Battle of Bologna
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Bologna was fought in Bologna, Italy from 9–21 April 1945 during the Second World War, as part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
. The Allied forces were victorious, with the Polish 2nd Corps and supporting Allied units capturing the city on 21 April.
In March 1945 the Allies were preparing a new offensive, codenamed Buckland, in Northern Italy
. The capture of Bologna, an important regional communication hub, was set as a part of that offensive. The Allied forces tasked with this were composed of the US 5th Army and the British 8th Army (which for that part of the theatre, was composed of the British 5th Corps
and the Polish 2nd Corps). The German units defending the area were composed of the German 26th Panzer Division of the German XIV Panzer Corps, and the German 1st Parachute Division and the German 4th Parachute Division, forming the German I Parachute Corps.
The morale of the Polish forces was weakened by the outcome of the Yalta Conference
which ended on 11 February, where the British, Americans, without consultation from the Poles, had decided to give a major part of the Polish territories to the Soviet Union. One of the three Polish divisions, the Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division, was named after the Kresy
region, which was now given to the Soviets in its entirety. When the Polish commander of the 2nd Corps, General Władysław Anders, asked for his unit to be withdrawn from the frontlines, Winston Churchill
told him "you [the Poles] are no longer needed", but the American and British frontline commanders—Generals Richard McCreery
and Mark Wayne Clark
, and Marshal Harold Alexander—requested Anders that the Polish units remain in their positions, as they had no troops to replace them. Anders eventually decided to keep the Polish units engaged.
. From 15–16 April, the Polish units fought at the Sillaro River and the Medicina
Canal. On 17 April, the command of the British 8th Army ordered the Polish forces to continue their push towards Bologna from the east. The town was to be taken initially by the American troops of the 5th Army advancing from the south.
On 21 April the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade of the Polish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division entered the city, where only isolated German units were still fighting. By 06:15 the Poles had secured the city, displaying Polish flags from the town hall and the Torre Asinelli tower—the highest tower in the city. The local Italian population welcomed the Poles as their liberators. At 08:00, American tanks arrived in the city, followed by Italian partisans.
, and Indian units (8th Division) crossed the Po River
. The German forces in Italy capitulated on 29 April.
In this conflict, Polish II Corps, commanded by General Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko
, suffered 234 dead and 1,228 wounded out of 55,780 frontline personnel.
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
. The Allied forces were victorious, with the Polish 2nd Corps and supporting Allied units capturing the city on 21 April.
Background
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. The capture of Bologna, an important regional communication hub, was set as a part of that offensive. The Allied forces tasked with this were composed of the US 5th Army and the British 8th Army (which for that part of the theatre, was composed of the British 5th Corps
V Corps (United Kingdom)
V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front...
and the Polish 2nd Corps). The German units defending the area were composed of the German 26th Panzer Division of the German XIV Panzer Corps, and the German 1st Parachute Division and the German 4th Parachute Division, forming the German I Parachute Corps.
The morale of the Polish forces was weakened by the outcome of the Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, held February 4–11, 1945, was the wartime meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D...
which ended on 11 February, where the British, Americans, without consultation from the Poles, had decided to give a major part of the Polish territories to the Soviet Union. One of the three Polish divisions, the Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division, was named after the Kresy
Kresy
The Polish term Kresy refers to a land considered by Poles as historical eastern provinces of their country. Today, it makes western Ukraine, western Belarus, as well as eastern Lithuania, with such major cities, as Lviv, Vilnius, and Hrodna. This territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian...
region, which was now given to the Soviets in its entirety. When the Polish commander of the 2nd Corps, General Władysław Anders, asked for his unit to be withdrawn from the frontlines, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
told him "you [the Poles] are no longer needed", but the American and British frontline commanders—Generals Richard McCreery
Richard McCreery
General Sir Richard Loudon McCreery GCB, KBE, DSO, MC , was a British career soldier, who was Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein and later commanded the British Eighth Army in Northern Italy during...
and Mark Wayne Clark
Mark Wayne Clark
Mark Wayne Clark was an American general during World War II and the Korean War and was the youngest lieutenant general in the U.S. Army...
, and Marshal Harold Alexander—requested Anders that the Polish units remain in their positions, as they had no troops to replace them. Anders eventually decided to keep the Polish units engaged.
Battle
The offensive on Bologna started on 9 April, with a major air and artillery bombardment of the German positions, followed by an attack the same evening. The American and British units engaged the German flanks, while the Polish units broke through to the city. On 10 April, Polish forces pushed the Germans away from the Senio River. Between 12–14 April Polish forces fought the Germans at the Santerno River, and captured ImolaImola
thumb|250px|The Cathedral of Imola.Imola is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy...
. From 15–16 April, the Polish units fought at the Sillaro River and the Medicina
Medicina
Medicina is an Italian comune with c. 16,000 inhabitants in the province of Bologna, part of the region of Emilia-Romagna.-Name:The origins of its name are quite uncertain and many hypotheses have been made on it...
Canal. On 17 April, the command of the British 8th Army ordered the Polish forces to continue their push towards Bologna from the east. The town was to be taken initially by the American troops of the 5th Army advancing from the south.
On 21 April the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade of the Polish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division entered the city, where only isolated German units were still fighting. By 06:15 the Poles had secured the city, displaying Polish flags from the town hall and the Torre Asinelli tower—the highest tower in the city. The local Italian population welcomed the Poles as their liberators. At 08:00, American tanks arrived in the city, followed by Italian partisans.
Aftermath
The Battle of Bologna was the last battle of the Polish 2nd Corps, which was taken out of the front line on 22 April. The American and British troops completed their encirclement of the Germans forces north of the Reno RiverReno River
The Reno is a river of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is the tenth longest river in Italy and the most important of the region apart from the Po...
, and Indian units (8th Division) crossed the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
. The German forces in Italy capitulated on 29 April.
In this conflict, Polish II Corps, commanded by General Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko
Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko
Zygmunt Piotr Bohusz-Szyszko was a Polish general. During World War I he served in the Imperial Russian army....
, suffered 234 dead and 1,228 wounded out of 55,780 frontline personnel.