German assault on Warsaw on 9th of September 1939

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Map of the German assault on Warsaw on 9th of September 1939:



Fights took place on 9th of September in general in two districts of Warsaw:

- Wola district (Czyste + Wola)
- Ochota district (Rakowiec + Szczęśliwice + Stara Ochota + Filtry)

1. High scores:

High scores with AT guns and artillery on 9th of September 1939 in Warsaw:

- Starszy strzelec (Elder rifleman) Franciszek Głuszek (aimer) and kapral (corporal) podchorąży Makuś (gunner) from II platoon of AT company of 40 pp (40 IR) eliminated 7 tanks with their AT gun on 9th of September (Wolska street).

- 75mm gun from I platoon of 1st battery of 29 pal (29 light AR) under command of podporucznik (lieutenant colonel) Józef Suchocki (commander of platoon - but he was fighting together with the crew of this gun) eliminated 6 tanks and 2 armoured cars on 9th of September (Grójecka street). Commander of the gun was kapral (corporal) Eugeniusz Niedzielin and kapral Olszewski was the aimer.

- Porucznik (colonel) Zdzisław Pacak-Kuźmirski (commander of 8 company / 40 Infantry Regiment) found 100 barrels with turpentine in the Factory "Dobrolin", literally in the last moment before the German attack. He ordered his company to position all of these barrels of this flammable material in front of the Polish defensive positions (in front of the first barricade), along Wolska street. When the Germans advanced close enough to the Polish position, he ordered to set fire to these fields of turpentine. First advance columns had no possibility of retreat, farther attacking groups were pressing forward. German tanks, vehicles and soldiers, were just burned. Tank crews - burning - tried to escape from their burning tanks. That was literally a hell (although temperature could be even slightly higher). After one hour thing was over - first attack in Wola district was repulsed.

2. Casualties:

Casualties A + B + C:

Polish sources (Polish combat reports from 9th and 10th of September 1939):

Polish defenders along the whole frontline reported destroying 42 German tanks. This number did not include tanks destroyed during artillery fire against concentration of German tanks (before the attack) near Rakowiec - in the map this artillery fire is marked as D.

German sources (memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach - commander of Panzer-Regiment 35., post-war relation of general Reinhardt (commander of 4. Pz.Div.) and German daily reports):

Panzer-Regiment 35. lost 30 tanks destroyed (according to Eberbach they were "partly burned out") and Panzer-Regiment 36. lost 15 tanks destroyed during the day.

Casualties A (Wola district - Wolska street and neighbouring areas):

Post-war relation of general Reinhardt (commander of 4. Pz.Div.) says that Panzer-Regiment 36. lost 15 destroyed tanks in Warsaw on 9th of September.

Situational report No. 4. of commander of 40 pp (40 Infantry Regiment) - podpułkownik Kaladynek - from 10th of September, 20:00:

"On 9th of September 13 enemy tanks were destroyed in the immediate front of [our] positions, and in the farther area 15 damaged tanks and 20 cars for transporting infantry remained - casualties suffered by the enemy in killed should be evaluated in total as 75 soldiers [killed]."

According to Jan Grzybowski - book "40 Infantry Regiment, Children of Lwów, in defence of Warsaw" - page 78, German casualties in this area were:

- around 30 tanks
- 12 armoured cars
- 3 buses

- 15 trucks were taking away / evacuating wounded and killed

4 Panzer IVs were destroyed in Wola district on 9th of September - 2 on Wolska street and 2 on Górczewska street.

Casualties B (Grójecka street and neighbouring areas):

According to Polish reports, 18 German tanks were destroyed in the area of Grójecka street and neighbouring areas.

Casualties B and C:

2 Panzer IVs were destroyed in Ochota district on 9th of September - 1 on Grójecka street and 1 on Opaczewska street.

Both post-war relation of General Reinhardt and memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach - as well as daily reports of Panzer-Regiment 35. - say that Panzer-Regiment 35. lost 30 destroyed tanks in Warsaw on 9th of September 1939.

Men casualties of Panzer-Regiment 35. in Warsaw on 9th of September were - according to daily reports from ww2 day by day by Christoph Awender - 8 KIA (including - according to what Eberbach wrote in his memories - at least 1 officer - commander of 8. company - Oberleutnant Morgenroth) and 15 WIA (including - according to what Eberbach wrote in his memories - at least 1 heavily WIA officer - commander of 1. company - Leutnant Class).

3. Photos:

Some photos from Grójecka street - 1939 (photos from forum odkrywca - one of series of threads "Panzer39 - wrecks"):

Photos below show German tanks destroyed on 9th of September in Warsaw along part of Grójecka street, between Częstochowska street and Rokosowska street, next to Winnicka street.

Those tanks were those which managed to break through the second Polish barricade in Grójecka street, but were destroyed before reaching the third barricade in this street:

















4. Relations, memories and descriptions:

There are many relations, memories and descriptions of events which took place in Warsaw on 9th of September. Some descriptions from the German point of view can be found in memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach (one version of this memories can be found for example in "So Lebten und Starben Sie: Das Buch vom Panzer-Regiment 35" by Schaufler), in ww2 day by day by Christoph Awender ("daily reports" section), in "Panzer packen Polen" or in post-war relation of general Reinhardt. Some decscriptions from the Polish point of view can be found for example in "Byłem szefem Sztabu Obrony Warszawy w 1939 roku" ("I was the chef of Headquarters of Defence of Warsaw in 1939") by pułkownik dyplomowany Tadeusz Tomaszewski, in memories titled "Reduta 56" by colonel Zdzisław Pacak-Kuźmirski, commander of 8. company / IR. 40, or in publication by pułkownik Marian Porwit, "Obrona Warszawy. Wrzesień 1939" ("Defence of Warsaw. September 1939").

[RFPB]

Domen,

Great post and great map!

I have a few questions regarding the map:

1. In Gruppe 1 you mention "S.R.12" - is this Sicherungs-Regiment 12 or...?
2. In Gruppe 1 you have the 1st Abteilung of Pz.Rgt.36 as divisional reserve, Gruppe 2 Pz.Rgt.36 (without 1.Abteilung), but you also have the 1.Kompanie Pz.Rgt 36 in right flank-protection group. Was the 1. Kompanie still with Gruppe 2, just designated part of the "right flank-protection group"? Or is this title your own creation to portray their role?
3. In Gruppe 2 it says "Art.Rgt.Stab 627 with two Art.Abt." - I assume the two Artillerie Abteilungen are part of 627?
4. In Gruppe 2 what does "new II./115," mean?
5. In Gruppe 2 you say "I.R 33 (without I.Btl.)", then in the right flank protection group you have "II./I.R.33 without 1 Kp". Should this be "I./I.R.33 without 1.Kp"?

Sorry for the misunderstanding. It is a very well made map. Could you please tell me your source for all the specific units?
Thank you.

Mansal

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

S.R.12 is Schutzen-Regiment 12 (mot.).

I./Pz.Rgt.36 was in Gruppe 1 (as divisional reserve), apart from 1. Kp., which was in right flank group.

3. In Gruppe 2 it says "Art.Rgt.Stab 627 with two Art.Abt." - I assume the two Artillerie Abteilungen are part of 627?

They are II./s.Art.Rgt.54 (gem.) and II./s.Art.Rgt.60 (gem.).

Non-Divisional Heavy Artillery Battalions (motorized).

In this case attached to 4. Pz.Div. Just like Art.Rgt.Stab 627.*, which coordinated their actions.

*Or rather Stab Art.Rgt.z.b.V. 627.

And z.b.V. = for special purposes / for special use (Zur Besonderen Verwendung).

In Gruppe 2 what does "new II./115," mean?

II./s.Art.Regt.115 (gem.). And new because it was apparently newly attached to this Gruppe.

In addition to this there was probably 1 more such artillery battalion supporting Gruppe 1:

II./s.Art.Rgt.93 (gem.)

It is a very well made map. Could you please tell me your source for all the specific units?

Composition of both German assault Groups is given by L. Głowacki, "Obrona Warszawy i Modlina 1939" ("Defence of Warsaw and Modlin 1939"), published by MON (Ministry of National Defence) in 1985, p. 78.

He also mentions that SS "Leibstandarte" regiment reached the area Blonie - Oltarzew - Ozarow in the night from 9th to 10th of September (but he gives this info just on the first page of the chapter "Comparison of forces in the night from 8th to 9th September", so this may be a typo) and was prepared to attack against Wola district.

Check also http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/ and "Die 4. Panzer-Division" by J. Neumann.

The map itself is taken from "Warszawa we wrześniu 1939 roku. Obrona i życie codzienne" ("Warsaw in September of 1939. Defence and daily live"), Warsaw 2004, page 119.

5. In Gruppe 2 you say "I.R 33 (without I.Btl.)", then in the right flank protection group you have "II./I.R.33 without 1 Kp". Should this be "I./I.R.33 without 1.Kp"?

Yes, this should be:

In Gruppe 2: II. battalion, 1. company from I. battalion and regimental units

In right flank protection group: I. battalion without 1. company

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

Polish Ordre de Bataille in the night from 8th to 9th September (sources: mainly Ludwik Glowacki):

Overall strength of the entire garrison of Warsaw:

Infantry:

7 regular battalions, 3 march battalions and 7 improvised battalions
(of them on the Western and Southern sections: 3 / 1 / 4)

Light artillery:

40 guns 75mm (in 10 batteries) - many of them used as AT guns - including 30 in the endangered area

Heavy artillery:

12 howitzers 155mm and 12 cannons 120mm (in total 6 batteries)

Armoured vehicles:

27 light tanks ("Vickers" and 7 TP), 6 reconnaissance tankettes TK

==========================

Exact OdeB:

Commander of city's defence was gen. Walerian Czuma.

pp = infantry regiment
dak = horse artillery battalion
pal = light artillery regiment
dal = light artillery battalion
pac = heavy artillery regiment
dac = heavy artillery battalion

[something] Obrony Warszawy = of the Defence of Warsaw

ON THE WESTERN BANK OF THE VISTULA:

FIRST LINE:

1. "Warszawa-South" ("Mokotów") Section - included Siekierki, Czerniakow and Mokotow:
Commander - ppłk. Marian Rozborski

Composition:

First line:

- reserve rifle battalion of mjr. J. Rosiek (battalion "Rembertów")
- IV./21 pp (mjr. M. Duch) supported by 15 HMG company
- 5. battery 1 dak (kpt. S. Kozicki)
- 2. battery 29 pal (por. S. Śnigier) - guns of the battery divided between infantry units as AT weapons

Second line:

- 2nd platoon of 1. Obrony Warszawy battery - por. Janusz Łonicki
- unit of volunteers under gen. (retired) S. Bułak-Bałachowicz

2. "Warszawa-West" ("Wola") - included Rakowiec, Ochota and Wola:
Commander - ppłk. Józef Kalandyk

Composition:

- command and regimental (non-battalion) units of 40 pp (less AT company and IG platoon*)
- II./40 pp (mjr. A. Kassian)
- III./40 pp (mjr. inż. A. Sanojca)
- II./41 pp (mjr. R. Kaniowski-Zagłoba)
- 1. battery 29 pal
- IG platoon of 41 pp
- 41 dal (without 2. battery) under kpt. J. Rylski
- 1. Obrony Warszawy battery (without 2nd platoon)

*According to another source IG platoon of 40 pp (por. Tadeusz Targowski) was there.

This section had in total 8 Anti-Tank guns Bofors 37mm.

3. "Warszawa-North" ("Żoliborz") - included Kolo, Powazki, Muranow and Bielany:
Commander - ppłk. dypl. Walerian Tewzadze (Georgian contracted officer)

Composition:

- stołeczny (capital) battalion (mjr. J. Spychalski)
- IV./30 pp (kpt. B. Rożnowski)
- III./26 pp (mjr. J. Decowski)
- 2. battery 41 dal (kpt. rez. B. Dobrzański)

RESERVES:

1. Second line (behind the "Warszawa-South" and "Warszawa-West" Sections):

360 pp (ppłk. Witalis Chmura) - 3 battalions ready to action

2. Third line (in the region of Krasińscy Gardens):

Impr. grupa panc.-mot. (Improvised armoured-motorized group) - kpt. Bolesław Kowalski:

- company of reconnaissance tankettes (TK) - kpt. A. Brażuk
- company of light tanks "Vickers" - kpt. F. Michałkowski
- company of light tanks 7 TP - rtm. S. Grąbczewski
- 13. Anti-Tank company - ppor. T. Banaszczyk*

* "Warszawa we wrześniu 1939 roku... " mentions also - apart from this company - another AT company (under command of ppor. Zygmunt Kielar) but says that entire group of kpt. Kowalski had 36 armoured vehicles and 12 AT guns - which suggests that there was only one AT company, however there could be two companies, each with 6 guns (typical Polish AT company had 9 guns, but there were also stronger with 12 or weaker with 6 or less guns).

ON THE EASTERN BANK OF THE VISTULA (PRAGA):

Right wing - 2nd independent HMG battalion (mjr. Feliks Miklar)

Center and left wing:

1. pp Obrony Pragi (without II. battalion) - ppłk. S. Milan
2. pp Obrony Pragi (two battalions) - ppłk. S. Kotowski

Second line: II./1. pp Obrony Pragi

Artillery: IG platoon of 3. rifle battalion and one platoon from reserve unit of 1 dak.

DIRECT DEFENCE OF THE VISTULA BRIDGES - kpt. A. Krzyżanowski:

Unit of infantry with one HMG, battery Obrony Warszawy of 75mm light artillery guns, 2 independent platoons of sappers, one platoon of sappers from 61. sapper battalion.

DISPOSAL UNITS OF THE COMMAND OF WARSAW'S DEFENCE:*

Heavy artillery under ppłk. dypl. Adam Dzianott:

- II./3 pac (without 4. battery) - ppłk. mgr. Józef Lankau
- 3. battery / 98 dac (kpt. Jan Maziarz)
- 46 dac (kpt. S. Kozłowski)

Active Anti-Aircraft Defence - płk. K. Baran:

- 103. battalion of 75mm wz. 97 AA guns
- battery of 75mm wz. 37 AA guns (4 guns)
- seven platoons of 40mm AA guns and 6 companies of AA HMG

Sappers:

- 71. sapper battalion, motorized company of kpt. E. Brudnicki, 5 motorized pioneer platoons

Liaison units:

- 50. liaison company, 50. radio platoon, one cable company, one platoon of motorcycle liaisons

* Apart from these disposal units listed above (basing on Ludwik Głowacki), "Warszawa we wrześniu 1939 roku..." mentions also four sentry battalions of the Komenda Miasta and several platoons of Gendarmerie.

Komendant of the Komenda Miasta was płk. Stanisław Mackowicz.

========================================

Units during the process of formation:

- IV. battalion of 360 pp
- batalion Naczelnego Wodza (two security companies and four HMG companies)
- assault battalion of Army "Warszawa" - kpt. Klemens Piestrzyński
- an improvised unit formed from aearial personnel which secured the HQ of Warsaw's defence.

Units of volunteers during the process of formation:

- Labor Brigade of the Defence of Warsaw (two battalions) - formation of this unit started on 09.09.1939, during the day 1000 volunteers reported; as the result 1 battalion with 4 companies (each 250 men) was formed. During the next days strength of the brigade increased. At its peak the brigade numbered 5000 volunteers in 16 companies.

(Labor Brigade of the Defence of Warsaw = Robotnicza Brygada Obrony Warszawy)

Commander of the brigade: kpt. rez. Marian Mieczysław Kenig

- 2 "Starzynski's" volunteer battalions of the Defence of Warsaw (organized on call of president Starzynski). Commanders: mjr. Jan Niedziela and kpt. Konstanty Zbijewski.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
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It seems Glowacki forgot about I./40 pp and battalion "Cytadela". It seems (from the map, for example) that these two battalions were defending the Vistula bridges, instead of "infantry unit with one HMG".

"Warszawa we wrześniu 1939 roku... " also confirms I./40 pp defending the bridges on 09.09.1939.

Overall strength of the entire garrison of Warsaw:

Infantry:

7 regular battalions, 3 march battalions and 7 improvised battalions
(of them on the Western and Southern sections: 3 / 1 / 4)

Light artillery:

40 guns 75mm (in 10 batteries) - many of them used as AT guns - including 30 in the endangered area

Heavy artillery:

12 howitzers 155mm and 12 cannons 120mm (in total 6 batteries)

Armoured vehicles:

27 light tanks ("Vickers" and 7 TP), 6 reconnaissance tankettes TK

"Warszawa we wrześniu 1939 roku. Obrona i życie codzienne" gives similar figures, but a bit different in some cases. They confirm 17 infantry battalions (of which 8 along the Southern and Western sections, and 6 at Praga - on the eastern bank of the Vistula - from the data given by Glowacki it seems that there were only 5 at Praga).

Regarding artillery they also confirm 10 batteries of light and 6 of heavy. But there is some inconsistency because several lines below this, they mention "ca. 100" light artillery guns and 27 heavy (while 10 batteries of light and 6 of heavy artillery = just 40 light guns and 24 heavy). Either they include mortars (maybe also grenade launchers) in light artillery, or they simply overestimate its amount. When it comes to heavy artillery 27 or 24 is not a big deal.

They also say that there were ca. 60 AT guns in left-bank Warsaw (but this seems a bit overestimated).

Probably 60 AT guns could be in entire Warsaw, not just in left-bank part of the city.

[Tim Smith]

It's funny - but in my mind, when thinking about the Polish Campaign, I always regard 7TP, Pzkpw 35(t) and Pzkpw 38(t) as medium tanks. Because it seems to me that's how they were used by their operators during the campaign. I think the Polish TK tankettes and German Pzkpw I and Pzkpw II were used as light tanks, and the Pzkpw IV was used as a heavy tank (which is probably why the Germans lost so many Pzkpw IV's in Poland, the early models of Pzkpw IV had insufficient armour to be used as breakthrough vehicles).

(I used to play the Forgotten Hope realism mod of Battlefield 1942 (computer game) and the 7TP and Pzkpw 38(t) were the stars of the show on the Polish maps, the only decent gun tanks available, and fairly hard to knock out for soldiers with AT rifles.)

[Piotr Kapuscinski]

I think the Polish TK tankettes and German Pzkpw I and Pzkpw II were used as light tanks

TK tankettes, even though sometimes called "reconnaissance tanks", can't really be classified as tanks.

They were a separate type of AFVs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankette

They were worse (in tasks typical for tanks) than any of the German light tanks, even Pz-I. Tankettes didn't have rotary turrets, had only 2 crew members (driver + shooter) and were armed only in 1 machine gun.

Moreover their armour was only 8mm (TK-3) or 10mm (TKS) thick, compared to 14,5mm of a Pz-I. Due to this very thin armour, they could be penetrated even by AT ammunition of MG-34s from certain distances.

If anything, they were similar to German command vehicles kl.Pz.Bef., not to Pz-I. With one major difference - they were not command vehicles and didn't have, for example, radios. They were intended for recon tasks.

Lack of traversable turret was probably the main common feature of kl.Pz.Bef. and TK / TKS. And Germans considered this lack of rotary / traversable turret as the main disadvantage of kl.Pz.Bef. Pz.Rgt.8 (10. Pz.Div.) reported:

"The kl.Pz.Bef.Wg. must have a traversable turret. It is relatively helpless in combat."

Tankettes, after being rearmed in 20mm guns, could be efficiently used as tank destroyers.

Unfortunately a very small number of tankettes was actually rearmed in these guns.

(which is probably why the Germans lost so many Pzkpw IV's in Poland, the early models of Pzkpw IV had insufficient armour to be used as breakthrough vehicles).

Losses of Pz-IIIs in Poland were even heavier in terms of percentage (only ca. 91 Pz-IIIs were in German Panzer units attacking Poland on 1 September, compared to ca. 201 Pz-IVs) than those of Pz-IVs.

Regarding Pz-IVs, their production until the war was more or less as follows:

Pz-IV A - 35 (of which only 30 were actually used by units, 5 were used for further tests)
Pz-IV B - 45
Pz-IV C - 140
Total - ca. 215

Of which ca. 201 were in German units invading Poland on 1 September (mostly C and B versions).

Only Pz-IV A had insufficient armour (15mm). Pz-IV B and C had thicker armour (30mm).

So all in all vast majority of all Pz-IVs in Poland had decent armour.

Concerning Pz-IIIs there were more problems with insufficient armour than with Pz-IVs, because - apart from Ausf E (30mm armour), there was considerable number of older Pz-III Ausf A - D models (15mm) fighting in Poland.

I always regard 7TP, Pzkpw 35(t) and Pzkpw 38(t) as medium tanks. Because it seems to me that's how they were used by their operators during the campaign.

Technically, they were all light tanks, just like Pz-IIs or French R-35s and English Vickers-Es.

But Pz-IVs and Pz-IIIs were sometimes considered heavy tanks in 1939, so these Czechoslovakian tanks and 7 TPs - due to their heavier armament than Pz-IIs (37mm guns instead of 20mm) could be considered medium. In terms of armour Polish 7 TP was, however, only slightly better than Pz-II Ausf A/B/C. And worse than Pz-II Ausf D/E.

But in fact 7 TP was a light tank, weight of which was 9,9 tons (compared to 8,9 - 10 tons of Pz-II).

In some aspects, Pz-II was actually superior to 7 TP. And Pz-II D/E also had much better armour.

and the 7TP and Pzkpw 38(t) were the stars of the show on the Polish maps, the only decent gun tanks available, and fairly hard to knock out for soldiers with AT rifles.)

In reality Pz-IV and Pz-III (even older models Ausf A, B, C, D) were superior to 7 TP. But of course it doesn't mean that 7 TP wasn't able to efficiently fight against them. But was very vulnerable to 75mm guns of Pz-IVs.

And first of all, Poland had only two batalions of 7 TP tanks. Against 34 German tank battalions.

Not mentioning that Polish battalions had ca. 50 tanks each, while German - ca. 80 tanks each.

Pz-38(t) had thicker armour than 7 TP, Pz-35(t) also had slightly thicker armour.

[Tim Smith]

Were the TK tankettes more agile than heavier tanks? I mean, quicker to make changes in direction?

Like a car is able to turn 90 degrees faster than a truck can, even at the same speed. Smaller turning circle = faster turn.

If TK tankettes could turn really quickly and easily, when driven by a skilled driver, maybe the lack of a turret wasn't all that bad in practice. Maybe a tankette could turn 90 degrees faster than some German tanks could traverse their turret 90 degrees (laborious hand cranking).

Plus the lack of a turret gave the TK's a lower silhouette. Would you feel safer in a low-slung TK tankette with no turret, or a towering British Light Tank MkVIB, which was almost a full meter higher?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TK-3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Tank_Mk_VI