Raids on communist prisons in Poland (1944-1946)

Raids on communist prisons in Poland (1944–1946) were series of attacks made by soldiers of the anticommunist armed groups on communist prisons right after World War II in Poland.

Attacks

In the night of January 3–4, 1944 the advancing Red Army crossed former eastern border of the Second Polish Republic in the area of Volhynia (near the village of Rokitno) and in the following months the Soviets pushed the Wehrmacht further westwards, reaching on July 24, 1944 the line of the Vistula river en icon [http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/eastern-europe/eastern-europe-index-1944.htm Worlwar-2.net] ] .

On July 22, 1944 in eastern town of Chełm Polish communists, acting upon order of Moscow, created the pro-Soviet provisional government, which was then renamed into Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland.en icon [http://books.google.com/books?id=guYU3I5f2ZgC&pg=RA1-PA198&lpg=RA1-PA198&dq=Polish+puppet+government+&source=web&ots=4vTpeqTEDT&sig=RyGoPDIhzPTeKx3W_5lxacAj4GI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result] ] en icon [http://www.applet-magic.com/poland.htm] ] , ignoring the political preferences of the Polish populationen icon [http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/classroom/longhist6.html] ] and whose power was based on the Red Army en icon [http://books.google.com/books?id=YqCIP5hxo4YC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=Communist+Poland+based+on+NKVD&source=web&ots=uPF-wyxN4_&sig=RDKgEFqNim3nL2Jr9oto4l15Uw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA96,M1] ] .

Soon afterwards, acting together and commanded by General Ivan Serov, officers of the NKVD, SMERSH and the Polish communist secret service (UB), which was modeled on the Soviet secret policeen icon [http://books.google.com/books?id=YqCIP5hxo4YC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=Communist+Poland+based+on+NKVD&source=web&ots=uPF-wyxN4_&sig=RDKgEFqNi-m3nL2Jr9oto4l15Uw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result] ] began a repressive campaign against the members of the Home Army and other Polish resistance units, loyal to the government in exile in London. According to a report compiled in October 1944, some 25,000 soldiers, including 300 Home Army officers, were arrested, disarmed, and interned en icon [http://www.warsawuprising.com/paper/nkvd.htm] ] . On October 15, 1944, Lavrentiy Beria signed "Order No. 0012266/44", which established a special NKVD Division 64, whose task was to fight Polish resistance. Tens of thousands were deported to Siberia and members of the Polish resistance were given the choice between arrest and service in the Polish Armed Forces in the East.en icon [http://books.google.com/books?id=EBpghdZeIwAC&pg=PA350&lpg=PA350&dq=NKVD+arresting+Poles&source=web&ots=pMfvQN7U0K&sig=pupuISUsEQysepMmN8lXz32zE3Y&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA351,M1] ] Facing this uneasy choice, and knowing about fate of their leaders (see: Trial of the Sixteen), thousands of soldiers of the Home Army (which was disbanded on January 20, 1945) and other organizations decided to continue fighting (see: Cursed soldiers).

Post attack

The situation in Poland in the immediate aftermath of World War Two has been described as civil war en icon [http://books.google.com/books?id=hafLHZgZtt4C&pg=PA987&lpg=PA987&dq=civil+war+Poland+1945&source=web&ots=dXiEvyu1Qn&sig=PNd8L7YcpXWz_GK3k6cKHPlmYvg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result] ] or near civil war en icon [http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Slavonic/L1Hstal.htm] ] , as members of the independence resistance carried out numerous attacks on both Soviet and Polish Communist institutions. In return, the communist side carried out brutal pacification of civilians, mass arrests (see: Augustów chase 1945) and deportations as well as executions (see: 1951 Mokotów Prison murder, Public execution in Dębica (1946)) and assassinations en icon [http://books.google.com/books?id=hafLHZgZtt4C&pg=PA987&lpg=PA987&dq=civil+war+Poland+1945&source=web&ots=dXiEvyu1Qn&sig=PNd8L7YcpXWz_GK3k6cKHPlmYvg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result] ] .

The anticommunist side answered with attacks on NKVD or Urzad Bezpieczenstwa camps (see: Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów), its units often were engaged in regular battles with the Soviets and their Polish clients (see: Battle of Kuryłówka). Those who decided to fight the communists were relentlessly hunted down. The fight was brutal, and the units loyal to the London Government did not hesitate to attack even large cities, to free their fellow soldiers, kept in various prisons and camps across Poland.

List of attacks

According to the "Atlas of the Independence Underground in Poland 1944–1956", issued in 2007 by the Institute of National Remembrance, after World War Two there were scores of attacks on communist prisons, in which hundreds of political prisoners were freed.

* Biala Krakowska, May 12, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Biała Podlaska, November 28, 1944. Two political prisoners were freed after an attack.
* Biała Podlaska, March 9, 1945. One hundred and three political prisoners were freed after an attack.
* Biała Podlaska, May 21, 1945. Five political prisoners were freed after an attack.
* Białystok, May 9, 1945. Local prison was captured by a group of inmates, some 100 members of Home Army, National Armed Forces and National Military Organization escaped.
* Biłgoraj, February 28, 1945. A DSZ unit captured the whole town, freeing 40 political prisoners.
* Biłgoraj, May 27, 1945. A DSZ unit tried to destroy an SB prison, but failed.
* Bludek (a village in southern Lublin Voivodeship). A DSZ unit from Tomaszów Lubelski captured and burned a local camp for political prisoners, killing an NKVD officer who was commandant of the camp.
* Brzesko, May 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Brzeziny, September 6, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Brzeziny, May 15, 1946. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Brzozów, December 13, 1944. A local prison was captured by a Home Army unit, 11 political prisoners were freed.
* Dąbrowa Tarnowska, May 8–9, 1945. Some 80 political prisoners were freed after an independence unit took control of the town and the prison.
* Grajewo, night of May 8–9, 1945. Units of the independence resistance seized the whole town, killing 2 NKVD agents and 2 UB agents. Around 100 political inmates were freed.
* Grojec, November 21, 1945. A failed attack on a prison, in which 2 UB agents were killed.
* Hrubieszów, December 19, 1944. Twelve Home Army soldiers, kept in a local prison were freed by their fellow companions.
* Hrubieszów, May 27–28, 1945. Acting together, DSZ and Ukrainian UPA units captured the whole town, burning the local prison and killing 5 NKVD agents.
* Janów Lubelski, April 27, 1945. A DSZ unit seized the town, freeing 15 political prisoners.
* Jaworzno, October 1945. A failed attack on the Central Labour Camp Jaworzno.
* Kępno, November 22–23, 1945. A local prison was captured, 5 UB agents and a Red Army soldier were killed.
* Kielce, August 4–5, 1945. A unit under Antoni Heda took control of the city, freeing 354 political prisoners and killing 3 UB agents and a soldier of the Red Army.
* Koźmin, September 1, 1945. A local prison was destroyed.
* Koźmin, October 10–11, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Kozienice, May 5&nadsh;6, 1945. An independence underground unit took control of the town, freeing 8 political prisoners and killing a Red Army soldier.
* Kraków, August 18, 1946. A local prison was captured, 64 political prisoners were freed.
* Krasnystaw, November 22, 1944. Five Home Army soldiers, kept in a local prison,were freed by their fellow companions.
* Krotoszyn, August 24, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Limanowa, April 17, 1945. A local prison was captured, 13 political prisoners were freed.
* Łomża, May 21, 1945. A local prison was destroyed, 2 UB agents were killed.
* Łowicz, March 8, 1945. A local prison was captured by former Home Army unit, 73 political prisoners were freed.
* Łuków, January 24, 1946. A Freedom and Independence unit captured the town and the prison, freeing 27 political prisoners and killing 3 UB agents.
* Maków Mazowiecki, May 1, 1945. An attack on a local prison, in which 42 political prisoners were freed and 8 UB agents killed.
* Miechów, April 25–2, 1945. A local prison was destroyed.
* Mława, June 3, 1945. An attack on a local prison in which unknown number of political prisoners was freed and 3 UB agents killed.
* Nowy Sącz, April 1946. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Nowy Targ, April 17–18, 1945. A unit under Jozef Kuras destroyed a local prison, killing 4 UB agents.
* Ostrów Wielkopolski, September 2, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Pabianice, June 10, 1945. A local prison was captured, 10 political prisoners were freed.
* Pińczów, June 3–4, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison, 1 UB agent killed.
* Piotrków Trybunalski, June 17, 1945. A camp for the Home Army soldiers was captured and destroyed, 5 UB agents were killed.
* Przemyśl, May 14–15, 1945. Arrested soldiers of the Home Army took control of prison, 58 persons escaped.
* Przeworsk, May 15, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Puławy, April 24, 1945. One hundred and seventeen political prisoners were freed, and 7 UB agents killed.
* Rabka, December 11, 1945. A local prison was captured, 1 UB agent killed.
* Radom, September 9, 1945. Some 300 political prisoners were freed, 2 Red Army soldiers and one UB agent killed.
* Radomsko, April 19–20, 1946. The town was captured and a local prison destroyed, 5 political prisoners were freed.
* Radzyń, December 31, 1945 – January 1, 1946. A Freedom and Independence unit carried out a failed attack on the prison.
* Rembertów, May 20–21, 1945. Attack on a NKVD camp, for more information, see: Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów.
* Rozwadów, February 3, 1946. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Rzeszów, October 7–8, 1944. A Home Army unit under Colonel Łukasz Ciepliński made a failed attack on a prison located in Rzeszów Castle. Home Army lost 2 men, Red Army also 2, Milicja Obywatelska — 2 as well.
* Sandomierz, March 10, 1945. Almost 100 political prisoners escaped from a local prison.
* Sokołów Podlaski, October 1944. A failed Home Army attack on a local prison.
* Szamotuły, June 7–8, 1945. A local prison was captured, 2 political prisoners were freed.
* Szczyrk, July 19, 1945. A failed attempt to capture a local prison.
* Tarnobrzeg, November 2, 1944. A Home Army unit freed fifteen Home Army soldiers from local prison.
* Tarnów, July 1, 1945. A local prison was captured, 35 political prisoners were freed.
* Węgrów, May 17–18, 1945. Attack on a local prison, 2 political prisoners were freed.
* Włodawa, October 22, 1946. A local prison was captured, some 100 political prisoners were freed.
* Włoszczowa, April 22, 1945. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Wyrzysk, May 24, 1946. A local prison was captured, 43 political prisoners freed and 1 UB agent killed.
* Zakopane, February 1, 1946. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Zakopane, October 13, 1946. A failed attack on a local prison.
* Zamość, July 22, 1944. Eighteen Home Army soldiers, kept in a local prison were freed by their fellow companions.
* Zamość, October 7, 1944. Thirty four Home Army soldiers, kept in a local prison were freed by their fellow companions.
* Zamość, May 8, 1946. Three hundred and one political prisoners were freed after an attack carried out by a Freedom and Independence unit.

References

* "The Atlas of the Independence Underground in Poland 1944–1956", Instytut Pamieci Narodowej, Warszawa-Lublin, 2007. ISBN 978-83-60464-45-8