Battle of Brześć Litewski

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Brześć Litewski


caption=Map showing the advance of German XIX Corps
(easternmost arrow)
partof=Invasion of Poland
date=14 September – 17 September, 1939
place=Brześć Litewski, Poland (now Belarus)
result=German victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=XIX Panzer Corps
strength2=3 infantry battalions
1 engineering battalion
2 armoured trains
15 FT-17 tanks
Artillery
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=1,000 killed, wounded and captured
15 tanks destroyed|

Battle of Brześć Litewski (otherwise known as the "Siege of Brześć", "Battle of Brest-Litovsk" or simply "Battle of Brześć") was a World War II battle that took place between 14 and 17 September 1939, near the town of Brześć Litewski (now Brest, Belarus). After three days of heavy fights for the stronghold in the town of Brześć the Polish forces managed to successfully withdraw.

History

Before the battle

Initially, the Polish forces did not plan to defend the old fortress of Brześć. The town was located deep beneath the Polish lines and was seen as a supply depot and organisation centre rather than a front-line fort. However, after the Battles of Wizna and Mława the German XIX Panzer Corps under General Heinz Guderian broke through Polish lines and sped southward with the aim of outflanking Warsaw from the East and cutting Poland in two. This swift attack, or Blitzkrieg, (Lightning War) was a devastating military operational doctrine, developed by Germans between the World Wars.

According to the Soviet-Nazi Alliance of 23 August, 1939, both the town and the fortress were to be granted to the Soviet Union after the war and were in the Soviet zone of operations. However, since the German Army was advancing rapidly and the Soviets had postponed their entry into the war with Poland, a need arose to secure the fortress. On 8 September German minister of foreign affairs, Joachim von Ribbentrop, notified the Soviet government that the German forces would have to violate the "Soviet sphere of interests".

The ancient fortress of Brześć was located at the junction of Muchawiec and Bug rivers. Located on the site of a mediæval castle, it was strengthened and reconstructed in Napoleonic times and then again in 1847. Heavily damaged during World War I, the fortress was turned into a war materiel magazine and its central part into a prison. Although largely obsolete by modern standards, the fortress occupied a pivotal position on the Polish lines and its defence could prevent German forces from crossing the Polesia area into Lesser Poland and Galicia to the south.

The aim of the German XIX corps was to seize the fortress in order to prevent the elements of a divided Narew Operational Group under General Młot-Fijałkowski from retreating southwards and joining the rest of the Polish forces. The German forces consisted of an entire armoured corps: the 3rd Panzer, 2nd Motorised and 20th Motorised Divisions.

At the end of the summer the fortress was housing the march battalions of 82nd and 35th infantry regiments and elements of various smaller units. Moreover, a large number of newly mobilised reservists started to arrive at the fortress, awaiting forward deployment to their units. From these units General Plisowski organized a force of roughly 3 infantry battalions, aided by an engineering battalion, several batteries of artillery and some old FT-17 tanks used for training.

Opposing forces

The city of Brześć was defended by a small improvised force under General Konstanty Plisowski. The Polish forces consisted of three infantry battalions, one engineering battalion, some artillery and were assisted by two armoured trains (numbers 55 & 53) commanded by Captains Mieczysław Malinowski and Andrzej Podgórski.

The German forces consisted of the entire XIX Panzer Corps under General Heinz Guderian.

Battle

On 14 September 77 German tanks of the 2^nd Battalion of the 8^th Panzer Regiment, part of 10^th Panzer Division, reached the area of Brześć and tried to capture the fortress on the run. The probe attack was repelled by Polish infantry and the improvised 113^th company of light tanks, consisting of 12 obsolete FT-17 tanks from the World War I. All Polish tanks were destroyed, but the German forces were forced to retreat towards their initial positions. Polish Armoured train number 53 (AT53), which made a reconnaissance advance to Wysokie Litewskie, was attacked by a scout patrol from the 10^th Panzer Division. The crew from the train opened fire with artillery. Several other skirmishes were fought, but were inconclusive in any event.

Later that day the German artillery arrived and started bombardment of both the fortress and the town. Heavy street fighting ensued. At dawn approximately half of the town was in German hands, the other part being defended by Polish infantry. The following day Polish defenders withdrew from the town, but heavy casualties on both sides prevented the German units from continuing the attacks on the fortress. Instead, it was constantly shelled with artillery and bombarded from the air by the Luftwaffe. Polish anti-tank artillery and AA guns were very scarce and did not provide enough support for the fighting infantry, but the German casualties were considerable.

When reports told Polish General Plisowski that scout elements from the 3^rd Panzer Division were seen near the railway station at Żabinka, north of Kobryń, he sent AT55 to prevent his forces from being cut off. A platoon of 5 scout tanks left the train near Żabinka and attacked German armoured cars near a bridge on Muchawiec River. After losing three tanks the other two withdrew. A further attack by an assault platoon from the train failed. After a combined attack of the assault platoon and AT55 artillery, the Germans left the area of the Muchawiec bridge. When they returned, AT55 attacked another battle group of the 3^rd Panzer Division (consisting of scout elements and the 5^th Tank Regiment, supported by the 6^th Battery of the 75^th light artillery Regiment). After destroying a few armoured cars, the train withdrew towards Brześć and the train station was left in German hands.

The main assault finally started in the early morning of September 16. The defenders had plenty of small arms ammunition and light arms thanks to the munitions depot located in the fortress, but had almost no anti-tank weapons and insufficient artillery cover. General Plisowski ordered the creation of another improvised Tank Company (No. 112) using obsolete World War I tanks.

Although the German infantry was repelled and the assault of German tanks was stopped by two old FT-17 tanks sealing the main gate of the fortress, by nightfall it became apparent that the German pressure made the situation very grave. Despite heavy losses, the German 20^th Motorized Division and 10^th Armoured Division captured the northern part of the citadel. Meanwhile, the combined 3rd Armoured Division and 2^nd Armoured Division comprising the XXII^nd Armoured Corps entered the area. The Poles were unable to re-supply and the casualties rose to almost 40%.

At dawn Polish General Plisowski ordered part of his forces to retreat from the easternmost fortifications and regroup to the other side of the river and southwards. The evacuation was completed by early morning, 17 September ^th when the last unit crossing the bridge blew it up to hinder the Germans. An hour later elements of the German 76th infantry regiment entered the fortress - almost unopposed. The only Polish unit to remain in the fortress was the remnants of 82^nd Infantry Regiment under Captain Radziszewski who decided to fight to the end.

After the battle

On 17 September, 1939, the Red Army finally crossed the Polish border and started its quick advance westwards. The Soviet 29th tank brigade under Brigadier S.M. Krivosheyin reached the area of Brześć later that day and took over the fortress from the Wehrmacht. After that a joint German-Soviet parade was held in the town, after which the German forces left the area, crossed the Bug and started their pursuit of the fleeing forces of general Plisowski.

Some 40 kilometres to the east the Polish improvised "Kobryń" Infantry Division under Colonel Epler was ordered to retreat in tandem with Plisowski. After the Battle of Kobryń the division evaded encirclement and joined the forces of General Plisowski. The Polish forces were soon joined by the Podlaska Cavalry Brigade and together started to pave their way towards Lwów and the "Romanian Bridgehead". Under command of General Franciszek Kleeberg they formed the bulwark of the remaining Polish Army, fighting effectively against both the Wehrmacht and Red Army until the Battle of Kock, that ended on October 5, 1939.

Ironically, the Germans would pass the Brest Fortress to the Soviets according the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact; they would have to capture it again in the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

External links

* [http://brest-region.by/article.php?id=56&lang=2 Brześć Fortress 1921-1939] (English but most names are misspelt)