NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SURVEY 14; POLAND; ARMED FORCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NIS
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070031-4
• Release Decision: RIF
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 27
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2016
• Sequence Number: 31
• Content Type: REPORTS

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Fig. 1 Polish armed forces chart)
Fig. 2 Personnel strengths table)
Fig. 3 Defense budgets table)
Fig. 4 Officers' uniforms and insignia (chart)
Fig. 5 Warrant officers' and enlisted men's
uniforms and insignia chart)
ii
FIGURES
Page
4 Fig. 6
5
6 Fig. 7
9
Fig. 8
11 Fig. 9
Page
Troops in practice assault landing
(photo) 13
Polnocny class LSM (photo) 15
Fism3En aircraft photo) 18
SA -2 missile photo) 18
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Page
Page
C. Ground forces
8
E. Air and air defense forces
17
1. Organisation
8
1. Organization
17
2. Strength, composition, and disposition
8
2� Strength, composition, and disposition
17
3. Training
8
3. Training
19
a. Aviation
19
4. Logistics
13
b. Surface -to -air missile
20
D. Naval forces
14
4. Logistics
20
1. Organization
14
a. Aircraft
b. Surface -to -air missiles
20
21
2. Strength, composition, and disposition
15
F. Militarized security forces
21
3. Training
16
1. Internal Defense Forces
21
4. Logistics
16
2. Frontier Guard
21
5. Naval air arm
16
3. Territorial Defense Forces
21
Fig. 1 Polish armed forces chart)
Fig. 2 Personnel strengths table)
Fig. 3 Defense budgets table)
Fig. 4 Officers' uniforms and insignia (chart)
Fig. 5 Warrant officers' and enlisted men's
uniforms and insignia chart)
ii
FIGURES
Page
4 Fig. 6
5
6 Fig. 7
9
Fig. 8
11 Fig. 9
Page
Troops in practice assault landing
(photo) 13
Polnocny class LSM (photo) 15
Fism3En aircraft photo) 18
SA -2 missile photo) 18
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Armed Forces
A. Defense establishment
Largest of the Warsaw Pact forces of Eastern
Europe after those of the Soviet Union, the closely
integrated armed forces of Poland consist of ground,
naval, and air and air defense forces. These forces are
subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense, as
are the militarized security forces (less the Frontier
Guard during peacetime) which operate ender a
territorial defense system that assigns them primary
responsibility for the internal defense of the country.
The strength of the ground, naval, and air forces is
291,000 men. About 210,000 are in the ground forces,
26,000 in the naval forces,` and 55,000 in the air
forces. Personnel fot :he Air Defense Command are
drawn from the ground and air forces. Much the
largest element in terms of personnel, the ground
forces also dominate the high command and staff. (S)
Major combat elements include 15 ground forces
divisions; four destroyer types, four submarines, 101
coastal patrol and 62 river /roadstead. patrol types, 49
minesweepers, 3F amphibious ships and craft, 32
auxiliaries, 114 service craft, 66 naval combat aircraft,
and more than 875 air forces aircraft. The Territorial
Defense Forces have a strength of 73,500 men 25,000
are in the Internal Defense Forces, 20,000 in the
Frontier Guard, and 28,500 in Territorial Defense
Forces. (S)
The missions of the armed forces include territorial
defense against foreign attack by land, sea, and air;
internal defense against subversive or guerrilla forces;
maintenance of border security and control;
protection of Warsaw Pact lines of communication
and augmentation of Pact forces in central Europe.
(C)
Since 1965, Poland's armed forces and Ministry of
National Defense have been reorganized, probably on
Soviet initiative to facilitate the implementation of an
operational and territorial defense force concept.
Operational forces, consisting of ground, naval, and
air elements, are earmarked to augment Warsaw Pact
forces. The Territorial Defense Forces (Obrony
'Includes 2.600 Maritime Frontier Guard personnel
Terytorlum Kraju �OT), which are exclusively
responsible for the internal defense and security of
Poland, consist of interior, frontier, and air defense
elements. In the 1965 reorganization, the Frontier
Guard (Wojsko Ochrony Pogranicza �WOP) and
Internal Defense Forces (Wojsko Obrony Wew-
netrzne �WOW) were transferred from the Ministry of
Internal Affairs to the Ministry of National Defense,
where they were assigned to the Main Inspectorate of
the National Territorial Defense Forces. In 1971,
however, the Frontier Guard was transferred from the
Ministry of National Defense and resubordinated to
the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Frontier Guard
would probably revert to Ministry of Defense control
in time of war. Airforces consist mr two operational
components. One has the primary mission of air
defense and is operationally subordinate to the Air
Defense Command. The other, consisting of tactical
air units, is assigned an offensive role in support of
ground troops but augments the air defense
component, as required. Naval forces, including a
small air component, are mainly a defen:ive force.
However, the navy has an increasing amphibious
capability and submarines sometimes operate outside
the Baltic Sea. (S)
The armed forces are trained along Soviet lines and
are primarily equipped with weapons of Soviet design
or manufacture. They have acquired Soviet tactical
nuclear delivery systems, though not nuclear
warheads, and have adopted Soviet tactical concepts.
The armed forces are capable of conducting both
offensive and defensive operations either inde-
pendently or as part of a combined force. In the latter
role they could assume a major part in operations in
the North German plain and Jutland. Large- scale,
sustained operations, however., could not be
maintained with Polish resources alone but would
require Soviet logistical support. (S)
Poland is astride the main natural route
interconnecting the U.S.S.R. and Western Europe.
With respect to the line of contact between forces of
the NATO nations and of the Warsaw Pact nations,
1
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the country is a Soviet communications zone
supporting the Groups of Soviet Forces in East
Germany (GSFG) and Poland (NGF). (S)
The primary strategic military problem of Poland is
the defense c1` a national territory that has no
significant natural obstacles to impede an attack from
the west. Shielded to the west only by the buffer of
East Germany, Poland almost surely would seek to
defend itself by participating in the combined defense
of East Germany, to which it is committed by the
Warsaw Pact, or in a combined counteroffensive or
preemptive attack to destroy the NATO threat in the
west.
1. Military history (C)
The emergence of the Polish state in the 10th
century introduced an 800 -year succession of wars
with its neighbors. This history was interrupted in the
18th century when Poland was partitioned and ceased
to exist as a political entity. Polish patriotism persisted
through the years of national eclipse, however, and
when World War raised the opportunity, a Polish
legion was organized under Marshal Pilsudski to fight
against the Russians for liberation. In 1918 Poiand
regained its national identity and formed a republic
from territories red, ,-me l from the Austro- Hungarian
Empire, Germany, and Russia. The Treaty of
Versailles recognized the independence of the new
Polish state.
At the outset of World War I1, Poland had an
armed force of 300,000 well- trained and well
discipiined troops. Despite courageous resistance, the
country was quickly overwhelmed by opposing forces.
Three Polish destroyers and two submarines escaped
from the Baltic Sea to join forces with the British Royal
Navy; these ships were supplemented later by other
craft provided by the British and manned by Poles. A
considerable number of Polish Air Force personnel
escaped to the United Kingdom, where they were
formed into units in the Royal Air Force. Other Poles
who had escaped were organized in France into
several Polish infantry divisions and a mountain
brigade. After Germany attacked the U.S.S. R. in 1941,
a Polish army of 70,000 men was organized in the
Soviet Union; it was later moved to the Mediterranean
area to serve with the British. In 1943 the U.S.S.R.
organized an infantry division of Poles which soon was
"The GSFG, totaling 386,000 (360,000 ground, 26,000 air),
consists of 10 tank divisions, 10 motorized rifle divisions, and one
tactical air army. The NGF, totaling 40,000 (30,000 ground, 10,000
air), consists of two tank divisions and one tactical air army. A
Soviet Navy force operates out of Swinoujscie, Poland.
0
exr ii.ded into an army that fought as p art of the
Soviet Army through the remainder of the war.
With the creation of the Polish Committee of
National Liberation under Soviet sponsorship in
Lublin in July 1944, the basis for the present armed
forces was laid. The First Independent Naval
Battalion, which participated in the liberation of the
coastal areas, was the forerunner of the postwar Polish
naval forces. After the war the Polish air forces were
reconstituted by redesignating as Polish some Soviet
air units that included Polish personnel. The nucleus
of the postwar Polish Army was the Soviet sponsored
infantry division that had been formed in 1943.
Following the appointment of Marshal of the Soviet
Union Konstantin K. Rokossovskiy (a Pole by birth) as
Minister of National Defense in late 1949, the armed
forces began an intensive program of re- equipping, re-
training, and re- organizing, all under Soviet direction.
Soviet officers of Polish extraction occupied virtually
all key positions, and the armed forces came to be a
small -scale copy of the postwar armed forces of the
U.S.S.R. However, after Wladyslaw Gomulka came
again to political power in Poland (October 1956), the
more obvious aspects of direct Soviet influence on the
Polish forces were removed. Marshal Rokossovskiy and
many other transplanted former Soviet military
officers were replaced by Poles. Marian Spychalski,
Minister of National Defense until 1968 and a trusted
friend of Gomulka, replaced Rokossovskiy. These
measures resulted in the removal of many experienced
command and staff officers, but that deficiency was
overcome by improving qualifications and skills of
personnel, improving the military school system, and
raising the morale and efficiency of the armed forces.
Soviet control still remains but is exercised only
indirectly. The armed forces are still dependent for
support upon the U.S.S.R. and would be unable
independently to pursue a sustained course of action.
2. Command structure (S)
Soviet control of the armed forces of Poland is
achieved principally through close liaison and
cooperation between the Soviet and Polish govern-
ments and Communist parties on all matters that
affect the military establishment. The unified
command established under the Warsaw Pact provides
the Soviet' Union with a formal and effective
instrument of military direction.
The Polish constitution of July 1952 designates the
Sejm (parliament) as the ultimate government
authority and names the Council of Ministers as the
executive arm of the government. The Council
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Chairman (who is the Premier), with the advice and
consent of the council members, is charged with
"general direction in the sphere of defense capability
of the country and organization of the armed forces."
The Minister of National Defense is aided by four
Vice Ministers (Figure 1), who also serve, respectively,
as Chief of the General Staff, Chief of the Main
Political Directorate, Main Inspector of Training, and
Main Inspector of Polish Territorial Defense. The
entire military establishment is centrally controlled
and constitutes, in effect, a single, closely integrated
military force. Although each service and each ground
branch is given appropriate consideration in all
matters relating to its particular role, the high
command and the staff structure are dominated by
ground officers.
Fcr purposes of territorial administration, Poland is
divided into three military districts �the Warsaw, the
Pomeranian, and the Silesian. The area of
responsibility of the Warsaw Military District is the
eastern half of the country; of the Pomeranian
Military District, the northwestern quarter; and of the
Silesian Military District, the southwestern quarter.
Headquarters of the districts are Warsaw, Bydgoszcz,
and Wroclaw (Breslau ),3 respectively, and in their
areas they perform administrative and logistic
functions including supply, communications,
housekeeping, military construction, reserve training,
and mobilization.
A separate naval headquarters is. located at Gdynia.
Contin�ting naval representation at Warsaw is
provided chiefly by small naval liaison groups in the
General Staff and in those central inspectorates which
support and supervise all branches of the armed forces.
There is also a naval liaison group attached to the staff
of the Pomeranian Military District, the district that
embraces the entire coastal area of the country.
B. Joint activities
1. Military manpower (S)
Poland has an ample pouf of manpower from which
to fill its armed forces. Approximately 8,893,000 males
are between the ages of 15 and 49, and of these about
7,030,000 (79 are by Polish standards fit for military
service. The number of males reaching military age
(19) will average 356,000 annually during the 5 -year
period 1974 -78. The following tabulation presents the
estimated distribution of Polish manpower between
'For diacritics on place names see the list of names at the end of
this chapter.
the ages of 15 and 49 by 5 -year age groups as of 1
January 1974:
TOTAL MAXIMtIM
NUMBER NUMBER FIT FOR
ACE OF MALES MILITARY SERVICE
15 -19 1,783,000 1,520,000
20 -24 1,674,000 1,390,000
25 -29 1,225,000 1,060,000
30 -34 980,000 810,000
35 -39 1,090,000 845,000
40-44 1,140,000 800,000
45-49 1. 605,000
Total, 15-49 8,893,000 7,030,000
The armed forces are supported by a form of
compulsory service generally comparable to that
employed in all Warsaw Pact countries. Conscription
is accomplished under the provisions of the 30 January
1959 Law on Universal Military Service. All males
register for military service in the year of their 18th
birthday. A March 1963 amendment to the law
lowered the eligible age for induction from the year of
the 20th to that of the 19th birthday. Because more
men have been available than were needed to
maintain the desired troop levels, not all fit young
men reaching conscription age each year have been
inducted. Compulsory military service is deferred for
students studying in higher schools and for workers
possessing critical skills. 'those bypassed, however,
retain their service obligation until about the age of
50, and most of them receive some form of military
training in schools or paramilitary organizations.
Approximately 100,000 men are inducted annually.
Of "these, about 6 �.000 are taken i:tto the ground
forces, and the remainder enter ine naval, air, and
militarized security forces. Most of the conscripts are
inducted in late October each year. The rest of the
conscripts are indicted in April and are primarily
those selected to attend service schools anO those
selected for the Territorial Defense Forces. The basic
term of service is 2 years except for certain specialists in
all services and seagoing sailors whose terms are 3
years. In addition, specialized training is given to
volunteers; these men are obligated to serve at least 5
years. The navy also has a special 5 -year program for
volunteers.
Young men conscripted for military service during
the past 10 to 15 years have generally been better
educated and more technically proficient than their
predecessors. The men chosen for the naval and air
forces are better educated and of gre"ter dependability
than those selected for the ground forces. Recruits are
physically sturdy and are able to withstand hardship
and privation.
3
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A.
ONLY)
1u
FIGURE 1. Organization of the Polish Armed Forces (S)
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Since 1956 the political officials of the country have
endeavored to improve the loyalty and quality of
leadership in the armed forces and have attempted to
make service life more attractive. Polish officers were
put into all billets formerly held by Soviet officers
serving in the Polish forces, educational qualifications
for officers and noncommissioned officers were raised,
the military school system was improved, uniforms
along traditional Polish lines were readopted, and the
general welfare of military personnel became a greater
concern to the high command. Poland currently has
the most progressive military personnel po!icies in the
Communist world. Generally, morale within the
armed forces is good, though the general populace has,
on occasion, viewed the services with apathy. The
refusal of the armed forces to take repressive measures
during the 1970 -71 workers' riots helped to enhance its
image in the eyes of the public. The present leadership
cadres are both proficient and loyal, and military
organization, discipline, and training are at least equal
to those in comparable Soviet forces. It is anticipated
that Gierek, Gomulka's successor, will continue the
successful policies of his predecessor.
None of the reserves of the armed forces are
organized into units. In a general mobi!ization, new
units would be formed around cadres taken from
existing units, and the reserve manpower would fill out
both old and new units. Each member of the reserves
has a booklet on mobilization that tells him where to
report in the event of mobilization. The military
administrative organization maintains close contact
with the population, and a covert, partial
mobilization or an overt. general mobilization could
be carried out rapidly.
2. Strength trends (S)
In 1946 the total strength of the armed forces st-ood
M about 400,000 (Figure 2), but thereafter there was a
FIGURE 2. Armed forces and militarized security forces personnel strengths (S)
*Includes only the Internal Defenses Forces and the Frontier Guard prior to 1968. Territorial
Defense Forces are included in the totals after 1968
**Naval Air Arm '.neluded from 1950 onward.
***Increase owing to Berlin crisis.
tNavrl infantry transferred to ground forces in 1964.
ttfncludes 2,600 Maritime Frontier Guard personnel.
5
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TERRITORIAL
YEAR
GROUND
NAVAL
AIR
TOTAL
DEFENSE*
1946
225,000
1,000
5,000
231,000
169,000
1947
200,000
6,000
7,000
213,OGO
169,000
1948
180,000
8,000.
7,000
195,000
150,000
1949
165,000
8,000
7,000
180,000
150,000
1950
165,000
*7,000
7,000
179,000
75,000
1951
300,000
8,000
10,000
318,000
75,000
1952
350,0011
8,000
8,000
366,000
65,000
1953
260,000
9,000
10,000
279,000
65,000
1954
250.000
9,000
20,000
279,000
65,000
1955
250,000
9,000
24,000
283,000
65,000
1956
250,000
11,000
32,000
293,000
65,000
1957
250,000
12,00:)
36,000
298,000
65,000
I958
250,000
14,000
38,000
302,000
45,000
1959
200,OG
15,000
42,000
257,000
45,000
1960
200,000
17,000
44,000
261,000
45,000
1961
200,000
18,000
46,000
264,000
45,000
1962
20,000
20,000
47,000
317,000
45,000
1963
2_1',000
20,000
47,000
292,000
45,000
1964
225,000
118,000
48,000
291,000
45,00G
1965
225,000
18,000
48,000
291,000
45,000
1966
225,000
18,000
49,000
292,000
45,000
1967
225,000
19,000
50,000
294,000
45,000
1968
200,000
20,000
51,000
271,000
73,000
1969
200,000
22,000
51,000
273,000
74,000
1970
200,000
22,000
52,000
274,000
74,500
1971
200,000
23,000
53,000
276,000
74,500
1972
200,000
tt26,000
54,000
280,000
73,500
1973
210,000
tt26,000
55,00()
291,000
73,500
*Includes only the Internal Defenses Forces and the Frontier Guard prior to 1968. Territorial
Defense Forces are included in the totals after 1968
**Naval Air Arm '.neluded from 1950 onward.
***Increase owing to Berlin crisis.
tNavrl infantry transferred to ground forces in 1964.
ttfncludes 2,600 Maritime Frontier Guard personnel.
5
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gradual reduction in the size of the ground forces. At
the same time, however, large, military-type security
forces were maintained for use in eradicating armed
underground organizations. By 1949 the underground
had been eliminated, and a swift 50% reduction in the
strength of the militarized security forces followed; by
1958 their strength had diminished to 45,000, the level
that still prevails. In 1950, in reaction to the eruption
of hostilities in Korea, the ground forces were
expanded again and nearly doubled in that year. They
reached the post -World War II peak in the winter of
1951 -52. Restoration of a more normal peacetime
strength was effected in 1952. Since 1953, the ground
forces strength has stablized at between 200,000 and
250,000; in 1973 it was 210,000. The naval and air
forces have been built up since 1946. In 1950 the
strengths of these two services were about 7,000 men
each. The naval forces have increased to about 26,000
since then. The air force strength is now about 55,000.
3. Training (S)
Training in the armed forces is rigorous, effective,
and realistic, and is modeled after that of the Soviet
forces. The Main Inspector of Training is refponsil-le
for the development of tactics, provides a program of
training for all units down to regimental level,
conducts maneuvers and field tests, and inspects the
combat and specialized training in the ground, naval,
and air forces. In addition, this inspectorate maintains
liaison with the Warsaw Pact combined command,
through which it also receives general policies
pertaining to troop training and exercises.
The combat training program is implemented by
the three military districts and the naval and air forces.
The program includes large -scale exercises in the
autumn season involving ground, naval, and air
forces.
Branch schools for officers, officer candidates, and
specialists are established and supervised by the
services and arms under the director of the Main
Inspector of Training. The major Ministry of National
Defense schools are the General Staff Academy (at
Rembertow, near Warsaw) and the Military Technical
FIGURE 3. Annual defense budgets (C)
(Millions of zlotys)
Academy (at Warsaw), both under the supervision of
the Chief of General Staff, and the Military Political
Academy (a i Warsaw), under the supervision of the
Main Political Directorate. Selected Polish officers and
enlisted men are sent to technical and higher.military
schools in the Soviet Unio.,. For training, the Poles
have also used Soviet missile and aircraft ranges.
4. Military budget (C)
The military budget is prepared 1 the Ministry of
National Defense in conformity with expenditure
guidelines provided by the State Planning Commis-
sion. A draft is submitted to the Ministry of Finance
for analysis and inclusion in the state budget. The
state budget is then presented to the Council of
Ministers and Sejm (parliament) for approval.
The announced defense budget, which relects the
general level of defense spending, is probably not all
inclusive because some military related expenditures
are likely to be listed under other categories of the
national budget. Military outlays increased at an
average rate of about 7% between 1968 and 1972, but
planned expenditures declined in 1973 (Figure 3). As a
share of GNP, defense spending increased from about
3.9% to about 4.3% between 1968 and 1972. The
increased expenditures are probably a reflection of the
costs incurred by replacing outmoded equipment and
by introducing new and more sophisticated weapons
systems. Another factor contributory to the increase is
that domestically manufactured materiel is now
priced at levels which more closely correspond to the
actual costs of production.
5. Logistics (S)
Poland has the industrial capability to provide
substantial support for its armed forces. Producing a
relatively large quantity and wide range of products,
the industrial sector has expanded considerably in
recent years. Industry, however, is dependent upon
imports for many strategic raw materials. Facilities for
producing military equipment are modern and well
equipped, but current output is substantially below
peak levels because Poland has found it more practical
and econ)mical to acquire materiel from the U.S.S.R.
1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
Defense budget 30,332 33,519 35,724 37,684 39,490 39,206
Defense as percent of national budget...... 9.3 9.5 9.4 9.6 9.1 8.4
Defense as percent of GNP 3.? 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.3 na
na Data not available.
6
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Poland relies primarily on the Soviet Union for
military equipment not domestically manufactured or
not produced in quantities sufficient to meet its
military requirements. Since 1955 the U.S.S.R. has
supplied equipment valued at US$2.2 billion,
including a wide variety of aircraft, light and heavy
tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, electronic
equipment, missiles, and combat ships. Transport
vehicles and armored personnel carriers have also been
purchased from Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
Although Polish shipyards are capable of producing
major combatants, naval production has been limited
to small subs: arine chasers, motor torpedo boats,
minesweepers, medium landing ships, auxiliaries, and
service craft. The country has relied on the Soviet
Union for large combatants and missile attack boats
Ship repair facilities are adequate for the overhvul and
repair of all ships in the fleet.
Poland's aircraft industry is capable of designing
and producing a variety of light aircraft, but there is
little capability to develop and produce heavier
aircraft. Current production consists of COLT (An -2)
small transports, HOPLITE (Mi -2) turboshaft
helicopter- TS -11 Iskra (SPARK) jet trainers, and PZL-
101 light communications/ utility aircraft. Soviet
designed jet fighters and native- designed jet trainers
have also been produced. Engines have been
domestically produced for many of these aircraft.
Poland, like other Communist Bloc countries, relies
mainly on the Soviet Union for the develpment and
supply of missiles. On their own, the Poles are
producing the Soviet designed AA -2 (ATOLL) air -to -air
missile and the AT -3 (SACCE11) antitank missile.
6. Uniforms and insignia (U /OU)
a. Uniforms
Uniforms made principally of cotton and synthetic
fibers have replaced the heavy woolen fabrics
previously used. Materials, styling, and components
have been standardized.
Uniforms of the ground forces are divided into four
basic categories: dress, service (Figures 4 and 5), field,
and special purpose. The dress and service uniforms
are brownish olive -drab in color, and the field
uniforms are light green patterned with dark brown
vertical lines. Airborne personnel wear a distinctive red
beret. Summer and winter uniforms are of the same
color, but differ in the type of material used.
Uniforms of the naval forces include the categories
of full dress, semidress, service, and special purpose.
Navy blue is the standard color for winter uniforms.
White or mixed (navy blue and white) uniforms are
worn during the summer season.
Air force personnel wear uniforms which, except for
the color (steel blue), are similar in style aad materials
as those of the ground forces.
Summer uniforms are worn from 1 May to 30
September; winter uniforms from 1 October to 30
April.
b. Insignia
Insignia of rank (Figures 4 and 5) for officers,
warrant officers, and enlisted personnel of the ground
and air forces are displayed on the shoulder loops of
the uniform and on headgear. Ranks are indicated by
various silver colored stars, bars, and chevrons which
are attached or sewn directly on the shoulder loops
and headgear without special backgrounds. General
officers have a scrolled- silver hatband on the service
cap, and scrolled- silver piping on shoulder loops and
on the lower part of the coat sleeves. Service cap visor
ornamentation includes two silver -braid stripes for
generals and senior officers, and one silver -braid stripe
for junior officers.
The ranks of naval officers and warrant officers are
indicated by gold stripes, of varying width and
number, displayed on shoulder boards or on the lower
part of the coat sleeves, and by gold stars affixed to the
chin strap of the service cap. Flag officers display
scrolled gold ornamentation on the visor of the service
cap, on shoulder boards, and on the lower part of the
coat sleeves, depending upon the type of uniform
worn. The ranks of enlisted personnel in the lower
grades are indicated by gold diagonal stripes or
chevrons worn on the upper left sleeve of the uniform.
Branches of service in the ground forces are
indicated by silver colored metallic'devices worn on
the collars of the coat and overcoat. Distinctive colors
are displayed on the cap bands of personnel in the
following. organizations: Ist Mechanized Division
(Warsaw)� yellow; Military Police (WSW)� white;
Frontier 01ard (WOP)� green; Internal Defense Forces
(WOW) -blue. Marshals display silver eagle devices
with crossed batons on coat and overcoat collars;
generals, the silver eagle devices without batons.
Airborne and assault landing (amphibious) troops
wear shoulder patches on the upper left sleeve of the
uniform.
Naval officer corps and specialty markings are
indicated by various color inserts between the sleeve
rank stripes. Specialty markings for enlisted personnel
consist of cloth emblems sewn on the upper left sleeve
of the jumper or coat, above the insignia of rank.
Air Force personnel display silver- colored winged
propeller devices on the collars of the coat and
overcoat.
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The national emblem (silver eagle and shield) is
incorporated in all cap insignia and in,^ :Rated on the
uniform buttons.
C. Ground forces (S)
The ground forces are the second largest in the
Warsaw Pact exceeded only by those c: the U.S.S.R.
They are as well organized as the Czechoslovak and
East German ground forces and virtually as well
trained and equipped. They constitute the basic and
by far the largest component of the armed forces.
A ground forces reorganization and modernization
program has been underway since 1957. Organiza-
tional changes in the line divisions and other tactical
units, based on new Soviet concepts, have
substantially improved combat effectiveness.
Concurrently, new equipment including tactical
nuclear delivery systems have been placed in the
hands of the troops, and advances have been made in
training procedures and tactical doctrine. These
improvements have resulted in a better balanced,
more flexible mobile force with greatly increased
firepower. As a result, the ground forces are a
significant asset of the Warsaw Pact.
I. Organization
The ground forces are controlled directly by the
Ministry of National Defense through the Chief of the
General Staff. Under the Chief of the General Staff are
the commanders of the three military districts
(Warsaw, Pomeranian, and Silesian). In addition to
their administrative and logistical functions, these
three commanders are also responsible for the combat
readiness of the tactical units within their areas and
supervise their training programs to assure readiness.
Military district headquarters, at Warsaw, Bydgoszcz,
and Wroclaw, are not currently set up as headquarters
for operational field armies, but in the event of war
would probably form army headquarters within a
Polish front. About two thirds of the ground combat
strength, including all armored divisions, is disposed in
the western half of Poland.
Polish tactical unit organization is patterned after
that of the Soviet Ground Forces. The organization of
the two basic types of line divisions, armored and
mechanized, is generally similar to that of Soviet tank
and motorized rifle divisions. Variations from the
Soviet tables of organization and equipment are
chiefly found in the organization of tank regiments
and in the use of small caliber weapons and older
models of weapons and armor. It is estimated that the
0
actual personnel strength of the units ranges from
about 50% to 90% of full wartime authorized strength.
2. Strength, composition, and disposition
The personnel strength of the ground forces is about
210,000 men. The regular cadre of officers and
noncommissioned officers is about 70,000. Two
conscript classes, numbering about 62,000 each, make
up the largest part of the force. Specialists, serving a 3-
year service obligation, complete the force. In addition
to the active force, there are about 1.8 million trained
reservists who have served a full tour of duty since
about 1951 and have since had refresher training.
The ground forces cons