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.
Remembrance Day (Veterans Day, or Armistice Day) marks the official date in which World War I came to an end. It has since been observed as a national holiday or memorial every November 11th.
We have much to be thankful for and this day gives us the opportunity to honor our veterans and the fallen soldiers who have sacrificed so much for our country and for the free world. We remember and give thanks to these brave soldiers - those who fought in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and many other battles around the world. Their sacrifices are immeasurable, their courage, great. Remembrance Day is not intended to glorify warfare, but to recognize these exceptional men and women of valor, and to show our respect and deepest appreciation.
Wearing a red poppy is symbolic largely as a result of the famous poem, "In Flanders' Fields", written by a Canadian doctor, and soldier, Lt. John McCrae. But more so because red poppies bloomed throughout many of the worst battlefields in Europe. It's red color is symbolic for the blood spilled in battles. It has the same symbolism in the Polish song "Red Poppies on Monte Cassino" - a song that is very well-known and beloved to every Polish patriot, and reminiscent of the enormous loss of life in one of the greatest battles of World War II.
President Lincoln said it best when he made his famous Gettysburg Address:
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."
The following videos are from an old TV documentary " WWII: GI Diary " narrated by Lloyd Bridges and tells the battle stories of the soldiers on the front line on D Day. It includes archival footage of live action. It is an opportunity to learn about the war from first-hand sources - the soldiers who fought and survived the greatest battle the world has ever seen. I have the greatest of respect for these men, and sadness for those who perished. The price of our freedom was very high. All were great men of valor. They will always be remembered.
D-Day Invasion of Normandy Part 1 of 3 (00:05:09m)
D-Day Invasion of Normandy Part 2 of 3 (00:06:23m)
D-Day Invasion of Normandy Part 3 of 3 (00:05:20m)
Carpathian Brigade in Egypt - 1940 - Brygada Karpacka w Egipcie (0:52s)
The Siege of Tobruk began on April 10, 1941 when a joint-force of Italian-German troops under the Command of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel attacked Tobruk. The Austrialian 9th Division under the Command of Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead maintained its defense of the town, and received instructions from the British C-C General Archibald Wavell to hold its defense for at least eight weeks. They held it for 240 days. By September the Australian unit was gradually replaced by fresh contingents of the British 70th Infantry Division, the Polish Carpathian Brigade, and the Czechoslavk 11th Infantry Battalion under the command of Major-General Ronald Scobie. Their mission was to hold Tobruk until the end of November when they planned to rendez-vous with the advancing Eighth Army for Operation Crusader. The Royal Navy provided essential gunfire support, supplies, and the transport of fresh troops as well as transfer of the wounded.
Tobruk was an important part of Allied strategy. It was the only other major port on the African coastline between Tripoli and Alexandria. If the Allies had lost Tobruk it would have drastically shortened the German and Italian supply lines. With Tobruk under Allied control Rommel was not in the position to attack across the Egyptian border towards Cairo and Alexandria especially since the Allied garrison could threaten Rommel's lines of supply.
Rommel expected the Allied positions to crumble in his initial attack. His plan was to attack Tobruk directly from the west, but the 20th and 26th Australian Brigades took covering positions outside the perimeter while the 24th and 18th took defensive positions. The first shots of the siege were fired by the Australian 2/28th Infantry Battalion on three German armoured cars, killing its driver and General von Prittwitz. As the German tanks crossed the bridge over the wadi (valley), the Australians blew it up. After a three hour skirmish, the Germans retreated.
The 50 km perimeter of Tobruk was laid with barbed wire, mines and other obstacles and under the surveillance of three Australian infantry brigades. The 26th held the western sector, the 20th held the southern sector, the 24th held the eastern sector, with the 18th Brigade in reserve. On April 11th Rommels forces surrounded Tobruk on three sides: (the harbour was in Allied hands)
On April 11, 1941, just past noon, the 5th Panzer Regiment of the 5th Light Division drew fire to test the Allied defenses while advancing towards the front held by the 20th Australian Infantry Brigade (west of El Adem Road). Within one hour five of the German tanks were destroyed and the others were in retreat, carrying their dead and wounded with them. By 4 pm 700 Germans launched another attack. The Australians were greatly outnumbered and outgunned. But with only two Bren guns, a few dozen rifles, and a couple of Boy's anti-tank rifles, the Australians managed to inflict heavy casualties on the Germans but the German tanks kept advancing. Just then four British tanks arrived firing over the head of the infantry. The German tanks retreated. Only one Allied soldier was killed.
During its patrol, the Australian 2/13th Battalion spotted a German raiding party carrying explosives, which was meant to blow up the Allied anti-tank ditch, but they too were forced to retreat. Subsequent skirmishes resulted in the Germans retreating.
Two days later the German 5th Light Division renewed its attack but the 2/17th Battalion were able to defeat them in fierce fighting. But the next morning the German Division was finally able to break through in securing a small bridgehead over the tank ditch. They were met by intense fire from the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. As the Germans tried to veer away they ran directly into fire from dug-in British Crusader tanks. Under fire from the front and both flanks, the Panzer Regiment lost 16 of its 38 tanks. At the same time the German 8th Machine-Gun Battalion, supporting German armour, was at a virtual standstill and forced to withdraw under heavy artillery and aircraft fire. The German battalions lost three quarters of its strength, while Allied suffered 90 casualties.
On April 15th, 1941, over 1,000 Italian infantry advanced on Australian positions through a barrage of mortars and machine gun fire. They were able to overrun one post. But early on the 2/24th Battalion was reinforced by the 2/23 Battalion "B" Company and 51st Field Artillery Regiment. With their combined fire power the battle was squarely in favour of the Australians.
On April 30 at 20:00 hours, the combined forces of German and Italian troops converged on an attack overruning Australian posts. Rommels troops captured fifteen posts along a three-and-a-half miles perimeter including the fort. Despite heavy losses the Australians were able to contain the Axis advance.
Between August and October the Royal Navy relieved the 9th Australian Division and brought in replacements. Based on reports from Australian HQ, the health of the troops had been suffering. During their stay in Tobruk, some 3,000 Australians had lost their lives in battle, with 941 taken prisoner.
The Polish Carpathian Brigade was deployed to the front near Mersa Matruh and then to Sidi Baggush, during Rommels offensive. On August 18, 1941, the first convoy of the Polish Brigade was en route to besieged Tobruk. From August 21 to 28, a total of seven more Polish convoys were transported and the Brigade took control over the westernmost perimeter of the Allied defences. They fought in what became known as the Siege of Tobruk.
On the night of December 9th, while the Eighth Army was engaged in Operation Crusader, the Polish Brigade captured strategically vital areas of Madauar Hill, the town of Acroma, and broke through to meet with the British 8th Army. The siege was ended. The Polish soldiers were awarded the prestigious title of "Tobruk Rats" by their Australian comrades in arms.
On 13 December the Carpathian Uhlan Regiment was detached while the remainder of the brigade was attached to the XIII Corps of the Eighth Army and took part in the attack on the Axis Gazala defensive line on 15 December. On January 21, 1942, Rommel made a counterattack around El Agheila and it led to the Polish under XIII Corps of the British Eighth Army to engage him in battle at Gazala in early February. In March 1942, the Polish Brigade was sent to Palestine where it joined the Polish fordes of General Wladyslaw Anders evacuated from the Soviet Union. Thereafter they were part of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division.
Australian troops occupy a front line position at Tobruk
Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade in Tobruk 1941
Polish Pilots in II World War. First to Fight (03:56m)
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" (Winston Churchill)
When Churchill proclaimed these words he was referring to the Royal Air Force Squadrons. Among them were the Polish ace pilots of the 303 squadron flying under the command of the RAF. Their heroism and magnificent skill had earned them the deepest respect and gratitude of Great Britain.
The RAF Command were initially unaware of the talents of the Polish aces and had put them through a rigorous prolonged period of training, much of which was unnecessary. These Polish pilots knew how to fly a fighter plane. Eventually they had their opportunity to show their skills and proved to be as good and even better than most British pilots.
During a training flight on August 30, 1940, F/O Ludwik Paszkiewicz who was attached to the 303 squadron spotted a group of German bombers. Though the RAF ordered him to avoid combat, he ignored the order and pursued the enemy aircraft scoring a kill. It was the first shot made by a member of the 303 squadron.
The RAF commanders recognized immediately that the Polish unit had full operational capacity and they were dispatched to the front line, and not a moment too soon. On August 31st, the first day of real action, 6 pilots from the 303 squadron shot down 6 German aircraft without suffering any losses. On the same day, other squadrons of the RAF unfortunately suffered the greatest losses ever experienced in the Battle of Britain.
The 303 squadron was formed on July 15, 1940 under the command of S/Ldr Ronald Kellet, and his Polish counterpart S/Ldr Zdzisław Krasnodębski. The pilots came from the 111th and 112th squadrons of the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw.
The 302 squadron was formed on July 10,1940 under the command of S/Ldr Jack Satchell, and his Polish counterpart S/Ldr Mieczysław Mümler. These pilots came from the 3rd Fighter Squadron of the 3rd Aviation Regiment which was based in Poznan before World War II. And both squadrons defended the skies over Great Britain, flying Hawker Hurricane Mk. I Fighter planes.
The Polish pilots performed the most amazing aerial combat maneuvres and were most skilled in spanning the skies, spotting the enemy before other squadrons ever noticed them. The Poles racked up an astounding number of kills, but the commander of the Northolt RAF station, W/Cdr Stanley Vincent refused to believe it, nor any of the other RAF officers. He had to see for himself and one day flew together with the 303 squadron to observe their battle against the German bombers. He was shocked by what he saw and after the battle confirmed his findings:
"Suddenly the sky became full of firing aircraft, parachutes and parts of broken wings".
The Commander tried to participate in the battle, but each time he wanted to attack the Germans, a Polish pilot anticipated him. He never got the chance!. After the landing he said to the Intelligence officer:
“My God, they are really doing it!".
Though all the pilots of the Polish squadrons were exceptional,special mention should be made of a few of them, all part of the 303 squadron: the top pilot was F/Lt Witold Urbanowicz who scored 15 kills; F/O Zdzisław Henneberg, P/O Jan Zumbach and Sgt. Eugeniusz Szaposznikow (each with 8 kills),and
P/O Mirosław Ferić with 7 shots.
F/Lt Witold Urbanowicz
F/O Zdzisław Henneberg
P/O Jan Zumbach
Sgt. Eugeniusz Szaposznikow
P/O Mirosław Ferić
The best pilot of them all was not Polish. He was a Czech flying with the 303 squadron, Sgt.Józef František. He refused to fly with any other squadron as he so admired and respected the Polish ace pilots. During the Battle of Britain he invented a technique of "hunting" enemy aircraft, and thus achieved 17 kills. Sadly, he was killed in an accident on October 8, 1940.
Sgt.Józef František
In addition to the two fighter squadrons, the Polish contingent had two bombers squadrons: the 300 sqn "Ziemi Mazowieckiej" and 301 sqn "Ziemi Pomorskiej", both equipped with Fairey Battle Mk. I bombers.
On the night of September 14, 1940, they entered the combat and took part in the so-called Battle of Barges.Throughout the Battle of Britain, the Polish aircraft from 300 and 301 squadrons made night bombing raids of the German landing ships positioned at Boulogne, Calaise and Oostende.
On September 15th, the 302 squadron entered combat in what was to be the fiercest battle of the campaign. On this day the Polish pilots of the 302 chalked up their highest scores of 11 confirmed and 6 probable kills. The Polish pilots from the 303 achieved 16 kills in two sorties beating their own record set a week earlier, of 14 kills in the space of a day.
Within days congratulatory telegrams came flooding in praising the Polish pilots. One of them was sent by the Director General of the BBC:
"The BBC sends warm greetings to the famous 303 Polish Squadron with lively congratulations upon its magnificent record and all best wishes for its future. You use the Air for your gallant exploits and we for telling the world of them. Long live Poland!".
(-) F.W. Ogilvie
Director General
The successes of the Polish pilots would not have been possible without the superhuman efforts of their ground crew. They saw to it that the fighter planes were in peak performing condition before the pilots flew off to the skies. The crew braved a "dawn till dusk" schedule and ever at the ready to prep or repair planes often at break-neck speed. They were the unseen heroes.
Polish Ground Crew
A total of 2,944 pilots fought in the Battle of Britain - 497 lost their lives. Polish pilots numbered 145 but lost 32 in battle. The RAF, which included the allied pilots from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland,United States, Canada, Free France, Belgium, South Africa, and South Rhodesia, shot down a total of 1,733 German aircraft. The Polish pilots were accredited with shooting down 203 German aircraft. The Luftwaffe shot down 915 British fighters. Because of the heavy RAF losses, the proportion of Poles on the front lines was increased by 20%. In the words of Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding, AOC Fighter Command of RAF:
“all (Polish) squadrons swung into the fight with a dash and enthusiasm which is beyond praise. The first Polish squadron (303) during the course of one month shot down more Germans than any other British unit in the same period. Other Poles were used in British squadrons, but they were probably most efficient employed in their own national units."
Even after the end of the Battle of Britain, more Polish squadrons were being formed. The squadrons served all over occupied Europe fighting the Luftwaffe and conducting bombing raids over Germany.
They fought in North Africa and became known as the famous Polish Fighting Team, nick named
“Skalski's Circus".
The Polish pilots flew combat missions over Italy, and covered the landing in Normandy.
By the end of the war there were a total of 15 Polish squadrons: seven day fighter squadrons (302, 303, 306, 308, 315, 316 and 317), one night fighter squadron (307), four bomber ones (300, 301, 304 and 305), one army cooperation squadron (later fighter reconnaissance squadron, then bomber fighter, later fighter - 309), one fighter reconnaissance squadron (318) as well as one air observation post (663).
Polish squadrons were also a part of the occupational forces in Germany.
On Remembrance Day, let us remember with pride and gratitude "the few" who altered the course of history and saved Europe from the grip of German might. The Polish pilots were far away from their homeland fighting for the freedom of Europe. They exemplified the best qualities of a Polish soldier: Bravery. Toughness. Perseverance. And most of all - Honour.
Engraved on a moment dedicated to the Polish airmen of the RAF in Great Britain are these words, that live for time immemorial.
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course,
Polish battalion in France - 1939 - Polski batalion we Francji (0:40s)
Before the September Campaign had come to an end the Polish Army had already evacuated and escaped to Romania, and from there to France. Under the Command of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, about 85,000 Polish troops regrouped into several infantry and air support divisions to defend France from the Nazi invasion. However due to the inadequacies of French planning and logistics none of the Polish units were provided with the necessary equipment and supplies until May 1940. By then the Polish contingent had at the ready only two infantry divisions, two independent brigades, one air squadron with another two infantry divisions still in the process of formation. Polish Command had plans to create two full corps as well as an armoured division and over fifteen squadrons. In addition, a Polish academy and cartographic institute were being formed. Polish Command issued a document which would prove invaluable to the French government entitled "Most important conclusions and experiences from the September Campaign" ("Najważniejsze wnioski i doświadczenia z kampanii wrześniowej"). It was an in-depth analysis of the strategy of the German Blitzkrieg and included suggested countermeasures. Unfortunately, the French government ignored it.
(11/12) Battlefield I: The Fall of France Episode 1 (GDH) (10:00min)
(12/12) Battlefield I: The Battle of France Episode 1 (GDH) (05:18min)
When the Nazis invaded France, the Polish armoured units were immediately deployed, but as soon as the Germans broke through the French front, the Poles were ordered to the front line. None of the Polish units were completely equipped, in particular the 3rd and 4th Polish divisions which were still in the midst of organization. Polish units fought in the southern perimeter of the front and continued to do battle despite Petain's call for an armistice on June 16, 1940. Three days later, General Sikorski broadcast a radio bulletin pledging that Poland would continue to fight as Ally of Great Britain and with his army of about 20,000 soldiers made their escape forthwith.
General Wladyslaw Sikorski
Over 16,000 Polish soldiers of the First Grenadier Division under the Command of Boleslaw Bronislaw Duch were based in Lorraine on June 9th, and stationed along the Maginot Line as part of the French 4th Army. From June 14th the Division fought against the Nazi advance and were able to withstand assaults for two days but had to fall back near Lagarde. The Poles covered the retreat of the French 52nd Division which was taking heavy casualties. Within a week, the French defences were at the point of collapse, and General Duch ordered the unit to disband. Many including the General evacuated to the UK.
Memorial badge of the First Grenadier Division, featuring Cross of Lorraine
Over 15,800 Polish soldiers of the Second Infantry Fusiliers Division under the command of Brigadier-General Bronislaw Prugar-Ketling were stationed at Parthenay in eastern France from December 1939 to May 1940. Their mission was to defend Belfort and Alsace. From June 17 to 19 the Polish units were engaged in heavy battle near the Doubs and Saone Rivers, and succeeded in stopping a German attack on the Clos-du-Doubs hills, but because a nearby French unit retreated, the Polish forces were quickly surrounded by the Germans. Nevertheless, the Polish units were able to break through to Switzerland on the 20th or 21st of June, 1940, but were interned upon arrival.
Over 1,000 Polish soldiers of the 10th Brigade of Armored Cavalry were under the command of General Stanislaw Maczek. The brigade fought in the Champagne and Bourgogne regions, provided protection to the flank of the 4th and 6th French Armies near Champaubert, and on June 16 routed Germans near Montbard. By then, the French units were either routed or in retreat leaving the Poles to fight alone. Two days later the Polish unit was out of fuel and ammunition and surrounded by the Germans. Before withdrawing, they destroyed their equipment. The unit would later regroup in Great Britain and be renamed the elite 1st Armoured Division. General Maczek would earn the honour of being one of the best Polish commanders of the war.
1st Armoured Division
General Stanislaw Maczek
Over 5,000 soldiers of the Polish Independent Highland Brigade under the command of General Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko fought in the Battle of Narvik, in Norway from May 28 to June 4, 1940. They returned to France to take part in the defence of Brittany. When they disbanded, the General and some of the units evacuated to the UK and Egypt, while the remainder joined the French Resistance.
Four thousand soldiers of the Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade under the command of General Stanislaw Kopanski evacuated France refusing to support the Vichy regime, and joined British troops in Palestine.
The squadron GC 1/145 "Warsaw" of the Polish Air Force fought in the Battle of France, detached to French squadrons and carried out numerous flights of industry defence. Over 130 Polish pilots participated in battles achieving 50 to 55 victories, and loss of 25 men.
Only about 55,000 of the 85,000 Polish troops fought in Battle of France. One thousand four hundred Polish soldiers died fighting to defend France, 4,000 were wounded, 16,000 taken prisoner, 13,000 interned in Switzerland.
Operation Dynamo - DUNKIRK - The
Miraculous Rescue - World War II - One Minute History
The following story is an eye-witness account of the evacuation at Dunkirk. It appears in the book written by Commager, Henry Steele, The Story of the Second World War (1945); Devine A.D. Dunkirk (1948); Wernick, Robert Blitzkrieg (1976) and is also cited on the website EyeWitnessToHistory.com
THE EVACUATION AT DUNKIRK, 1940
It was a fateful decision that would ultimately transform a military defeat into a moral victory. As German forces continued their advance into France, General Viscount Gort, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France, could see that the German invaders were getting the upper hand. The French Army was in disarray while his own forces were fighting desperately. The French called upon Gort to move his troops south to join them in a defensive stand. The British commander realized the action was futile and could lead to the annihilation of his command. If any of his forces were to be saved for the future defense of Britain, they would have to evacuate France immediately. On the evening of May 23, 1940, Gort ordered his commanders to retreat to the near-by port of Dunkirk - an action that would save the British Army to fight another day. At the time, however, the success of the mission seemed highly unlikely. The British Army, joined by some French and Belgian forces would have to fight their way to the small port of Dunkirk, defend the town from German attack and hope that they could hold on long enough for ships from England to come to pull them off the beach.
Another fateful decision, this time on the part of the Germans, now helped their rescue. On May 24, Hitler, for reasons that are still unclear, ordered his tanks to halt their pursuit of the retreating Allied forces. In England the call went out for ships – any ships – to help with the rescue. On May 26 an unbelievable armada set sail. Motorboats, sloops, fishing boats, yachts, ferries, barges and every other variety of boat imaginable poured out of the Thames River and the ports that lined the English Channel to make their way across the Channel to rescue the beleaguered troops.
Guided by the smoke and flame filling the sky above Dunkirk, the ragtag rescue fleet made its way through continuous German attack and treacherous waters to the stranded troops. The rescuers found the beaches clogged with men. Some clamored along piers to reach the rescue ships, others wadded out from shore to waters nearly over their heads for rescue. All the time the beach was under attack from German artillery, bombers and fighter planes.
The operation, code-named Dynamo, continued until June 4. At its beginning, the British thought they would be lucky to rescue 50,000. In the end, approximately 340,000 British, French and Belgians were snatched from the shore. 40,000 were left behind and killed or captured.
"The beach, black with men, illumined by the fires, seemed a perfect target."
Arthur D. Divine was one of those who manned the boats that made the rescue.
We join his story as he sets sail from England:
"It was the queerest, most nondescript flotilla that ever was, and it was manned by every kind of Englishman, never more than two men, often only one, to each small boat. There were bankers and dentists, taxi drivers and yachtsmen, longshoremen, boys, engineers, fishermen and civil servants. . .
It was dark before we were well clear of the English coast. It wasn't rough, but there was a little chop on, sufficient to make it very wet, and we soaked the Admiral to the skin. Soon, in the dark, the big boats began to overtake us. We were in a sort of dark traffic lane, full of strange ghosts and weird, unaccountable waves from the wash of the larger vessels. When destroyers went by, full tilt, the wash was a serious matter to us little fellows. We could only spin the wheel to try to head into the waves, hang on, and hope for the best. . .
Even before it was fully dark we had picked up the glow of the Dunkirk flames, and now as we drew nearer the sailing got better, for we could steer by them and see silhouetted the shapes of other ships, of boats coming home already loaded, and of low dark shadows that might be enemy motor torpedo boats.
Then aircraft started dropping parachute flares. We saw them hanging all about us in the night, like young moons. The sound of the firing and the bombing was with us always, growing steadily louder as we got nearer and nearer. The flames grew, too. From a glow they rose up to enormous plumes of fire that roared high into the everlasting pall of smoke. As we approached Dunkirk there was an air attack on the destroyers and for a little the night was brilliant with bursting bombs and the fountain sprays of tracer bullets.
The beach, black with men, illumined by the fires, seemed a perfect target, but no doubt the thick clouds of smoke were a useful screen.
The picture will always remain sharp-etched in my memory - the lines of men wearily and sleepily staggering across the beach from the dunes to the shallows, falling into little boats, great columns of men thrust out into the water among bomb and shell splashes. The foremost ranks were shoulder deep, moving forward under the command of young subalterns, themselves with their heads just above the little waves that rode in to the sand. As the front ranks were dragged aboard the boats, the rear ranks moved up, from ankle deep to knee deep, from knee deep to waist deep, until they, too, came to shoulder depth and their turn.
The little boats that ferried from the beach to the big ships in deep water listed drunkenly with the weight of men. The big ships slowly took on lists of their own with the enormous numbers crowded aboard. And always down the dunes and across the beach came new hordes of men, new columns, new lines.
On the beach was a destroyer, bombed and burned. At the water's edge were ambulances, abandoned when their last load had been discharged.
There was always the red background, the red of Dunkirk burning. There was no water to check the fires and there were no men to be spared to fight them. Red, too, were the shell bursts, the flash of guns, the fountains of tracer bullets.
The din was infernal. The 5.9 batteries shelled ceaselessly and brilliantly. To the whistle of shells overhead was added the scream of falling bombs. Even the sky was full of noise - anti-aircraft shells, machine-gun fire, the snarl of falling planes, the angry hornet noise of dive bombers. One could not speak normally at any time against the roar of it and the noise of our own engines. We all developed ‘Dunkirk throat,’ a sore hoarseness that was the hallmark of those who had been there.
Yet through all the noise I will always remember the voices of the young subalterns as they sent their men aboard, and I will remember, too, the astonishing discipline of the men. They had fought through three weeks of retreat, always falling back without orders, often without support. Transport had failed. They had gone sleepless. They had been without food and water. Yet they kept ranks as they came down the beaches, and they obeyed commands. . .
We stayed there until everybody else had been sent back, and then went pottering about looking for stragglers. While we were doing that, a salvo of shells got one of our troopships alongside the mole [pier]. She was hit clean in the boilers and exploded in one terrific crash. There were then, I suppose, about 1000 Frenchmen on the mole. We had seen them crowding along its narrow crest, outlined against the flames. They had gone out under shellfire to board the boat, and now they had to go back again, still being shelled. It was quite the most tragic thing I ever have seen in my life. We could do nothing with our little park dinghy. . .
Going home, the Jerry dive bombers came over us five times, but somehow left us alone though three times they took up an attacking position. A little down the coast, towards Gravelines, we picked up a boatload of Frenchmen rowing off. We took them aboard. They were very much bothered as to where our ‘ship’ was, said quite flatly that it was impossible to go to England in a thing like ours. Too, too horribly dangerous."
Royal Navy Gunner Covering Retreating Troops Dunkirk
Decoration of the Polish Highland Brigade 1940 (0:56 sec)
WW II : RARE COLOR FILM : BATTLE FOR NORWAY : PART 1 OF 3 (07:53m)
WW II : RARE COLOR FILM : BATTLE FOR NORWAY : PART 2 OF 3 (08:08m)
WW II : RARE COLOR FILM : BATTLE FOR NORWAY : PART 3 OF 3 (08:02m)
April 8th 1940 marked the start of the Battle of Narvik. At 11:12 hours, the Polish submarine ORP Orzel surfaced after having shadowed the Rio di Janeiro for some time. Polish Command ordered the German ship to stop and be searched. When the Germans refused to obey the order, the Poles sprayed the ship with machine gun fire. The Germans abandoned ship and fifteen minutes later the Orzel fired torpedoes sinking the German vessel. Debris confirmed Polish suspicions - that the ship was a military troopship en route to invade Norway.
The next day a fleet of 10 German destroyers were headed towards Narvik. The Norwegian destroyer Eidsvold refused to surrender and was torpedoed and sunk by German warships. The vessel was blown into 2 pieces. The forward part of the ship sank in seconds. Of 175 Norwegian sailors, only 8 survived. The German warships tracked down the Norge and fired three salvoes. The first two missed because the cold weather rendered the optical sights less effective. The third salvo struck and the Norge sank. One hundred and one sailors perished. The battle was over in less than 20 minutes.
The first naval battle on April 10th between Great Britain and Germany resulted in a British victory: 2 German Destroyers were sunk, as well as one ammunition supply ship, 6 cargo ships, and 4 German destroyers damaged. On April 13th, the second naval battle ensued, again in England's favor: 8 German ships were sunk or scuttled, 1 U-boat sunk and over 1,000 Germans were killed. The remaining 2,600 Germans survived and joined their infantry for the subsequent land battle.
The Burza, Blyskawica, and Grom were Polish Destroyers under Commander Porucznik S. Hryniewiecki, which had left Harwich via Scapa Flow and headed towards Norway escorting troop ships. On May 3rd the Burza landed French alpine troops at Graatangend Fjord, while Grom and Blyskawica shelled German positions.The next day Grom was sunk during a heavy air attack by the Luftwaffe.
Initially the land battle, begun on April 9th, was fought between the Norwegians and Germans but Allied troops would soon enter the fray, eventually reaching over 24,000 men and greatly outnumbering German troops. On April 14th and for the next several weeks the British continued to deploy more troops. Three battalions of the British Expeditionary Force were soon joined by 3 battalions of Alpine troops, and 2 battalions of 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade. Four Polish battalions arrived on May 9 and were reformed in June under the name of the Polish Independent Highland Brigade under the command of Zygmunt Bohusz Szyszko. However despite the Allied reinforcements, German troops were able to conduct surprise attacks on more than one occasion though their advantage was often eroded by difficulty in bringing in supplies.
The land battle was plagued by many difficulties; first and foremost was the lack of an Allied Commander. Each contingent was led by it's own commander, and theirs was seldom a consensus of agreement. While the Norwegians made their way easily through the mountainous terrain, the French, British and Polish troops lagged behind due to poor equipment and lack of training. It wasn't until mid May that the Allies took initiative and won some victories.
On May 12 an Allied amphibious attack was directed towards Bjerkvik which was taken by the French Foreign Legionnaires, supported by five light French tanks which then advanced northward where German troops where withdrawing. The Polish Independent Rifle Brigade planned to advance to Bjerkvik as well but were hindered by rough terrain. The French and Norwegian troops planned to trap the Germans but it never materialized as both units were beset with cooperation problems. This quibbling providing the Germans with an easy means of escape.
On May 14, 1940 the MV Chrobry was attacked and sunk. Eleven members of the crew and an undetermined number of Polish troops drowned. The Burza and Blyskawica were dispatched to the south towards France. ORP Burza saw action on May 21st off the coast of Calais, shelling German positions as she provided cover during Allied troop withdrawals. She was attacked by Ju-87s and badly damaged but was able to return to Dover, and then Plymouth for repairs.
The Allies planned another attack but were delayed for having to wait for air support to be fully operational. At 23:40 on May 28, 1940 the British began a naval bombardment from the north while two French and one Norwegian battalions were advancing on Narvik from the west and north, and the Polish battalions from the south. At 07:00 hours the German Commander gave the order to evacuate the area.
The resulting "victory" for the Allies however was only tentative. As fate would have it, the Allies received orders from London to evacuate on May 24th. Allied Command urgently need to deploy troops to France to provide support for the evacuation at Dunkirk. Allied destroyers transported the troops the waiting vessels 112 km offshore. The Polish vessels, MS Sobieski and MS Batory took part in the operation. The Independent Polish Rifle Brigade was evacuated on the night June 4 to 5 and two days later the Norwegian commanders, their government and the remaining Allied troops. The Norwegian forces embittered and dismayed, surrendered to the Germans on June 10th, 1940.
