Battle of Szack

Several posts from this thread:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=8973697&highlight=Szack#post8973697

Cheezy the Wiz said:

LightSpectra said:

Oh? And what do you call the Battle of Lwów?, or Wilno, or Grodno, or Szack, or Wytyczno?

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Many of the units in those battles were improvised civilian volunteers. They were all on a small scale, with like ten soldiers on each side dying. Oh no. Please don't invade me.

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Provoked me to start this thread.

Battle of Szack (the 2nd - the first one was fought between Poles and Germans about 10 days earlier) was one of the largest Polish-Soviet battles during the campaign. And definitely casualties on each side were not like "ten soldiers" - there were hundreds of casualties on each side.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Szack

Historian R. Szawłowski quotes & comments Soviet sources on the 3 days long battle of Szack (28 - 30.09.1939):

Source:

R. Szawłocki, "Wojna Polsko-Sowiecka 1939" ("Polish-Soviet War 1939"), pages 235 - 237. Chapter VI, sub-chapter 14 ("14. Combats along the Central Section in the light of Soviet information and disinformation").

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Published Soviet archival documents contain a quite extensive material about the battle fought by 52nd Rifle Division near Szack on 28 / 29 September 1939. This material concerns, among other things, a clearly "shocking" for them fact of Polish forces destroying a Soviet armoured battalion there [75]. Lack of space allows us for only random utilization of this material. According to a report of 52nd Rifle Division, no date, about operations between 27 and 29 September 1939 [76], yet on 27 September Soviet 28th independent engineer battalion, which was ordered to cross the Bug near Wlodawa and build a bridge for river crossing there:

"carried out a march without infantry cover (...) without means of security and reconnaissance (...) was fired at with rifle and machine gun fire. It lost several wounded (including battalion commander major Kisielov) and started to retreat towards Piszcza, asking for support. On 27 September around 24:00 PM a report from 28th independent engineer battalion with information that the battalion is under enemy fire, suffered casualties and retreats in the direction of Piszcza reached the divisional HQ in Małoryta."

If it comes to the battle in the region of Szack 28 / 29 September in the same document we read:

"In Szack in the morning on 28 September a citizen hastened. He reported to the commander of 411st independent tank battalion that in the forest to the south from Szack there is an enemy squadron which wants to lay down its arms [77]. The commander of 411st independent tank battalion, without checking this information, without means of security and reconnaissance, without reporting to the divisional commander, led his battalion in a column. Enemy forces passed the column up to the isthmus between the Lakes Lucimier [Lucemierz] and Krugloje [Czarne] and from short distance opened direct artillery fire. As the result 7 tanks were destroyed. On 28 September at 11:00 AM a short report of the commander of 54th Anti-Tank artillery battalion came to the divisional HQ. The report said about the annihilation of 411st independent tank battalion in the region of Kack, about the attack of large enemy forces and about the transition to defense of the Anti-Tank artillery battalion together with units of 112th rifle regiment and an urgent request to send support."

Then information about "improvised remedial measures" and communication problems follow, including problems in communication between the divisional Chef of Staff and commander of the division, Colonel Russijanow (or Russinow), who "commanded a group of men" and "found himself in the direct contact with the enemy".

"Night, lack of communication with divisional commander and wireless with units, contradictory information about the enemy and from time to time panic-stricken reports about hard situation of own units, dispersed in large distances from each other, created a tense situation in the divisional HQ."

The quoted report mentions occupation (it should mention capturing in combat) Szack by Polish forces, from which the enemy (Poles) carried out:

"heavy machine gun fire, counterattacked, thrown grenades on our forces. Situation of our units, sent to the region of Szack from different regiments and battalions, not having appropriate communication, reinforced in 80% by reservists, without uniform command and operating in conditions of a night battle, was extremely hard. On 28 September between 23:00 and 24:00 PM divisional commander was seriously wounded. Units received this information at the same time when the enemy started a counterattack and one of enemy battalions broke down near Mielniki and advanced towards ?alma. Those events created an impression of being encircled. Unexperienced units started to retreat and disrupt and partially dispersed themselves in the forests."

Finally, according to the same Soviet report:

"The enemy was halted with artillery fire and fire of an ad hoc formed [from remnants of dispersed units] unit and started to withdraw. (...) Along this section battle ended on 29 September at 9:00 AM."

It is mentioned that "part" of Polish forces crossed the Bug river to the west. And that:

"Due to exhaustion of units there was no possibility of chasing the enemy. Units of 58th and 112th rifle regiments fighting near Szack, as the result of night battle and bad command by some of commanders, dispersed in the forest and were set in order only on 29 September at 9:00 AM."

Own casualties are provided by the report as:

"6 T-26 tanks, tanks T-37, 5 Komsomolec tractors. Seriously wounded divisional commander, Colonel Russijanow. Commander of 411th independent tank battalion died from his wounds, Captain Lieseniuk, secretary of WKP/b/ 208th Howitzer Artillery Regiment, Elder Lieutenant Toronin was killed. Apart from them 4 younger officers, one political officer and around 75 NCOs and men were killed; 184 soldiers were wounded. (...)".

Own casualties, when it comes to overall numbers rather understated, were "compensated" by overstated to ridicule alleged casualties of the Polish side: 700 Polish soldiers were claimed to be killed (so almost tenfold more than number of killed Soviet soldiers!), Polish wounded are not mentioned at all [78]; allegedly 600 men were captured.

The same applies to the alleged ratio of own casualties to casualties of Polish forces during combats on 30.09.1939. Here an operational report of the HQ of 5th Army, dated 1 October 1939 6:00 AM, Włodzimierz Wołyński, states:

"52nd Rifle Division - as the result of combats on 30.09.1939 along the line: Orchów, Zalesię, Szack, Lucimier [Lucemierz] Lake, captured up to 1100 enemy prisoners and 4 officers of the General Staff (...). 524 killed Poles remained on the battlefield."

A number clearly overstated, even if taking into account Polish Prisoners of War who were murdered there (see pages 384 - 386). About Polish wounded once again not a single mention.

On the other hand, own casualties on 30.09.1939 are stated as 60 killed and around 200 wounded (as well as 6 damaged tanks, one tankette and 2 Komsomolec tractors). But another report of the HQ of 5th Army from 01.10.1939, 12:00, gives Polish irrecoverable losses as yet 540 killed, at the same time reducing own losses from 60 to 40 killed (so a "corrected" ratio of own casualties in killed to analogous Polish like 1 to 13,5 !!!); and reducing the number of own wounded from 200 to 170, on the other hand adding 46 missing without a trace.

Further we read some nonsense like this: "remnants of Polish disrupted officer bands are commanded by general Sikorski and general Kleeberg" (sic!).

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And when it comes to the battle of Grodno - I posted something about it here:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=115097&start=75#p1407817

Even Soviet wartime propaganda (such as "Pravda" - in English: "The Truth" - newspaper) confirms heavy combats in Grodno:

25 September 1939, "Pravda" reports:

"Combat against bands of officers in Grodno

X Grouping of the Red Army encounters heavy resistance of the enemy. Poles try they darndest to hold Grodno at any cost. They set the bridge on the Niemen connecting the two parts of the city on fire and they opened fire to our units from all possible ambushes, from windows and from attics.

Despite all of that our commander, comrade Petrov, ordered to capture the city. [...] Combat was extremely hard: there were 3,000 Polish officers and gendarmes in the city. Bands of officers barricaded themselves in the fort, in the cathedral and in the barracks. Enemies had got large number of MGs and in some houses they had got even up to 13 grenade launchers. Enemy was avoiding face-to-face combat. Bands of officers had chosen the rotten way of carrying out combat from ambushes. They put up the most fierce resistance in the cemetery and in the Poniemun property.

During the night our units broke through up to the cathedral, other units up to the barracks, where they encountered heavy resistance. At first we failed to capture some resistance nests. Before capturing them, resistance nests in the cathedral must have been captured, after that combined forces of infantry and tanks could strike them together.

Since the evening on 20 September until the noon of the next our unit of howitzers and our artillery were fireing at the cathedral, barracks, water plants and camp of officers. Our artillery crews were especially fiercely fireing at the cathedral and at the castle. During street combats our officers were the chosen target of the enemy. Many outstanding commanders lost their lives during this battle. Especially commanders of tanks and their crews distinguished themselves during the battle of Grodno.

When our first and second battalions were attacking towards the city centre the enemy formed a storm group composed of officer bands in the forest at the right bank of the Niemen river and ordered it to attack our units. However, our right wing and our rears were so well protected by machine gun teams, that the enemy was forced to withdraw with considerable casualties.

The battle of Grodno once again revealed the high combat efficiency of our Red Army soldiers. Especially productive despite difficult conditions was the reconnaissance service of Major K. Wiedenskog from the Belarusian Front."

And some memoirs from the battle:

Komdiv Andriej Jeriomienko (commander of 6th Cavalry Corps) about the battle of Grodno in 1939:

"Poles put up strong but completely purposeless resistance (...) For the first time I had an occasion to participate in a tank attack and to get to know about their combat value, to understand the sense of some tactical operations during an attack on big open spaces and in the developed area. This experience rather didn't belong to the category of pleasant experiences: during combats at the outskirts of Grodno the entire crew of [my] tank, which served as a mobile command post, were WIA, and all 3 tanks, from which I was in turn directing combats, were knocked out."

Source: Vladimir Beshanov, "Krasnyj Blickrig" ("The Red Blitzkrieg"), page 91

Ppor. Rafał Czyżewski - officer serving in surplus unit of 86 pp from the Spare Unit of 19 DP (Spare Unit - OZ - of 19 DP numbered some 1000 men under command of Ppłk. Izydor Blumski) about his combats at the outskirts of Grodno and later (when units of Ppłk. Blumski were pushed from their initial positions into Grodno) combats inside the city:

"The enemy struck towards the gardens of Grodno, but was defeated between the fences and is now withdrawing towards Stanislawowo. Simultaneously from the direction of Skidel enemy armour is attacking. Tanks ran over us, but enemy infantry was defeated and after losing several KIA and captured wounded it retreated towards Skidel. At 11:00 I received an order to withdraw, covered by machine guns, to the Sekret forest. [...] at 12:30 I was encircled by enemy armour and called by Soviet forces to surrender. With heavy casualties I broke through behind the marshland towards Grandicze. Soldiers were fighting excellently, despite the fact that 50% of my company were Belarusians. Casualties were 2 officers and 57 men. On 21 September in the afternoon we decided to leave the city, this decision was forced by lack of ammunition and enemy superiority. Our units broke away from the Soviets and across Stanislawowo marched towards the Lithuanian border, which was crossed by the Spare Unit of 19 Inf.Div. on 23 September in Kodzie. Soldiers were disarmed and interned, but most of them soon escaped and broke through to the West."

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Some Soviet propaganda compiled into a nice video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN2yMwi9l2U

This was a good read, thanks!