate fronts. To this end we’ve rushed through this unusual wz.29 ‘Ursus’ heavy armoured car…
Designed in 1929, the Samochód Pancerny wzór 29 (‘armoured car 1929 pattern’), was more commonly known as Ursus or CWS. Based on the chassis of a 2-ton truck, the Ursus mounted a 37mm anti-tank gun and multiple machine guns. Although adequately armoured for the inter-war period, the Ursus was the poor relation when facing more modern opposition in 1939.
From the beginning of the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Polish 11th Armoured Battalion, containing the Ursus, was in action performing valuable reconnaissance and patrolling duties. The Ursus performed well in action, largely due to it’s 37mm gun, but it’s relatively slow speed and lack of all-wheel drive compromised it’s effectiveness. No wz.29 armoured cars survived the war…
It doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to see how this vehicle could find a home in the forces of Very British Civil War games too…
If you’re looking for something a tad more durable than the Ursus, look no further than the 7TP tank – the mainstay of Polish armoured formations in 18939.
Not as imposing but certainly as numerous were the TKS tankettes. armed with either a machine gun or a 20mm cannon these diminutive vehicles are still handy opponents in 1939. Incidentally we have the twin-turreted version coming our very soon…
If we’re talking Poles we have to talk about the famous Polish Lancers. The debate rumbles on as to whether they actually took on the panzers from horseback but it’s too romantic a notion to dismiss…
Dan Hewitson
Dan Hoyt
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