Airborne Ops in Poland 1939.

[tigre]

Hello to all.

I'm trying to find out some accounts with regards to the operations carried out by the 16 Infanterie Regiment (Luftlande)/22 ID during the Bzura battle on 12 sep 1939 and also those developed by the FJR 1 in the Polish front. Thanks in advance and greetings from Argentina. Tigre.

[Jan-Hendrik]

Nothing found about that in "Deutsche Fallschirmjäger 1939-45"

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... r/IR16.htm

reports : no active use of IR 16 in Poland 1939

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... r/FJR1.htm

reports only about heavy fights of III.Btl. near Radom , but Radom is far away from Bzura ...

Jan-Hendrik

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello Tigre!

Here's a short account of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 in Poland 1939. It's taken from the book "Die Fallschirmjäger-Chronik 1935-1945" by Erich Busch (1983):

The war started on September 1, 1939. For reasons of secrecy, the units of the 7. Flieger-Division did not make an airborn assault. Only parts of the Division participated in the campaign. The III./FJR 1, which was transported by air to Poland, fought in the middle of September agains parts of an encircled polish division nort of Radom. The II./FJR 1 fought shortly at the end of the month against a polish artillery regiment at Wola-Gulowska. On September 24, the batallion had the first Fallschirmjäger casulties in the war.

Since I translated from german to english, eventual mistakes are mine...


Regards,

Krollspell

[tigre]

Hello; first of all, thanks Doktor Krollspell and Jan-Hendrik for the info that both of you provided me.

All clear about the 1 FJR but with regards to the 16 IR I finally could get anew a copy of the Dietrich v. Choltitz's book "Soldier amid/among/between soldiers" (I do not know which is the correct adverb) and the autor stated in it that, in the morning of 12 sep 1939 the regiment received the orden to leave (from a place in Silesia not mentioned). The flight gathered above the airport and after that the wave flew towards Posen and then headed southeast to Lodz for filling a gap between the german forces there (8º Army) in order to avoid a Polish penetration in that area. The unit landed onto a harvested camp behind friendly lines. Later was deployed amid a bavarian and a saxony division in order to help crossing the Bzura river. They fulfilled the task given with eagerness. Nevertheless the autor pointed out that was not a great action (Taking in account the Bzura battle as a whole).

May be for that reason there is nothing more written about this little tactic engagement.

Regards. Tigre.

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello again Tigre!

I found some additional detailed information about the combat debut of FJR 1 in Poland. The III. batallion was ordered by General von Richthofen, CO of VIII. Flieger-Korps, to comb through the forrest at Sucha, near Radow, from were a polish Cavalry Division threatened von Richthofens forward HQ. The Batallion commander, Oberstleutnant Sydow had no prior intelligence to go on since no reccon had been made in these woods. He sent in two platoons from the company commanded by Oberleutnant Dunz on Spetember 13. When they encountered the polish unit, Oberleutnant Dunz was seriously wounded and Sydow had to send in two more platoons from another company to save the day (and Oberleutnant Dunz).
In the words of Arnold von Roon: "Aufklärung ist nötig, auch wenn sie Zeit kostet!".

Parts of II./FJR 2 had as a mission during the campaign in Poland to transport polish raw material from eastern Poland to western Poland. Among other materials, there where Quicksilver and Copper for industrial use. This was to cheat the Russians of it since these materials laid behind the demarkation line between the German and the Russian armies.

Source: "Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-1945" by Arnold von Roon (1985).


Regards,

Krollspell

[tigre]

Hello Doktor Krollspell, thanks for giving me this additional info and for the time you've spent researching about the topic. Best wishes and regards. Tigre.

[Pirx]

What i know fj unit was used to secure captured airbase in Deblin near Pulawy. I don't know waht unit it was.

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello Pirx!

According to the above mentioned book by Erich Busch, the FJ units in Deblin airbase were the I./FJR 2 that was transported with Ju 52's to Deblin and also the 5. and 6. Kompanie of II./FJR 2. Apparently, they didn't meet any noteworthy resistance. These units left for the Reich in early October...


Regards,

Krollspell

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little complement.......................

Wola Gulowska.

On September 22, 1939, the II/FJR1 was ordered by the 7. Aerial Division to move towards the airbase of Ulenz (at the junction Demblin-Brest) 19 km due east-northeast, having the mission of securing valuable equipment and war materials that were left behind and also clean the surrounding forests of Polish troops.

The airfield was located 9 km ahead of the security line established by the German Army (IR 93) ... a reconnaissance patrol had reported that there was a Polish force near Lendo .. an attempt to intercept these troops was not successful and the Poles had retreated to Walentinow, an hour before the battalion arrival .. Near Leopoldow, 8 km northwest of Ryki, the battalion captured a train loaded with war material .. on the afternoon of September 23, an ethnic German inhabitant of the German colony of Jozefow (5km northeast Adamów) .. reported that there were 500 men (from the Polish cavalry and artillery) in the forest east of Okrzeja.

Sources: Army Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album. Viernes, 26 de Junio de 2009, 17:28:02
Das III Reich – Sondersheft 07. Die Deutsche Fallschirmtruppe 1939-45.
Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Dörfler.
http://www.fallschirmjaeger.de/Geschichte/gescht~1.htm
Red Shines the Sun. Eric Queen
http://www.photo-war.com/eng/archives/listalbum31.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more..........................

The FJR 1’s history. From Polizeiabteilung to Poland 1939.

Wola Gulowska – Sep 1939.

Realizing that the presence of Polish forces just 12 kilometers from his location posed a great threat, on the evening of September 23, Hauptmann Prager ordered his company commanders to surround the forest east of Okrzeja and clean it of Polish troops. .. the beginning of the attack was scheduled for 11:30 hours on the morning of the 24 .. a Polish Captain was standing in an open area without any weapons, opposite the village church (Wola Gulowska).

Oberleutnant Bohmler took him prisoner and ordered him into the car, suddenly the Polish Captain raised his arms several times. Bohmler and his men began receiving small-arms fire from all sides .. the Polish Captain was shot dead in a matter of moments, the group of Bohmler suffered three dead and eight wounded (two of them died soon after).

Sources: Army Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album. Viernes, 26 de Junio de 2009, 17:28:02
Das III Reich – Sondersheft 07. Die Deutsche Fallschirmtruppe 1939-45.
Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Dörfler.
http://www.fallschirmjaeger.de/Geschichte/gescht~1.htm
Red Shines the Sun. Eric Queen
http://www.photo-war.com/eng/archives/listalbum31.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more..........................

The FJR 1’s history. From Polizeiabteilung to Poland 1939.

The Polish campaign - September 1939.

Wola Gulowska – Sep 1939.

At 09:15 hours when informed of the situation, Hauptmann Prager decided immediately to turn west and enter Wola Gulowska ... where came under small arms fire from the steeple of the church and the houses surrounding the town’s entrance.. the garden beside the church and some houses nearby were cleared with hand grenades ... The fight lasted 15 minutes and shortly after arrived there the regiment commander, Oberst Bruno Brauer, who told Hauptmann Prager that the 3rd Battalion was under way. The III. / FJR 1 arrived around noon and then Oberst Brauer ordered both formations to make a thorough combing of the entire forest.

In total, the 2nd Battalion suffered 21 casualties, 8 KIA and 13 WIA.

Sources: Army Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album. Viernes, 26 de Junio de 2009, 17:28:02
Das III Reich – Sondersheft 07. Die Deutsche Fallschirmtruppe 1939-45.
Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Dörfler.
http://www.fallschirmjaeger.de/Geschichte/gescht~1.htm
Red Shines the Sun. Eric Queen
http://www.photo-war.com/eng/archives/listalbum31.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; the end..........................

The FJR 1’s history. From Polizeiabteilung to Poland 1939.

The Polish campaign - September 1939.

Wola Gulowska – Sep 1939.

Burial of the fallen comrades - Fort of Iwangorod.

Sources: Army Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album. Viernes, 26 de Junio de 2009, 17:28:02
Das III Reich – Sondersheft 07. Die Deutsche Fallschirmtruppe 1939-45.
Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Dörfler.
http://www.fallschirmjaeger.de/Geschichte/gescht~1.htm
Red Shines the Sun. Eric Queen
http://www.photo-war.com/eng/archives/listalbum31.htm

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more..........................

The FJR 1’s history. From Polizeiabteilung to Poland 1939.

Wola Gulowska - September 1939.

Graves of the fallen comrades (II./ FJR 1) at Fort Ivangorod.......................

Sources: http://odkrywca.pl/wola-gulowska-i-niem ... 95795.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more..........................

Paratroopers and airborne troops in Poland 1939.

In action - The FJR (Fallschirmjäger-Regiment) 2!

After the beginning of the Campaign in Poland in September 1939, the battalions of the parachute regiment were transported by air to Poland. The I. / FJR 2 landed in the area of ​​Deblin - Irena on the Vistula. Once there, it was given the task of evacuating from the Ivangorod citadel to the western edge of the Vistula day and night materials such as mercury, copper and other valuable raw materials for industrial use, since the Vistula was the Demarcation Line with the Soviets, advancing from the east.............

While the II./ FJR 2 operated in the south and east of Poland and in the east of Slovakia in Zipser Neudorf, Sanok and the Dukla Pass. The 5th and 6th Companies landed at the Deblin airfield. The missions were developed without appreciable enemy contact, in mid-October, all the units met again in their peace garrisons...................

Sources: [Motorbuch Verlag] - Deutsche Falschirmjager im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn.
Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon [Dörfler]
Jump into hell. German paratroopers in World War II. Franz Kurowski.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... FJR2-R.htm
http://www.fallschirmjaeger.de/Geschichte/gescht~1.htm

Cheers. Raúl M .