One thing is noticeable about Poland right away in the game - and that's their unit organizations. Polish land doctrine was radically different to that practiced by other Warsaw pact nations, emphasizing fire and maneuver by company, with the emphasis for tactical innovation being placed on the shoulders of company and platoon commanders. Consequently the battalion normally operates as distinct Company MEs, unlike their Warsaw pact equivalents, which operate as a single, large ME. As a result of this, you'll often find Polish units divided into platoons rather than the large companies of the Soviets and East Germans. Likewise, their command structure also enjoys greater freedom - but not to the standards of NATO - than their fellows in the Warsaw Pact.
The background of this lays in the Polish October - A series of changes and reforms that marked the De-Stalinization and partial liberalization of the Polish People's Republic. A SOFA with the Soviet Union saw the Northern Group of Forces reduced to just two divisions, and a re-organization within the Polish military. Transitioned from a "Puppet state" to a "Client state" as the historian Norman Davies remarks, Poland defied typical Warsaw Pact structure and began forming Brigades in areas where there typically were Regiments, specifically in the artillery and engineers. Changes continued as Soviet influence waned and in 1989, Poland disbanded all Tank Regiments in their Mechanized Divisions and reformatted their Mechanized Regiments into a 2x Tank Bn, 2x Mech Bn structure, that are referred to in the OOB as Brigades, although Mechanized Brigades were not formed proper until 1993.
The Polish were typically dissatisfied with Soviet rule and continuously held protests, demonstrations, and reforms in defiance of Soviet rule. By 1989, Solidarity had gained significant power in Poland, and the first semi-free democratic elections were held just a month before the timeline of Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm. Many western analysts conclude at this time that, had the war turned against the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet union, Poland as a whole was very likely to switch sides to NATO. Even then, many predict wide rebellions and partisan movements which would have hampered Soviet logistics in the theater.
(Map in the background is an excellent remake by The Plodder. You'll be seeing more inspiration from his maps in my later works [;)])
Included in Version 1 are the basic Armoured and Mechanized formations of the Polish forces, covering 1979-1989. Also included are divisional and army level assets, all of which see use of equipment not in use by the Soviet union - these include the Czech OT64 SKOT and Dana SPG. The Polish counters are not final and I'll probably switch them out for a style that does not obscure counter information like the white colors do.
In Version 2 I will seek to include Air Assault regiments and the Polish Marines, a significant unit in Warsaw Pact operations north of Germany.
Like the East Germans, I'll seek to include new maps and scenarios alongside the Polish factions, but not a whole campaign.
Version 1 is attached to this post. Scroll down to find Version 2, attached to another post.
Feel free to report any bugs and errors!
