Battle at Mokra,Poland

[seewolf]

Battle at Mokra was one of the first "Blitzkrieg" battles and most of the accounts I could get were from the polish side.If anyone has any info on german accounts on this topic,I would appreciate if they could share it.
Thanx-
Seewolf

[tigre]

Hello seewolf glad to greet you ; just to start.....................

XVI.A.K.(mot.):

4.Pz.Div.: 04:45 verst.A.R.103 opens fire on enemy positions on the heights north of Starokrzepice and south of Krzepice. It turns out that there are not many enemy troops on the hieghts later. The division attacks in two groups with S.R.12, I./Pz.Rgt.36, I./A.R.103, Spähtrupp A.A.7, Pioniere, Bautruppen to the left and Inf.Rgt.12 (without 1 Btl.), II./Pz.Rgt.36, I./A.R.31, Spähtrupp A.A.7, Pioniere to the right.

At 05 :00 the two advance groups cross the border without enemy contact. 05:15 Stukas attack Krzepice to break enemy resistance there.

06:00 The right group reaches the Pankowka-sector and the left group reaches the destroyed Krzepice at 06:30. At Krzepice light enemy resistance. The two bridges are destroyed. The I./Pz.Rgt.36 finds a shallow place to cross the river west of the railroad bridge. The division commander gives order to take Krzepice with I./Pz.Rgt.36 from the south and S.R.12 from the west.

The rest of Pz.Rgt.36 (without II.Abt.) and Pz.Rgt.35 receive order to follow and attack Opatow via Krzepice supported by II./Art.Rgt.103. A.A.7 and Pz.Jg.Abt.49 are ordered to advance to Krzepice.

07:30 Krzepice is taken after short fight with polish cavalry. Immediately engineers start to construct a bridge there.

07:45 to the right Kukow is taken against light enemy resistance. A 100m long dam is built across the Pankowka-depression. Pz.Rgt.36 (without II.Abt.) advances to Opatow and finds the bridge there destroyed around 08:00. The tanks cross the river and take the heights east of Opatow against light resistance. Stab and II./Schtz.Rgt.12 also advance towards Opatow while I./S.R.12 advances towards Rebielice where the bridge was reported undamaged by a Spähtrupp of A.A.7.

10:00 the bridge at Krzepice is ready but the advance is slowed down. The construction of a road with steel-plates across the area to Starokrzepice takes until noon because the Army-engineers did not arrive.

The dam across the Pankowka breaks behind the right advance-group and so it takes II./Pz.Rgt.36 until 10:00 to cross the Pankowka.

Around 12:00 Stab Pz.Brig., Pz.Rgt.35 and shortly after II./Pz.Rgt.36 finally arrive in Opatow where swampy terrain makes movmements difficult again.

In the meantime I./Pz.Rgt.36 advances via Wilkowiecko and encounters strong enemy positions at Mokra. Field-guns and AT-rifles cause losses, the Abteilung requests support by radio and withdraws to Wilkowiecko to regroup.

East of Opatow the lead elements of the Panzerbrigade is also stopped by enemy fire. The enemy is pushed back with the first attack. II./A.R.103 fires from positions between Krzepice and Opatow on enemy positions on the heights northeast of Opatow before it takes position east of Opatow.

Schtz.Rgt.12 (Stab and II.Btl. in Opatow, I.Btl. in Rebielice) receives order to keep up with the tanks and advance towards Miedzno. The Div.Gef.Std. moves to the area 2km west of Opatow.

I./S.R.12 (supported by 2./A.R.103) crosses the brook at Rebilice against light enemy resistance and advances through the forrest north of Mokra I. At 15:00 the I./S.R.12 encounters a enemy armoured train and cavalry at the railroad and goes back. After regrouping the Btl. fights down attacking polish cavalry and takes Izbiska after sunset.

East of Wilkowiecko Pz.Rgt.35 right and Pz.Rgt.36 left start to attack towards Mokra. The tanks overrun enemy positions in Mokra. Another enemy defense-line at the forrest and railroad-dam causes losses and stops the attack. 22 men KIA, 27 WIA.

17:00 After II./A.R.103 fired at the enemy forrest- and railroad-dam positions and I./Pz.Rgt.35 outflanked them a platoon of II./Pz:Rgt.35 pushes through the enemy lines in the forrest and reaches Miedzno which is free of enemy forces. In the evening II./P.R.35 occupies the heights east of the forrest.

II./S.R.12 follows behind the Panzerbrigade is delayed at Opatow. At Wilkowiecko the Btl. receives enemy fire from the forrest northeast of the village. Just one Kp. reaches the tanks in the area of Mokra in the evening.

To the right Inf.Rgt.12 reaches the heights south of Wilkowiecko around 18:00 where A.A.7 (securing the right flank at Walenczow) pushed back light enemy forces before.

18:15 Art.Rgt.103 partly is or goes into position in the area Wilkowiecko.

Around 18:15 chaotic messages and withdrawing damaged tanks cause a panic under supply troops in Opatow. Just the division commander himself can stop the fleeing sodiers after 1km.

18:15 Pz.Jg.Abt.49 is ordered to move to Mokra and support the units there. Forces around Mokra are ordered to hold the area for the night.

On this day the division os not able to reach the ordered objective.

A lo of info here http://chrito.users1.50megs.com/1939/se ... r_1939.htm

Map here http://www.chrito.users1.50megs.com/kar ... sept39.jpg

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello it's me again ; also take a look here in this very forum viewtopic.php?f=45&t=23490&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Frederick L Clemens]

Mokra would make a good movie - a Wehrmacht nervously moving through its first battle and a Polish Army doing more than Hollywood (or German propaganda) would have you believe.

[Richard Hargreaves]

It's interesting how German accounts of the battle (see the history of 4 Pz Div) play it down immensely - especially the role of the armoured train. Much more evident is nervousness, confusion, poor leadership, poor communications.

[Frederick L Clemens]

At Mokra, the Germans were under-aggressive, then at Warsaw they were over-aggressive. Good examples of an inexperienced force.

[Richard Hargreaves]

I couldn't agree more Frederick. It's bizarre that there could be such a complete volte face in seven days. One minute they're panicking at the sight of a few armoured cars, the next they driving into the middle of a city without any proper recon convinced a few dozen tanks will force the capital to fall on its own.

[Carl Schwamberger]

This was the 4th Pz Div, correct? That division took some casualtys in a three day delaying action vs a French tank divsion. Then failed to break though a French infantry defense near Gembloux Belgioum.

[Frederick L Clemens]

Yes, 4.PD - but I hadn't heard its actions described so negatively in Belgium. I know that there was some unhappiness with their new Div Kdr in 1940 compared to Reinhardt in Poland. Do you have a source for that critique?

[seewolf]

Thanx,tigre! (and everybody else)
It is also interested to notice that we have more accounts on this battle from Polish sources.I guess this first failure was "pushed aside" by the Germans in view of their overall successful campaign.Thanx again!
Seewolf

[tigre]

You're welcome, Seewolf . Cheers. Raúl M .

[Domen123]

Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade eliminated around 80 - 90 German tanks during the battle of Mokra, more than 20 of them - most probably around 25 - 30 of them (including 14 in Panzer-Regiment 35. - according to Oberstleutnant Eberbach) - were "Totalshaden".

I don't have any exact data about casualties of Panzer-Regiment 36. (I think that I have got it somewhere but now I can't find it anywhere - maybe I will manage to find it later), but Panzer-Regiment 35. lost most probably around 45 tanks during the battle of Mokra - including - according to memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach - its commander - and according to ww2 day by day - 14 as "Totalshaden". Oberstleutnant Eberbach also wrote in his memories that his regiment lost 29 men from tank crews KIA and WIA during the battle of Mokra - including 14 KIA and 15 WIA.

On 8th / 9th of September - soon before the failed attack on Warsaw - Panzer-Regiment 35. had got 120 tanks operational (once again according to Eberbach - this number is also repeated by ww2 day by day site) out of the initial amount of 177 - 185 tanks (different sources give a bit different numbers) - so 57 - 65 tanks fewer than on 31st of August. Of them around 45 are losses due to the battle of Mokra - and the remaining casualties are mainly from the battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki - Piotrków Trbunalski 5. - 6. IX 1939 - and also combats of this regiment in the battle of Borowskie Mountains, combats near Radomsko, and Polish bombardments of XVI Panzerkorps by the Bombers Brigade - and also other, smaller skirmishes, which were fought by the tanks of this regiment during their battle-route towards Warsaw - provided they suffered any casualties in those skirmishes.

High scores with artillery guns and AT guns during the battle of Mokra:

I know three Polish soldiers who became Anti-Tank aces during the battle of Mokra:

Surname / name / rank / unit / victories / short description:

Żłób, Leonard - corporal (3 battery of 2. horse artillery dyon) - 14 victories (tanks) by direct fire from 75mm type 02/26 field cannon - in the combat between buildings of Mokra II and Mokra III - during the German attack in strength of over 80 tanks which beginned around 12:00. Leonard Żłób was awarded with Virtuti Militari cross for this combat.

Suski, Jan - corporal (AT platoon of 2. horse rifle regiment) - 8 victories (tanks and AFVs) by direct fire of 37mm type 36 AT gun - during the combat near the railway near Mokra II (while repulsing the German attack which started around 15:00).

Kawiak, Jan - uhlan (AT platoon of 12. uhlans regiment) - several victories (tanks) by 37mm type 36 AT gun - during the combat at the forest clearing near the railway, while fighting with attacking German tanks from his well-hidden position under the railway viaduct. Immediately after succesfully repulsing the German attack he was promoted by lieutenant colonel Kuczek to the rank of older uhlan (in Polish: starszy ułan).

Here are some photos of tanks eliminated during the battle of Mokra:









There were some battles during the Polish Campaign, which were more "bloody" and also a number of battles which were as "bloody" as the battle of Mokra for the German tanks.

But probably in any of those battles which were more "bloody" than the battle of Mokra for the German tanks, the Germans didn't lost - during only one day - as many tanks eliminated as were eliminated in the battle of Mokra during only one day (so around 80 - 90 tanks eliminated).

the battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki - Piotrków Trbunalski 5. - 6. IX 1939

It is estimated that up to 30% of all German armour casualties in this battle were suffered by 4. Panzer-Division - the majority of them were casualties of its Panzer-Regiment 36. The vast majority of the remaining 70+% of German armour casualties in this battle were suffered by 1. Panzer-Division.

========================================================

From "Sensations of XX century" series by Bogusław Wołoszański - "The battle of Mokra - strength of cavalry" video:

Sorry but - unfortunately - I didn't manage to find a subtitled version of this video, although I tried - it is 50 minutes long so it is also a lot of work to translate the whole of it on my own... I hope you will enjoy it anyway:

"During the September Campaign of 1939 cavalry became the symbol of bravery of Poland - the first state which did not surrender to the enemy. Maybe that it is why for half of the XX century - when Poland was ruled by communists - this symbol was being destroyed and slandered. Bravery, patriotism, the greatest combat values were recognized as symptom of weakness of the II Republic of Poland.

The battle of Mokra - strength of cavalry":

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7unltr-cTw8

Part 2:

„[...] Cavalry formations were present in every army of then Europe. Mobility, discipline, ability of moving in terrain inaccessible for tanks and cars – these were trumps of Polish horse formations. Rich countries were increasing strength of cavalry units by equipping them with AFVs, AA and AT weapons. Process of retiring cavalry from armed forces – replacing horses with machines – was gradual. Poland was also doing it – within capacities of the state which regained its independence 20 years ago, after previous one hundred years of captivity. [...]”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKE8JR3bYGw

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-gjMqNfSBo

Part 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDB-d_yNr-Q

Part 5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J92xHav-U8

"[...] During the first days of September 1939 the French Air Force scattered over Germany more than 5 millions of leaflets - which were making a fool of Hitler and informing the German society that their leaders are corrupted and dishonest. [...]"

"[...] Polish cavalry was showing its strength.

Never during the September Campaign cavalrymen were attacking on horses the German or Soviet tanks and other armoured cars. They were eliminating them by fire of artillery, AT guns and AT rifles. They were charging there, where it had got sense. Against supply columns, against running away infantry, against artillery positions. If actions of cavalry – which was losing battles because it had got not enough AT weapons and – especcialy – AA weapons – had been supported better by other formations, had been supported better by manoeuvres of other units – situation in Poland would have looked differently, the war in Poland would have lasted longer, forcing our allies to fulfil their obligations.

The awareness only remained, that cavalry – performed its duty.

THE END"

===========================================

German tank crewman from Panzer-Regiment 36. - Hartie Effenberg - in his memories wrote about his involvement in the battle of Mokra:

"We crossed the German-Polish border after 12:00; probably in third or fourth wave. Our unit stopped in Wilkowiecko and was waiting for further orders. (...) From the battlefield to Wilkowiecko they were constantly bringing wounded soldiers, it was the first time I saw such severely burned people. I had got some bad misgivings, I was scared. (...) Then the order to fight came. I prayed to God to protect me. I started. (...) Everything around me was burning, tanks crashed during the morning attack were smoking, ruins of houses were burning out. Only small church remained and that small church - among oaks - I could see in my viewfinder on the right, when our tank - driving at full speed, shooting from the gun - crashed a Polish tankette. (...) We received enemy machinegun fire - but ineffective - on our armour. (...) The commander - Kurt Scheele - was constantly pressing the loader, we were conducting a constant fire from both our machineguns and gun towards shooting to us from the right side enemy battery [...]"

After a moment Effenberg's tank was blocked between two other eliminated German AFVs and soon after that it received a side hit from the Polish gun. The commander of the tank - Kurt Sheele - managed to open the manhole and pull out heavily wounded Hartie Effenberg (he lost his leg) from the tank - but soon he (Kurt Sheele) was killed. Hartie Effenberg survived the battle.

[Domen123]

If it comes to the Polish casualties in the battle of Mokra, the most commonly given figure is:

216 KIA and MIA soldiers and NCOs, 5 KIA and MIA officers = 221
270 WIA soldiers and NCOs, 22 WIA officers = 292

Total: 513 men

But according to some other sources only 62 Poles were KIA during the Battle of Mokra.

[Frederick L Clemens]

Interesting info, Domen. When you quote Eberbach, what source are you using. You said memoirs, but he did not do a book of memoirs.

[Richard Hargreaves]

I'm guessing it's the 35 Pz Regiment history by Schaufler, Frederick - there are a number of Eberbach's first-person accounts in there (among others. Really good book...). Sadly I only acquired it after I'd finished Blitzkrieg Unleashed, although I did have a couple of extracts which were reproduced in other sources. Eberbach was one of the better chroniclers, so it's a shame he didn't write any memoirs. I''m guessing he left a Nachlass at BA-MA, but I'm not sure.