a PL SA German Ju 87 dive bombers in formation 1940
CHAPTED WAGING A NEW WAR On September 1 1939 hundreds of German Ju 87 dive bombers flew over the Polish border symbolic of a new powerful German air force Clearing the path for a German invasion of Poland they were striking some of the first blows of World War II 1939 1945 Groups of the two man single winged aircraft nicknamed the Stuka began a relentless assault on Poland's military infrastructure and people Pilots flew high to locate targets and then took steep vertical dives toward them Air brakes slowed their descent and allowed pilots to zero in on the targets Vertical dive bombing was up to four times as accurate as dropping bombs while flying level Wind powered d sirens attached to each plane s landing gear generated a distinctive howling noise designed to terrify those on
A Polish train lays destroyed after a German attack in 1939 the ground At the last possible moment the pilots released the bombs flung by a trapeze like arm to avoid hitting the aircraft's propeller Each carrying more than 1 000 pounds 450 kg of bombs the Stukas struck Polish army units bridges railways airfields and lines of communication Their objective was to paralyze Polish defenses and clear the way for masses
of German tanks motorized infantry and artillery crossing the border from GERMANY VERSUS POLAND three directions The bulk of the German At the dawn of World War II Germany infantry followed on foot Accompanied by possessed enormous advantages over Poland infantry on trucks and motorized artillery The German army contained 2 5 million troops the armor quickly smashed through the while Poland had 280 000 troops The German air force had approximately 3 600 aircraft while Polish frontline forces and reached deep Poland had barely half as many Additionally into Poland Rampaging across Poland over Poland's most important areas were close to the next several weeks German forces German controlled territory which bordered encircled large pockets of Polish troops Poland on three sides A rapid German strike ensured that these areas fell quickly Germany The Russians invaded Poland from the also had economic advantages The annual east two weeks later The entire campaign budget of Berlin Germany s capital city was lasted approximately five weeks greater than that of the entire nation of Poland Poland had been subjected to a new type of war far different from the protracted stalemate of World War I 1914 1918 As he watched a teacher lead a group of students toward trees for shelter Polish military officer Wladyslaw Anders described a scene he witnessed that suggested this war would be a brutal one Suddenly there was the roar of an aeroplane The pilot circled descending to a height of fifty meters As he dropped his bombs and fired his machine guns the children scattered like sparrows The aeroplane disappeared as quickly as it had come but on the field some crumpled and lifeless bundles of bright clothing remained The nature of the new war was already clear
