Warszawa Army

The Warszawa Army ( _pl. Armia Warszawa) was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. Created on 8 September, eight days after the invasion begun, it was an improvised formation charged with the defence of the Polish capital of Warsaw (Warszawa).

Tasks

To defend the Polish capital of Warsaw in the face of breakthrough by the German forces.

Operational history

3 September 1939 the Minister of the Army ("Min. Spraw Wojskowych"), general Tadeusz Kasprzycki, ordered general Walerian Czuma (the Commander of the Border Guards - "Straż Graniczna") to organize a force to defend the city of Warsaw against a German attack. The city had been under constant attack by the Luftwaffe since the early morning of 1 September. The only organized units available to him initially were four infantry battalions, and anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns detachments under colonel Kazimierz Baran, composed mostly of fire-fighter brigades and volunteers supervised by colonel Tadeusz Bogdanowicz and Julian Kulski, the deputy president of Warsaw. The AA artillery had 86 pieces of anti-aircraft artillery, as well as an unknown number of anti-aircraft machine guns. In addition there was an air force Pursuit Brigade was equipped with 54 fighter aircraft. [ [http://www.1939.pl/bitwy/warszawa.htm Battle of Warsaw (in Polish)] ] On the 5 and 6 September the air force and 11 batteries of anti-aircraft artillery were withdrawn to Lublin. Initially However parts of various army units, primarily of Łódź Army, retreating before the onslaught of German armor, added to his force.

8 Sept General Juliusz Rómmel, the commander of the Łódź Army that had become separated from his operational units, arrived in Warsaw with his staff. The chief of staff of the Polish Armed Forces, general Wacław Stachiewicz (then in Brześć), appointed him the overall commander of all forces defending Warsaw, including the Warsaw Defense Force, the Modlin Fortress and the army units immediately south and north-east of Warsaw [ Bartoszewski - "1859 Dni Warszawy"]

During the next days, army units retreating before the onslaughts of Germand armor, under continuous attack from the air, fought their way through German lines, in particular from the Battle of Bzura. After 13 September Warsaw and Modlin were effectively surrounded. The only way that units were able to reach the besieged area was through the Kampinos Forest between Warsaw and the Vistula river. On 22 September German forces cut through the remaining lines of communication between Warsaw and Modlin.

On September 26, after heavy bombardment had cut off water and the civilian population was starving, the city was forced to surrender. On September 28 the Polish forces in Warsaw capitulated; fort Modlin capitulated the following day.

Units

Commander: General Juliusz Rómmel

Chief of staff: col Aleksander Pragłowski

Deputy Commander: General Tadeusz Kutrzeba, was commander of Army Poznan - reached Warsaw 16 September.

Commander of Warsaw Garrison: Walerian Czuma

Warsaw West

Commander: Gen. Walerian Czuma,

* 40 Infantry Regiment "Children of Lwow" (Lt.Col. Józef Kalandyk} - transport through Warsaw stopped 7 September.
* Legia Akademicka Academic Legion] - made up of students of the universities.
* Volunteer Units

Elements of Army Poznan

* 25 Infantry Div. (Gen.Franciszek Alter) - elements fight through enemy lines 20 Sept.
* 14 Cavalry Ulan Regiment (Col. Edward Godlewski) - 431 survivors charge through enemy lines 19 Sept [ [http://stkk.pl/hsite.php?s=37 Story of 14th Ulans] ]
* Podole Cavalry Brigade (Col. Leon Strzelecki) - fights through German lines 20 Sep
* Wielkopolska Cavalry Regiment (Gen. Roman Abraham) - fights through enemy lines 20 Sept.

Elements of Army Pomorze

* 15 Infantry Div, (Gen. Zdzislaw Przyjalkowski) - 1500 survivors fight through 22 Sept.
* Pomorze Cavalry Brigade (Col. Adam Bogoria-Zakrzewski) - survivors fight through 20 Sept.

Warsaw East

Commander: 5 Sept. Lt.Col. Julian Janowski; from 15 Sept.Gen. Juliusz Zulauf (originally Commander of 5 Infantry Div.)

Elements of Army Modlin

* 5 Infantry Div (Gen. Juliusz Zulauf) retreated from river Narew front 13 Sept.
* 20 Infantry Div. (Col. Wilhelm Andrzej Lawicz-Liszka) - arrives from north 15 Sept. [ [http://www.bialoleka.waw.pl/gmina/korzenie/obrona.htm Obrona Pragi we wrześniu 1939 roku] ]
* 21 Infantry Reg. "Children of Warsaw" (Col. Stanislaw Sosabowski) - separated from 8 Inf.Div., arrives 21 Sept.

Modlin Fortress

Commander: Gen.Wiktor Thommée - after 12 Sept.

Elements of Modlin Army

* 5 Infantry Div - some elements retreated from battle near Dębe on Narew river - 14 Sept
* 8 Infantry Div. (Col. Teodor Wiktor Furgalski) - remains of division after retreat from north (mainly 32 Inf.Reg. and some units of artillery) - from 8 Sept.

Elements of Poznan Army and Pomorze Army remnants arrived from Battle of Bzura after 18 Sept.

* 36 Infantry Reg.

Elements of Łódź Army arrived 13 Sept.

* 30th Infantry Div (Gen. Leopold Cehak)
* Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade (col. Julian Filipowicz)

References

*pl icon [http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~antora/WYDAW/KAMPANIA/tekst/KAMPANIA1.HTM detailed history of September campaign] , published in London 1941.
*pl icon [http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/53777,,,,armie_i_samodzielne_grupy_operacyjne_wojska_polskiego_1939,haslo.html Armie i samodzielne grupy operacyjne Wojska Polskiego 1939] WIEM Encyklopedia

ee also

* List of Polish armies in World War II
* Łódź Army
* Siege of Warsaw (1939)
* Battle of Modlin