Operation Arsenal

Operation Arsenal
Part of World War II
Date March 26, 1943 Location Warsaw, Poland Result Liberation of "Rudy", successful escape
Belligerents
Szare Szeregi	Nazi Germany
Commanders and leaders
Stanisław Broniewski Tadeusz Zawadzki	Unknown, probably none
Strength
28 men	~15-20 men
Casualties and losses
2 wounded (died later) 1 captured (killed by firing squad)	4 killed 9 wounded

Part of a series on the
Polish Underground State
History of Poland 1939–1945
Authorities Government Administration Parliament Courts
Political organizations Major parties Polish Socialist Party People's Party National Party Labour Party Minor parties Camp of National Unity Democratic Party Jewish Labour Bund Hashomer Hatzair Betar (Zionist youth) Opposition National Radical Camp Polish Workers' Party
Military organizations Armia Krajowa (AK) Service for Poland's Victory Armed Struggle (ZWZ) Szare Szeregi National Security Corps Mostly integrated with ZWZ-AK Gwardia Ludowa WRN Bataliony Chłopskie Partially integrated with ZWZ-AK National Military Organization National Armed Forces Camp of Fighting Poland Pomeranian Griffin Konfederacja Narodu Non-integrated Jewish Combat Organization Jewish Military Union Opposition Military Lizard Union Armia Ludowa
Related topics Cultural activities Education History of Poland during 1939-1945
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The Operation Arsenal, code name: "Meksyk II" (Polish: Akcja pod Arsenałem) was the first major operation by the Szare Szeregi (Gray Ranks) Polish Underground formation during the Nazi occupation of Poland. It took place on March 26, 1943 in Warsaw. Its name was coined after the Warsaw Arsenal, in front of which the action took place.

The plan was to free the troop leader Jan Bytnar "Rudy", who was arrested together with his father by the Gestapo. 28 scouts led by Warsaw Standard Commander Stanisław Broniewski "Orsza" taking part. The initiator and the commander of the "Attack Group" was Tadeusz Zawadzki "Zośka".

The successfully conducted operation led to the release of Jan Bytnar and 24 other prisoners, including another Storm Group troop leader, Henryk Ostrowski "Henryk", and 6 women, in an attack on the prison van that was taking the inmates from Pawiak Prison to Gestapo Headquarters at Szucha Avenue.

Jan Bytnar died four days later on account of injuries sustained due to German tortures. Both of his "interrogators" were later executed by Szare Szeregi.

	Sections	Commander	Members
	Commander of the operation: Commander of the "Attack Group": Commander of the "Cover Group":	"Orsza" Stanisław Broniewski "Zośka" Tadeusz Zawadzki "Giewont" Władysław Cieplak
Attack Group
	"Bottles"	"Anoda" Jan Rodowicz	"Bolec" Tadeusz Hojko "Heniek" Henryk Kupis "Stasiek" Stanisław Pomykalski
	"STEN I"	"Maciek" Sławomir Maciej Bittner	"Kołczan" Eugeniusz Koecher "Sem" Wiesław Krajewski
	"STEN II"	"Słoń" Jerzy Gawin	"Buzdygan" Tadeusz Krzyżewicz (died, due to wounds) "Cielak" Tadeusz Szajnoch
	"Grenades"	"Alek" Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski (died, due to wounds)	"Hubert" Hubert Lenk "Mirski" Jerzy Zapadko
Cover Group
	"Signalisation"	"Kuba" Konrad Okolski	"Kadłubek" Witold Bartnicki "Jur" Andrzej Wolski
	"Old Town"	"Katoda" Józef Saski	"Kopeć" Stanisław Jastrzębski "Rawicz" Żelisław Olech
	"Ghetto"	"Tytus" Tytus Trzciński	"Felek" Feliks Pendelski "Ziutek" Józef Pleszczyński "Pająk" Jerzy Tabor
	"Cars"	"Jeremi" Jerzy Zborowski "Jurek TK" Jerzy Pepłowski

See also

Scouting portal

• (Polish) Meksyk II