Battle of Pszczyna

Battle Battle of Pszczyna

of Part of Invasion of Poland

Polish and German deployment on September 1, 1939

Date September 1–4, 1939

Location Near Pszczyna, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

Result German victory

Belligerents

Germany Poland
 Commanders and leaders

Heinrich von Vietinghoff

obst. Haarde (WIA)

Bernard Mond
obst. Streich
Ignacy Misiąg
obst. Lubbe (commander
of column "A" after
Haarde)
Strength
5th Panzer Division
335 tanks
6th Infantry Division
Waffen SS motorized
regiment "Germania"
Casualties and losses
441+ killed
Unknown human losses 7+ cars
98+ tanks and AFVs 2 tankettes
1 recon plane 33 - 34 cannons
11 anti-tank guns
Pszczyna
hide
(Polish: Bitwa v
Pszczyńska) t
e
refers to a series
Invasion of Poland
of battles
 Battle of the Border
between 1 and 4
Chojnice
September 1939 Krojanty
near the town of Lasy Królewskie
Pszczyna during Mokra
Pszczyna
the Invasion of
Grudziądz
Poland. The
Mława
battle of Jordanów
Pszczyna formed Fraustadt
Węgierska Górka
part of the
Tuchola Forest
defensive Battle
Częstochowa
of the Border. Mikołów
The initial, Katowice
Bukowiec
decisive victory
Slovak invasion
of the Polish
Baltic coast
forces on Westerplatte
September 1, Danzig

1939 was Danzig Bay

Worek Plan
followed by the
Gdynia
crushing defeat Hel
on the next day Kępa Oksywska

near Ćwiklice, 4–10 September

Tomaszów Mazowiecki
due to a major
Wizna
tactical error on Łódź
the part of the Borowa Góra

Polish military Piotrków

Różan
command,[1]
Pułtusk
resulting in Radom
 Łomża
premature
Barak
withdrawal of the Wola Cyrusowa
entire Armia Northern Front
Kraków from Warsaw

Upper Silesia.[2] Bzura

Kałuszyn
Węgrów
Contents Wilno
Modlin
1 Background Kobryń
2 Overview Brześć
2nd Tomaszów Lubelski
3 Notes
Wólka Węglowa
4 References Kampinos Forest
Krasnystaw
Łomianki
Krasnobród
Kock
Southern Front
Przemyśl
Jarosław
1st Tomaszów Lubelski
Jaworów
Janów Forest
Cześniki
Lwów

Soviet invasion of Poland

Background
The battle was fought along the defense belt 20 kilometres
(12 mi) wide and 70 kilometres (43 mi) long,[3] from the west
extending to the Polish-German border, and from the east to
the rivers Przemsza and Soła. The Rybnicki and Kobiorski
forests constituted the north-side perimeter of the
battlefield, and to the south, the Vistula river along with the
right tributary of Odra, the Piotrówka river provided natural
protection. The defensive line some 22 kilometers in length
was built by Poland already in 1929–33, as part of the
strategic plan for securing the national border around the
Central Industrial Region.[4] The fortifications erected at the
cost of 300,000 zł, included concrete shelters manned by
the Silesian 23rd Infantry Division. In 1936–37 two new
bridges were built over the Vistula and the Chochułka rivers
near Goczałkowice and Pszczyna for military transport, and
the supply roads were paved with asphalt in late 1930s.
Overall, the defense line seemed sufficient at the time to
stop a successful panzer attack.[5] The tactical mistake of
the Polish command was the assumption that the attack of
the German 5th Panzer Division would require the support of
infantry to secure its rear.[6]

Overview
The battle can be divided into four phases:[7]

1 September: successful Polish defense of the outer

positions near the Brzeźce and Wisła Wielka villages.
2 September, morning: Polish defense of the main
positions near Pszczyna.
 2 September, afternoon:
battles near Ćwiklice.
3 September - 4 September:
Polish successful separation
and withdrawal, however they
paid dearly (Polish withdrawal
was successful mainly thanks
to a diversionary
counterattack on Ćwiklice
made by two battalions from
the 16th infantry regiment
which gave time for other
units to regroup and
withdraw). Positions of Polish and German
forces before the battle. Map by
Lonio17
During the second day of the
battle Polish forces suffered a defeat and were forced to
retreat. The main reason of their defeat (apart from huge
German material and numerical superiority) was that the
Polish commanders incorrectly predicted the direction of the
main German attack on 2 September. As the result, the
whole Polish plan of defense failed, because then it became
impossible to activate a huge trap, which was prepared for
German tanks, called the "big bag" trap, which was weak in
front, but strong on its sides - with strong artillery assisting
in attacking targets which entered the 'bag'. Also, overmuch
certainty after great successes of the previous day
(especially fierce, few hours-long combat - with use of the
"big bag" trap - near Brzeźce village) contributed to Polish
defeat.

Because of their certainty, Polish commanders decided to

make "the big bag trap" more shallow - which meant that it
was less flexible, and Polish positions would be easier to
crush if the defense was not successful (as it happened) -
but on the other hand - if the defense was successful (which
didn't happen since the unexpected direction and strength
of the German main attack were deadly), the shallow "bag"
would be more effective because the German attack would
be stopped faster and with greater casualties for the enemy
due to a greater concentration of firepower.

The defeat suffered at Pszczyna (which also caused a loss

of a significant percent of divisional artillery) forced the
Polish High Command to pull back the entire frontline, and
cede the territory of Upper Silesia to the Germans.

German equipment losses and Polish equipment losses

and casualties (list may be incomplete)

On 1 September 1939
Polish Polish
Place German casualties
casualties dead
16+
Rybnik 7 tanks 7+ cars
dead
Rydułtowy none none 2 dead
Mszana 7 armoured cars none none
Branica 2 tanks none unknown
Łąka few tanks unknown unknown
13 - 14 tanks and 1
tank surrendered to
1-2
Brzeźce the Poles (with 2 1 AT gun
dead
soldiers) and was
destroyed
4 tanks (including 1 1 75mm
Równie unknown
Pz-IV) cannon
Żory 4 tanks none 11 dead
Głożyny none none 7 dead
Wilchwy none none 2 dead
Wodzisław none none 1 dead
Boża 2 tanks and 4 - 6
none 3 dead
Góra/Jastrzębie armoured cars
Warszowice none none 2 dead
3 tanks and 2 more
tanks stuck in the
Kryry none none
swamps (1 later
pulled out)
1 75mm
Wisła Wielka 4 tanks 15 dead
cannon
1 light tank (by Polish
tankettes TK), 1
Strumień Luftwaffe recon none 2 dead
plane shot down over
Strumień
Unknown place unknown unknown 3 dead
 45 - 47+ tanks & 11 - 2
Total 1 cannons, 1 65 - 66+
13+ armoured cars, 1
September: AT gun, 7 dead
recon plane
cars+
Between 2 and 4 September 1939
German Polish
Place Polish casualties
casualties dead
unknown (all are
included in
Łąka none 27 dead
summary for the
day)
Pszczyna 5 tanks unknown 10 dead
17 - 18+
tanks
unknown, but very
(including at 226 or
high - including 6
least 1 Pz-IV) 251 dead
batteries of light
and 3 more and
artillery & at least 3
Ćwiklice got stuck in estimated
AT guns (all
the mud (1 300 -
included in
later pulled 350
summary for the
out, 2 wounded
day)
captured by
Poles)
3 - 8 tanks (3
for sure by
mines, up to 9 - 13
Stara Wieś unknown
5 by AT gun dead
but this is
doubtful)
Jankowice none unknown 6 dead
Miedźna 1 tank unknown none
Góra 1 tank unknown 3 dead
Goczałkowice none unknown 1 dead
Unknown
unknown unknown unknown
place
23 - 24 75mm 282 -
Total 2 30 - 36+
cannons, 4 105mm 311+
September: tanks
cannons, 4 AT guns dead
Międzyrzecze several tanks none unknown
Bojszowy 5 tanks none none
Jankowice none 1 AT gun 2 dead
Piasek none none 1 dead
Unknown
unknown unknown unknown
place
Total 3
7 - 8+ tanks 1 AT gun 3+ dead
September:
80 - 83
dead + 11
5 AT guns, 4 75mm
Rajsko - 4 IX 5+ tanks drown in
cannons
the river
Soła
2 tankettes - non-
combat losses (one
was left without
seeing combat
Unknown because of a
unknown unknown
place 4 IX technical failure
during withdrawal,
the second was
lost in the canal
along with its crew)
87 - 96+
tanks & 11 - 2 tankettes, 29 -
 Grand Total 13+ 30 75mm cannons, 441 -
Battle of armoured 4 105mm cannons, 474+
Pszczyna: cars, 1 11 AT guns dead
Luftwaffe
recon plane

Casualty list according to monograph about the battle titled

Bitwa Pszczyńska 1939 ("Battle of Pszczyna 1939") by
Janusz Ryt.[1]

After the long and bloody combat at Ćwiklice on 2

September 1939, German war correspondent K. Frowein
wrote after seeing one of the Polish infantrymen heavily
wounded:

This was the first Polish soldier I have ever seen. Bloody
piece of human suffering. Legs pulled up to his chest
because of pain, face – greenish-pale. From his thin lips
almost inaudible scream was getting out – "Water!
Water!". We unbuttoned his uniform jacket – smeared
with blood and entrails. German orderly gave him canteen
with water. For the last time a smile appeared on his face,
when he whispered: "Danke". A few minutes later he died.
Now he rests in peace where he fell, under a straight,
wooden cross, decorated with Polish helmet and a plate
with inscription: "Six Polish soldiers". This Polish
infantryman died like a real soldier. Until the end he was
defending his post, completing his orders. When deadly
bullets reached him, his munition holds were empty, and
 in the magazine of his rifle there were only 2 bullets. —
War correspondent K. Frowein, 2 IX 1939. [8]

Notes
1. ^ a b Janusz Ryt 2007, pp. 73, 82, 93, 161.
2. Michał Pudełko, Pierwsze dni września 1939 roku w
Jankowicach i okolicy. Bibliography: 16. Pułk Piechoty
Ziemi Tarnowskiej. Historia – Tradycja – Pamięć”, ed.
Juśko E., Tarnów 2007. Małecki, Marian, Z dziejów
wojny obronnej, Polski w 1939 r. Bitwa graniczna pod
Pszczyną”, Warszawa-Kraków 2003. Ryt Janusz, Bitwa
Pszczyńska 1939, Pszczyna 2007.
3. Janusz Ryt 2007, p. 11.
4. Janusz Ryt 2007, p. 18.
5. Janusz Ryt 2007, p. 21.
6. Janusz Ryt (2007). Bitwa pszczyńska 1939 (in Polish).
Oficyna Drukarska Zdzisław Spyra; Wydawnictwo
Infopres. p. 25. Retrieved 19 December 2014 – via
Silesian Digital Library.
7. Mateusz Olejnik, 16. Pułk Piechoty w bitwie
pszczyńskiej 1-2 września 1939 r. Moje Miasto Tarnów.
8. K. Frowein's account according to the book: Polen
Feldzug. Hitler und Stalin zerschlagen die Polnische
Republik.

References
 Janusz Ryt, Bitwa pszczyńska 1939 (Battle of Pszczyna
1939), Infopres, Pszczyna: Starostwo Powiatowe, 2007.
Volume 2 of Biblioteczka Ziemi Pszczyńskiej,
ISBN 8392621204. Book excerpts with Commentary
from Histmag.org 7 August 2008. Retrieved December
18, 2014.

Coordinates: 49°59′00″N 18°58′42″E