Polish Army in the East 1943-1945
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| Polish Army in the East 1943-1945 | |
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The mass murder of Polish officers at Katyń, exposed by the Germans on 9 April 1943, caused a deep crisis in Polish - Soviet relations and in consequence the Soviet government broke relations with the Polish government in London. Polish communists in the USSR then came up with an initiative to create the Union of Polish Patriots (Związek Patriotów Polskich), the task of which would be to care for their compatriots based in the USSR and to organize Polish troops to fight alongside the Soviet Army. On the 9 of May 1943 Soviet government approved the formation of the first Infantry Division, named after Tadeusz Kościuszko, and commanded by Col. Zygmunt Berling. In a training camp in Sielce, near Riasan creation of various units commenced: 3 infantry regiments, 1 artillery regiment, 1 tank regiment, 1 women's batallion named after Emilia Plater, as well as one air squadron. On 15 July 1943 the division was sworn in. Due to the massive influx of volunteers, the Soviet government agreed to form the 1 Corps of Polish Armed Forces as well, the consequence of which was the creation of two further infantry divisions (2nd and 3rd), of one artillery brigade, one tank brigade and a number of auxiliary units.
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On 12 October 1943 "Tadeusz Kościuszko" 1st Infantry Division passed its baptism of fire - it broke through German defence near the town of Lenino in Belarus. This success, however, was achieved at an enormous human cost. During the battle lasting several days almost 25% of all the soldiers were killed, wounded or went missing.
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The liberation of Wołyń, Podole and Pokucie (the south-eastern part of Poland before the war, now in Ukraine), which was inhabited largely by Polish population, allowed Polish Army to further expand to the east of the USSR. In March 1944 Soviet government approved a plan to transform the 1st Corps of the Polish Armed Forces into the 1st Polish Army. At the end of July 1944 the 1st Polish Army consisted of 4 infantry divisions, 1 cavalry brigade and 5 artillery brigades.
After the Red Army entered the district of Lublin and set up the Polish National Liberation Committee (Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego), a communist Polish government was formed and it founded Polish Army with General Michał Rola-Żymierski nominated as its commander-in-chief. It was created through merging of the 1st Polish Army with the People's Army (AL) - the pro-communist partisan formations operating in the occupied country.
Polish units re-entered combat at the middle course of the river Vistula. Between 10 and 14 September 1944 troops of the 1 Infantry Division seized the right-bank district of Warsaw (Praga). Attempts to bring aid to the troops engaged in the Warsaw Uprising, which was not supported by the Soviets, ended in failure. Warsaw was liberated only on 17th January 1945. Later troops of the 1st Army fought to break the Pomeranian Wall (Germ.: Pommernstellung) - a strong line of German fortifications, expanded since 1939 and protecting Western Pomerania (Germ.: Pommern) from the east.
After the fall of the Wall the troops of the 1st Polish Army seized Kołobrzeg (Germ.: Kolberg) - a port and a city on the central Baltic seaboard - and then fought for the cities of Kamień Pomorski and Dąbie Szczecińskie. The 1st Tank Brigade, as part of the 1st Army, took part in the fight for Gdynia and Gdańsk (Germ.: Danzig).
The 2nd Polish Army, consisting at the time of its formation of 5 infantry divisions, 2 artillery divisions, and 2 artillery brigades, was fighting in the south-west, in the area of Poznań and Wrocław (Germ.: Breslau).
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In April 1945 the last offensive of Polish and Soviet armies against Germany commenced. The 2nd Army broke the defences at the river Neisse and launched an offensive towards Dresden. After repelling a counterattack of German forces, commanded by the Field Marshall Schoerner, the troops of the 2nd Polish Army ended up their combat track on the river Elbe, establishing contact with American troops.
Meanwhile, the 1st Army was taking part in the Berlin operation. After breaking German defence on the river Oder it launched an offensive towards Berlin and then towards the river Elbe, which was reached in the area of Schoenefeld and Spandau, where an encounter with the troops of the American 9th Army took place. The following units took part in the attack on Berlin, which was happening simultaneously: the 1st Infantry Division, the 2nd Brigade of Howitzer Artillery and the 1st Independent Mortar Brigade. The troops of the 1st Infantry Division fought in the central sector of Berlin's defences, seizing the Technical University, the Tiergarten underground station and the Tiergarten park (the Zoo), entering the rear areas of the Reichstag and the Reich's Chancellery. It was the last offensive, and it ended with the capitulation of the German capital on 2 May.
The operations of land forces were supported by the Air Force, which during the entire war campaign shot down 16 enemy aircraft, destroyed 25 tanks and more than 1300 other vehicles, as well as over 700 guns and mortars. Over 13,000 combat sorties were carried out.
In 1945 it consisted of the 1st Division of the Bomber Air Force, 2nd Division of the Assault Aviation, 3rd Division of Fighter Aviation, 4th Mixed Air Division - in all numbering over 400 aircraft in the line. The greatest recognition was gained by: the 1st Regiment of the Fighter Air Force "Warszawa" and the 2nd Regiment of Night Bombers "Kraków".
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(1890-1989) During the First World War he served in the Polish Legions, then in the Polish Army from 1918. He was appointed to the rank of General of Brigade (in 1924), but in 1927 he was sentenced to imprisonment and stripped of his rank. After leaving prison he established ties with the communist movement, and from 1944 he was the supreme commander of Polish Army (in the east). In 1945 he received the rank of Marshall of Poland. Until 1949 he was also the Minister of National Defence in the government established under the auspices of the communists. He died in Warsaw on 15th Oct. 1989. He was decorated, amongst others, with Virtuti Militari - 1st and 5th class, the American League of Merit - 1st class, the French Honorable League - 5th class and with the highest Soviet medal: the Order of Victory. |
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Polish Army in the East
It came into being on 21 July 1944 through merging of the Polish Army in the USSR and the underground, communist People's Army (AL). It encompassed the 1st and 2nd Armies as well as the second echelons of the Supreme Command. In May 1945 it consisted of 14 infantry divisions, 4 air divisions, 4 artillery divisions, 1 cavalry brigade, 5 armoured brigades, 12 artillery brigades, 5 sappers' brigades and 2 reserve brigades. The Commander of the Polish Army was Marshall Michał Żymierski. Commanders of the 1st Army: - Gen. Zygmunt Berling, - Gen. Władysław Korczyc, - Gen. Stanisław Popławski. Commanders of the 2nd Army: - Gen. Karol Świerczewski, - Gen. Stanisław Popławski. Number of soldiers on 1 May 1945: - 395 000 żołnierzy. Number of tanks and armoured cars: - 800 Number of guns and mortars: - 1600. Number of aircraft: - 450 During their fight, the troops of the Polish Army eliminated around 50,000 enemy soldiers, took 40,000 prisoners of war, seized or destroyed around 800 tanks and armoured guns, 4000 towed guns and mortars, as well as 150 aircraft. |
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