[Legbreaker]

I totally disagree. Sending an entire Corps, and entire army really, peicemeal deep into enemy held territory in the hope those enemy units will switch sides after years of conflict is just pure madness.

The only logical aim is that the German III Army was to clear the Baltic coastline of enemy units and secure valuable fishing grounds while also setting up for a drive either southward to encircle Soviet units, or if the situation warrented/allowed, push onwards further east into Russia itself. Either way the ports in northern Poland would be absolutely vital - there's no way the next phase whatever it was could be supported without them.

Any Pact units which did defect would of course be a bonus, but could Nato really trust them? Sure units consist of soldiers from all sorts of nationalities, butyou can bet those from enemy nations would be looked upon with great suspicion. Concentrate those "enemy" nationalities into units and you have the potential for a terrible disaster.

The only way defecting units could really be used is if "loyal" units were watching over their shoulders 24/7. Leave these defecting units on the front lines, but make sure there a damn strong reserve behind them, just in case...

Note also that the Eruopean theatre was originally a war between Germany and Poland and caused essentially by 7 Germanic Poles refusing to obey orders. The Polish military had every right to deal with these insuborinate men as traitors and possibly even execute them.

Germany then invaded. Germany made the first real move. Germany, backed by Nato, is therefore seen to be the agressors and you can bet the Poles and allies would have been spending every waking moment milking that for every possible propaganda advantage they could.

Therefore, with political officers embedded within the Polish units constantly spreading the party line, would an entire Nato Army be risked on the possibility of a few beaten up and understrength units defecting...?
Before answering consider the apparent disparity in forces in the south of Germany/Poland and the ease in which the Pact could have mounted a very effective offensive of their own...