Incidents of the Polish Campaign, 1939:

[panzerschreck1]

Well this must be one of the earliest WH warcrimes, again why would they shoot POW's hatred in that early stage of the war was out of the question, and they surely would had all the means to transport the POW's , and another fact is that at that early stage the POW camps would had been emty...so housing the POW's wouldn't be that difficult yet they chose to assasinate them..all...

I know advancing troops sometimes cant take prisoners, but that rule was applied later in the war, not at that early stage.

[Richard Hargreaves]

I think the german unit mentioned above was the 35 Pz Regiment part of the 4th Pz Division. Regards. Tigre.

Hi Tigre,

You're correct. Thanks for the translation. Panzer packen Polen is one of the few books of the 1939 campaign I don't have - but I do have plenty of other accounts of the attack by 4th Pz/35 Pz Regt from September 8 and 9.

There was an excellent collection of documents/reports published in Germany about 15 years ago covering all aspects of the battle for Warsaw in September 1939 in which you'll find many first-hand accounts of the fighting from both sides. Don't have it with me today, but I'll check the title tomorrow when I'm back at home.

[tigre]

You're welcome and thanks Halder . All the best. Tigre .

[Richard Hargreaves]

The book is:

Drescher, Herbert, Warschau und Modlin im Polenfeldzug 1939: Berichte und Dokumente, Selbstverlag, Pforzheim, 1991

[tigre]

Thank you again Halder . Cheers. Tigre .

[tigre]

Hello to all people; I've found another interesting story this time, dealing with one scout action carried out during the night of 21 to 22 Sep 1939.............

Reconnaissance in force on the periphery of the village of Zakroczym. Kriegsberichter Gert Habedanck

The car was ready; the tires pressure was checked, I got 20 litres of gasoline in cans and 5 litres of oil as reserve. Then the trip started towards Przasnysz, where my company supposedly stood. After traveling half hour I passed thru the barriers of Mlawa. The Polish casemates (bunkers) which should stop the German advance could be seen yet there; a few of these works were destroyed by artillery fire, others were left in the middle of its construction. Our troops had taken the fortified line after the Polish withdrawal. Mlawa lay to three quarters in debris and ashes. The undeterminable atmosphere of the war lay over everything. The road leading to Przasnysz was bad, on the left and right burned farmsteads. A blown up bridge stopped me; I went off the road into kneel-deep sand and a Polish farmer helped me with the car. As the dusk was getting close I got shelter in the dwelling of a Polish dentist in Plonsk; the sofa was dirty but softly and I fell asleep at once.

Next morning I drove off towards the cannon thunder. In reaching a German Command Post I could find that this sector was held by the X. Battalion (I./ SS D); I stayed here since it became too late for getting my company CP. At a farm I ate with my comrades. The Battalion’s CP was located down in a potato cellar.

Finally I reached the 3. Company (3./ SS D). It was shelled from the edge of Zakroczym, located three kilometers west of Modlin. The men had entrenched themselves in the ravine area of a Polish quarry field. The position’s right wing leant on the Vistula (Weichsel/Wisla). The high bank granted a far view over the river valley. The food supply was good enough for in each burned yard place chickens roamed themselves in crowds, which eventually moved into the cook’s boilers.

A reconnaissance by force was set for the next dawn. I was assigned to one of the reconnaissance patrols. Starting from 20:00 hours o’clock artillery fire on Zakroczym, the entire village was burning – red blazing clouds lifted themselves against the evening sky. A fantastic sight!. The village in flames, the impacts of our shells, the white flares beyond the Vistula (Weichsel/Wisla). The advance posts were in front of Zakroczym; in their camouflaged jackets the soldiers were hardly to be differentiated from the Polish soil.

The enemy first line could not be determined with security. From 04:30 to 06:00 hours o’clock was to set an absolute fire break, so that the scouts could not be endangered. It was raining. We were sitting closely together pushed in our fox holes. The fire light of the burning village threw from time to time a flickering light on the Company’s CP. At 21:00 hours two German-speaking defectors reached one of our advance posts. They told as about the bad thing over there, of the miserable meals; but from the overall military situation they had not any notion. Our artillery fire was accurate. With their statements we could not begin anything. One of them was sent to the Regiment’s CP. It became completely dark in the meantime. At 22:00 hours o’clock the four patrol leaders arrived; good chaps all Bavarians. W., the Company Commander, already wore the EK (Iron Cross). He gave the details of the mission. I was assigned to the patrol of NCO F. W. told the periphery of the village was the goal for all the patrols. After 90 minutes each troop was to be on its starting positions. W. expected only weak resistance. I crept towards the FlaMG Platoon leader in the fox hole. He was sleeping no words. Again and again artillery and machine gun fire.

The CP in a gully on the Vistula river bank.


Source: DIE WEHRMACHT. Herausgegeben vom Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. Der Freiheitskampf des großdeutschen Volkes. 1940 VERLAG »DIE WEHRMACHT« BERLIN.

It follows. Cheers. Tigre.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; the second and last part of this little story........................

At 03:55 hours, woke. It was dark yet. I groped along with W. towards NCO F. The last fire went under way. It were shot with 75, 105 mm and FlaMG also. We made ourselves on the way and passed thru the advance posts. Each troop had four men. LMG accompanied us some 100 meters in order to cover the ravine by which we should to proceed. It became slowly bright and we received the first fire, our hearts knocked a little. Only W. kept the pace; jumped up he went forwards in the ravine. From a gap we could see the Vistula (Weichsel/Wisla) river flashing in the morning light. As we left one narrow branch of the ravine we could reach a lone white house from which a narrow sand way with steep slopes left and right, led to the village. We disappeared thru it, suddenly machine gun bullets knocked against our wall. We jumped up to the opposite side. W. which wanted accompanied us a few hundred meters was still with us. Four meters behind a detonation, someone roared loud up. I withdrew myself with some men behind me to the house. Sch. was wounded with hand grenade fragments at the chest. Another guy got a fragment into the cheek. Sch. was carried back to the house. “I’m finished” he groaned. W. was completely calm and told him: “talk no nonsense; it was a small touching shot”. “Jawoll” and Sch became calm also. F. called W. “The nest was over there above blow it”. F. rushed over the embankment, two men followed him. Then we heard hand grenades and a wild shooting. F. returned and told us: “the whole ditch is full”. W. ordered to reach the next cover by bounds. Two men jumped one by one and arrived safely but when the third jumped towards the house, he wanted to say something and then rolled directly before me, W. took a short view: shot in his head, said briefly. L’s steel helmet remained hanging somewhere and was torn off. We could not worry any longer about him.

We left the house’s cover; all around us the bullets struck the sand. Ahead, Sch. lost his pistol, I gave it back. We carried L. away. The comrade who was running right from me got a calf shot and fell; he crept forwards. W. loaded Sch. on his shoulders, I helped him. The projectiles passed incessantly around us. I was wet and my knees were trembling. Finally the first cover, I fell down exhausted. W. said with completely calm voice: we did not this time guys, but next …..it will be different. It was getting bright when we approached to the advance posts so the men could recognize us; they jumped out of their foxholes and helped us to carry our casualties to the rear. It was 06:00 hours.

Suddenly again movements could be observed ahead of the advance posts. Over there within the pasture shrubs three men crept towards our lines; it was the four reconnaissance patrol. The patrol leader R. was killed; from the foremost hole, we could see him later hanging in the hostile wire entanglement. Two men were wounded; G. had a belly shot, but apparently the shot went only through to muscles. He kept himself marvelous. After being shot, yet he threw another hand grenade into the hostile ditch.

At the company CP the Battalion’s Commander was informed: Strong hostile positions before the village, Polish soldiers carried out tough resistance!

One night later, W. and F. pulled our dead comrade back from the hostile barbed wire.

Our wounded comrade was taking back.


Source: DIE WEHRMACHT. Herausgegeben vom Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. Der Freiheitskampf des großdeutschen Volkes. 1940 VERLAG »DIE WEHRMACHT« BERLIN.

It's all folks. Cheers. Tigre .

[Domen121]

German Cavalry Charges:

1. Królewskie Forests near town Krzynowłoga Mała - 01.09 - Polish - German cavalry horse fierce skirmish - German cavalry horse charge with sabres:

Small Polish patrol from 11th Leggionary Ulan Regiment (Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade) under command of lieutenant Wladislaw Kossakowski during the reconessaince mission, met small German cavalry patrol from 1st Cavalry Brigade. Kossakowski decided to start a battle - close combat with sabres and probably lances on Polish side (this was one of a few incidents during the campaign, when Polish cavalry used lances), and with sabres on German side.

Kossakowski wrote:

"At the end of our march, in the edge of small forest clearing, we saw small German cavalry unit. They didn't see us, but their positions were crossing the road and blocking our march direction. I asked other officers - are we charging? As the answer, I heard noice of sabres being pulled out from sheaths. We made a pre-charge formation and charged towards them from the forest, screaming - Hurra! The shock tactic was succesfull, but - what surprised us - this time German cavalry didn't panic or withdraw, but re-charged us using sabres - also screaming Hurra! and occasionally - Heil Hitler! - two brave charging cavalry units, screaming, brandishing with sabres and bending down in saddles, were going to head-on collision! After few seconds, we reached them and they reached us. Two cavalry formations crushed in one battle - but our impetus was greater. In fact, both formations just passed each other - but there were casualties on both sides. I remember, that corporal Juckiewicz stuffed a German cavalryman with his lance - German soldier just moaned and died. After this short but fierce and bloody combat, we galloped in our way and those of Germans who survived - galloped in their way. We were all unconcsious from emotions and excitement, but kept riding - after few minutes we reached our infantry with MGs positions - great relief. Finally, our patrol joined our regiment in the late evening"

Anybody knows exactly which German cavalry unit from 1st Cavalry Brigade was charging with sabres there, on 1st of September 1939?

2. Charge by Krasnobród - 23.09.1939:

2nd Polish cavalry squadron (from 25th Cavalry Regiment) is attacking (in foot formation) German infantry - hand granades, rifles and MGs, together with artillery support (9th Horse Artillery Command) forces German infantry to withdraw in great mess. German chaotic and fast withdrawal makes an opportunity to make a cavalry charge:

Other Polish cavalry unit (1st squadron under command of lieutenant Tadeusz Gerlecki) is charging and chasing panicked German Infantry which is running away - one squadron of German heavy "Eastern Prussian" cavalry with strong, heavy horses, charge with sabres towards Polish cavalry to rescue German Infantry:

"It was amazing view - against Polish ulans charged German cavalry units - Polish squadron - charging in a single line formation - with lances directed towards Germans, was closing to the charging enemy. Enemy cavalry was charging with sabres in chaotic, messy formation. Finally, units striked each other. Polish cavalry - better disciplined and supported by Polish 9th Horse Artillery Command, crushed Germans. Polish sabres together with Polish artillery fire, crushed Prussians - German cavalry suffered heavy losses."

Prussian cavalry was also charging against 2nd squadron positions, which was defending in foot formation with MGs and rifles - German charge was rejected (mainly because of Polish artillery support and MGs fire) with quite heavy losses for them.

Polish cavalry attack supported infantry, and inficted on re-taking the city of Krasnobród from German hands, and capturing the headquarters of German 8. Infanterie-Division together with many divisional commanders.

ok i can understand that with close co-ordination with infintry they can be helpfull, but only to a certain point.

But in Warsaw on 9. IX 1939 divisional Infantry WAS cooperating and supporting tanks from 4th Panzer-Division (using, among other weapons, flame-throwers, explosives and granades) - untill it was stopped because of heavy resistance and casualties - then tanks left alone.

Regards,

Domen

[Njorl]

Tigre, have you paid attention to this passage taken from Christoph Awender's http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/?

22. September 1939

SS-Rgt.“Deutschland“

Three Spähtrupps of 3./SS”D” advance to Zakrozym. They return at 06:30. Hscha.Guttmann and SS-Mann Lauterbacher are killed 5m off a enemy position in a wire obstacle. 2 serious- and 4 slightly-wounded. Chef 3./SS”D” Hstuf.Witt commanded the mission.

Reconnaissance report:

Western part of Zakrozym at least 10 – 12 light and one heavy machinegun.
During the day continuous artillery and heavy weapons fire in Zakrozym. Just light enemy harassing fire on own positions.
In the afternoon Luftwaffe attacks Modlin
Modlin and Zakrozym are cut off from Warschau.
In the night 22./23. Stosstrupps of 5./SS”D” keep the enemy busy by blowing up obstacles.

Aren't these the same chaps as the ones in the article about recon mission you posted?

'W., the Company Commander' - Chef 3./SS”D” Hstuf.Witt

'Two men jumped one by one and arrived safely but when the third jumped towards the house, he wanted to say something and then rolled directly before me, W. took a short view: shot in his head, said briefly. L’s steel helmet remained hanging somewhere and was torn off.' L - SS-Mann Lauterbacher

'The patrol leader R. was killed; from the foremost hole, we could see him later hanging in the hostile wire entanglement.' R - Hscha.Guttmann??

Maybe the Kriegsberichter made a mistake?

'G. had a belly shot,' - maybe this was Guttmann?

Regards,

Michal Jungiewicz

[tigre]

Hello Njorl and thanks for that notice, it matches quite well; out of the names, was the same action.

Regarding to the topic posted by Domen (cavalry charges), has anyone here knows something about an attack carried out by the RR 2 (Oberst v. Saucken) at Wyszkow during the first weeks of the Campaign in Poland 1939?. Allegedly the I. Abteilung (RR 2) was resting at or near the town when was attacked during the night by polish forces and got encircled. Then a messenger belonging to the 1. schwadron (Oberleutnant v. Lewetzow), which was on duty while the 2. and 3. schwadrons were resting, could reach the assembly area of the regimental staff (around 10 kilometers away) and gave the alarm. On hearing the news, Oberst v. Saucken led the staff troops in a frontal charge and could free his troops; in the morning the town of Wyszkow was finally seized.

Source: sketchy excerpt from DER LANDSER GROSSBAND 959 - Dietrich von Saucken, von W. Brockdorf.

Cheers . All the best. Raúl M .

[Domen123]

Hello to all, I'll start posting this small unit action here; all of you are invited to contribute as well. Thanks in advance. I hope you find it interesting.

Tanks Against Warsaw
(A passage from Panzer packen Polen”contained in and translated from ‘Em lissant quelques etudes sur la campagne de Pologne, by Colonel E. M. G. Montfort, in Revue Militaire Suisse, January 1941.)

“Attack ! We, the men of the armored divisions, knows what that means. It is the purpose of our existence. Several times already we have attacked successfully over open ground. “But today there is something new. Eight days after the outbreak of hostilities, we are before a city of 1,300,000 inhabitants into which a penetration must be attempted.
“Air reconnaissance has disclosed that strong barricades have been erected to bar our entrance into the city.

Also we are naturally expecting the necessity of having to hight from street to street.
“Our Panzer troops spend the night before the attack under the Walls of the city, in well-protected bivouac, with firing positions organized on all sides. The guard, is relieved frequently, for we do not want to be surprised. From time to time we send a greeting to the city in the form of a shell which bursts afar.

“Five o’clock ! A disagreeable night has finally passed. The company commander returns from the group commander’s headquarters, where orders have been distributed. He calls the section leaders together to acquaint them briefly with the situation, and to give them orders for the attack.

“1‘ am ( Sergeant-major Ziegler) chief of the company command group, and I make up a combat crew, in my tank, with the driver and the radio telegrapher. My mission, with two other tanks, is to protect the company commander and, if necessary, establish liaison with the sections, or reconnoiter.

"Six o’clock ! Moving into place near the line of departure. A faint feeling of apprehension: no unnecessary words are exchanged; only a few brief orders to the driver and the telegrapher interrupt the silence. 1 look out from the interior of the turret, Behind me my good motor throbs and high in the air a few shells whistle. The plan of combat for the company and the order of attack arrive by radio. Our’ nick.name is ‘Buzzard’; and the last words of the order are: Buzzard’ to the combat. March!’

“The tanks roll along. In front of me the company commander. We cross a high barricade to the left. Our sections are visible in the gardens in front of the houses to the left and right. Rifle and machine.gun fire burst forth:
but that hardly disturbs us, accustomed as me are to the sharp sound of bullets which ricochet off the turret We search carefully for the spots from which this firing comes, and we respond to it, suddenly the section leader of the first echelon reports: Two tanks disabled!, Immediately the company commander orders the following section to push forward. This one in its turn is stopped shortly afterward. why? I do not know, I shall learn much later that It passed over mines.

.’Everything vibrates in me; apprehension has disappeared, and the good Stimmung’of attack is created. I ask the company commander for permission to take command of the rest of the sections of the first echelon, because the tank of the Second Section leader, which also hit a mine, has over turned.

“Authorizationt to push forward is granted to me, and I roll forward, Ordering the other tanks to follow me rapidly, Trees, little houses, and barricades are crushed, and the first street has been crossed. As we draw near we see everywhere sharpshooters, trenches and breastworks; but they have been inmediately abandoned by the Poles, so great is their
fear of our tanks. Perhaps they didn’t expect to see us arrive from across a mine field. During all this time the fusillade which is mining down on us from the houses has not ceased. I have my eye at the observation slit and, aided by the driver, I seek the proper road to follow.

“We begin to feel the heat in the tank. Sweat rolls down our faces, and we breath in lungs-full of powder smoke from cannon and machine-gun fire. That hardly bothers us; our nerves are, too taut. Unfailingly the radiotelegrapher maintains liaison with the company commander who is following. The advance continues steadily between houses and across courts into other gardens. Here too, they shoot at us from all sides. A short halt is maded; to orient our selves and to permit liaison with the tanks which.are following.

“Two hundred meters in front of me appears the angle of a wooden barricade which could be used for cover. I shout to the driver: ‘Hannes, full speed ahead!’ and point out the direction to him. The motor gives its maximum; I keep up a steady fire during the rush; the barrier is reached.

A glance through the rear observation slit shows me, thirty yards behind, the company commander. The other tanks are not following. ‘They will come,’ I think; and I order my Driver to press on.

“Another 200 yards and we find a street which leads to the center of the city. We want to take it because I envision the swift effect the mass of tanks would produce by attaining this objective. ‘Hit in the openingr cries my driver. An antitank shell has shattered the observation slit of the driver and broken the protective glass. The driver can no longer see I call to him to change the glass, while I feverishly turn the turret and open fire on a wooden shed from which the shell must have come.

‘.We reach the street. I look quickly behind. Now it is the company commander who is no longer there. In 300 yards three tanks have stopped! Why don’t they come?
The radio telegrapher continues uninterruptedly to give the order to advance. Dripping with sweat, seated down below in his corner, he telegraphs and hands me up drums of ammunition.

“My machine-gun Jams, I withdraw the lock; the socket is broken. Quickly I change the gun. I glance through the observation slit and see a civilian running toward us. A sudden movement of his arm—a grenade flies over and bursts on us without doing any damage He doesn’t have time to throw a second one because my gun cuts him to bits.

“Two hundred yards further along, on a railway embankment, about fifty Poles scatter, running. My machine gun fires again. A hail of bullets” mows down the enemy.
“During this time my radio telegrapher has been ceaselessly calling the tanks which remained behind. Suddenly tuned on the group frequency, he receives the following order: ‘Take command of the company and push forward!’.

What has happened to the company commander? Has he advanced too far without protection?.

“Two light tanks and one medium tank rejoin me. The order is given them to advance with me, and to push along this street toward the center of the city. At my right is the medium tank; behind me the two light tanks. While spraying suspicious points with lead, I suddenly see, halfway to my left in a garden, a burst of flame and I hear the explosion of a shell. The munition depot of a75-mm gun, which was in position ready to fire on us, has been accidentally hit. The entire gun crew has disappeared.

“And now, directly in front of us, an antitank obstacle looms up. There is no way to avoid it; we must cross it. Carefully, the tank on my right aproaches it and crosses. I concentrate my fire on the obstacle. All hell breaks loose ! In front of us several shells burst in quick succession. The 75-mm gun must now be in position somewhere else. I look for it and fire as hard as I can. While changing a magazine I glance around me. The two light tanks are in flames. Is there another gun behind us? May be it’s an enemy tank or an antitank; .qun ! I haven’t time to think very long. An order is given to the tank beside me to return along the road by which we came; and I fire again at the gun in front of me.

“Before turning, the medium tank received a 37.mm shell in its motor, but the shell did not burst. I grit my teeth and press my head against the gunsight, contracted by my search for the enemy. Incredible luck ! One of the tanks in flames gives forth a smoke which protects me in the rear, while the fire of the enemy in front of me continues to fall short. A shell whistles under the tank, tears out part of the motor chassis, and by its explosion lifts us a trifle off our springs.

“My accompanying tank has disappeared, Now is the difficult moment for us. ‘Turn around and go back !’ The driver turns the tank sharply, and plunges down the street passing burning tanks through clouds of smoke, Another 50 yards to cover before we reach the garden. I shoot continuously, raking the street with fire, From one moment to the next I expect to receive the fatal hit, It does not come.

“We reach the gardens and roll onto the principal street. Back of us we hear only a few gun shots and several bursts of machine-gun fire.

“From behind a bush a comrade, driver of one of the flaming tanks, rises suddenly. I open the turret cover, calls to him, and quickly he jumps to safety in to the tank onto the knees of the radio telegrapher.

“A burning doorway bars our path. My driver stops just in front of it; aims directly for it; and at one rush the door flies to pieces. Finally we reach the main road. Several tanks of our group are already assembled here. From the town comes a steady artillery fire which has put several tanks of our regiment out of action by direct hits.

“My turret no longer turns, Perhaps it is owing to the shock of hitting the doorway, or the result of the quantity of bricks which fell on us during the trip between the houses. Upon lifting the turret cover to see better, I observe nearby my company commander leaning against the corner of the house. Impassively, he is defending himself, pistol in hand, against enemy riflemen who are occupying the windows. He, too, jumps into my tank, and we are even more crowded than before, The turret damaged, five men in the tank—battle is hardly an easy matter for us!.

“During the return trip, the company commander told me that his tank was put out of action and his radio telegrapher wounded. He sent the wounded man to the rear, accompanied by the driver, while he remained forward and continued to tight with his pistol,.

“Finally we reach our original line of departure, Some comrades are already there. Their tanks were destroyed by guns or mines, and they returned on foot, They inform me that one of my men is dead, burned in one of the tanks which took fire behind me. His wounded driver was picked up.

“Several tanks of the group come up from behind in perfect order.

“The attack lasted five hours. It failed on account of the city’s powerful defense. ”

I think the german unit mentioned above was the 35 Pz Regiment part of the 4th Pz Division. Regards. Tigre.

Map of the German assault of Warsaw on 9th of September 1939:



Fights took place on 9th of September in general in two districts of Warsaw:

- Wola district (Czyste + Wola)
- Ochota district (Rakowiec + Szczęśliwice + Stara Ochota + Filtry)

1. High scores:

High scores with AT guns and artillery on 9th of September 1939 in Warsaw:

- Starszy strzelec (Elder rifleman) Franciszek Głuszek (aimer) and kapral (corporal) podchorąży Makuś (gunner) from II platoon of AT company of 40 pp (40 IR) eliminated 7 tanks with their AT gun on 9th of September (Wolska street).

- 75mm gun from I platoon of 1st battery of 29 pal (29 light AR) under command of podporucznik (lieutenant colonel) Józef Suchocki (commander of platoon - but he was fighting together with the crew of this gun) eliminated 6 tanks and 2 armoured cars on 9th of September (Grójecka street). Commander of the gun was kapral (corporal) Eugeniusz Niedzielin and kapral Olszewski was the aimer.

- Porucznik (colonel) Zdzisław Pacak-Kuźmirski (commander of 8 company / 40 Infantry Regiment) found 100 barrels with turpentine in Factory "Dobrolin", literally in the last moment before the German attack. He ordered his company to position all of those barrels of this flammable material in front of Polish defensive positions (in front of the first barricade), along Wolska street. When the Germans advance close to the Polish position, he ordered to set fire to these fields of turpentine. First advance columns had no possibility of retreat, farther attacking groups were pressing forward. German tanks, vehicles and soldiers, just were burned. Tank crews - burning - tried to escape from their burning tanks. That was literally hell (although temperature could be even slightly higher). After one hour thing was over - first attack in Wola district was repulsed.

2. Casualties:

Casualties A + B + C:

Polish sources (Polish combat reports from 9th and 10th of September 1939):

Polish defenders along the whole frontline reported destroying 42 German tanks. This number did not include tanks destroyed during artillery fire against concentration of German tanks (before the attack) near Rakowiec - in the map this artillery fire is marked as D.

German sources (memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach - commander of Panzer-Regiment 35. - and German daily reports):

Panzer-Regiment 35. lost 30 tanks destroyed (according to Eberbach they were "partly burned out") and Panzer-Regiment 36. lost 15 tanks destroyed during the day.

[Domen123]

2. Casualties:

Casualties A + B + C:

Polish sources (Polish combat reports from 9th and 10th of September 1939):

Polish defenders along the whole frontline reported destroying 42 German tanks. This number did not include tanks destroyed during artillery fire against concentration of German tanks (before the attack) near Rakowiec - in the map this artillery fire is marked as D.

German sources (memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach - commander of Panzer-Regiment 35., post-war relation of general Reinhardt (commander of 4. Pz.Div.) and German daily reports):

Panzer-Regiment 35. lost 30 tanks destroyed (according to Eberbach they were "partly burned out") and Panzer-Regiment 36. lost 15 tanks destroyed during the day.

Casualties A (Wola district - Wolska street and neighbouring areas):

Post-war relation of general Reinhardt (commander of 4. Pz.Div.) says that Panzer-Regiment 36. lost 15 destroyed tanks in Warsaw on 9th of September.

Situational report No. 4. of commander of 40 pp (40 Infantry Regiment) - podpułkownik Kaladynek - from 10th of September, 20:00:

"On 9th of September 13 enemy tanks were destroyed in the immediate front of [our] positions, and in the farther area 15 damaged tanks and 20 cars for transporting infantry remained - casualties suffered by the enemy in killed should be evaluated in total as 75 soldiers [killed]."

According to Jan Grzybowski - book "40 Infantry Regiment, Children of Lwów, in defence of Warsaw" - page 78, German casualties in this area were:

- around 30 tanks
- 12 armoured cars
- 3 buses

- 15 trucks were taking away / evacuating wounded and killed

4 Panzer IVs were destroyed in Wola district on 9th of September - 2 on Wolska street and 2 on Górczewska street.

Casualties B (Grójecka street and neighbouring areas):

According to Polish reports, 18 German tanks were destroyed in the area of Grójecka street and neighbouring areas.

Casualties B and C:

2 Panzer IVs were destroyed in Ochota district on 9th of September - 1 on Grójecka street and 1 on Opaczewska street.

Both post-war relation of General Reinhardt and memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach - as well as daily reports of Panzer-Regiment 35. - say that Panzer-Regiment 35. lost 30 destroyed tanks in Warsaw on 9th of September 1939.

Men casualties of Panzer-Regiment 35. in Warsaw on 9th of September were - according to daily reports from ww2 day by day by Christoph Awender - 8 KIA (including - according to what Eberbach wrote in his memories - at least 1 officer - commander of 8. company - Oberleutnant Morgenroth) and 15 WIA (including - according to what Eberbach wrote in his memories - at least 1 heavily WIA officer - commander of 1. company - Leutnant Class).

[Domen123]

Some photos from Grójecka street - 1939 (photos from forum odkrywca):

Photos below show German tanks destroyed on 9th of September in Warsaw along part of Grójecka street, between Częstochowska street and Rokosowska street, next to Winnicka street.

Those tanks were those which managed to break through the second Polish barricade in Grójecka street, but were destroyed before reaching the third barricade in this street:

[Domen123]

There are many relations, memories and descriptions of events which took place in Warsaw on 9th of September. Some descriptions from the German point of view can be found in memories of Oberstleutnant Eberbach (one version of this memories can be found for example in "So Lebten und Starben Sie: Das Buch vom Panzer-Regiment 35" by Schaufler), in ww2 day by day by Christoph Awender ("daily reports" section), in "Panzer packen Polen" or in post-war relation of general Reinhardt. Some decscriptions from the Polish point of view can be found for example in "Byłem szefem Sztabu Obrony Warszawy w 1939 roku" ("I was the chef of Headquarters of Defence of Warsaw in 1939") by pułkownik dyplomowany Tadeusz Tomaszewski, in memories titled "Reduta 56" by colonel Zdzisław Pacak-Kuźmirski, commander of 8. company / IR. 40, or in publication by pułkownik Marian Porwit, "Obrona Warszawy. Wrzesień 1939" ("Defence of Warsaw. September 1939").

[tigre]

Thanks again Domen ; great contribution. Cheers . RAúl M .