German tank losses at Battle of Mokra

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weiss
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German tank losses at Battle of Mokra

#1

Post by weiss » 03 Mar 2006, 22:03

Hye, I just saw in a another thread about Polish Lancers vs. Panzers, :roll: , this claim:
"In battle of Mokra (near Czestochowa at 1.09.39) polish "Wielkopolska Brygada" calvary brigade destroy over 70 german tanks by fire at hole from 37 mm"

I then asked for confirmation of this by an english or german source because, not to put to fine a point on it, I've found some Polish sources to be highly 'colorful' to say the least :wink: I then found an article on it in Wikipedia, no bastion of truth of course, but this one puts the total losses of the Germans "between 100 and 160 AFVs (at least 50 of them tanks)", and this also comes from a Polish source yet is already quite lower that the quoted 70 above.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mokra

So does anyone have any German sources (translated please!) for their losses in this fight? I think in the confusion it would have been easy for the Poles to round in destroyed German scout cars, etc, as knocked out "tanks".
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Piotr Kapuscinski
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Re: German tank losses at Battle of Mokra

#2

Post by Piotr Kapuscinski » 05 Apr 2010, 19:22

Pz.Rgt.35 - 14 tanks burnt out, ca. 25 - 30 more knocked out.; losses among tank crews: 15 KIA, 14 WIA
Pz.Rgt.36 - at least 10 tanks burnt out, over a dozen more knocked out; losses of tank crews: 7 KIA, 13 WIA
Stab Pz.Brig. - unknown tank losses; 1 officer wounded

Among the burnt out tanks were 11 Pz-Is and a bit more (14?) Pz-II. At least 1 Pz-IV from PR.35 was knocked out.

In total about 70 tanks were disabled; losses of tank crews: 22 KIA (2 officers), 28 WIA (at least 4 officers).

Officers killed: Hptm. Buz, Lt. Lohr (both KIA near Mokra III)
Officers wounded: Obstl. Stenglein, Oblt. Snahovich, Oblt. Ritzmann and at least one more.

Most losses of tank crews were sustained near Mokra III (15 KIA), the remaining near Mokra I and Mokra II.

On 01.09.1939 (at the beginning of the campaign) PR.35 had got 177 tanks operational
On 08.09.1939 (before the assault on Warsaw) PR.35 had got 120 tanks operational (losses 1 - 8 IX: 57+ tanks)

---------------------------------------------

From the document on irrecoverable tank losses of 1. & 4. Pz.Div. in period 01.09.1939 - 14.09.1939:
(the document comes from AAN - Archiwum Akt Nowych - archive in Warsaw)

Generalkommando XVI. A.K. ------------------------------------------------------ Grojec, den 16.9.1939

Betr.: Ausfalle von Panzer-Kfz.

Totalausfalle an Panzer-Kampfwagen und Panzerspahwagen v.1 - 14.9.1939. (Die bei den Panzer-Werkstatt-Komp. z.Zt. in der Instandsetzung befindlichen Pz.Kpf.Wg. sind in der Aufstellung nicht enthalten.)

A. 1. Panzer-Division:

Pz.Kpf.Wg. ------------- Totalausfall --------- Ausruckstarke ------- Ausfall in % ------- verbleibender Bestand

[...]

B. 4. Panzer-Division:

I ----------------------------- 40 [of them 11 lost during the battle of Mokra]
II ---------------------------- 32
III ---------------------------- _
IV ---------------------------- 6 [all of them lost in Warsaw, 2 destroyed in Ochota and 2 in Wola district]
kl.Bef. ---------------------- 3
gr.Bef. ---------------------- 2
l.Pz.Spwg. ------------------ 5 --------------------- 43 [this number is handwriting]
s.Pz.Spwg. ---------------- 6 --------------------- 17 [this number is handwriting]
------------------------------ 94

Anm.: Die von der 4. Panz.-Div. verlangte Meldung uber Ausruckstarke zur Feststellung des derzeitigen Bestandes ist noch nicht eingegangen. Nach Eingang wird die Vervollstandigung vorstehender Meldung nachgereicht.

----------------------------------------------------- [signed by] Oberstleutnant (Ing) [cannot read it]

PS:

After 14 IX the division suffered heavy losses at the Bzura (e.g. on 16 IX - PR.35 near Ruszki: 23 tanks destroyed).
Last edited by Piotr Kapuscinski on 05 Apr 2010, 20:47, edited 4 times in total.
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Piotr Kapuscinski
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Re: German tank losses at Battle of Mokra

#3

Post by Piotr Kapuscinski » 05 Apr 2010, 20:21

Polish high scores with artillery guns (direct fire) and AT guns during the battle of Mokra:

Name / surname / rank / unit / victories / short description:

Leonard Żłób - corporal (3 battery of 2. horse artillery Abt.) - 14 victories (tanks) by direct fire from 75mm type 02/26 field cannon - in the combat between buildings of Mokra II and Mokra III - during the German attack in strength of over 80 tanks which beginned around 12:00. Leonard Żłób was awarded with Virtuti Militari for this combat.

Jan Suski - corporal (AT platoon of 2. horse rifle regiment) - 8 (tanks and AFVs) by direct fire of 37mm type 36 AT gun - during the combat near the railway near Mokra II (while repulsing the attack which started around 15:00).

Jan Kawiak - uhlan (AT platoon of 12. uhlans regiment) - several victories (tanks) by 37mm type 36 AT gun - during the combat at the forest clearing near the railway, while fighting with attacking German tanks from his well-hidden position under the railway viaduct. Immediately after succesfully repulsing the German attack he was promoted by lieutenant colonel Kuczek to the rank of older uhlan (in Polish: starszy ułan).

-----------------------------

But such figures - this applies to all armies - should be treated with reserve as Christoph explained here:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0&t=164455
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