Anti-aircraft defense of the Polish Army in the interwar period

Abstract

The article presents considerations that concern the organization of air defense in Poland after the end of the First World War until the invasion of Nazi Germany, which took place on 1st September 1939. The first part of the article highlights the experience in the organization of air defense gained by the countries fighting on the fronts of the First World War. In this regard, it has been theorized that this armed conflict was the first testing ground for air defense units shielding the fighting troops and civilian facilities from attack by airships and fighter planes. The anti-aircraft defense experience gained by other countries formed the basis for the creation of the first anti-aircraft artillery units in Poland after 1918. As a result of the development of Polish military thought and practical activities, the principles of anti-aircraft defense of ground troops and the tactics of using anti-aircraft artillery in various types of combat operations were developed in Poland. Based on the outlined problem situation, it was assumed that the purpose of the article would be: to present the organization of anti-aircraft defense in the Polish Army in the interwar period and to characterize its organization in relation to the basic types of combat operations.