Wisloka on Sep 8 1939.

[tigre]

Hello folks I've found, sailing in the web, one topic that awoke my interest..

AFAIK on Sep 8 1939, the 2 Pz Div was fighting west of the Dunajec in the Biskupice area. The Poles were defended with tenacity the river crossing approach in the Zabno direction. The bridge there was destroyed during the night. Finally as the morning went by the enemy resistance was overcame and the river was reached north and south of Biskupice. Oberst Lt v. Thoma's unit took great number of prisoners.

At 13:00 hours the AA 5 reconnoitered from Zabno towards Dabrowa.

Meanwhile the Kradsch Btl 2 (reinforced) from Tarnow north moved forward and reached Lisia Gora at 09:30 hours and 12:10 hours Radomysl Wlk. The battalion pressed against the Wisloka north of Brzeclaw and reached, by nightfall, Kolbuszowa.

Here goes my inquiry that day (8 Sep 1939) the 2./ Kradsch Btl 2 lost 12 men in battle, among them Lt d.R. Riefer. Could someone shed light about this hard fight and which was the Polish unit they confronted.

The grave site


The names could be read.


Here the mass grave prior to be filled
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1571/k ... webpq7.jpg

Source: http://www.eaglehorse.org/3_home_statio ... index.html

Any info would be appreciate. Regards. Tigre.

[Njorl]

Hello tigre,

Great information! These are my areas, so stay tuned until I scan some sources. There was rather serious fighting near and in Kolbuszowa, but I have to check the exact day.

One correction: there is no Brzeclaw - there is Przecław.

Cheers,

M

[tigre]

Thank you Njorl, see you then. Regards. Tigre.

[TPMM]

If I'm wrong, please correct me Njorl:
In this area polish army was in full retreat and most of units were withdrawing to the east followed by a huge number of local people. It is possible, that a german unit you are asking about ,tigre, fought against withdrawing 24. Inf Div.

[tigre]

Thank you TPMM. I'll try to find out something about that unit. Cheers. Tigre.

[Njorl]

Hello Gentlemen,

Judging by 2. Kradsch. Bataillon trail (Lisia Góra -> Radomyśl Wielki -> Przecław -> Kolbuszowa) I'd rather bet on 6th ID and/or 21st Mountain ID or even 10th (Mot.) Cav. Bde. I flipped through pages of W. Steblik 'Armia "Kraków" 1939' and there are several pages on events of September 8th. I'll try to post more on weekend.

Regards,

MJ

[Njorl]

Hi,

I found one skirmish in which 2. Kradsch. Bataillon could take part.

In the evening on Sept. 8th a German motorized detachment tried to capture Kolbuszowa attacking from direction of Sędziszów. It was repulsed with MG fire from Łysa Góra near Stadion and lost 8 motorcycles with sidecars destroyed and several men taken prisoners.

Mind you, Steblik writes this detachment belonged to 4. Leichte Div. but description of losses would match those of 2. Kradsch. Bataillon.

Nevertheless the search continues...

Regards,

M

[tigre]

Thank you Njorl. great research, keep going. Cheers. Tigre.

[Njorl]

1st company of Lt. W. Łotuszko's marching battalion (batalion marszowy) no. 78 ("Dąb"), comanded by Lt. J Cyga, had a skirmish with German armoured patrols south of Radomyśl Wielki. The company, with several other platoons, was withdrawing towards estuary of Biała river.

Greater part of 2. battalion of 49th IR under command of its 4th company commander marched from Lisia Góra in the evening of September 7th to Radomyśl Wielki. The town was reached around noon September 8th. There the battalion received order to defend the town, which was held until evening. Radomyśl was attacked 'before the dusk' by avant-garde of right (main) column of 2. PzDiv.

That would be all on that area what I could find in Steblik's Armia "Kraków" 1939. Unfortunately the information there lacks detailed timeframe.

Here's more from Christoph Anwenders site (http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/) on September 8th in that area:

14.Armee is advancing fast against clever defending enemy and reaches with ist mot. parts the area of Rzeszow and northwest of it. Pushing towards Jaroslaw.

Takes about 1500 prisoners in the morning from 6. and 4.pol.Div. (4.lei., 2.Pz.Div.)

XXII.A.K.: is advancing and reaches Tarnow and Pilzno with forward units.

Around 02:45 enemy forces open fire on the Kpfgr. in Biscupice. Strong enemy forces are spotted coming out of the near wood. The enemy closes in the terrain which provides much cover and reach the outskirts of Biscupice. Enemy AT-guns and artillery start to fire on the tanks that are clearly visible in the light of fires in the village. At 05:00 the tanks start to counter attack the polish forces. The attack split up into several local engagements tank against AT-guns. The leader tank was hit three times and the Abt.Kdr. and his crew is killed. Also the commanders of 6./PR.3 and 8./PR.3 and the Abt.Adjutant are wounded. As the ammo was getting low the tanks had to withdraw to the road Radlow – Biscupice. The tanks built a hedgehog defense and waited for the withdrawing infantry from Biscupice. Then the rest of the Kampfgruppe mounted on the remaining six tanks was able to push through enemy forces to Radlow. The Kampfgruppe lost 51 men, 18 missed and 93 wounded. 21 tanks and 2 command tanks were destroyed.

Elements of 2.Pz.Div. cross the Dunajec at Tarnow and push northwest towards Bisupice – Zabno.

5./Pz.Rgt.4:

Orders: Crossing the Dunajec near Tarnow and pushing northwest towards the area Biscupice – Zabo to destroy all enemy forces to help own forces on the westbank of the Dunajec near Biscupice.

Kradschtz.Kp. Weike was attached to the tanks 2 km south of Zabo. After passing Zabo the lead spots an enemy column marching from west to east.

We attacked at once and destroyed the enemy M.G.-Kp. within minutes. The Kradschtz. collected the remainders of the polish unit. 14 heavy M.G., horses and vehicles were captured. 40 – 50 Polish soldiers surrendered.

Because the AA5 was fallen back Olt. Gomille and Weike decided to take the bridge across the canal 300m east of Targowiko to prevent the enemy from destroying it.

From there they got order to advance with one platoon PzKpfw.IV ahead followed by Kradschtz., rest of tank Kp. and than the rest of the Kradschtz.Kp.

At 13.00 they reach the soutwestern entrance of Olesno 800m west of the church. The first platoon advanced to the rail-crossing 800m east of the church. The rest entered the village from South and West.

Suddenly machinegunfire started followed by artillery. The PzKpfw.IV spotted an enemy battery that started to join the attack. The tanks attack and destroy the enemy battery.

Again prisoners and weapons were captured. A Major and a Oberleutnant were taken prisoner.

Regarding the night fighting at Biskupice Steblik writes about, IIRC, 64 German soldiers buried there (including Kommandeur of II. Abteilung/PzRgt 3. Oberstlt. Dipl. Ing. Herbert Baumgart) after the fighting. Poles lost at least 240 killed in combat and unknown number of drowned while trying to ford Dunajec.

Regards,

M

[tigre]

Njorl, thank you for your great research and help. Regards. Tigre.

[Njorl]

That would be all on that area what I could find in Steblik's Armia "Kraków" 1939.

Ups, I should write "that would be all that could be connected with 2. Krad. Battalion's trail on Sept. the 8th". Generally I get a feeling that every German motorized patrol or avant-garde was called 'armoured', whether it had tanks or not. Sure, there is a lot of interesting stuff there!

Cheers!

M

[Domen121]

Hi all!

Some other stuff from 2nd Panzer Division:

Monument with names and surnames of German soldiers from 3rd Company of 3. Panzer-Regiment from 2. Panzer Division, who were killed during the Campaign in Poland in 1939.

There are 17 names on the monument:



If only one company lost 17 KIA, what were losses of the whole regiment?! If losses of the whole regiment (only tank crews - tank crews losses are always lower than divisional infantry losses) were so high, what were the whole divison losses?! - probably higher than losses of the 4th Panzer Division (it lost more than 500 dead), because 35. Panzer-Regiment from 4th Panzer Division lost 64 dead during the campaign - and how many companies it had?

There is a date of dead near every name - maybe someone is able to read all these dates?

[Jan-Hendrik]

According to Strauß' Geschichte der 2.(Wiener)Panzerdivision, p.288, PR 3 lost in the polish campaign:

As KIA:
- 5 Offz.
- 17 Uffz.
- 38 Mannschaften

As wounded:

- 9 Offz.
- 9 Uffz.
- 42 Mannschaften

on page 398 we have the losses for PR 4:

- 11 KIA
- 21 wounded

Jan-Hendrik

[Domen121]

Hi,

As KIA:
- 5 Offz.
- 17 Uffz.
- 38 Mannschaften

Have you got information about their names / surnames? - then we will be able to compare this source with the photo.

Do you know how many of these KIA, according to "Geschichte der 2. Panzerdivision", were from 3. Komp. of this regiment ???

What were losses of the whole 2. Panzerdivision according to this book?

In the evening on Sept. 8th a German motorized detachment tried to capture Kolbuszowa attacking from direction of Sędziszów. It was repulsed with MG fire from Łysa Góra near Stadion and lost 8 motorcycles with sidecars destroyed and several men taken prisoners.

Here goes my inquiry that day (8 Sep 1939) the 2./ Kradsch Btl 2 lost 12 men in battle, among them Lt d.R. Riefer.

I have names of two other officers who were killed there, but on the next day:

Lt.Hesse, Zugführer of 3.Zug from 1. Kp. of Pz.Abw.Abt.38, was killed in Kolbuszowa on 9th of September while recovering Lt.Hingst (S.R.2) under fire.

Lt.Hingst from Schützenregiment 2 (Schtz.Brig.2) was also killed there on 9th of September.

Their names are not on the photo - so now we have names of 3 officers who were killed there.

Regards,

Domen

[tigre]

Hello pals, there isn't Wisloka but Wysoka another hard fight during the first stages of the Polenfeldzug, it took place on Sep 02 1939; could anyone of our forum mates shed light on it?

I could see at least 20 graves in the picture (below to the left)


Destroyed tanks (PR 3).








Source: PANZER Photo Album - Panzer Regiment 3
http://www.historical-media.com/id108.htm

Cheers. Tigre .