Polish armoured car wz. 29 Ursus – gallery

This is a supplement to the armoured car wz.29 Ursus page, containing additional information and photos.

An armoured car wz. 29 – probably the pattern vehicle, with experimentally mounted RKD radio, from the Experimental Armoured-Motorized Group from Modlin, during trials of removing obstacles. The photograph might be from manouvres near Lviv in September 1931, in which a participation of the radio car is known, or from other location in a similar period. The radio was removed afterwards. In a background there is another wz. 29 armoured car, probably without an armament (only in mid-1932 series cars were fitted with weapon mountings). The cars are in an uniform "protective colour", probably dark olive green.

Armoured cars wz. 29 from the Experimental Armoured-Motorized Group of the 3rd Armoured Regiment in Modlin, most probably during a parade in Warsaw on 11 November 1933. This photograph is sometimes mistakenly described in publications as cars in late camouflage pattern in 1936. In fact, they wear an experimental non-standard camouflage, not described in publications, probably made by airbrushing contrasting dark brown and light sand or light grey patches upon a basic olive green colour. Vickers Mk. E Type A tanks on the left armed with 37 mm Puteaux SA cannons and lacking further modifications indicate without a doubt, that the photograph was taken between 1933 and 1934. By August 1934 these cars had been already repainted in a typical camouflage (below).

In the middle there is evidently the prototype with a regular steel armour, differing by wider periscope slots in turret sides. On this photograph it also retains original inverted weapon layout in a turret. A detailed examination reveals also a bigger span between two bolts on a side next to a division of two angled rear plates.

A parade of wz. 29 armoured cars from the 3th Armoured Regiment in Modlin in front of General Kazimierz Fabrycy, in April 1933 according to an archival description. In some books the date is given as April 1934. On the right there is Renault FT tank with Polish small-link tracks. It seems, that the cars have a different non standard camouflage, then on the photo above, with bigger share of light colours, possibly a winter/spring one.

Armoured cars wz. 29 on a parade on 5 August 1934 at Mokotów Field in Warsaw, commemorating an anniversary of Polish Legions. There are seven cars visible: the company commander's car (only on right bottom photograph, unfortunately, small) and two platoons with three cars. The cars wear a standard camouflage from 1934-1936, so-called "Japanese" one, without car numbers, painted again from 1935. Noteworthy is a different style of patches in both platoons. Photographs prove, that commanders could sit high in turrets. A close-up of one car was in a main article.

It is not clear, from where the cars came. Because of their presence in Warsaw, we believe that cars from the 2nd Armoured Regiment in Żurawica near Przemyśl (reorganized into the 2nd Tank and Armoured Car Battalion) were moved to the Experimental Armoured-Motorized Battalion in Modlin near Warsaw already in 1934. Publications generally say, that it occurred at end of 1935 or beginning of 1936, but transporting of vehicles over 400 km for a parade would have been unusual those times. The remaining four vehicles were in Bydgoszcz then (below).

Since December 1934 until end of 1935, four cars wz. 29 were used in the detached Armoured Car Company in Bydgoszcz, reorganized to the 8th Armoured Battalion on 26 September 1935. The photograph shows wz. 29 cars platoon at the yard of Bydgoszcz barracks. The first is a motorcycle CWS M111, on the right there are Ursus A trucks. The first two armoured cars have numbers: 6628 and 6755. Triangles on front plates indicate the second platoon. A photo of the same vehicles on the road can be seen on the article page.

Enlarged photograph from a different source (worse quality).

Wz. 29 armoured cars on a parade in Warsaw in late 1930s in a new standard camouflage from 1936.

A wz. 29 armoured car on exercises in late 1930s in a final camouflage. Notweworthy is a flag, provisionally fixed in a rear machine gun mounting, and two-colour inside of doors.

Including photographs from the main article for completeness.

The most often photographed Ursus in September 1939. It has been usually described as the car destroyed on 3 September 1939 at Chojnowo, between Przasnysz and Grudusk, by German armoured cars of Kempf Panzer Division. However, thanks to Damian Lewandowski, the place has been finally identified as Łomnica, 1 km north of Seroczyn (as suggested also by one caption in German album). Therefore, this is actually the first Ursus destroyed on 12 September behind Seroczyn by German units of the same division. It was also probably the first lost armoured car of this type. As can be seen on the photograph to the right and directly below it, the car first stood on the road and only then was disarmed and pushed into the field, where most of the photos were taken. On several photograps its younger all-terrain German counterpart SdKfz 232, armed with 2 cm autocannon and radio-equipped, can be seen.

The second armoured car wz. 29 destroyed on 12 September in Seroczyn, near an inn on a crossroad in a center of the village (not existing anymore). The car lost left twin wheels, one of which lies nearby. A tankette platoon commander Lt E. Sokopp mentioned in his memoires, that one Ursus received a gunshot during a battle of Seroczyn and lost two wheels; the crew bailed out successfully. According to his account, the Ursus troop destroyed two German tanks shortly before that, saving Polish tankettes.

Another armoured car wz. 29 destroyed in a vicinity of Seroczyn on 12 September 1939, shown in two different places. On the bottom photograph there is a sign of the border of Latowicz commune (approximately 3 km west of Seroczyn). No such loss has been reported – most probably it was abandoned during a withdrawal due to some damage (read more in note 5 in the main article). It is noteworthy, that it still has semi-solid Overman tires on the rear axle. A right photo was merged from two prints for better informational purpose.

Armoured cars wz. 29 of the 11th Armoured Unit, after merger with Warsaw Armoured-Motorized Brigade, abandoned on 16 September in a vicinity of Zwierzyniec near Zamość, due to lack of fuel and limited usefulness of these cars on poor roads of eastern Poland. Right: an Ursus in a village identified as Rudka (currently Rudka street in Zwierzyniec) → Below: an Ursus in Zwierzyniec, near a house with a porch – identified as current Partyzantów (Partisans) street. The car shows signs of fire. Wheels were hopefuly useful to citizens. ↓↘
Right: another Ursus, known from one photograph so far, described by the Germans as eastern exit from Rudka → Below: an Ursus in an unidentified place, probably Rudka (described in German albums as Rudka or nearby Biłgoraj). The car still has semi-solid Overman tires on the rear axle, apparently kept as being a good condition. Well visible is a door lock. There appear to be signs of a fire inside. ↓↘

Entirely burned wz. 29 car in an unidentified wood, known from several photographs, surrounded by other burned trucks. The location is quite mysterious because the circumstances indicate that the car was destroyed by own forces, and not on the battlefield. It is worth noting that on the right side the car is pushed against a low wall, and other photograph shows, that the area was barriered by a tall wire fence. Some publications describe it as one of the vehicles destroyed by the crews on 16 September near Zwierzyniec, but a way of destruction and its surroundings look very different than of the cars on the photos above. One of German photos was described as: "road to Warsaw September 8". If the description is correct, then it might have been one of the 11th Armoured Unit's cars abandoned north of Warsaw due to some combat damage (although there is no such information).

We are looking for other photographs or already published ones in a better quality. If you have an access to original prints, we will be grateful for sharing in an educational purpose

More 1939 Ursus photographs on a friendly Pancerne wraki website

There were built probably two unarmoured propaganda cars on ordinary truck chassis, only made similar to wz. 29 cars – more in the main article. Right: the car no. 6814, possibly built in 1935 in the 3rd Armoured Battalion in Warsaw. The car wears standard so-called "Japanese" camouflage from 1934-1936. The photograph is on Leśna training ground near Baranowicze, with a group of officers from the 4th Armoured Battalion from Brest (which may give a hint about its origin) → Below: the car with an unknown number used in late 1930s in the 5th Armoured Battalion in Kraków, in a camouflage used from 1936. ↓↘

A cross-section of the armoured car wz. 29. Note, that a position of a rear gunner is wrong (he should be seated with legs in a hollow under a frame).
Drawing: Witold Jeleń, [4].

Back to the main page wz. 29 "Ursus"

Sources (some):
1. Janusz Magnuski, Samochody pancerne Wojska Polskiego 1918-1939, Warsaw: WiS; 1993
2. A. Jońca, R. Szubański, J. Tarczyński, Wrzesień 1939 - Pojazdy Wojska Polskiego - Barwa i broń; Warsaw, WKŁ; 1990.
3. Rajmund Szubański: Polska broń pancerna 1939; Warsaw 1989
4. Witold Jeleń, Rajmund Szubański: Samochód pancerny wz.29; series: Typy Broni i Uzbrojenia nr 84; Warsaw: Wyd. MON, 1983.
5. Jan Tarczyński, K. Barbarski, A. Jońca, Pojazdy w Wojsku Polskim - Polish Army Vehicles - 1918-1939; Ajaks; Pruszków 1995.
6. many Polish pre-war photographs in public domain and photographs taken by anonymous German soldiers