Polish Greatness (Blog) is devoted to promoting Polish History, and gives tribute to the Polish Armed Forces past and present for their Courage, Honour and Sacrifices.
During the night members of the AK have escaped from the Old Town Sector through the sewers and have made their way to the City Centre. In Mokotow, defence measures are being reorganized by the new district commander Col “Karol” . The Mokotow unit currently has about 5,500 soldiers, three thousand of which are fighting on the front lines. Ever more wounded insurgents, rear troops and a small group of civilians are leaving the Old Town through sewers and heading for Zoliborz. With them are the city’s civilian administration with Deputy Prime Minister Jan Stanislaw Jankowski “Sobol” and Chairman of the National Unity Council Kazimierz Puzak “Bazyli” move to Srodmiescie.
Polish Insurgents cross Warsaw via underground network of sewers
Polish Soldiers Escape Old Town through the city sewers
In the Old Town German forces continue to attack on the State Securities Plant buildings on Sanguszki Street. Polish insurgents from the “Lesnik” group have suffered severe losses. Polish forces have evacuated Warsaw civilians from buildings under their control. Heavy fighting continues for the Jan Bozy Hospital on Bonifraterska Street, the “Fiat” factory on Sapiezynska Street, and the Canonesses Convent in Teatralny Square.
Teatralny Square as it appeared in 1925. Jablonowski Palace is on the left.
Under heavy German fire the insurgents North Group under the command of Col. Karol Ziemski "Wachnowski" has moved position from the ruined and burnt out building of the Main Archives of Old Records on Dluga Street to the chapterhouse of St. Jacek’s Church on Freta Street. Meanwhile in Srodmiescie a company of the “Kilinski” battalion has seized a strong German outpost in the former “Café Club” coffee shop on the corner of Nowy Swiat and Aleje Jerozolimskie Streets. This has put a stop to the constant barrage of enemy fire on the barricade linking the two parts of Srodmiescie.
Roosevelt & Churchill
wearing "same hats"
There has been a flurry of messages between Churchill and Roosevelt these past few days. In the latest message to Roosevelt, Churchill re-iterated his intention in not giving up and in seeking a resolution to the plight of the Poles.
However, President Roosevelt has expressed his lack of confidence in the Polish situation. Churchill has begun to apply pressure on the US President demanding that he send Amercian Air Force to Warsaw and that their planes land on Soviet airfields but without the consent of the Soviet authorities. There is no response as yet from the White House.In the meantime Polish insurgents are fighting the enemy with whatever weapons they can seize from the Germans, or manufacture on their own.
President Roosevelt is in the midst of the presidential campaign. Without a doubt he will be re-elected as polls indicate that his popularity is at an all-time high. Recently he has met with delegates of the Polish American Congress (PAC). The PAC was founded earlier this year and has already rallied almost 3,000 Polish delegates from around the country. At their first Congress delegates emphasized the patriotic commitment of Polish-Americans to the United States, to the war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. They appealed to the US government to support the freedom and sovereignty of Poland, an Ally, at the end of the war. Roosevelt has guaranteed Poland`s inviolable freedom according to terms of the Atlantic Charter in which all nations great and small will be part of a just and peaceful international order.Lt. John Ward, a British soldier, and member of the AK has dispatched messages again today to London reporting on the days events in Warsaw.
Lt. John Ward
The message reads as follows:To Colonel P… Sir, help is badly needed in the centre of the city of Warsaw. The ammunition for the anti-tank weapons, type "Piat," that were sent has all been used.Sir, the main things needed are grenades, anti-tank weapons, heavy machine guns, rifles, ammunition of all types. The best area for descent is the area south of Jeroboams Avenue, tending east of No wy Swat, west to Marshmallows and south to Pius Street. This area is free from Germans.Sir, I received your message of the 19.8.44 on the 20.8.44. The boy scouts organization in Warsaw is doing work that is beyond all praise. Many young boys have given their lives in service of their country. The boys are keeping up the international tradition of the scouts.During the past 24 hours there have been no outstanding events in the battle for Warsaw. The fighting was continued as bitterly as ever without any great result. The amount of damage being done by the enemy mine-throwers is colossal. Wildcat, Cruz, Pius, Mokotow, TKOs Streets and Jackdaws Avenue have been very badly damaged during the past 48 hours, casualties are high. In the City Centre large fires continued to burn throughout the night. Food supplies are growing shorter each day, and there is no means of replenishing them. Heavy artillery was heard during the night at a distance of about 12 miles from the city.
15 cm sIG 33 used by the Germans during the Warsaw uprising
Polish fighters are struggling to defend individual districts but each one has been cut off from the other by German positions. A major German offensive is underway in the Old Town Sector resulting in widespread destruction and very heavy Polish casualties. Germans have demolished small tenement houses and have set fire to numerous buildings as well as to St. John's Cathedral, the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in the New Town, and City Hall in Teatralny Square. Bombing raids continue on the Old Town's Market Square as well as Miodowa, Kapucyńska and Hipoteczna Streets. The State Securities Plant building on Sanguszhi Street has been under very heavy artillery fire.
During the afternoon German infantry units attacked the streetcar depot in Muranow from the Gdanski Railway Station and Traugutt Fortress. Defending the depot are Polish troops under the command of Lt. Col. Jan Szypowski “Lesnik” and members of the “Czata 49” battalion. They succeeded in repelling enemy attacks. Meanwhile German troops launched attacks from Saski Gardens towards Krolewska and Marszalkowska Streets. By 9:00 pm the insurgents received reinforcements and were able to push the Germans back to their initial positions. Meanwhile on Leszno Street German forces attacked a barricade using a group of women as cover but the insurgents managed to hold back the enemy.
Zdzislaw Zolochinksi "Piotr" on the Right and soldiers from Szczesny Platoon of "Czata 49" Battalion in the courtyard of a house at the corner of Bonifraterska Street and Zoliborska Streets
Polish soldier with flame-thrower - ready to attack the Germans
Skirmishes have broken out in southern Srodmiescie between Polna Street, the Institute of Technology, and Wspolna Street. The Germans have made another attempt at seizing northern Srodmiescie. They attacked from Towarowa Street and from the north, along Zelazna, Walicow, Ciepla, Rynkowa and Graniczna Streets. From the south, the area of Starynkiewicza Square and the Freight Railway Station, they shelled the Railway Hostel and the Postal Railway Station. The insurgents successfully fought back enemy attacks. The Germans manage to seize the Police Barracks on Ciepla Street and food warehouses of the “Pluton” Company on Grzybowska Street. Meanwhile in Zoliborz the insurgents fight back an attack from the Institute of Chemistry towards Henkla Square but suffer have severed casualties.
Young Insurgent in front of Ruczaj Battalion Headquarters
In Mokotow, on the orders of Col Antoni Chrusciel "Monter", Lt. Col Stanislaw Kaminski "Daniel" has taken up position in the area of Siecle and Sadyba and are prepared to take action jointly with insurgents fighting to get into Warsaw from the Chojnowskie Forest.
German 201st Stellungswerfer Regiment firing on Old Town and North Srodmiescie district
from Zelazna and Zytnia Street intersection.
Ambassador Harriman has sent two top secret radio messages jointly to the President and the Secretary of State in which he took a firm stand on Soviet attitude toward the Uprising. The President authorized Harriman to urge the Soviet government to reconsider its proposal to air drop supplies to the Polish Underground via shuttle bombing arrangements. But after a three hour meeting with Molotov, Harriman was unable to persuade the Soviets to change their position.
Soviet objections to this proposal is unfounded. In June 1944 the Soviet government had permitted the Americans to land its bombers - 200 and 184 planes respectively on Soviet bases at Poltava. The US 8th and 15th Air Forces had received permission for shuttle bombing missions during the Operation Frantic. It was a new bombing strategy created in November 1943 at the Tehran Conference. The Allied leaders including Stalin came to the agreement that American heavy bombers stationed in Great Britain and Italy would fly strike mission deep into the heart of Nazi-occupied territory, landing on secret air bases located inside Soviet Russia. This would permit them to easily re-arm and re-fuel. Irregardless, the Soviet government refuses to reconsider.
American B-17 Bombers Arrived at Poltova air base June 2, 1944
Russian officers chat with Col. Barton C.O of the 483rd B.G and Col. Rice of the 2nd at Mirgorod.
Woman in center is interpreter
15th Air Force of the USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress in background
and Soviet Air Force Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters in foreground
(2/9) The Warsaw Uprising (Powstanie Warszawskie) (00:01:04)
