Secret Polish Forces of WW2: The "Silent & Dark Ones" PART II: MISSIONS Operation Kutschera

Operation Kutschera was part of the much bigger mission called "Operation Heads" in which the Polish Resistance successfully eliminated many key Nazi officials. Franz Kutschera was one of the targets taken down by "Agat", a division of the Armia Krajowa's Anti-Gestapo unit. Kutschera was gunned down on February 1, 1944, in a spectacular gun battle that would have made early James Bond films pale in comparison.

Franz Kutschera

On September 25, 1943, the Reich had appointed Franz Kutschera SS-Brigadefuhrer and Generalmajor of Polizei (SS and Police Chief) to a posting in Warsaw. He had previously proven himself as a ruthless officer in the Mogilev District in the Soviet Union, where he demonstrated his unscrupulous measures and earned a reputation for brutality.  He was called the "Executioner of Warsaw".


As soon as Kutschera arrived in Warsaw to assume his command, he wasted no time in inflicting his barbarous measures against the Polish civilians. The rate of public executions and lapanka (round-ups) increased dramatically.  So too did the daily German announcements  which published lists of names of the Polish hostages who would be shot in the event that any German soldier was attacked. These tactics, decreed by Hans Frank were applied with ruthless frequency in the hope that it would quash the Polish resistance, but it had, in reality, quite the opposite effect.  It hardened their resolve to oppose and fight against their German occupiers.


Kutschera was a cunning officer, knowing full well of the dangers of venturing outside one's familiar territory. He was all too well aware of the methods used by Polish intelligence and took steps to conceal not only his whereabouts but his name and identity as well. That the Polish Resistance was still able to locate him was due to sheer coincidence and luck.

Aleksander Kunicki "Rayski"

Aleksander Kunicki, code-named "Rayski" was the Chief of Intelligence of the Agat unit, and was working on Walter Stamm (IV Department Gestapo Director in Warsaw) and Gestapo Command Office, as well as Dr. Ludwig Hahn, the head of that Office. Rayski frequently made visits to the police quarter of Warsaw to survey activity. One day he spotted an Opel Admiral limousine pulling into the driveway of a palace at 23 Aleje Ujazdowskie, the site of the Warsaw District SS and Police Leader. An SS man emerged from the vehicle and just then his black coat opened enough to reveal a general's collar insignia. It was Kutschera. From that day, Polish intelligence agents were posted everywhere closely monitoring his every movement until they discovered his name and address.

"Rayski"' dispatched a report to Kedyw Commander Emil August Fieldorf code-named "Nil". Several days later a reply was sent back by the Special Polish Courts. Nil had issued an order to "liquidate" Kutschera. The plan immediately went into preparation. Commander Adam Borys,"Plug" of Parasol Battalion, chose 1st Platoon to carry out the action. Bronislaw Pietraszewicz "Lot", the Platoon Commander took charge and together with "Plug" studied the intelligence that had been gathered by "Rayski".

Emil August Fieldorf "Nil"

The first attempt occured on January 28, 1944 when "Lot" and his team took their positions and waited for Kutschera. They had waited in vain as Kutschera never showed up. Tragically, in the interim Jan Kordulski "Zbik" was mortally wounded by German patrol units, and had to be replaced by Zbigniew Gesicki "Juno" and Stanislaw Huskowski "Ali"

The next opportunity arose on February 1st, 1944 at 8:50 am. All the members of the execution team were at their places and ready to take action.

"Plug" (Adam Borys)

Plug was the mastermind behind the Parasol Battalion.

He organized attacks on SS and Gestapo officers
 and planned the Kutschera assassination

.

"Lot" (Bronisław Pietraszewicz)

Lot was the commander and 1st executioner.

His weapons: MP 40 submachine gun, Vis gun, Filipinka hand grenades.

"Bruno" (Bronislaw Hellwig)

Opel Kapitan driver (2 Parabellums, grenades)

"Ali" (Stanisław Huskowski)

Second-in-command and security screen (STEN, grenades)

"Kruszynka" (Zdzisław Poradzki)

2nd executioner (STEN, grenades)

"Miś" (Michał Issajewicz)

Adler Trumpf-Junior car driver and 3rd executioner
(Parabellum pistol and grenades)

"Cichy" (Marian Senger)

Cover ( STEN, Parabellum, grenades)

"Olbrzym" (Henryk Humięcki)

Cover (STEN, Parabellum, grenades)

"Juno" (Zbigniew Gesicki)

Cover (STEN, Vis, grenades)

"Sokół" (Kazimierz Sott)

Mercedes 170 V driver (2 Parabellum, grenades)

"Kama" (Maria Stypułkowska-Chojecka)

Signals

"Dewajtis" (Elżbieta Dziębowska)

Signals

"Hanka" (Anna Szarzynska-Rewska)

Signals

At precisely 9:09 am Kama gave the signal to indicate that Kutschera was leaving his house at Aleja Róż 2. Even though SS headquarters was a mere 150 meters from his home, he habitually rode by car.  Just as he neared the gate of SS headquarters, a car swerved to block his path. "Miś" was driving.

HQ of German SS and Police Commander Warsaw District
Ale Ujazdowskie

Area of Franz Kutschera Assassination

At that moment, "Lot" and "Kruszynka" ran to the limousine and opened fire on Kutschera at point blank range. Meanwhile the other members of the team ran to take their places and move in with their vehicles.  The scene turned into a wild gunfight as German guards from the neighbouring Offices of the Gestapo, Schutzpolizei, and garrison club, all converged  in the area, and an intensive firefight ensued. Amid a hail of bullets Miś jumped out of his car, and joined by Kruszynka finished off the wounded Kutschera. They then searched him for documents.

Ali was in charge of the hand grenades but at the crucial moment was unable to open the briefcase in which they were contained. As fate would have it, these were the only weapons at his disposition. He did not receive the other weapons in time, and thus could not support his team, Cichy, Lot and Olbrzym. As a result they were all wounded in a vicious hail of bullets.

Gravely wounded, Lot was unable to call out loud enough to order a withdrawal.  None of the team members heard him and as a result, the shootout was unnecessarily prolonged. They were in extreme danger, caught in the very epicenter of the German office quarter.  Miraculously, they were finally able to get into their get away cars and escape.

What followed was a frantic search for a hospital  that was willing to defy German orders and agree to operate on Cichy and Lot, who were mortally wounded. (The original medvac plan failed.) It took several hours and five attempts before a hospital would finally admit them. But tragically, because of the delay, both men died within the next couple of days.

In the meantime Sokół and Juno, in defiance of AK orders, attempted to return the car to the garage but were intercepted by German troops at Kierbedz bridge. After a short, fateful exchange of gunfire, Sokol and Juno tried to escape by jumping into the Vistula River. They either drowned or were shot.

Franz Kutschera Funeral

The Germans held a funeral ceremony for Kutschera in Bruhl palace. His body was then transported to Berlin on a special train. The  Nazi Germans had demanded 100 million zloty from the City of Warsaw as a retribution. Then the very next day, German troops rounded up and executed 100 Polish civilian hostages.

They were shot in what was the last public execution in Warsaw...until the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising....

NEXT:

PART II MISSIONS: Operation Ostrama Brama

Secret Polish Forces of WW2: The "Silent & Dark Ones" PART II: MISSIONS Operation Belt

OPERATION BELT

One of the largest Polish Operation against the Nazis was Operation Belt. In August 1943 Polish Command gave the order to Kedyw Division of the Armia Krajowa to launch an attack against German border guarding stations located on the frontier between the territory of the German General Government, and the territories annexed by Germany. By February 1943, the Polish secret forces were able to destroy 13 of these German outposts, with minimal losses among Polish units.

The Kedyw Division were specialists in sabotage of all genre, anti-Nazi propaganda, and armed action directed towards Nazi German forces and their collaborators. Most notable among their Operations was the sabotage of rail lines, bridges and roads, burning of trains and fuel depots, and the destruction or damage of German weapons' factories.  They were also instrumental in liberating hundreds of prisoners and hostages held by the Nazis.

Polish Underground derailed trains WW2

Polish Underground WW2 Grenade Production

Most of the members of Kedyw were recruits from Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego, the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. After the invasion of Poland, the Nazis condemned this group as criminals and executed many of them. They came to be nicknamed "Szare Szeregi" (Gray Ranks).  The Division was grouped into several infantry battalions, most notable among them the famous "Zoska" battalion, the "Parasol" battalion, and the "Miotla" battalion.

Kolegium B unit of Kedyw AK during training in Celestynowski Forest near Warsaw

May 1944: L-R: unknown "Grot", Eugeniusz Domanski "Mis", Zbigniew Mlynarski "Kret", Ryszard Jablonowski "Wawrek", Tadeusz Borek, Jozef Lapinski "Chmura".

The Wachlarz (the "Fan") was another organization among many others which specialized in sabotage behind German-Soviet frontlines. Between January 1, 1941 and June 30, 1944, they derailed 732 trains, set fire to 443 German transports and over 4,000 vehicles, damaged 19,000 train carriages, 6,900 engines, set fire to 1,200 gasoline tanks, blew up 40 railway bridges, destroyed 5 oil shafts, froze 3 blast-furnaces, conducted about 25, 000 sabotage acts in war factories, burnt 130 magazines of weapons and equipment, made 5,700 assassination attempts on various officer ranks of the German Wehrmacht, soldiers and police as well as the Volksdeutschs (Polish citizens of German descent who collaborated with the Nazi Germans.) In addition, the Wachlarz rescued and set free inmates held in 16 prisons. As of 1943 partisan troops began conducting missions - fighting more than 170 battles and in the process killing more than 1,000 Germans. By the start of 1944, there were approximately 60 AK partisan groups in operation, some of them numbering up to a few hundred soldiers  each, and about 200 sabotage squads.

Polish Partisan Troop

Polish Partisans Preparing for Battle

Polish Snipers - 1st Armoured Division 1944

Tadeusz Zawadzki

One of the most notable figures in the Polish Underground,  was Tadeusz Zawadzki, code-named Zoska.  He was a Scoutmaster, resistance activist and second lieutenant of the Armia Krajowa.

During the night of August 20-31, 1943, he was killed during the "Tasma" action - an suprise attack against the Grenzschutzpolizei building in Sieczychy, near Wyszkow. The fight was quick and Polish fighters succeeded in wiping out the Germans. There was only one Polish casualty. It was Tadeusz Zawadzki. He was 22 years of age.

NEXT:

PART II MISSIONS: Operation Heads - Operacja Glowki

Warsaw Uprising 1944: September 1 - Warsaw Fights Alone and Abandoned

The battle for Warsaw has entered its second month. The Old Town sector has been abandoned but within its ruins German troops have been patrolling the area and executing any civilian survivors and wounded insurgents who were left behind in the hospitals. No one has been spared. At the start of the Uprising, it was Himmler's express order that German troops take no prisoners - that every Polish man, woman, and child be shot on sight for the purpose of teaching the rest of the world what the Reich is capable of doing. While Paris has been celebrating its' liberation Warsaw is being targeted for annihilation.


Evacuation continued today as hundreds of insurgents have traveled through the sewers through to City Centre Sector - a passage taking almost five hours. Insurgents have escaped the area and have emerged from a manhole situated on Nowy Swiat Street. After four weeks of heavy fighting insurgents refuse to surrender, and the death toll continues to rise every day.

Jerzy Zapadko

Jerzy Zapadko "Mirski", 2nd Lt. and Commander of the "Radoslow" regiment recounted the events of the evacuation in horrifying detail. Zapadko and his men were among the last to evacuate the Mokotow area after many others had escaped or surrendered to the enemy. As darkness fell, nerves were frayed as Zapadko and his battalion, code named "Parasol" were supposed to act as rear guard. At precisely 9:00 pm they left their positions and cautiously made their way towards the designated manhole at the intersection of Pulawska and Szustra Streets. Unexpectedly they came across several elderly civilians who had been standing there waiting for help. For the longest time, the insurgents slowly lowered them into the sewer one at a time. Finally they all descended and in pitch darkness made their way through the sewers, trudging in the oozing stinking muck, and holding on to one another for fear of losing contact. After about an hour and a half the line came to a abrupt halt and Zapadko sent a message forward. An answer came back - the Germans had set up barbed wire in the main sewer.

In an effort to re-gain their bearings, one of the soldiers struck a match, but the flame was immediately extinguished. A second strike, and again the flame went out. The third time, again. The lack of oxygen made it impossible to sustain a light. Despite the desperate situation, Zapadko and his men rested for what seemed like a long time. He had a loaf of bread inside his jacket and after wiping the sludge off his hands with a handkerchief, took the bread, cut it into slices and passed them up the line to his soldiers. His hunger obliterated any feelings of revulsion. After much time the line was still not moving and having sent another message up the line, they waited for an answer. None came, so Zapadko gave the order for his men to advance. When they arrived at the wide main storm sewer, it was apparent what was holding up the line. The Germans had seeded the sewer system with carbide grains which exuded poisonous gas when wet. Ahead of the line were several old people who had succumbed to the fumes and had passed out or were begging for help. The attempt to rescue them severely impacted any progress because with every step, the water was deeper, the atmosphere more putrid and their charges heavier.

As the made their way forward, Zapadko stepped on something soft and to his horror discovered a second, third and more bodies underwater, some of whom were still moving. He froze in terror and for a moment did not know what to do. Save them and die buried underneath the sludge? Because of the lack of oxygen and the gaseous vapour, their strength was waning. Two members of his battalion had fainted. That was it. His order was to move on.

Map of the Sewer Network used by Insurgents travelling from Old Town to Srodmiescie

Emblem of the Parasol Battalion

For the next several hundred yards it was sheer terror as Zapadko and his troops had to literally climb over a mass of slithering bodies some of whom were still alive and were grasping at his feet and clothes. When they finally reached the first barricade the going was much easier getting to the second barricade. There were fewer obstacles and the water was not as deep. At the next barricade there was some light seeping through the manhole cover; it meant that German troops were there. In complete silence, Zapadko and his troops found the cuts in the barbed wire (that had been made previously by his men), and lifting the wire each person swam through one at a time.


Past the point of exhaustion they had to plow forward not knowing where the branch sewer was that would lead them to Centre City sector. It caused a panic. Despite Zapadkos' commands, the line broke up. On the way they encountered insurgents from other battalions who were lost and were going to and fro not being able to find a way out. More than one succumbed to hysterical screaming that there was no more oxygen.

Zapadko had almost fainted but at that moment a stream of fresh air hit his face. That meant that there was an opening somewhere along the sewer wall. When he turned on his flashlight its faint glow just barely illuminated a chalked sign on the wall - the large letter "S" indicating the exit to City Centre. He ordered everyone to rally around him but several people pressed on ahead. They were quickly stopped by soldiers of the Parasol Battalion however Zapadko's wife, Scarlet was missing. Within moments several insurgents returned including Scarlet - their presence announced by the sound of loud splashing. They had investigated the opening and upon lifting the manhole cover on Zagoma Street one of them saw a German guard standing right there, grabbed him by the boots and both tumbled down into the sewer. The German did not survive the fall and died in the water. None of the other German guards did anything though the Poles could hear them shouting and cursing.

Manhole cover on Miodowa Street Warsaw

Zapadko sent a man ahead to scout the area who eventually returned with a liaision man from City Centre. They proceeded to crawl the remaining distance on hands and knees through the horrible stinking muck, and upon reaching the manhole climbed a ladder to come within reach of the manhole, and shimmed up a rope the rest of the way.

When they emerged on Ujazdowa Blvd,the sunshine was bright and blinded them. It was 2:00 pm They had spent 16 hours traveling through the sewers. Zapadko is 20 years old.

Churchill met with Polish PM Mikolajczyk today and had little comfort to offer him. Mikolajczyk stated that Churchill told him that he was prepared to propose a "political settlement" with the Stalin-backed Lublin Committee and offered Mikolajczyk 14 seats in a combined government. These conditions were hotly debated by the Polish Government in Exile as well as by the Delegatura of the Polish Underground in Warsaw but the Soviet proposal was accepted unanimously. (Some of those who took part in these decisions were tried a year later before a Soviet court in Moscow.)  

 

General Kazimerz Sosnkowski

Polish Commander in Chief General Sosnkowski has issued an order to the soldiers of the Armia Krajowa (Polish Home Army). In his order No. 19, Sosnkowski openly blamed the British for their insufficient assistance to the Warsaw insurgents. He stated that Poland, with British encouragement, had undertaken a solitary struggle against German might during the invasion of Poland of 1939 and that exiled Polish armed forces had fought beside their allies throughout the past five years at sea, on land, and in the air - whenever and wherever the German threat existed. Now that the people of Warsaw are desperate for Allied assistance, they have been left to fight the Germans “alone and abandoned”. In his message to the Allies General Sosnkowski had this to say:  


 “Warsaw is waiting. Not for empty words of recognition, not for words of appreciation, not for assurances of compassion and solitude. Warsaw waits for weapons and ammunition. Warsaw does not beg, like an impoverished member of a family, for crumbs off the table, but demands the means to fight, in recognition of the duties of the Allies and our agreement with them......For the past five years the Armia Krajowa has been systematically charged with passivity and feigned fighting against the Germans. Today, the Armia Krajowa is being blamed for fighting too intensely and too well. Perfidy, and lies. I know it, I know it, I know it too well. Signed PCC Sosnkowski."  


Throughout the day German troops in Old Town launched a continuous barrage of assaults on insurgent positions. It was particularly heaviest between the hours of 5:00 and 6:00 pm when German tanks began to fire at point blank range. During the battle for one building over 100 Germans were killed but the death toll for AK soldiers was just as high. One AK barricade was stormed by 7 German tanks. There were onslaughts in all directions as German troops are trying desperately to quash the Uprising.  


 

Warsaw Uprising 1944: August 7 POLES ASSASSINATE TOP NAZI OFFICER

Polish Victims of Wola Massacre Warsaw Uprising

Reinefarth’s SS units continue their murderous rampage in Wola while Polish insurgent battalions Parasol and Zoska continue to put up a very strong defense against German fire power. The citizens of Warsaw have endured unimaginable persecution.  Reports have come in that the gangs belonging to the SS Dirlewanger have arrested and shot Polish families, including the elderly and children, in house to house searches. They have stormed into hospitals killing patients and medical staff. Several patients were burned alive in their beds. More than 15,000 civilians have been slaughtered in the past two days. The scenes are horrific and macabre. But the brutal Nazi suppression has not deterred the AK, and the Poles are as determined as ever to free their beloved city.  Meanwhile, Polish civilians have set up a barricades in City Centre Sector, an area which remains the only connecting passage between the northern and southern parts of Warsaw.


Lao Che - Barykada (Wola) (00:04:03m)

 

Kutschera Dead

 
The Parasol battalion is famous for its many military actions in the years 1943-1944. Among their missions they have organized several assassinations targeting high-level Gestapo officers and Nazi German officials. Many of their attempts were successful. Their most famous plan, called Operation Kutschera, called for the execution of Franz Kutschera, SS and Police leader in the Warsaw District. He was gunned down in February 1944 right in front of Warsaw SS Headquarters. Kutschera was given a death sentence by the Court of the Polish Underground State for crimes committed against the Polish nation, in particular the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of Polish civilians. The execution order was given by Polish Brigadier General Emil August Fieldorf (pseudonym Nil) the commander of KeDyw Battalion and was approved by the Polish government in exile in London. The execution was carried out by members of the Szare Szeregi.

 

Nazi Bulletin announcing Death of 100 Polish hostages

The Germans have tightly reinforced their positions on the avenue linking Old Town and Centre City Sector and the entire zone is heavily fortified with machine guns, artillery and armoured trains. The Old Town is cut off from Zoliborz sector, and the open fields between these two sectors are under German command. The Old Town sector, still in Polish hands has been reduced to approximately a two square mile zone and has been completely encircled by Germans forces. In the afternoon Polish units under the command of Maj. Stanislaw Steczhowkski (pseudoynm Zagonczyk) launched a counterattack on Mirowski Square but by evening enemy forces had pushed them back to Grzybowska Street and Grzybowski Square. Meanwhile, Col. Karol Ziemski "Wachnowski" commander of the North Group has organized the defence of the Old Town. Faced with fierce enemy fire his unit was unable to get through to Zoliborz. Insurgents began construction today of a trench and barricade to cover the crossing of Aleje Jerozolimskie from the north to the south, that is from the house at No. 20 to that at No. 17.  It will provide secure contact between troops from the two parts of Srodmiescie, as well as an escape route for civilians.  German fire is very heavy coming from the Gospodarstwa and the Main Rail Station.
 

Soldiers from Gustaw Battalion use trench crossing Aleje Jerozolimskie 1944

Service of the Scouts Field Post Office continues today during which the young couriers managed to deliver over 900 letters. Armia Krajowa’s radio station, “Lightning” located in Warsaw began live broadcasts and announced their a schedule of three reports daily. Included in broadcasts will be official combat communiqués issued by AK Command Headquarters. They are making urgent appeals to the allies for assistance.

Lt. John Ward

Lt.John Ward, a British soldier and member of the Armia Krajowa has dispatched the first of what will be a series of special secret to London reporting on conditions in Warsaw.  Here is what Ward had to say: At 5 p.m. yesterday German tanks of 'Tiger' type came through streets of Warsaw with women captured in houses specially for purpose tied on to prevent action from Polish troops. One tank was destroyed by means of petrol bottles owing to lack of anti-tank guns. Warsaw has excellent chances and the greatest part of the City is in Polish hands. Please send us weapons and ammunition as soon as possible.

Polish insurgents listening to Underground radio reports