then , without soviet air clearance , churchill sent Sending over 200 low-level supply Supply drops by the royal air force , the south african air force , and the polish air force under british high command Control , in an operation known as the warsaw airlift .

although the russian forces had more soldiers and better equipment , the polish regular forces and militia , armed with rifles and sabres from the warsaw arsenal , inflicted Bodily_harm heavy losses on the surprised enemy garrison .