Aristodemus: Not Just a Greek Legend — A Modern Story Too

Like the ancient Greek soldier who returned from Thermopylae, Polish tank commander Colonel Stanislaw Szczęsny Grzmot-Skotnicki (his actual surname, 'Grzmot' meaning 'Thunder') led the 9th Lesser Poland Uhlans through the September 1939 campaign. When Germany invaded, he led a cavalry charge against German infantry at the Battle of Krojanty — the last great cavalry charge in history. His troops charged sabers drawn against German armored cars and infantry. Initially successful, they were forced to withdraw when the Germans brought up their armor. A German propaganda officer described the charge to Italian reporters as evidence of Polish stupidity, leading to the myth that the Poles charged tanks with cavalry — they never did.