Warsaw Uprising 1944: September 18 Russia Allows Air Drops to Warsaw

Anthony Eden

Anthony Eden has informed the War Cabinet “that the Russians had now sent help by air to the Polish Underground Army in Warsaw, and had also afforded facilities for the United States Air Force to do likewise." The Soviets have finally relented and have granted a one time clearance for B-17s of the United States Air Force to land and refuel at Soviet airfields.

Last evening the officer responsible for organization and recovery of air supplies was stationed in his pillbox at Zlota Street number 7-9 and heard a particular Polish melody on the BBC radio broadcast during Polish hour. According to a prearranged code, the song meant that the next day a major air supply drop would be coming to Warsaw. It was confirmed at 10:00 this morning by a second musical code broadcast by the BBC that the planes were already in the air and should reach Warsaw within 3 to 4 hours. Between noon and 1:00 pm today houses in Warsaw, or rather what remained of them, vibrated to the drone of throbbing engines of Flying Fortresses passing overhead and the din of German anti-aircraft artillery shooting at them. There were 107 four-engine Boeing B-17 planes covering the skies of Warsaw! It was the largest airdrop yet made during the Uprising.

Waclaw Zagorski "Lech" from the Chrobry II Battalion described the incredible scene. A sentry at the Panska Street gateway sounded a warning of approaching aircraft. Zagorski looked up. To the north and at very high altitude he saw them coming. He said that "they looked like silver birds in a blue sky lightly scattered with little clouds". He started to count them but in the excitement was distracted. But someone did count...there were no less than 102 airplanes and then somebody shouted wildly "They're Liberators! And they're Ours!!" Zagorski was awestruck and he exclaimed, "It was as if the dead had arisen from their graves!"

Polish Insurgents revel at sight of Flying Fortresses over Warsaw

Suddenly dozens of parachutes started to drop and it seemed like tiny little white clouds opening. German troops began firing but the parachutes were out of range. While some containers fell in Polish-controlled areas, the remainder were carried away by the wind into enemy territory. Before the first containers even landed the insurgents made a mad dash to collect them amid the roar of German fire power. The Germans were firing with everything they had - rifles, machine guns, grenades, mortars, artillery.

Supplies were dropped from from 17,000 feet but were caught in a strong wind. Many of the containers floated directly towards German positions and were captured by enemy forces. Some of the insurgents wept openly while other struck the walls with their fists in anger and despair.

Some supplies did fall into insurgents' territory.  When the containes were opened the Poles found the following items: Sten guns and ammunition, equipment for sappers mines, revolvers, anti-tank weapns, and percussion caps. They also found containers with tinned beef imported from Argentina, chocolate and biscuits. The last container held medical supplies including vials of blood donated by Polish soldiers in Edinburgh. When the ambulance girls handled the precious cargo, Zagorski noticed that their hands trembled....

B-17 Flying Fortresses flying in formation

Many insurgents disregarded the danger of German snipers and gathered on rooftops deliriously waving their hands and shouting words of gratitude. The Eighth Airborne Army of the United States dropped 1,284 capsules containing weapons and ammunition. Supplies were gathered and loaded by the Polish section of the British Strategic Operations Executive. Each bomber had a crew of ten members and could take 12 containers. The following supplies were packed:

Machine pistols, Stern 2976

Light machine guns, Bren 211

Bazookas (Piat) 110

Revolvers 545

Explosives (Gammon) 2490

Explosives (plastic) 7865 kg

Fuses for explosives 54,400 metres

Fuses(other) 8720 meters

Detonating caps 21,990 pieces

Meat tins 53,520

Hardtack 2016 tons

Margarine 2016 tons

American soldiers K rations 51,820

Milk 5820 rations

Medical equipment 12 containers

Ammunition (unspecified) a total of 2,267,250

Shells 2,200

Grenades 4,360

The AK commander acknowledged that only 228 containers were retrieved, adding that insurgents had to fight the enemy to obtain another 32 containers. Moreover 28 containers were destroyed because their parachutes were burned. There is no confirmation, but in all probability the civilian population retained a certain number of food containers.

There were some unexpected surprises in some of the retrieved containers that fell into insurgents hands. For example, part of the ammunition was found to be nothing more than wooden bullets, the kind used for training exercises. The containers also packed money, which the AK Commander in Chief expressly instructed England not to send.

Here is an extract from one of the USAAF Operations Intelligence Summary, reported by number 283.

BOMBER REPORT

COMBAT WINGS (110 B-17S) DISPATCHED TO DROP SUPPLIES AT WARSAW. THREE A/C RETURN EARLY. ALL FORMATIONS DROPED ON PRIMARY VISUALLY. APPROXIMATELY 1284 CONTAINERS DROPPED WITH FAIR TO EXCELLENT RESULTS. 105 A/C LANDED AT RUSSIAN BASES. FLAK: MODERATE, ACCURATE. E/A OPPOSITION: NIL CLAIMS: NIL LOSSES: TWO B-17S, CAUSE UNKNOWN

However, sources indicate that the mission suffered losses of 41 planes, and 36 crew. (A crew consists of approximately 7-10 men, depending on the type of plane.) The Poles lost 17 planes and 16 crews; British and South African lost 22 planes and 18 crews; Americans lost two planes and one crew.

A total of 306 planes had taken off for Warsaw. Among the crew members, 91 were Polish, 50 were British, 55 South Africans and 110 Americans. Following the mission the American planes landed near Poltava airfield and from there went to England via Italy. The entire trip took 6 days.

In response to the disastrous outcome, Polish PM in exile Stanislaw Mikolajczyk made a heart-rending appeal to Churchill for another daylight shuttle mission to Warsaw. There is no reply as yet.

Kazimierz Sosnkowski

According to Eden, Polish-Russian relations had “a very marked improvement” which he claimed was the result of Anglo-British intervention and persistence in the matter. He added that it was of utmost importance that Polish Prime Minister Mikolajczyk return to Moscow immediately for further consultations but before this could occur Eden stated that General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, the Polish Supreme Commander in Chief should resign.General Sosnkowski had made several public statements expressing his grave concern over the loss of Polish sovereignty, his fear of the seizure of the Polish eastern territories by Soviet troops, and the lack of effective allied support for the Uprising of Warsaw. Now the British government is pressuring for his dismissal.

Monter sent an urgent radio message to Marshal Rokossovky offering the collaboration of AK insurgents with General Berling's Army and the Soviet Army. But just as in all previous messages sent by Polish Command, the Soviets did not respond.

German command has again proposed surrender to Colonel Niedzielski, AK Commander of Zoliborz Sector. In defiance, the Colonel had asked the Germans to surrender to him instead. The battle continues.

Warsaw Uprising 1944: August 8 - POLISH GENERAL DEMANDS WEAPONS

General Sosnkowski

The Polish Supreme Commander in Chief in England, General Kazimierz Sosnkowski has issued an order that allied pilots fly irregardless of the weather and possible losses. He sent a wire to Colonel Hancza, Commander of a Polish liaison base in Italy. Part of this message reads as follows: "Because of the situation of the capital and general policy considerations, today's operations to Warsaw (must get through). English maintain that the difficulties indicate impossibility of dropping supplies over Warsaw. We must demonstrate that Polish flights get through. This may have great impact on the prompt initiation of assistance. I told the English: Poles took Monte Cassino, Poles will do impossible in order to help their brothers who fight alone.Signed Supreme Commander Sosnkowski.”



Today Squadron 1586 is flying two Halifax and one Liberator flew to Warsaw with desperately needed supplies. There is no confirmation by AK units on the ground that supplies were retrieved. The pilots have reported that the city of Warsaw is on fire, making it next to impossible to find the find drop zones. Visibility is close to nil as planes had to fly through thick clouds of smoke. Air drops had to be made at very low altitude putting the planes at great risk of being shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. Meanwhile insurgents attempted to destroy a German armoured train but failed. Heavy German artillery fire has destroyed Polish strongholds in Wola, Old Town and Zoliborz. The Old Town district of Warsaw is under heavy fire from every direction and major fires have been set by the Germans destroying many historic buildings. But by evening the Germans have retreated to their original positions.   

 

German Flakvierling 38 anti-aircraft gun Warsaw Uprising

Polish fighters from "Chrobry II" group have captured the building of the Waterworks and Sewage Headquarters in Starynkiewicza Square. Gen. Reinefarth’s units attack the area of the cemeteries.  Reports indcate that insurgents in the Zoliborz district have taken control of the area around the Institute of Chemistry and barracks on Gdanska Street. However in the Ochota district, the situation is grim and desperation is increasing by the hour:  Polish insurgents have had to retreat and have dug a passage from the basement of the building to the sewers. A new Polish regiment has been formed in Kampinos under the command of  Lt. Adolf Pilch “Dolina” called the "Palmiry -Mlociny” regiment.  Among its ranks are troops from the Nalibocka Forest, units of VIII Area of VII District “Obroza”.  The commander of the AK forces in Kampinos, Captain Jozef Krzyczkowski “Szymon” has ordered his unit to retreat westward toward the Janowek-Brzozowka-Roztoka area in order to avoid getting cut off by enemy fire.  
 

German tank enters Wola suburb of Warsaw

German Brennkommando set fire to buildings in Warsaw

The radio station "Błyskawica" began broadcasting today. Its first message was spoken by Zbigniew Swietochowski in which he said,"Hallo, here is Blyskawica speaking! A radio transmitter of the Home Army in Warsaw, on 32.8 and 52.1 meter bands. The spirit of Warsaw is wonderful. The women of Warsaw are wonderful. They are everywhere, in the front line together with soldiers as nurses or liaison officers. Even children are animated by a wonderful spirit of bravery. We greet all freedom-loving people of the world! Polish soldiers who fight in Italy, Polish pilots and mariners." The radio station is located in the building of PKO (Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności), that is the Postal Savings Bank on 9 Jasna Street. The transmitter was constructed by Antoni Zebik pseudonym "Biegly". Its signal is the melody of Warszawianka. General Bor, Monter and other AK officers have sent a radio message to Soviet Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky's headquarters asking for assistance. As yet there is no reply.  

Warszawianka (00:02:00m)


 

Rokossovky was born in Warsaw when it was part of the Russian Empire. His family comes from the szlachta, that is, Polish nobility - and a long line of cavalry officers. His father was inspector of the Warsaw Railways and his Russian mother had been a teacher. Rokossovsky was orphaned at the age of 14. During the First World War, he had volunteered to enlist in the Russian Army.

A famous incident occurred between Rokossovsky and Stalin during the planning of Operation Bagration. From June 22, 1944 to August 19, 1944 Soviet forces were engaged in the mission to clear German forces from Belorussian SSR and Eastern Poland.



 

Stalin,Vasilevsky and Rokossovsky

 

During the planning stages Rokossovsky had disagreed with Stalin, a move that was considered by many as suicidal. Despite pressure from Stalin to "go and think it over" Rokossovsky refused to cave in and insisted on "two break-throughs, Comrade Stalin, two break-throughs." After a third attempt, Stalin remained silent, walked over to Rokossovsky and put a hand on his shoulder. There was considerable tension in the room as everyone expected Stalin would rip off the epaulettes from Rokossovky's uniform. Uncharacteristically, Stalin supported his decision, and appeared visibly impressed with Rokossovsky's sound judgement. Stalin gave the order to attack according to Rokossovsky's plan. The battle was succesful. Rokossovsky's armies are now making their way towards Warsaw.