Battle of Wegierska Górka
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Węgierska Górka was a two-day-long defence of a Polish
fortified area in south of Silesia
during the opening stages of the Polish Defensive War of 1939.
Although the Polish position was not completed and only five bunkers were manned, the line was defended for two days and nights against superior Nazi forces of the German 7th Infantry Division
. One of the bunkers was successfully evacuated by the Polish 1st Mountain Brigade, but the others lacked radio receivers and did not receive the order to retreat. Eventually, the Germans managed to break through the Polish positions, but with heavy casualties on their side and with a significant delay.
, Poland's southern border became vulnerable to a possible German invasion. Because of that, in April 1939 the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces dispatched Col. Tadeusz Zieleniewski to prepare plans of fortifications along the border to cover the southern flank of the Kraków Army
in case of an armed conflict with Nazi Germany
. The plan assumed creation of four major fortified areas sealing all four river valleys in the area. The Soła valley was to be blocked by 20 large bunkers located around the village of Węgierska Górka
, the Koszarawa
was to be sealed in Korbielów
, Krzyżowa
and Przyborów
, the Skawa
shielded in Bystra
and Jordanów
, while the Raba
River valley was to be defended by bunkers built in Raba Niżna
. The plan was accepted on June 24 and the construction at Węgierska Górka and Korbielów started almost immediately, in early July.
The bunkers around Węgierska Górka were to form a crescent-shaped defensive position guarding the village and the town in the valley between the hills of over 1000 metres of altitude. All works were carried out by a mobilized unit of Work Battalions led by Major Śliwiński, with civilians forbidden to enter the construction area. The bunkers were of different types, but all of them were large, able to house at least one anti-tank gun, several heavy machine gun
s and a crew of up to 20 soldiers. The walls and ceilings were made of reinforced concrete mixed with dense porphyry
rocks, which added to their impregnability. All bunkers in the area had code-names starting with the letter W. Despite the plans, in less than two months only five bunkers were more or less ready. On September 1, 1939, at the moment of the German invasion, only four were manned: Wędrowiec (Traveller), Wąwóz (Gorge), Waligóra (Mountaincracker - name of a folk tale hero) and Włóczęga (Hobo). The fifth one, Wyrwidąb (also named after a folk tale hero) had to be abandoned due to lack of crews. The remaining 15 bunkers were at different stages of construction and most of them were little more than concrete foundations.
The four bunkers were also only provisionally prepared. All of them lacked heavy machine gun (HMG) cupolas that were to be mounted on top of the ceilings to cover the battlefield with machine gun fire. There was neither electricity nor telephone network and the only means of communication were signal pipes, steel tubes with reflectors for Morse code
communication, completely unusable in the dense smoke of the battle. The lack of electricity also resulted in the crew resorting to usage of kerosene lamps and candles, while the electric water pumps were not operational at all. Finally, the bunkers were insufficiently supplied with ammunition, which was to be delivered on September 1st, but in reality never reached the troops.
. Altogether, Captain Semik had roughly 1,200 men at his command.
Against the Polish forces stood the entire German 7th Infantry Division
, a part of the XVII Corps of the German 14th Army
under Wilhelm List. The division, commanded by Major General Eugen Ott
, was composed of three infantry regiments, reinforced with heavy artillery (150 mm). Altogether, the German commander had roughly 17,000 men at his disposal, more than ten times the number available to his opponent.
and started their assault towards the Polish positions. Their orders were to break through the weak Polish defences and outflank the Kraków Army
, thus preventing it from withdrawing eastwards. However, the division was stopped by a delaying action of two Polish infantry companies of the reserve National Defence and Border Defence Corps. Although the Germans outnumbered the Polish forces stationed along the border at least 100 to 1, it was not until the late evening that they finally arrived at the area of Milówka, located only 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the border. Under such circumstance the weak Polish units withdrew to the main lines of the defence in front of Węgierska Górka. The Germans arrived there early in the morning of the following day.
The German infantry tried to storm the Polish positions on the run, but were bloodily repelled. The German commander then called for artillery and aerial bombardment of the Polish lines and repeated the assaults, which however were all repelled by the infantry battalion manning the field fortifications around the bunkers. By the end of the day the Poles claimed eight enemy armoured vehicles and tanks, while the Germans were forced back to their initial positions between Milówka and Węgierska Górka. However, other German units in the area were more successful and Janusz Gaładyk, the commander of the Polish 1st Mountain Brigade, ordered all Polish units in the area to withdraw overnight to the area of Oczków, where they were to shield the flank of the Polish 21st Infantry Division. However, as the battle continued throughout the night, the orders reached only the "Waligóra" bunker, artillery units and parts of the "Berezwecz" battalion, while the crews of the remaining three bunkers and the infantry units shielding them remained on their positions.
The heavy fighting for the area continued until the early morning. "Waligóra" was manned by seven soldiers from a routed unit and continued to fire at the Germans after the original crew withdrew. However, they were armed with their personal rifles only and had no ammunition left, which forced them to capitulate soon afterwards. All of them were subsequently executed by the Germans. With the Polish infantry and artillery units withdrawn, by dawn the Germans finally managed to outflank the Polish positions and partially encircle them. The crews however decided to continue the struggle until their ammunitions ran out. After a night-long heavy fight, the crew of the "Włóczęga" fired their last ammunition at half past 8 o'clock in the morning and capitulated. This sealed the fate of the nearby "Wędrowiec", as its sides were now open to enemy fire. The German infantry were now able to approach it and throw grenades through the unsealed MG turret shaft. Although no Polish soldiers were wounded, this allowed the Germans to tow anti-tank guns right outside the sealed bunker and fire directly into the MG and artillery nests. The crew withdrew to the safe part of the bunker and continued the fight with rifles, but the bunker's HMG and the 37 mm anti-tank gun were destroyed. Finally, at 5 o'clock in the evening "Wędrowiec" also capitulated. This allowed the Germans to gain free passage towards Kraków
and the rear of the withdrawing Kraków Army
. The crew of the "Wąwóz" continued the fight, but the German commander decided to avoid further losses and bypassed it. Realizing this, the crew withdrew overnight and joined other Polish units still in the area.
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...
fortified area in south of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
during the opening stages of the Polish Defensive War of 1939.
Although the Polish position was not completed and only five bunkers were manned, the line was defended for two days and nights against superior Nazi forces of the German 7th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 7th Infantry Division was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed 1 October 1934 in Munich from the Artillerieführer VII staff and renamed 7. Infanterie-Division with the disclosure of German rearmament on 15 October 1935...
. One of the bunkers was successfully evacuated by the Polish 1st Mountain Brigade, but the others lacked radio receivers and did not receive the order to retreat. Eventually, the Germans managed to break through the Polish positions, but with heavy casualties on their side and with a significant delay.
Before the battle
Following the German occupation of CzechoslovakiaGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
, Poland's southern border became vulnerable to a possible German invasion. Because of that, in April 1939 the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces dispatched Col. Tadeusz Zieleniewski to prepare plans of fortifications along the border to cover the southern flank of the Kraków Army
Kraków Army
Kraków Army was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. It was officially created on March 23, 1939 as the main pivot of Polish defence. It was commanded by Gen...
in case of an armed conflict with Nazi Germany
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...
. The plan assumed creation of four major fortified areas sealing all four river valleys in the area. The Soła valley was to be blocked by 20 large bunkers located around the village of Węgierska Górka
Wegierska Górka
Węgierska Górka is a village in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Węgierska Górka. It lies approximately south-west of Żywiec and south of the regional capital Katowice...
, the Koszarawa
Koszarawa
Koszarawa is a village in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Koszarawa. It lies approximately east of Żywiec, and south-east of the regional capital, Katowice.The village has a population of 2,538...
was to be sealed in Korbielów
Korbielów
Korbielów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Jeleśnia, within Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland, near the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately south of Jeleśnia, south-east of Żywiec, and south of the regional capital Katowice.The village has a...
, Krzyżowa
Krzyzowa
Krzyżowa is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Świdnica, within Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland....
and Przyborów
Przyborów
Przyborów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Przyborów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Przyborów, Łask County in Łódź Voivodeship *Przyborów, Radomsko County in Łódź Voivodeship...
, the Skawa
Skawa
Skawa is a river in southern Poland, a right tributary of the Vistula. It originates in the Western Carpathians , is 96 km long and drains 1,160 km². It passes several towns: Jordanów, Maków Podhalański, Sucha Beskidzka, Wadowice and Zator....
shielded in Bystra
Bystra
Bystra may refer to:*Bystra, Gorlice County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Bystra, Sucha County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Bystra, Bielsko County in Silesian Voivodeship...
and Jordanów
Jordanów
----Jordanów .Jordanów was founded in 1564 by Spytko Jordan on the salt road from Kraków and Wieliczka to Orava and Hungary. In 1581 it got a right to organize annual fairs, which in 17th century became famous in south regions of the Crown. Main goods traded there were linen, cattle and salt.Since...
, while the Raba
Raba
Raba can refer to:*Raba, Indonesia, a town on Sumbawa island, Indonesia*Raba , a river in Poland, tributary of the Vistula*Rabbah bar Nahmani, known simply as Rabbah, was a Babylonian rabbi known in the Talmud as an Amora...
River valley was to be defended by bunkers built in Raba Niżna
Raba Nizna
Raba Niżna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Mszana Dolna, within Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Mszana Dolna, west of Limanowa, and south of the regional capital Kraków.-References:...
. The plan was accepted on June 24 and the construction at Węgierska Górka and Korbielów started almost immediately, in early July.
The bunkers around Węgierska Górka were to form a crescent-shaped defensive position guarding the village and the town in the valley between the hills of over 1000 metres of altitude. All works were carried out by a mobilized unit of Work Battalions led by Major Śliwiński, with civilians forbidden to enter the construction area. The bunkers were of different types, but all of them were large, able to house at least one anti-tank gun, several heavy machine gun
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
s and a crew of up to 20 soldiers. The walls and ceilings were made of reinforced concrete mixed with dense porphyry
Porphyry (geology)
Porphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained feldspathic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts...
rocks, which added to their impregnability. All bunkers in the area had code-names starting with the letter W. Despite the plans, in less than two months only five bunkers were more or less ready. On September 1, 1939, at the moment of the German invasion, only four were manned: Wędrowiec (Traveller), Wąwóz (Gorge), Waligóra (Mountaincracker - name of a folk tale hero) and Włóczęga (Hobo). The fifth one, Wyrwidąb (also named after a folk tale hero) had to be abandoned due to lack of crews. The remaining 15 bunkers were at different stages of construction and most of them were little more than concrete foundations.
The four bunkers were also only provisionally prepared. All of them lacked heavy machine gun (HMG) cupolas that were to be mounted on top of the ceilings to cover the battlefield with machine gun fire. There was neither electricity nor telephone network and the only means of communication were signal pipes, steel tubes with reflectors for Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
communication, completely unusable in the dense smoke of the battle. The lack of electricity also resulted in the crew resorting to usage of kerosene lamps and candles, while the electric water pumps were not operational at all. Finally, the bunkers were insufficiently supplied with ammunition, which was to be delivered on September 1st, but in reality never reached the troops.
Opposing forces
The four bunkers were manned with the 70 men strong 151st fortress company "Węgierska Górka" under the command of Captain Tadeusz Semik. The trenches around the bunkers were manned by the Border Defence Corps battalion "Berezwecz" under Major Kazimierz Czarkowski and the position was reinforced with two batteries of light artillery and one battery of mountain artillery from the 55th Light Artillery Regiment of the Polish 1st Mountain Brigade. In addition, the Polish forces were reinforced with small detachments of other units, among them two platoons of reserve forces of the "Żywiec" National Defence battalion and a small detachment of the mobilized Border GuardBorder guard
The border guard, frontier guard, border patrol, border police, or frontier police of a country is a national security agency that performs border control, i.e., enforces the security of the country's national borders....
. Altogether, Captain Semik had roughly 1,200 men at his command.
Against the Polish forces stood the entire German 7th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division (Germany)
The 7th Infantry Division was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed 1 October 1934 in Munich from the Artillerieführer VII staff and renamed 7. Infanterie-Division with the disclosure of German rearmament on 15 October 1935...
, a part of the XVII Corps of the German 14th Army
German Fourteenth Army
The 14th Army was a World War II field army.The 14th Army was activated on August 1, 1939 with General Wilhelm List in command and saw service in Poland until the end of the campaign in Poland October 13, 1939...
under Wilhelm List. The division, commanded by Major General Eugen Ott
Eugen Ott
Eugen Ott was the German ambassador to Japan during the early years of World War II, he is most famously known for having worked with Soviet spy Richard Sorge....
, was composed of three infantry regiments, reinforced with heavy artillery (150 mm). Altogether, the German commander had roughly 17,000 men at his disposal, more than ten times the number available to his opponent.
Battle
At half past 4 in the morning, on September 1, the German 7th Infantry Division crossed the Polish border in the area of MilówkaMilówka
Milówka is a village in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Milówka. It lies It is situated in Żywiec Beskids mountain range, approximately south-west of Żywiec and south of the regional capital Katowice.The village has a population...
and started their assault towards the Polish positions. Their orders were to break through the weak Polish defences and outflank the Kraków Army
Kraków Army
Kraków Army was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. It was officially created on March 23, 1939 as the main pivot of Polish defence. It was commanded by Gen...
, thus preventing it from withdrawing eastwards. However, the division was stopped by a delaying action of two Polish infantry companies of the reserve National Defence and Border Defence Corps. Although the Germans outnumbered the Polish forces stationed along the border at least 100 to 1, it was not until the late evening that they finally arrived at the area of Milówka, located only 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the border. Under such circumstance the weak Polish units withdrew to the main lines of the defence in front of Węgierska Górka. The Germans arrived there early in the morning of the following day.
The German infantry tried to storm the Polish positions on the run, but were bloodily repelled. The German commander then called for artillery and aerial bombardment of the Polish lines and repeated the assaults, which however were all repelled by the infantry battalion manning the field fortifications around the bunkers. By the end of the day the Poles claimed eight enemy armoured vehicles and tanks, while the Germans were forced back to their initial positions between Milówka and Węgierska Górka. However, other German units in the area were more successful and Janusz Gaładyk, the commander of the Polish 1st Mountain Brigade, ordered all Polish units in the area to withdraw overnight to the area of Oczków, where they were to shield the flank of the Polish 21st Infantry Division. However, as the battle continued throughout the night, the orders reached only the "Waligóra" bunker, artillery units and parts of the "Berezwecz" battalion, while the crews of the remaining three bunkers and the infantry units shielding them remained on their positions.
The heavy fighting for the area continued until the early morning. "Waligóra" was manned by seven soldiers from a routed unit and continued to fire at the Germans after the original crew withdrew. However, they were armed with their personal rifles only and had no ammunition left, which forced them to capitulate soon afterwards. All of them were subsequently executed by the Germans. With the Polish infantry and artillery units withdrawn, by dawn the Germans finally managed to outflank the Polish positions and partially encircle them. The crews however decided to continue the struggle until their ammunitions ran out. After a night-long heavy fight, the crew of the "Włóczęga" fired their last ammunition at half past 8 o'clock in the morning and capitulated. This sealed the fate of the nearby "Wędrowiec", as its sides were now open to enemy fire. The German infantry were now able to approach it and throw grenades through the unsealed MG turret shaft. Although no Polish soldiers were wounded, this allowed the Germans to tow anti-tank guns right outside the sealed bunker and fire directly into the MG and artillery nests. The crew withdrew to the safe part of the bunker and continued the fight with rifles, but the bunker's HMG and the 37 mm anti-tank gun were destroyed. Finally, at 5 o'clock in the evening "Wędrowiec" also capitulated. This allowed the Germans to gain free passage towards Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and the rear of the withdrawing Kraków Army
Kraków Army
Kraków Army was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. It was officially created on March 23, 1939 as the main pivot of Polish defence. It was commanded by Gen...
. The crew of the "Wąwóz" continued the fight, but the German commander decided to avoid further losses and bypassed it. Realizing this, the crew withdrew overnight and joined other Polish units still in the area.
