The achievements of Sgt. Edmund Orlik are disputed, a they are largely based on the documentary articles by Janusz Magnuski (primarily Orlik atakuje pierwszy [Orlik attacks first] and Bój pod Sierakowem [Battle of Sieraków] published in the weekly magazine Za Wolność i Lud [For Freedom and People], issues 20 and 39 from 1979 respectively, based on the Orlik's own testimony. The first mention of the destruction of three German tanks appeared in another Magnuski's article, W walce z pancerną nawałą [Fighting the steel deluge] published in the issue 39/1979 of the same magazine and based on the interview with 2nd Lt. Roman Okuszko who provided this second-hand information. In a response to the articles, Cpl. Roman Nawrocki sent a letter to the editors, stating that it was him, who managed to incapacitate two enemy vehicles near Pociecha, while Orlik was commanding a regular tankette, armed with a heavy machine gun, and thus relatively incapable of damaging tanks.

Magnuski states that Sgt. Orlik, commander of TKS tankette managed to destroy or incapacitate three German tanks during the battle near Pociecha village and seven more in the battle of Sieraków. The claims are disputed though, with the commander of the reconnaissance half-platoon of the 71st Armour Battalion, Sgt. Władysław Tritt, not corroborating Orlik's version of the battle near Pociecha and stating that the tanks were destroyed by the entire unit of three TKS tankettes (in addition, it was Tritt who gained the greatest recognition for the battle and was awarded the Virtuti Militari Order in 1972). The destruction of German tanks near Sieraków was never precisely attributed to particular crews and at least part of vehicles could have been destroyed by the artillery of 7th Horse Rifles Regiment and 7th Horse Artillery Battalion that also participated in combat. Gen. Roman Abraham mentioned in his memoirs that at least one of the tanks lost by Germans at Pociecha has been destroyed by an anti-tank gun and 'few others' were incapacitated or destroyed by by the cavalrymen armed with anti-tank rifles. It also worth noting that apart from Orlik, none of the crewmen of 71st Tank Division claimed to take part in the battle at Sieraków, what obfuscates the matter even more.

But from a purely technical standpoint, it would have been possible for a crew of a TKS tankette (designation of 'reconnaissancce tank' or 'fast tank' was also used the pre-war nomenclature) to destroy several German tanks in a single combat. This is especially true for the most modern model of TKS armed with 20 mm autocannon that combined high firepower and fire rate with high speed and very low profile (TKS was only 130 cm or 4'4" tall). Its main armament was capable of penetrating any armour of the Pzkpfw I and Skoda 38t from 250-300 m and front armour of Pzkpfw II from 100-150 m (this, of course, applies to the variants present in September 1939). These three types of tanks were most common in the 1st Light Division Orlik's unit was fighting. It was also possible for 20 mm autocannon to penetrate the side armour of PzKpfw IV B, also destroyed during the battle Pociecha (it was a command vehicle of Oblt. Viktor Albrecht von Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst). Given that both battles mentioned here were fought in heavily wooded area (Kampinos Forest), it generally meant that they fire was exchanged at relatively short ranges, further increasing penetration chance.

So, to sum it up, the information concerning participation of Sgt. Orlik in the battle and his exceptional achievements are largely based on the press articles written almost 40 years after the fact and not thoroughly verified, with at least several counterfactual claims being present both before and after publication. With all the people involved being dead now, it is likely that the issue will remain ambiguous forever. From a technical standpoint the described feat is certainly possible with a due amount of luck. Historians, however, generally think that the destruction or incapacitation of all 10 tanks credited to Sgt. Orlik was more of a team effort of all crews of TKS tanks armed with 20 mm autocannons, and the infantry and cavalry taking part in combat.

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Gaj, K.M.: Czołg rozpoznawczy TK-S [TK-S Reconnaissance Tank], Sowa, Warsaw 2013

Szubański, R., Pancerne boje września [Armoured Combat in September], ZP Grupa, Piekary Śląskie 2009