Battle of Modlin
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Modlin took place during the German invasion of Poland
at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress
was initially the headquarters
of the Modlin Army
until its retreat eastwards. From 13 September to 29 September in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces under the command of General
Wiktor Thommée
against assaulting German
units. This fighting was closely linked with the strategic situation of the Battle of Warsaw
.
The Polish forces defending the fortress included the armoured train
'Śmierć' (death), and the Modlin anti-aircraft battery was credited with shooting down more Luftwaffe
planes than any other in the entire September campaign.
Fortress Modlin capitulated
on 29 September, one of the last to lay down its arms in the campaign. Several days earlier, Rochus Misch
attempted to negotiate the surrender of the fortress despite being wounded, an act for which he was awarded the Iron Cross
.
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...
was initially the headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
of the Modlin Army
Modlin Army
Modlin Army was one of the Polish armies that took part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. After heavy casualties in the battle of Mława , the Army was forced to abandon its positions near Warsaw around September 10; eventually it took part in the battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki and surrendered...
until its retreat eastwards. From 13 September to 29 September in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces under the command of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Wiktor Thommée
Wiktor Thommée
Wiktor Thommée was a Polish military commander and a Brigadier General of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Great War and the Russian Civil War, he is best known for his command over Piotrków Operational Group and the battle of the Bzura during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.- Early life :Wiktor...
against assaulting German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
units. This fighting was closely linked with the strategic situation of the Battle of Warsaw
Siege of Warsaw (1939)
The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army garrisoned and entrenched in the capital of Poland and the German Army...
.
The Polish forces defending the fortress included the armoured train
Armoured train
An armoured train is a train protected with armour. They are usually equipped with railroad cars armed with artillery and machine guns. They were mostly used during the late 19th and early 20th century, when they offered an innovative way to quickly move large amounts of firepower...
'Śmierć' (death), and the Modlin anti-aircraft battery was credited with shooting down more Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
planes than any other in the entire September campaign.
Fortress Modlin capitulated
Capitulation (surrender)
Capitulation , an agreement in time of war for the surrender to a hostile armed force of a particular body of troops, a town or a territory....
on 29 September, one of the last to lay down its arms in the campaign. Several days earlier, Rochus Misch
Rochus Misch
Rochus Misch is a former Oberscharführer in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during World War II. He served as a courier, bodyguard and telephone operator for German leader Adolf Hitler from 1940 to 1945...
attempted to negotiate the surrender of the fortress despite being wounded, an act for which he was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
.
External links
- http://geoengine.nima.mil/muse-cgi-bin/rast_roam.cgi?exttype=1&outputfile=roamoutput1112185964_31701.png&same_level=yes++++&oldproduct_level=DOI+10M&oldcenlat=52.4337829017477&oldcenlon=20.6732259114583&oldzoom=1&olddata_level=10M&oldisize=901&oldcoordtype=dd&oldhgttype=egmft&same_level=&olddbdbv_level=5&world_overview_x_org=-180.0&world_overview_file=world_overview_1112185976_7255.png&isize=901&zoom=1&cenlat=52.4337829017477&cenlon=20.6732259114583&coordtype=dd&cenht=139.596&hgttype=egmft&product_level=DOI+10M&bounds_feature_name=&enhntype=1&enhnstddev=&RoamLL.x=538&RoamLL.y=492&RoamLL=RoamLL&pixmove=1&gnsname=&gnscountry_code=Modlin fortress as seen from a satellite] - green cross marks the southern bridgehead pictured above
