Battle of Pecice
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Pęcice was a fight that took place on 2 August 1944 between military units of Armia Krajowa
, belonging to the 4th Ochota Sub-district (of Armia Krajowa), and the German
military during the Warsaw Uprising
in Poland
during World War II
.
In the night from the first and second of August in 1944, the majority of military units of the Ochota Sub-district, commanded by second lieutenant Mieczysław Sokołowski (pseudonym Grzymała) began to withdraw from Ochota
in the direction of Sękocin forest and Chojnowo forest. On 2 August at 5 a.m. the concentrated units set off from the region of Reguły village via Pęcice
in the direction of the forests. German military units were stationed in the manor-house of Pęcice.
The distance from Reguły to Pęcice amounted to about 2 km. The site conditions of the march of the insurgent units were unfavourable from operational point of view. It must have been passed around 1 km of a field road leading by a slant to Pęcice and then a next 1 km section of the way leading on a dike along a broad, occasionally wet meadow.
The enemy had favourable conditions of observation and fire of the approaching Polish units. In the moment when Polish units were on the dike, cars appeared with German troops. A fight ensued, the sounds of which alarmed the German units stationed in the Pęcice manor-house. The well-placed and well-ranged German units struck the column of insurgent units with well-aimed machine-gun fire. The the column of insurgent units divided itself in two parts: three scout bataillons attacking along the road and containing the main enemy force, and the main forces of the insurgent concentration, which, under cover of that attack, by-passed Pęcice from the right side and reached the Sękociny forests, and then the Chojnowo forests. The units attacking Pęcice directly suffered heavy lossess of casualties and prisoners. On 2 August the Germans executed the prisoner insurgents in the brick-yard in Pęcice.
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
, belonging to the 4th Ochota Sub-district (of Armia Krajowa), and the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In the night from the first and second of August in 1944, the majority of military units of the Ochota Sub-district, commanded by second lieutenant Mieczysław Sokołowski (pseudonym Grzymała) began to withdraw from Ochota
Ochota
Ochota is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration.The biggest housing estates of Ochota are:* Kolonia Lubeckiego* Kolonia Staszica* Filtry* Rakowiec* Szosa Krakowska* Szczęśliwice...
in the direction of Sękocin forest and Chojnowo forest. On 2 August at 5 a.m. the concentrated units set off from the region of Reguły village via Pęcice
Pecice
Pęcice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Michałowice, within Pruszków County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Pruszków and south-west of Warsaw.The village has a population of 120....
in the direction of the forests. German military units were stationed in the manor-house of Pęcice.
The distance from Reguły to Pęcice amounted to about 2 km. The site conditions of the march of the insurgent units were unfavourable from operational point of view. It must have been passed around 1 km of a field road leading by a slant to Pęcice and then a next 1 km section of the way leading on a dike along a broad, occasionally wet meadow.
The enemy had favourable conditions of observation and fire of the approaching Polish units. In the moment when Polish units were on the dike, cars appeared with German troops. A fight ensued, the sounds of which alarmed the German units stationed in the Pęcice manor-house. The well-placed and well-ranged German units struck the column of insurgent units with well-aimed machine-gun fire. The the column of insurgent units divided itself in two parts: three scout bataillons attacking along the road and containing the main enemy force, and the main forces of the insurgent concentration, which, under cover of that attack, by-passed Pęcice from the right side and reached the Sękociny forests, and then the Chojnowo forests. The units attacking Pęcice directly suffered heavy lossess of casualties and prisoners. On 2 August the Germans executed the prisoner insurgents in the brick-yard in Pęcice.