Mlawa 1939

German campaigns and battles 1919-1945.

Moderator: sniper1shot

Post Reply
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6960
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Mlawa 1939

Post by tigre »

Hi to all

I'm intrested in the actions of the 61 ID and the 11 ID in the battle of Mlawa during Polish Campaign in 1939. Any help regarding this particular topic would be appreciate. Thanks in advance.

I've some questions also: Did Kempf understand the idea of Guderian? Why the panzers attacked the polish strongpoint at Mlawa? What happened with the germans Ic at division, corps and army level?

Best regards.
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
Zalewski
New Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 3:49 pm
Location: Poland
Contact:

Post by Zalewski »

Fall Weiss 1939 – MLAWA.
The battle of MLAWA;awa was the first combat from many which occured on the Northern Mazowsze in 1939 (Polish territory north of Warsaw). The German Third Army commanded by General Kuchler fought against the Polish Army "Modlin". The Germans had tremendous predominance. In the main sector they had five divisions including one armoured division while the Polish had only one division and two cavalry brigades. Though there was one Infantry Division (8th ID) in reserve, but it was too far to intervene in the operation.
Despite of such a great predominance the Germans did not break Polish front lines because the 20th Polish Infantry Division which defended Mlawaawa position was strengthened by stationary fortifications. Their flanks were situated on swamps and wet soil. The Germans had stormed the defences for over three days before they were able to capture abandoned positions. As the German commander of the 3-rd German Army could not overcome the front Polish positions, he ordered to go round Mlawafrom the south. The army corps of General Wodrig with General Kempf's armoured division were designated to carry out that task. After three days these military units pushed away the Cavalry Brigade “Mazowsze” and attacked Przasnysz and Ciechanów, thereby cutting up the Polish unit. Poorly commanded the 8-th Polish Infantry Division, which was counter-attacking in this place, panicked and left the battle field in confusion. Meanwhile the soldiers from the the 20-th Polish Infantry Division still remained on Mlawa position. The order that they must leave their positions reached them at night. Before the sunrise columns started to march on to the south. This manoeuvre had not been noticed by the enemy. The Germans didn’t recognize the situation until the morning. They were not able to catch retreating Poles so they sent the Air Force to attack and inflicted great losses on the enemy. The 20th Polish ID and the 8th ID (except for the 21st infantry regiment) were defeated and scattered. Cavalry Brigade "Nowogród" and Cavalry Brigade "Mazowsze" retreated without obstacles. All Polish military units were ordered to stop on the line of the Wisla River. The enemy was expected to force the line. But the Germans were not going to attack Modlin. They directed their army on the east to Rózan and Pultusk. After one day of fights they seized suburbs and made impossible to build the unified front based on the rivers lines. In this situation the reserve of Modlin Army was ordered to move back behind the line of the Bug River and to create a uniform defense line there.
After this manoeuvre the left flank of General Fijalkowski's Self-Continental Operational Group "Narew" was exposed. The Group had been fighting since 6th September against German military units which attacked from the north. Poles found themselves surrounded after attack on the south flank and the only direction of a retreat (to the south-east) was blocked by the XIX Armoured Corps of General Guderian whose the 3rd and the 10th AD overcame the Polish defences near Mlawa and went on the flank of "Narew" Self-Contained Operational Group.
In such a complicated situation General Fijalkowski ordered to leave the line of the Narew River and march to Zambrów. He was going to capture the town and to continue the march on the south. Unfortunately the maneuver appeared to be very difficult to realize. Tired of continual fights Polish soldiers were not able to defeat the enemy. Only cavalry brigades ("Podlasie" and "Suwalki") avoided an extermination.
Today, after nearly sixty years we may attempt to make a detailed analysis of those events and though it is impossoble to reconstruct historical realities of those days (e.g. desertions), we may to try to fight the campaign differently. For instance a different army concentration or more resolved military operations of the Operational Group "Wyszków" might cause local success at least. As a Player everybody can command the whole Polish Army so he can direct each battalion or regiment to any chosen by himself place. The Polish commanders who fought in 1939 had no such possibilities. Drawing a simple conclusion we shouldn't assign a commanding to operational groups or armies without simultaneous designation a commander-in chief for such an important front sector.

http://www.taktykaistrategia.pl
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6960
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Mlawa 1939

Post by tigre »

Many thanks Zalewski for your kind and useful reply. Regards. Tigre
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
Post Reply