Warsaw Uprising 1944: September 23 Nazi SS Execute Over 200 Polish Insurgents

Reverend Jozef Stanek "Rudy"

The Czerniakow beachhead falls. Upper Czerniakow has been captured by the Germans during the night.  Polish defenders have made an attempt to fight their way through to Srodmiescie but only a small group get through. Five men under the command of Captain Ryszard Bialous "Jerzy" got through and made it to the YMCA building on Konopnieckiej Street, which is still held by the insurgents.  The rest of the Polish unit was captured by the Germans. SS officers have executed by firing squad and hanging over 200 injured Polish insurgents, messengers and nurses. A Pallotine priest, Reverend Jozef Stanek “Rudy”, chaplain of the “Kryska” group was also executed on Solec Street by the Germans by hanging. 

Germans have stepped up the pressure on the district of Mokotow, which is now the chief target of General von dem Bach. They have also prepared to attack Zoliborz.  Hermann Göring  has selected additional division units to join the campaign.  Artillery fire and air raids grow stronger. The area of Aleje Niepodleglosci Street is particularly hard hit.

Polish insurgents are besieged in three areas of the city: Srodmiescie, Zoliborz and Mokotow. The Uprising is now a one-sided war of attrition, or rather a struggle for acceptable terms of surrender.

For the past several days, German attacks near the Vistula have been escalating as they attempt to prevent further landings.  But Polish troops continue to hold their positions on the eastern shore in preparation for the expected wave of Soviet landings. Other Polish troops have been making attempts to land since the 15th of September, but with very heavy casualties to men and materiel.  Throughout the onslaught, Red Army support was all but non-existent except for intermittent and sporadic artillery fire and air support.  Despite attempts by the 1st Polish Army, they were unable to link up with the insurgents.

On the 19th of September, Home Army soldiers and landed elements of the 1st Polish Army had to retreat from their positions on the bank of the river.  Of about 900 men who made it ashore, only a handful were able to return to the eastern shore of the Vistula. Berling's Polish Army suffered enormous losses in their attempt to aid the Uprising. Casualties were 5,660 killed, missing or wounded.  There were no further attempts at river crossing, and the promised evacuation of the wounded did not take place.

Zygmunt Berling and troops of the LWP

The failure for either side to make significant advances has led to a suspension of further attempts in crossing the river for at least four months. At that point, operations against the 9th Army's five panzer divisions were problematic. Moreover, Soviet Command has dismissed General Berling, Commander of the 1st Polish Army.

During the Invasion of Poland in 1939, Berling did not fight the German invaders. After his town Wilno was occupied by Soviet armies, he was arrested along with many other Polish officers by the notorious NKVD, the Soviet Union's secret police.  Berling remained in prison until 1940 initially at Starobielsk and then in Moscow. He agreed to co-operate with the Soviets and thus avoided execution in the Katyn Massacre. After the Sikorski-Maisky Pact,Berling was released from prison on August 17, and appointed Chief of Staff of the newly created 5th Infantry Division. He later became the commander of a temporary camp for Polish soldiers in Krasnowodsk.

Berlings' troops crossing the Vistula River - 1944

The Sikorski-Maisky Pact signed on July 30, 1941 led to the release of thousands of Polish soldiers and civilians from Soviet prisons, as well as and the creation of the 2nd Polish Corps under the command of General Wladyslaw Anders. During the evacuation, Berling deserted Anders' army along with two other officers to join the Red Army. On April 20, 1943, Anders degraded the three and expelled them from the army. On July 25th, the field court sentenced them to death in absentia. The Polish Military Court stated that "the accused deserted from the Polish Army, in Court's opinion in order to join the Soviet Army, ie. to serve the country which has as one of its goals the end of existence of the independent Polish state by means of incorporating its territory."


Stalin created the Polish People's Army in 1943 (Ludowe Wojsko Polskie) and appointed  Berling as the commander of its first unit, the 1st Tadeusz Kosciuszko Infantry Division. He was later promoted to General by Stalin himself.

1st Polish (Peoples) Army January 19, 1944 parade

When the Uprising broke out on August 1st, 1944, Berling's army had advanced towards Warsaw and without consulting Soviet Command may have issued his own orders to engage the German forces and aid Polish resistance. The landing received no tactical support from Berling or other Soviet units, and therefore made no significant contribution in helping the Uprising. However, Soviet Command noticed Berling's behaviour and  dismissed him from his command. He was transferred to the War Academy in Moscow where he remained until 1947.


The first major engagement of Berling's army was the Battle of Lenino in October 1943. By the following spring Soviet command had increased and strengthened its armor and materiel support and soldiers numbered over 30,000 men strong. The unit was then reorganized into the Polish First Army led by Soviet commanders appointed by Soviet Command. The LWP was later integrated into the 1st Belorussian Front.  

Lt. John Ward

Lt. John Ward, a British soldier and member of Armia Krajowa, has been dispatching secret radio reports of the Uprising to London authorities, always in the hope that the allies would provide assistance and intervention. In almost two months of battle, Polish insurgents have been left virtually alone and abandoned.  Nevertheless Ward continues sending reports, if only to testify to the horrendous conditions dealt to the people of Warsaw.

The inhabitants of Warsaw are now literally living only in ruins. Whole central part of city completely destroyed. In some cases by fires started by Poles to drive out enemy and in others by shell fire, mines and air bombs. Water very difficult to get. I personally today had first wash after six days and am considered lucky. To get one bucket of reasonably clean water it is necessary to stand in queues under fire four or five hours. Food even more scarce. Even front line soldiers get quite inadequate rations, usually about four ounces of boiled barley daily. Bread practically unheard of. Civilians mostly in even worse plight. Private stocks largely burnt or buried under ruins. Hospitals are in what were coal cellars a few weeks ago. Many thousands of wounded there, perhaps more civilians than military. Conditions in which they lie really terrible.

Warsaw Uprising 1944: September 17 Russia: Treacherous Alliance

The anniversary of September 17 must have crossed the minds of every Polish officer and soldier today, in particular General Tadeusz Komorowski "Bor".  Five years ago today massive hordes of the Red Army invaded Poland from the east. Their objective, in tandem with that of Nazi Germany (which invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939) was not only to occupy Poland but to eradicate the Polish people through ethnic cleansing.  Polish Christians and Polish Jews suffered five years of brutal repression, forced labor camps, arrests, torture, executions and imprisonment in concentration camps, and death camps.  In a series of four mass deportations totaling approximately 1,680,000 Polish people (not including political prisoners) were deported to gulags in the furthest reaches of the Soviet Union.


The most heinous of all crimes against the Polish people was the systematic massacre of over 16,000 Polish military officers at Katyn in April and May of 1940. German troops had discovered the mass graves last year and have since been accused of having committed the crime. The real culprits of these atrocities is in fact the Soviet Union however Russian officials flatly deny any culpability and blame the Germans for the crimes. Apparently the allies have accepted the Soviet explanation. In the first few days of the Uprising from 40,000 to 100,000 Poles were massacred at Wola and Ochota by German SS troops. It had all the earmarks of "a second Katyn", only this time the crime was perpetrated by the Germans.



KATYN MASSACRE execution of Polish officers (00:04:37m)

General Bor

Whether by co-incidence or by design, General Bor chose today to dispatch a radiogram to Marshal Rokossovky through the Polish Headquarters in London. Bor offered the Russian general the opportunity to establish direct telephone contact between them.  It would have been very easy to accomplish this feat since engineers of the Armia Krajowa (Polish Home Army) had recently discovered a telephone cable under the Vistula by which both parties could be connected. General Bor described the precise location of the cable and the manner in which the connection would be made. No response has been made by Soviet officials.


Polish Prime Minister Mikolajczyk immediately dispatched his aide, Mr. Zaranski, to deliver an urgent radio message to Soviet Ambassador Viktor Z. Lebiediev at the Soviet Embassy in London. (Editors note: The aide’s report on the mission is currently held in the private archives of Prime Miinster Mikolajczyk. It was signed by Zaranski. Source of this fact is from the author J.K. Zawodny, in his book 'Nothing But Honour - The Story of the Warsaw Uprising 1944) Zaranski telephoned the Soviet Embassy at midnight on the day that General Bor's radio message reached London, and informed the man on duty that he wished to deliver an urgent telegram concerning the liaison between General Bor and Marshal Rokossovsky.  Zaranski was told that there was no one in the Embassy because it was Sunday and he was asked to phone the next day.  He did so at 11:00 am and was given the same excuse. But Zaranski insisted on seeing someone to whom the telegram could be delivered immediately and was finally permitted to meet with the Secretary of the Embassy. 

L-R:  Prime Minister Mikolajczyk and Vice Premier Jan Kwapinski August 13, 1944 

Just as Zaranski was about to ready Bor's message, the Secretary of the Embassy abruptly interrupted him and said, “ Dear sir, I am to communicate to you on the order of Ambassador Lebiediev that Ambassador Lebiediev will not accept any further telegrams or letters from the Polish Prime Minister or from Warsaw. It would have been quite different at the beginning of this affair, where the problem of liaison was concerned. The Polish Government should be aware of the fact that there are no diplomatic relations between my Government and the Polish Government.”   Despite Zaranskis' efforts to convince him otherwise, the Secretary stated that the matter was definitely closed. 

Julian Skokowski

Two representatives of “The Combined Military Forces”(CMF) Colonel Julian Skokowski(Communist) and Major Sek, went to see General Monter. While General Monter demonstrated optimism for the benefit of the troops, in front of the Commanders of the CMF he was honest.

In his observation, “The Soviets are not trying to help us; that is why we are going to be compelled to capitulate.”  The two Commanders implored Monter to take over the command of the AK and not to disregard the directives of the Polish-Government in Exile.  (Though the CMF wanted to save Warsaw, it was to their interest to drive a wedge between the AK, and the Polish government in exile in London.)


General Bor sent another radio message today, this time to the Supreme Commander in Chief in London, and the Polish Government in Exile asking what strategy the AK should use if the Soviet Army, after seizing Warsaw, begins to persecute the insurgents. Bor has reason to be concerned. Polish-Russian relations have endured a long and bloody history. Poland has been partitioned four times in its history by its neighbours including Russia. The third time was in 1795 when Poland was virtually erased from the map and the Polish nation ceased to exist for 123 years. At the root of Polish fears is the ruthless Soviet state-sanctioned terrorism.

Since the start of the Uprising, Soviet agents of NKVD, SMERSH, as well as Polish Communist Secret Service have joined forces to conduct nation-wide hunt for Polish fighters who are loyal to the Polish government in exile in London. Members of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) have been the main targets as the Russians try to destroy Polish resistance. About 25,000 underground Polish soldiers including 300 AK Officers have been arrested, disarmed and interned.  By mid-October tens of thousands of Poles will be deported to Siberia. Typical of Soviet tactics, many Polish prisoners have been given the "choice" of a lengthy imprisonment, or enlistment in Soviet Red Army.

Slawomir Rawicz

Few people have been able to escape the Russian gulag. But a handle of Polish soldiers including Slawomir Rawicz managed to do just that.  Rawicz was arrested by Soviet forces after the joint German-Soviet Invasion of Poland in 1939. 

Rawicz returned to Pinsk where he was arrested on November 19, 1939 by the NKVD and sent to Moscow. He was sent to Kharkov for interrogation, and then after a mock trial imprisoned at the notorious Lubyanka prison in Moscow. NKVD agents tortured him in an attempt to force a "confession" but Rawicz refused to relent. He was convicted of being a spy and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor and was deported, along with thousands of others to Irkutsk, a remote Siberian prison camp. From there he had to walk to Camp 303 located 650 km south of the Arctic Circle and once there, build a camp from the ground up.

Rawicz and six other prisoners managed to escape on April 8, 1941, in the middle of a blizzard. Along the way they encountered an another fugitive on the run, a Polish woman by the name of Krystyna, and nine days later they crossed the Lena River. Crossing the Gobi desert, two members of the group perished, and by October they had reached Tibet. Another member of the group died as they were crossing the Himalyas, another died in his sleep from the cold, and one fell into a crevasse and disappeared. Rawicz and the remaining survivors made it to India around March 1942.


A very odd editorial appeared in the official publication of Armia Krajowa, which is Warsaw's largest underground newspaper, the Biuletyn Informacyjny. For the first time ever, AK leaders actually played down the importance of the Warsaw Uprising, referring to it as only one of the “leaves” of military history, “not the first and not the last” and “just as a fragment of this war”. However speculation abounds whether the report is genuine or a propaganda ploy by communist infiltrators.

First Polish Army takes oath

During the past several weeks of the Uprising, Polish insurgents have maintained fierce resistance to enemy attacks though with very heavy casualties. Last night another group of soldiers of the 9th infantry regiment of the 3rd Division of the First Polish Army crossed the Vistula and was able to reach the Czerniakow Beachhead. In two days a total of about 1,200 soldiers are expected to arrive in Czerniakow. There they plan to link up with units of Armia Krajowa and launch counterattacks against enemy lines. There has been fierce fighting between Polish insurgents and German troops to keep the beachhead. In Marymont a platoon of anti-tank guns and communications specialists has crossed the Vistula, including one company of the 6th infantry regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division.  Heavy German artillery fire has pounded Zoliborz, Mokotow and Srodmiescie throughout the day and shows no sign of abating.

Lt. John Ward

Lt. John Ward, a British soldier, and member of the Armia Krajowa has been reporting on the daily events of the Uprising from its very inception.  His secret radio messages have provided the allies with vital first hand information, yet they have continued to ignore Warsaw's pleas for military assistance and materiel.

Wards' reports have become steadily less frequent as battles have greatly intensified throughout the Warsaw districts. Lt. John Ward has informed Colonel P. that he was wounded in the leg although no other information has been provided as to the circumstances.

Warsaw Uprising 1944: August 23 - Germans Wipe Out Entire Polish Army

Junkers JU 87B Dive Bomber

German forces have launched a brutal attack against a unit of Armia Ludowa (The Polish Communist underground army) killing all 150 members. The Armia Ludowa was the same unit responsible for having liberated 324 men and 24 women from a German camp located in the Old Town district of Warsaw. Eighty-nine were Polish citizens, while the rest were victims of Nazi persecution from Romania, Holland, and Hungary.

The Armia Ludowa are communist partisan forces formed by the Polish Workers Party. Their objectives are to support the Soviet military against German forces as well as create a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland. As such they have refused to join the Polish Underground State however many AL soldiers joined the ranks of the 1st Polish Army that was recently formed in the Soviet Union rather than the Red Army.

Most of the members of the 1st Polish Army are Poles and secular Jews who had been deported to the Russian gulag after the Russians invaded Poland on September 17, 1939.  Over 40 per cent of the officers are of Soviet origin while the command staff and training officers constitute 70 to 85% of the forces. That the Soviets maintain tight command and control of the regiment clearly indicates continued distrust of the Poles.  The 1st Polish Army is organized in much the same way as its Soviet counterpart but with substantially weaker armament.

Armia Ludowa Peoples Army in a forest near Lublin

From positions inside the ruins of Warsaw City Hall Polish insurgents managed to shoot down a Ju 87 Stuka Bomber. It is the only bomber that the insurgents have been able to shoot down since the Uprising started.  The reason is that the AK placed a ban on targeting aircraft due to lack of sufficient ammunition. Later in the afternoon Germans launched an offensive in all sectors, attacking the Jan Bozy Hospital on Bonifraterska Street, the Fiat Factory on Sapiezynska Street and buildings of the State Securities Plant on Sanguszki Street. The Simona passage on Dluga Street burst into flames under heavy enemy fire.

Lt. John Ward

Lt. John Ward, a British soldier, and member of the AK has dispatched ever more urgent messages to London reporting that fighting has escalated in intensity.  A special dispatch was also wired to The Times providing details of the battle for Warsaw. This is what he wrote:

The battle for Warsaw is increasing in intensity. Today in Pius Street the Telephone Exchange was taken by storm. The action lasted 26 hours. The day before the Central Telephone Building in Sienna Street was taken. In all, some 200 prisoners have been taken in these two operations. Polish losses were not high. Yesterday the Germans opened fire with a mine-thrower in the area south of Jeroboams Avenue. In two hours they destroyed 22 houses, each house of which contained from 20-60 flats. More information to follow tomorrow.


Article addressed to The Times;

Today in Warsaw a battle is going on that I think is very difficult for the British nation to understand. It is a battle that is being carried on as much by the civil population a; by A. K., the troops of the Polish Home Army. It is total warfare. Every street in the city has been a field of battle for the past 24 days. The enemy mine-throwers, artillery and aircraft are taking a heavy toll of human life. The damage to property is incalculable. Normal life in the city is, of course, at a complete standstill. Practically the whole population is engaged in some sort of public duty. Thousands of people have been mobilized to stand by to put out the fires that are raging throughout the city day and night. Thousands more are engaged in keeping the streets that are in the hands of A. K. free from debris. There are, of course, many other duties such as couriers, field telephone workers, and of course Red Cross, which is working excellently under the most difficult conditions.

The actual army, that is to say A. K., is a queer mixture. Fighting in it are young boys of 16 years and old men of 70 years. There are weapons for about one man in a hundred. Weapons are varied; they range from the small automatic pistols 65 caliber to rifles. There are also some few heavy machine guns, but these are only used in emergency, as they use too much ammunition. Very few military formalities are observed. In fact, it is impossible to enforce any large amount of discipline in an army that is two-thirds untrained and has no uniform. There are colonels fighting as simple soldiers under the command of young lieutenants.

Weapons are being constructed. Hand grenades have been made from old gas pipes filled with some explosive mixture. These grenades have to be lit with a simple match before being thrown. Flame throwers that have been hurriedly constructed in small workshops are in use. Perhaps the most ingenious weapon of all was used two days ago. I personally saw ten of them explode. In an old German store 120 80-pound artillery shells were found; at first it seemed they were useless, until a sapper, since killed, put inside two detonators, to each of which was attached a 25 second fuse. When the order for action was given these shells were thrown from a second floor window as near to the German position as possible, and then the company of A. K. fled to such cover as was obtainable, the effect of this ingenious maneuver being considerable. The weapons that have been dropped by the GRAF have been of great value but are in quantity inadequate.


Another problem that is facing the population today is the shortage of food. Warsaw is a city that has been starved by the Germans for nearly five years. The quantity of food in the city at the outbreak of hostilities was small. It is already 24 days since hostilities began and at the moment in Warsaw we see no hope of a speedy end to the present state of affairs.


The population have a second great worry. What form will the Russian occupation take? News comes daily of further leading members of the community being arrested in territories occupied by Soviet troops. Also a large number of officers from A. K. have been put into Soviet concentration camps. It was understood by the Polish people when the uprising started that it was only a question of a few days before the Soviet troops entered the city. The fight against the common enemy that has been waged in Poland during the past five years has been hard and bitter. The population of the Capital was called upon to make one final effort. The call was answered gallantly. Hardships are many, losses very high, but despite all this the determination of the people is firm to hold out and rid their city and country of the enemy.

Just one month ago today, the Lwow Uprising was launched by the Armia Krajowa in what was planned to become a nation-wide Uprising code-named Operation Tempest. The battle for Lwow lasted a mere five days and ended with a Polish victory of sorts. No sooner had the AK liberated Lwow that the Red Army arrested the Polish soldiers and forced them to join the Red Army or be deported to the gulag. Lwow is now under Soviet control. After a fierce battle Polish units were able to take back the Holy Cross Church as well as the adjacent building of the former Police Headquarters at No. 1 Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street. This has given Polish units a much needed advantage, from which to attack German positions towards the Old Town.
 

Polish Insurgents on observation post on tower of Holy Cross Church (Gustaw Battalion?)

On the opposite side of Krakowskie Przedmiescie troops under the command of Captail Cyprian Odorkiewicz "Krybar" has charged the University. Also taking part in the attack were insurgent armored cars "Kubus" and "Jas". However the Germans succeeded in repelling the attack. Kubus, means little Jacob in Polish, but also "Winne the Pooh". Construction of the first Kubus began on August 8, 1944 in a car repair shop belonging to Stanislaw Kwiatkowski.in the borough of Powisle at the corner of Tampka and Topiel Streets. The designer and engineer is Walerian Bieliecki. In fact there was no blueprint prepared. The construction was improvised and took thirteen days to complete. The Kubus is based on the chassis of a Chevrolet 157 truck, licence-built in pre-war Poland by Lilpop. Rau I. Lowenstein Company. The chassis is fitted with steel plates for protection of the crew. The plates have been bolted to a steel frame and then welded together. The Kubus could carry between 8 and 12 soldiers and is armed with a Soviet-built DP machine gun, underground-built K pattern flamethrower and hand grenades, in addition to personal armament of the soldiers.  It entered service yesterday as soon as it was completed and was attached to the "Wydra" motorised unit.  Today the Poles mounted a concentrated attack against German positions at the main campus of the Warsaw University. Poles charged the campus driving the Kubus, together with a captured Sd.Kfz.251/3 Ausf.D APC  but the attempt failed under heavy German fire.
 

Polish armoured car "Kubus" Warsaw Uprising

Rear view of "Jas"  (has internal mounted antenna)

During the Nazi occupation of Poland there has been a circulation of about 137 underground newspapers. There is an extensive array of journals printed by the Polish Underground, including a few written in the German language for propaganda purposes. The Polish Underground press has had remarkable longevity and success in distributing these newspapers -  right under the German noses. The vigor of the Polish Underground has not subsided. Since the Uprising began almost three weeks ago, young Poles have been risking their lives to deliver messages between insurgent units throughout Warsaw. Their sacrifices and those of child soldiers merits them the same respect as that conferred to any Polish soldier.

Warsaw Uprising 1944: August 21 - ALLIES WATCH AS WARSAW DIES

Grave of Polish Soldier

Never before in the history of modern warfare has there been a battle of such magnitude in which the enemies were so unevenly matched. The Germans have been dispatching bombers, self-propelled artillery, railway motors, tanks, armoured trains, and even armoured light boats in an effort to quash the Uprising.  The superiority of numbers and quality of German infantry is evident. Yet despite these overwhelming odds, Polish insurgents have been able to withstand the German onslaught for weeks sustaining indefinitely this horrendous blood-letting. After three weeks of ferocious battles, only 20 percent remain of the original number of insurgents. There are reports which indicate that some units have lost more than 100 men as a result of German bombing. Of the 106 men of the Gieowont Company, only 4 to 6 survived a recent air raid. The German war machine has thrown all its power into the fight for Warsaw but though they are invincible they too have suffered heavy casualties.

Polish insurgents from Kampinos Group and Zoliborz units on Gdanski Station have been fighting bitterly and succeeded today in repelling ferocious attack from a German armoured train. Casualties were very heavy on both sides.  Meanwhile in the Old Town, grenadiers from the 5th SS Armored Division Viking have attacked barricades set up around the Royal Castle. Fighting has shifted to St. John's Cathedral which is currently in Polish hands. Throughout the day German airplanes have been passing overhead every 40 to 50 minutes. They are flying low and dropping bombs at random, some weighing over a thousand pounds each. Sources indicate that several  bombs that did not explode have been salvaged by AK engineers who will defuse them and use the explosives to produce home-made hand grenades.

Kampinos Group Headquarters: L-R:  Cprl "Krzemien", Stanislaw Pilarski (back),

courier Jadwiga Balabuszko-Stawinska "Hanka",  Radio equipment is by the wall.

The tubes in the frontcontain PIAT ammunition; in the back "Bren" machine guns are visible. L-R: 1) Jerzy Baumiller "Żorż" 2) Tadeusz Gaworki "Lawa", 3) Ludwik de Laveaŭ "Bob"
4) Andrzej Berezowski "Trzynastka", 5) Zbigniew Słoczyński "Sum"

The Old Town is still in the possession of the insurgents. Of the 1,100 apartment houses in this historic district of Warsaw half the buildings are in ruins and 300 buildings completely gutted by fires. New fires have broken out in the district. The Arsenal building on the corner of Nalewki and Dluga Streets is on fire.  Polish troops have evacuated the area but only one company from the "Chrobry I" battalion still remains in the building. The insurgents have managed to push the Germans from the right wing of the Bank Polski on Bielanska Street and from the Canonesses Convent, and are fighting back enemy attacks on City Hall and Blank's Palace.

Warsaw Arsenal as it looked in 1938

The Arsenal was constructed by the order of King Stefan Batory in the mid-16th century. Initially the building served as a hostel for Polands' war veterans. Between 1638 and 1643 during the reign of King Wladyslaw IV, the building was reconstructed by General of Engineers Pawel Grodzicki to accomodate the requirements of a city arsenal. The walls of the structure were substantially thickened as protection against direct attacks, and its exterior appearance was classical in design. The Warsaw building has remained as the main armoury ever since.  However, during the 18th century it had to be rebuilt twice: the first time between 1752 and 1754 by Jan Deybel and Joachim Rauch, followed by a second reconstruction between 1779 and 1782, undertaken by Polands most renown architects of the era, Szymon Zug and Stanislaw Zawadzki.

The Arsenal was the scene of heaving fighting during the Warsaw Insurrection of 1794 between the Polish Army and civilians against Russian forces which had occupied Warsaw.  Due to extensive damage to the building it was rebuild in 1817 under the leadership of Wilhelm Minter. Following the November Uprising until 1835 the arsenal was expanded to become a tsarist prison.  Eventually Russian authorities built a huge citadel  and it was converted for the detention of common criminals.  After Poland regained her independence the Arsenal was used as a police precinct. During the interwar years (1935-1938) the building was used to house the city archives. At this time, the main architects Bruno Zborowski and Andrzej Wegrzecki restored its exterior to the original 17th century design.

The building survived the Invasion of Poland in 1939 and continues to function in its pre-war role during the German occupation. In one of the most spectacular actions by the Polish Resistance, in the spring of 1943, the Szare Szeregi fighters liberated a vast number of political prisoners from the Gestapo as they were en route from one prison to another.

Szare Szeregi (00:03:34m)

Insurgents have made another attempt to break out of the Old Town Sector but have failed. Polish fighters had also tried on August 10 but with no success. The situation is desperate yet they continue to fight. After three weeks of battling German forces, about 50 to 80 percent of Polish fighters have been killed or severely wounded.  Field hospitals have run out of supplies and medicines and operations and amputations are being performed without the use of anesthetics. Every day the death toll rises and freshly dug graves line the streets. The dead now lay in the streets and the stench of rotting corpses and burning homes is overwhelming. German attacks are focused towards Krasinski Square and from their positions at Royal Castle they are mounting ferocious attacks on Swietojanska and Kanonia Streets. The battle for the Cathedral continues while insurgents desperately hold on to their positions.

Since this morning in Srodmiescie North the Germans have been shelling positions of the “Chrobry II” group.  Meanwhile SS RONA units are attacking from Aleje Jerozolimskie and Towarowa Streets but by 5 p.m., the attack collapsed. Last night insurgent troops from the Zoliborz District and Kampinos under the command of Maj. Alfons Kotowski "Okon" attacked the Gdanski Railway Station. The attack failed under strong enemy fire and prevented the Poles from linking Old Town with Zoliborz. Polish casualties were severe.

  1944 Warsaw Uprising / Powstanie Warszawskie (00:05:52m)


 

Germans units have blown up Pawiak Prison. Meanwhile another German unit has launched an attack on Sadyba from Wilnow which the Polish troops managed to repel. Their main defensive position is the neighborhood of the Dabrowski Fort on Okrezna Street. Despite the fierce fighting in Warsaw, the Palladium Movie Theater screened the second insurgent newsreel of yesterday's incredible victory - the Polish taking of the PAST building. It is the greatest Polish victory since the Uprising started and raises hopes among Warsaw civilians and insurgents that victory will soon be theirs. The Polish Delegate sent an urgent message to the office of Prime Minister Mikolajczyk to be forwarded to Roosevelt and to Churchill. Here is an excerpt:

 “Gentlemen, we are approaching you for the second time. For the past three weeks, we have been carrying on a bloody fight completely alone, insufficiently supplied with weapons and ammunition, and without air assistance. At the same time, all reports that reach us from Polish territory occupied by the Soviets, from territories that are disputed by the Soviet Union and those that are not, inform us that the Soviet authorities intern, arrest, or detain in Camp Majdanek, Armia Krajowa civilian administrators. This is the AK that so successfully assisted them in fighting the German forces. In this way, after five years of incessant and bloody resistance against the Germans, the Polish nation is being cruelly enslaved by one of its allies. Is it true that the great nations of the United States of America, and Great Britain can passively watch this new tragedy overtaking Poland...their ally? Is it true that even the Polish Air Force under British command is not allowed to come to the assistance of dying Warsaw? Is it true that Poland is going to be a victim of partition based on spheres of interest? We are declaring in the most solemn manner that we are fighting on the ruins of burning Warsaw, and we shall fight...for independence, and...defend that independence against any sort of imperialist. In this fight we have united peasants, workers, and intelligentsia. The Polish nation, seeing the passivity of both great allies toward dying Warsaw, and also their silent approval of the outrages committed under the Soviet occupation, cannot understand and is reacting with bitter disappointment." 

Signed: the Delegate of the Polish Government 


 

Battle of Berlin: Hell on Earth

The Battle of Berlin was one of the most ferocious, bloodiest battles in history. It marked the final major offensive of World War II which lasted from April 16, 1945 to May 2, 1945, Soviet troops advanced towards the German stronghold from the east. south and north annihilating everything in their path. More than 2.5 million Soviet troops, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces pounded German defensive positions into oblivion. On the German defensive were 1 million troops, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft, and 10,400 pieces of artillery. By the end of the fighting the Soviets had killed over 458,080 German soldiers and taken another 479,298 as prisoners. By comparison, the Soviets lost 81,116 KIA, or MIA, and 280,251 WIA. Soviet materiel losses amounted to 3,300 tanks, 2,108 artillery pieces and 917 aircraft.

The Soviet Offensive consisted of four fronts; Rokossovsky's 2nd Belorussian Front, which would position itself on the northern flank, and thereby protect Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front, which was to spearhead the attack on Berlin itself, in conjunction with Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front located just to the south. The 4th Ukrainian Front led by Yeremenko would attack and maintain a constant barrage against German troops in the southern zone.

German defenses were assembled from the German Army Groups Vistula which consisted of the 3rd Panzer and 9th Armies in the north, and Army Group Centre consisting of the 4th Panzer and 12th Armies in the south. Within Berlin itself were about forty Volkssturm Battalions, the 1st 'Berlin' Flak Division, a few engineer Battalions and 'Police' Battalions.

Berlins' defences were structured along a series of concentric rings emanating from the city core, the outermost of which was located approximately 25 miles from the city centre which served as a basic defence line in the east. The Germans benefited from the natural defences between the Dahme and Alte Oder Rivers which covered a distance of approximately 50 miles.

The Germans set up another defensive line barricaded by obstacles and heavily reinforced by German defensive positions at every major road juncture to the north and south of the city. Yet another defensive ring was created following the outer city boundary for a distance of approximately 60 miles, and included fallback positions to the Havel and Wuhle Rivers, in the west and east respectively, as well as the Hohenzollern Canal to the north, and the Teltow Canal to the south. Throughout the length of this belt was a single fire trench also heavily reinforced and barricaded. Likewise the eastern and southern perimeter were protected by a continuous anti-tank ditch. The inner defensive ring was established along the S-Bahn circuit extending for about 30 miles, and winding through steep embankments, affording a natural defensive line. At every road crossing were anti-tank weapons dug in and heavily barricaded. Each of the eight defensive zone had its own commander, whose sectors were identified alphabetically, that is A to H in clockwise fashion.

The most formidable German defense was on the Citadelle, the island-center of Berlin (formed by the Spree River and Landwehr Canal). Its central focus was a veritable fortress which extended along the East and West around Alexander Platz and ErenstReuter Platz. Every side street was barricaded and all the basements and upper floors of each building were heavily fortified. Within the Citadelle were three towers located at Friedrichshain, Humboldthain and the Zoo, each having elevated platforms for the anti-aircraft Batteries. Each tower had the capacity to contain 8 gun Batteries of 128mm each, and were completely bomb and shell proof.

Zoo Flak Tower

German troops planned the demolition of all 483 bridges within Berlin in order to slow the Russian advance however the plan was undertaken only in stages to allow themselves some degree of maneuverability.

Battle of Berlin (The Lost Evidence) (Part 2 of 5) (00:09:39m)



On April 20th, the 1st Belorussian Front's 1st Guards Tank Army advanced to the forward defence line clashing head on with the 56th Panzer Corps, the latter of which was desperately struggling to keep contact with the 9th Germany Army positioned on its southern flank. Meanwhile the 65th Germany Army was able to secure a bridgehead to the south of Kurzow, while the 2nd Belorussian Front began its crossing of the Oder. Hitler had made the decision to remain in Berlin that day to see to the Operations personally, contrary to the advice of this staff.

In the morning of April 21st, the Soviets began shelling Berlin, launched from Batteries of the 3rd Shock and 47th Armies positioned in eastern suburb of Bernau. Up until then the allied bombers had conducted sorties over Berlin but now Berlin's air space became the sole domain of the Red Air Force.

While bombing continued relentlessly over the city, the Soviet 2nd Guards Tank Army crossed the autobahn ring headed towards the northeastern part of the city; the 3rd Shock Army reached the suburb of Weissensee and the 5th Shock Army headed for Hohenschönhausen. In the meantime, the 56th Panzer Corps had retreated to the Köpenick-Marzahn area and as a result lost lines of communication with the 9th Army to its southeast. By the evening of the 21st of April, the encirclement of Berlin was complete. Elements of the 3rd Guards Tank Army reached Königs Wusterhausen situated in the southeast district of the city, and there rendezvoused with units of the 8th Guards Army. The next day, the German 9th Army was given the go-ahead to withdraw from the Frankfurt-an-der-Oder area to a bridgehead at Füsrtenwald which enabled it to establish a stronger defense, owing to the shortening of its defensive line.

On April 23rd, Hitler ordered the commander of the 12th Army, Wenck, to leave its positions behind the Elbe. Despite the order, Wenck considered that his primary task was to assist any other German forces which were bidding a hasty retreat westwards.

During the same day, the 1st Belorussian Front force were crossing the Havel River. Meanwhile on the northern flank the 1st Polish Army was attacking Oranienburg, while the 61st Army crossed the Oder-Havel Canal at Friedrichsthal and the 47th Army crossed the Havel at Hennigsdorf and then veered southwards enveloping the western perimeter of the city.

By the end of the day, the 47th Army's 125th Rifle Corps had commenced its attack on Spandau, while the 175th Rifle Division engaged the enemy on the airfield at Gatow. In the eastern vicinity of the city, the 29th Guards Rifle Corps succeeded in capturing a rail bridge (intact) across the Spree River at Adlershof and thus were able to secure a small bridgehead on the western bank.

By April 24th Wenck's 12th Army commenced relief operations in the southwestern district of the city. Meanwhile Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front had to confront the Teltow Canal, which contained numerous obstacles running all along the southern side of the city. Approaches to the canal, despite the width, were very heavily mined. Germany had blown up all the bridges along the canal and solidified defensive positions on its far side. The width of the canal made it possible for the Germans to heavily mine the approaches.

Despite what seemed insurmountable obstacles, General Pavel Rybalko, Commander of the 3rd Guards Tank Army cracked the Teltow Canal line. The day before his unit transported about 3,000 artillery pieces, mortars and Katyusha rocket launchers, positioning them all along a narrow front. At precisely 06:20 hours the Soviet barrage commenced firing and assault teams crossed the canal in collapsible boats. German resistance was fierce, as reinforcements of the 20th Panzergrenadier Division were added. In the midst of heavy fire in the early afternoon the Soviets were able to construct a pontoon bridge across the canal making it possible for Russian troops to cross. Rapid advancements were made also by the 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Army breaking through the outer obstacle belt of the city perimeter defence lines thus reaching the southern districts of Dahlwitz and Rahnsdorf. At this point they ran straight into units of Konev's 3rd Guards Tank Army. Zhukov became aware for the first time that 1st Ukrainian Fronts had also advanced into Berlin.

Before the day was out, General Helmuth Weidling was appointed as overall commander in charge of the Berlin defence zone. At the same time, armoured columns of the 2nd Belorussian Front were winding their way around the city to the north, while the 1st Ukrainian Front were advancing along the west side of city to meet them. By noon on the 25th of April, tanks from Zhukov's and Konev's units met having completed the encirclement of Berlin.  And with the meeting of  American and Russian troops at Torgau, on the Elbe - Germany was cut in half.

L-R:  2nd Lt. Wm. Robertson (US Army), and Lt. Alexander Sylvashko (Red Army)

Meanwhile elements of the 3rd Shock Army had crossed the Hohenzollern Canal at Wedding and Plötzensee to the north of the city and succeeded in establishing a series of bridgeheads. The 12th Guards and 79th Rifle Corps met with fierce fighting from the 9th Parachute Division which was positioned in the industrial area north of Invalidenstrasse near Stettiner station. To the south - the 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Army's attacked the Tempelhof airport, heavily defended by units of the Münchberg Panzer Division and a Luftwaffe Flak unit. By nightfall, the 3rd Panzer Army was forced to withdraw from its positions in the west of the city along the Uecker River. The Hitlerjugend Volkssturm force which had been defending Spandau found themselves surrounded but managed to escape through the Russian positions and cross over to the western bank of the Havel by the Charlotten Bridge.

By April 26 bridge demolitions were underway while citizens of the northern and eastern districts were evacuated from the area. At first light, the 12th Army's 20th Corps opened fire on Rathenow, northwest of the city near Potsdam, catching the 6th Guards Mechanized Corps off guard and thus making significant headway towards Brandenburg.

Russian tanks at Brandenburg Gate

By noon, defence of Templehof airport to the south of the city collapsed. Units of the 8th Guards Army then continued on their advance towards the Landwehr Canal as splinters of the Münchberg Panzer Division began retreating from Templehof towards the Anhalter railway station.

The next day, the airport at Gatow also fell. Meanwhile the 12th Guards Tank Corps reached the northern bank of the Spree River near the Tiergarten and there were halted by remnants of the 9th Parachute Division dug into positions around the Stettiner railway station reinforced by firepower of the Humboldthain flak tower. Slowly but surely, German defences in the centre of the city were being squeezed into a small area just south of the Spree River. A few German troops that had been bypassed by the Soviet advance still managed to put up a fierce resistance, though their units were small and scattered. German units at the Lowen Brewery managed to hold out to the very end.

Battle of Berlin (The Lost Evidence) (Part 3 of 5) (00:09:51m)



Once inside Berlin, Russian fighting strategy shifting to street fighting tactics. It was based on the strategy that each street would be taken by an entire Regiment: battalions would make advancements along each side of the street, while a third Battalion was held in reserve. Rather than advance directly, the Soviet Battalions tunneled their way through the buildings employing demolitions at various levels to create passageways. Meanwhile Soviet artillery winded their way through the backyards and alleys.  In the event that the Soviets met with strong resistance from the Germans, the Soviets would mobilize their artillery and demolish the entire building to the ground.

Soviet tanks in Berlin

Russian Bombers over Berlin

Finally on the afternoon of April 28th, the 2nd Guards Tank Army's 79th Rifle Corps reached the northern end of the Moltke Bridge and crossing the Spree they caught their first glimpse of the Reichstag Building.

By evening elements of the 9th Army consisting of 11th, SS Panzer 5th SS Mountain, 5th Corps and 21st Panzer Division broke through the Soviet line in a desperate attempt to reach Wenck's 12th Army in the western vicinity. As the Germans retreated they destroyed all unessential pieces of equipment. They proceeded towards the bridges over the Dahme River, near Prieros and made the crossing together with thousands of refugees.

Throughout the night the 21st Rifle Corps positioned near Teurow succeeded in breaking through the Russian line after fierce fighting. Units of the 1st Guards Artillery Division, and the 11th SS Panzer and 5th Corps also made it through under heavy constant fire. Meanwhile, The 10th Guards Tank Corps from its position near the Teltow Canal launched an attack on the southeastern tip of Wannsee Island, and soon after were able to establish a bridgehead. They lay a pontoon bridge and proceeded to transport weapons and armour.

But by noon on April 29th the breach was sealed trapping the 5th SS Mountain Corps and units of the 21st Panzer Division. Also during the night of the 28th, the 10th Guards Tank Corps launched an attack across the Teltow Canal at the southeastern tip of Wannsee Island. It soon established a small bridgehead, contained by remnants of the 20th Panzergrenadier Division. A pontoon bridge was assembled across the canal in order to send support weapons.

On the stroke of midnight the 79th Rifle Corps launched their attack across the Moltke Bridge however their initial assault came under heavy fire. The unit soon after resumed their attack with the addition of several heavy tanks and attempted to break through the heavy barricade set up at the southern end of the bridge but again came under heavy fire from anti-tank guns, as well as a few tanks from the 11th SS Panzer Battalion and guns of the Zoo Flak tower. They succeeded in getting across during the third attack, and set up a bridgehead in the Diplomatic Quarter.

View of Reichstag from Moltkestrasse

By dawn the 29th numerous forces had already crossed the bridge, expanding the bridgehead and making significant advances into Moltkestrasse and Kronprinzenufer. Meanwhile, Wenck's 12th Army was stalled south of Potsdam, while the 219th Tank Bridge captured the Jungfernheide railway station, enabling the 1st Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Guards Tank Army to cross the Spree over the locks in close proximity to the station. The 89th Guards Rifle Division of the 5th Army made extensive advances reaching Alexanderplatze, while the 266th Rifle Division was locked in heavy combat with units of the 11th SS Nordland Panzergrenadier Division in the Rotes Rathause.

By the morning of the 30th April, Russian forces had expanded the bridgehead on the southern side of the Moltke Bridge while the 150th Rifle Division captured the Ministry of the Interior and the 171st Rifle Division had made headway into the western part of the Diplomatic Quarter.

Soviet soldiers march into Berlin May 1945

Battle of Berlin (The Lost Evidence) (Part 4 of 5) (00:09:42m)




Meanwhile Soviet units had infiltrated the eastern sector of Berlin - the 5th Shock Army's 94th Guards Rifle Division captured the Charité Hospital-the 266th Guards Rifle Division had crossed the Spree and captured Museum Island and the Dom Cathedral - units of the 32nd Rifle Corps launched an attack across the Spree  while the 60th Guards and 416th Rifle Division's captured Schloss Berlin, the old Royal Palace and the 295th Rifle Division captured the Reichsbank.

At 15:00 that day, Hitler had committed suicide and by 17:00 hours the German Command began to contact Russian Command in order to negotiate a surrender. However fighting still continued elsewhere - the 207th Rifle Division positioned in the area of the Reichstag had cleared the Kroll Opera House during the morning and attacks continued until almost midday. While the initial attack was repulsed by the Germans it was followed by a second massive barrage in the afternoon accompanied by tanks. But that too was met with fierce resistance from the Zoo flak tower. The remnants of the 9th Army succeeded in its breakout and using radio guidance linked with the 12th Army south of Beelitz.

By evening the Soviets had fought desperately to reach the environs of the Reichstag through the heaviest of German defenses, and suffered very heavy casualties. Some units however managed to break through and enter the building where ferocious hand to hand fighting ensued and continued throughout the stairwells at each level leading to the top.

Soviet soldiers of the 150th Rifle Division's Red Banner No.5 found their way to the rear of the building and took the stairwell to the roof. At about 23:00 hours they hoisted their banner at the pinnacle of the Reichstag, just before the much anticipated May Day festivities in Moscow.

May the 1st saw a significant reduction in fighting as Soviet troops assembled to celebrate May Day, including at Charlottenburg, where the 1st Polish Infantry Division had just recently been deployed. That morning the German garrison stationed at Spandau surrendered though fighting inside the Reichstag building continued through the day, as well as in the area of Zoo flak tower and the residential area of the Tiergarten.

Polish Howitzer Brigades in Berlin April-May 1945

The 29th Guards Rifle Corps attacked the area of the Zoo effectively cutting them off from the remainder of the Citadelle defence zone. By evening of the 1st, General Weidling in the company of all remaining commanders of the zone agreed to surrender to the Russians as soon as possible. The 56th Panzer Corps broadcast their surrender by radio, and it was received by the 79th Guards Rifle Division at 22:40 hours. The German envoy was received at the Bendlerstrasse Bridge in the early hours of the morning and taken to the HQ of the 47th Guards Rifle Division. The envoy was instructed that the offer would be accepted and all German troops were to begin their surrender at 07:00 hours on May 2nd. All fighting had to end by 13:00 the same day.

German Surrender

On the morning of May 2nd, the 5th Shock Army's area the Reichs Chancellery was attacked by elements of the 9th Rifle Corps and captured. Konev's 1st Ukranian Front began to withdraw from the city and move south to participate in the liberation of Czechoslovakia.

From the very outset the enormity of the combined Russian forces left no doubt as to the outcome of the war. The Soviets held an overwhelming advantage and superiority in both numbers and materiel. The victor was evident before the battle ever came to a close however Hitler and his henchmen were incapable of grasping this reality and chose to continue fighting causing undue heavy losses and misery upon German forces and civilians in Berlin.

The Russian Armies were resolute in their objective to inflict complete and bitter defeat upon Germany, That after having endured four years of bitter warfare, the Russians could not settle for anything but a complete and unconditional German surrender.

Battle of Berlin (The Lost Evidence) (Part 5 of 5) (00:05:48m)



German resistance however was remarkable during the last days of fighting. Despite their dwindling resources and in the face of overwhelming odds, they dutifully fought to the death.

To the Russians befell the glory of vanquishing a powerful and mighty enemy. The greatest heroes were the 62nd Soviet Army, henceforth called the 8th Guards Army, under the command of Chuikov, which led the charge into the Reichstag. Six hundred officers and men were bestowed the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" for their actions in Berlin.

  Soviet Soldiers

In 1944 the Polish People's Army was created from the remnants of soldiers left in the USSR (after the creation of the 2nd Polish Corps) and  under the command of the communist-ruled People's Republic of Poland.

Units of the 1st Polish Army crossed the Hohenzollern Canal to advance on Kremmen, Flatow, Paaren and Nauen and completed their mission by fighting in the Battle of Berlin. Polish units of the 1st Infantry Division supported by the 2nd Brigade of Howitzer Artillery and the 1st Independent Mortar Brigade fought in Berlin in the vicinity of the Technical University as well as the south western area of Tiergarten near the Zoo. Polish soldiers suffered very high casualties. Approximately 180,000 soldiers from the 1st and 2nd Polish Army took part in the attack in central Berlin.

 The Polish 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Division was the only other Soviet military unit to have raised its national flag over Berlin. 

Polish soldiers of the 7th battery of the 3rd division of the 1st Regiment of the Kosciuszko Light Artillery hoisted the Polish flag atop the Prussian victory column Siegessaule in Tiergarten Park on May 2nd, 1945 at 06:00 hours. A second flag was afixed below the railing by the 3rd Division of the 8th Battery by order of the 1st Lt. P. Potapski. A third flag was raised by five Polish soldiers of the 1st infantry division, 2nd Ltn. M. Trocki, Lance Corporal K. Otap, Corporal A. Dabłoński and Gunners A. Karpowicz and E. Mierzejewski. After the German surrender, Brandenburg Gate and Siegesaule were festooned with red and white banners after which Soviet soldiers hoisted their red flags next to the Polish ones.


According to Lance Corporal Kazimierz Otap, as the Polish soldiers were attaching their flags, Soviet soliders tried to arrest them and almost shot them on the spot! Luckily, news of the German surrender was received within moments, at which point the Polish soldiers were set free.

(It is noteworthy to mention that the victory over Berlin and the Nazi regime was a very important part of Soviet propaganda; Stalin allowed the Poles to participate only because of heavy losses suffered by Koniev's and Zukov's fronts.  Polish participation in the battle, according to Stalin, was proof positive of the "brotherhood" between Soviets and Poles, a slogan that the Soviets used in the effort to strengthen the new Polish communist regime.)

The Battle of Berlin marked the end of conflict on the eastern front. Although the Allies won the war, victory came at an enormous cost - the catastrophic loss of human lives and the virtual swath of destruction throughout the greater part of the world. And then, with bated breath, the world watched as eastern European states including Poland, became engulfed behind the Iron Curtain - its people subjected to decades of brutal repression, arrests, and murder at the hands of the Soviet government.
But their fate had already been sealed by the Big Three at the Yalta Conference.

Polish Soldiers in Berlin May 1945

Sources:
Battle for Berlin
Poles on the Front Lines 
Berlin 1945: Theatres of Operation
Battle for Berlin
Polish Army in Berlin


Suggested Links:
Soviet Night Operations in WWII by Major Claude R. Sasso
Polish People's Army


Yalta Conference