The M1 Abrams tank shows its Achilles heel in Poland compared to the South Korean K2

Many people have mocked and still mock that the Polish Army still had many traditional cavalry units in 1939.

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However, the reason for the existence of this Polish cavalry is a problem related to the terrain. As you could read here in 2017 in a complete article by Alberto Gómez Trujillo and the Poland First to Fight Historical-Cultural Association, "during the 1920s and the first half of the 1930s, the greatest threat to Poland was considered to be the Soviet Union, and the terrain of eastern Poland, mainly flat, but riddled with marshes and with few and primitive paths and roads, was much more suitable for the movement of mounted troops than for the primitive and fragile vehicles of the time."

Today's military vehicles have advanced significantly compared to 1939, but Poland still has some areas that pose a challenge for even the most modern tanks at certain times of the year. This is according to a Polish website specializing in defense issues and publishing very detailed and comprehensive articles: Defence24.pl.

The Abrams' Achilles' heel: the swampy, muddy terrain of Masuria

This Friday, the website published an article by Jakub Palowski that points out the advantages of the South Korean K2 Black Panther tank over the M1 Abrams, citing statements by Reserve Lieutenant General Jarosław Gromadziński, who points out Poland's main armored defense against a Russian attack, the 18th Mechanized Division "Żelazna", which has its headquarters in Siedlce, in eastern Poland, halfway between Brest (Belarus) and Warsaw:

At the Smolensk Gate, in the Brest-Warsaw direction, we have Europe's strongest armored division, soon with 366 Abrams tanks. This has the potential to trap the enemy in this area. The division must absorb the attack and stop it in cooperation with Apache helicopters, rocket artillery, and air defense.

However, Gromadziński is skeptical about the use of M1 Abrams in other armored units, explaining this with the following words:

In my opinion, the rest should be equipped with K2 tanks, especially in Masuria. Why? When I commanded the 15th Brigade, part of the 16th Division, Abrams tanks were deployed in Masuria in a battalion battle group. They were practically useless in this terrain.

Jakub Palowski adds some more details on this issue, which reminded me of the rationale for using horses in the Polish Army in 1939 as mounted infantry units, rather than cavalry in the traditional sense:

General Gromadziński explains that Abrams tanks had trouble moving in this terrain, for example, in late winter and early spring, and also in autumn. This is swampy, muddy, and shallow terrain. Abrams tanks can't handle it. However, the K2 is a very good platform that is adapted to such terrain.

The advantages of the K2 Black Panther in this area

Right now, K2s are the iron fist of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division, headquartered in Elbląg, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in northern Poland, close to the coast and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. According to Defence24.pl, the crews of these tanks are very satisfied with them, highlighting their efficiency even in difficult and muddy terrain, a characteristic in which they surpass other modern tanks. Much of this advantage is due to the K2's weight. While the South Korean tank weighs 55 tons, the M1A2 SEP reaches 63 and the Leopard 2A7V reaches 63.9.

Polish tankers are also particularly pleased with the K2's ISU hydropneumatic suspension, which allows it to vary its ground clearance, improving its ability to fire behind terrain obstacles. Added to this is the fact that the K2 has a top speed of 70 km/h and a range of 450 km, slightly improving the performance of its American rival: the M1A2 SEP reaches 68 km/h, with a range of 425 km.

The Polish Army is scheduled to receive a total of 1,000 K2 Black Panthers, in two batches: 180 K2 Batch IV, deliveries for which are already well advanced, and 820 K2PL, a special version adapted to the needs of the Polish Army, which will be license-produced in Poland and deliveries for which are expected to start in 2026. In addition, the Polish Land Forces also already have 116 M1A1 FEP Abrams and are expecting 250 M1A2 SEPv3, deliveries for which have already started.

To this considerable armored force must be added, in addition, 233 Leopard 2 (52 Leopard 2A4, 105 Leopard 2A5 and 76 Leopard 2PL) and 206 PT-91 Twardy. Most of the Soviet T-72s that Poland had have been donated to Ukraine as military aid against the Russian invasion. Currently, Poland is in the process of forming one of the largest and most modern armored forces in NATO, a rearmament process that is explained by the threat of Russian expansionism.

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Photos: 16 Dywizja Zmechanizowana / 18 Dywizja Zmechanizowana / 1. Warszawska Brygada Pancerna.