Warsaw Uprising 1944: August 12 - POLISH PRIME MINISTER FEARS SOVIETIZATION

German Tank in Wola District

German attacks this morning on Old Town were repelled by insurgents. Heavy fighting continues as Polish fighters have recaptured a school and warehouses located on Stawki Street taken by the Germans just a few hours ago. Pocztowy Station still remains in Polish hands and is the only outpost which has cut off the strategic artery of Jerozolimskie Avenue.

Maj. Waclaw Janaszek “Bolek” has taken over command of the “Kedyw” group from Lt. Col. Jan Mazurkiewicz “Radoslaw” who was wounded in battle. Due to heavy enemy fire,  Polish Command decided to move AK Headquarters from the school at 6 Barokowa Street to the building of the Ministry of Justice at 7 Dluga Street.

Insurgents fight back enemy attacks along barricades in Podwale, Swietojanska, Piwna, Senatorska and Miodowa Streets and on the City Hall and Blank’s Palace. The Germans have launched strong attacks on the Krasinski Gardens, Mostowski Palace and barricades in Leszno Street.

SS RONA has launched attack in the area of Starynkiewicza Square. After a fierce exchange of gun fire Polish troops of the “Chrobry II” group  have retreated from the Water Supply and Sewage Headquarters, the Tourist Hostel, the Military Geographical Institute and the District Office.

“Chrobry II” still holds control of the northern side of Aleje Jerozolimskie Street with the Dom Kolejowy rail office building and the Postal Railway Station. Meanwhile, enemy troops are attacking along Grzybowska Street and from Chlodna along Zelazna and Walicow Streets. But the attack is repulsed.

Patrol Stanislawa Jankowskiego-Agaton- Piesc Battalion defending Chloda Street (Wola)

Squadron 1586 aka No. 301 has flown over Warsaw seven nights in a row this week.  Only one plane has returned to the air base in Brindisi, Italy.

Pilots of Squadron 1586

In London today Prime Minister Mikolajczyk sent a report to General Bor in Warsaw of his impressions about the Soviet Government. He maintains that the Soviets have decided not to Sovietize Poland "for the time being" preferring instead to postpone the decision. He stated that “On the other hand, the Polish Communists are determined to take this opportunity to communize Poland... Which ways, which means, should be chosen in order to save Poland from Sovietization? What should the Polish Government in Exile do? Continue to fight and remain in exile? Or, by taking advantage of its own contacts abroad, should it return to Poland exposing itself and all the political parties that are the bases for its existence, to all the dangers of a return and then admit Communists into the ranks of the government to prevent Poland from Sovietization?’ “

Prime Minister Mikolajczyk

In July 1943, Mikolajczyk was appointed successor to Prime Minister Sikorski. Sikorski was killed in a tragic plane crash over Gibraltar. There was immediate speculation that the  crash was not an accident but a sinister plot by the Soviet government to eliminate Sikorski.  In a broadcast to Poland, Mikolajczyk stated “ We do not wish to see only a formal democracy in Poland but a social democracy which will put into practice not only political, religious and personal freedom but also social and economic freedom, the four freedoms of which Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke so finely. In any case there is and will be no place in Poland for any kind of totalitarian government in any shape or form." 

Mikolajczyk faces daunting challenges. Despite efforts by Winston Churchill, talks between Mikolajczyk and Stalin have broken down over several issues, including that of Polands postwar borders. Stalin insists that the eastern Polish territories rightfully belong to the Soviet Union and Mikolajczyk has refused to compromise.

WARSAW RISING The forgotten soldiers of WWII part 2 (00:09:49m)




 

Warsaw Uprising 1944: August 4 - GERMANS MASSACRE POLES AT WOLA AND OCHOTA

AK positions in red August 4, 1944

Polish insurgents captured several German strongholds this evening including the main post office, power station, Praga railway station and the Prudential building, the tallest building in Warsaw. But Castle Square, the police district and airport are still under German control. Nevertheless, much of Warsaw is in Polish hands.

Polish Insurgents after Successful Attack against German Police

Upon the orders of Heinrich Himmler two German units stormed Warsaw, the infamous Storm Brigade RONA and the SS Brigade Dirlewanger. They have taken offensive measures in the districts of Wola and Ochota and conducted large-scale massacres of Warsaw’s civilians. Wola and Ochota have been turned into a bloodbath. Polish men, women and even children are being slaughtered. Dirlewangers' units have ordered people out of their houses on the ruse of "evacuation". But as soon as there were large groups of civilians they were herded to cemeteries, gardens, or squares. German soldiers fired machine gun bursts into the crowd until there was no further sign of movement. The corpses were piled in large heaps, petrol poured over them and burned. Nearby buildings were set on fire and factories bombed. The rubble and debris were used to cover the atrocities. Dirlewanger units stormed the hospital ward shooting the sick and wounded where they lay. Some patients were burned alive. The slaughter continued at Curie-Sklodowska Radium Institute, which houses women dying from cancer.Kaminski's soldiers stormed the Institute at around 11:00 a.m. Drunken Russians mercenaries in German uniforms ran amok raping and killing the patients and their nurses and robbed them of rings, watches, gold and jewels.

Curie-Sklodowska Radium Institute at Wawelska Street Number 15

AK Command transmitted a radio message to London stating, "The Germans are burning Warsaw methodically. Many and large fires. Attempts of the civil population to extinguish them are frustrated by the Germans." Sources do not indicate any reply. The death toll has reached 10,000 and continues to climb steadily.

Polish Civilians, Men, Women and Children Massacred in Wola District

Dirlewanger Brigade entering Warsaw

A unit of the Direlewanger troops during Warsaw Uprising 1944

Meanwhile, German fighter planes made 560 sorties over the city. Warsaw is suffering unrelenting bombardment from the air, and overpowering fire power from ground troops. AK units are trying desperately to defend their positions but German forces regained control of 194 blocks of Warsaw. Commanders of the Home Army Main Headquarters (KG AK) has given orders to all units to save ammunition, cease offensive tactics and proceed with active defensive measures only.

German Stuka Bombers

Warsaw Residents look skyward at approaching German Bombers

In desperation, General Bor has sent yet another radio message to the Polish Government in Exile in London in which he demanded military assistance. In his message he stated that the “battle is going to continue for at least several days, and we must have supplies during this time. We have put everything at stake to hold the capital – you should make an effort!”

Commander Arciuszkiewicz

The first allied airdrop of weapons and ammunition is underway from aircraft stationed at a base in Brindisi, Italy. But at 2:30pm today an order was issued by British Command forbidding Squadron 1586 to fly to Warsaw. However, in defiance of the order, Wing Commander E. Arciuszkiewicz decided to dispatch flights to Warsaw anyway. An all-Polish aircrew of volunteers has taken off in seven planes: three Liberators and one Halifax were sent to Warsaw with another three Halifax’ heading for other dropping zones. No information is available regarding its cargo.

Squadron 1586 Liberator

Standing Left to Right: Lt. G. Kunowski, O. Luczkowski, E. Arciuszkiewicz, Second Pilot W. Graczyk,K. Kujawa, (kneeling) dispatcher and mechanic (names unknown)

Intense fighting continues on Aleje Jerozolimskie Street. Since early this morning the German 9th Armored Division has fought its way from Poniatowski Bridge towards Grójecka Street.

During the night insurgents captured the ground floor of the PAST building on Zielna Street. but after a fierce battle with the enemy, the Poles left the building by dawn. German attacks on barricades in Wolska and Gorczewska continue while Geman planes provide support to infantry operations. As a result, Polish attempts to secure a defence has been greatly reduced. German forces have slaughtered about 200 people in the area of Olesinka Street. Bloody fights continue in Mokotow.


Units of the Polish"Krybar" group have fortified their positions east of the German-controlled Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street while in southern Srodmiescie, insurgents have successfully launched an attack on "Soldatenheim" in Krolowa Jadwiga Grammar School. In Zoliborz, Polish units under the command of Lt. Col. Mieczyslaw Niedzielsi "Zywiciel" have captured the area between Wilsona and Inwalidow Squares as well as Aleja Wojska Polskiego Street.

Krzysztof Kamil Baczynski

Krzysztof Kamil Baczynski (pseudonym 'Krzys`) was killed in action by a German sniper at about 4:00 this afternoon in Blank Palace in the Old Town Sector of Warsaw. He joined the "Parasol" battalion after the Uprising broke out. Previously he was a member of the Scouting Assault Groups (Harcerskie Grupy Szturmowe). Parasaol Battalion, under the command of Adam Boris, is an elite special forces unit of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa). Since 1943 members of this unit have carried out several assassinations of key Gestapo officers and top-level Nazi officials. Units from "Parasol" are expected to rendez-vous with Polish Paratroopers expected to land from England in the next few days to join the fighting in Warsaw. Baczynski took part in numerous actions against the Germans, including sabotage. One of his successful actions was the recent derailment of a German military train which caused a 26-hour delay in German traffic on an important strategic link between Warsaw and Bialystok. He leaves behind a pregnant wife Krzys was 23.