Polenfeldzug - fighting for Osiek on Sept. 11th 1939

[Njorl]

Hello,

I'm looking for any information regarding German forces that took active role in a day-long fighting for this small town in (now) SE Poland on 11th September 1939. German sources are preferred.

I will post all that I managed to gather from Polish sources - especially memoirs of Col. Adamczyk, commander of 201st Reserve Infantry Regiment (55th Reserve ID), who had been tasked to defend Osiek at all cost to cover the withdrawal of Operational Group 'Sląsk' (later 'Jagmin'; part of 'Kraków' Army) to the right bank of Vistula near Baranow Sandomierski.

From what my Grandma told me (encounter with 2 German mounted soldiers on reconaissance near a village in which she lived, their unit stayed there for night), information found in Polish sources (units that passed through that village) I'm almost sure that it was German 27th ID - backed up by along with some armoured unit possibly from 5. Panzer-Division (which at that time was 'in the neighbourhood' of Osiek) - that tried to capture the town.

Searching through The Forum gave almost nothing, except for the confirmation that it had been 27th ID - see here
BTW, Schultz and Benoit Douville are unfortunately wrong, attributing fighting for Osiek to battling in Bzura area (see this thread).

Any help will be appreciated.

Regards,

Michal Jungiewicz

[Jason Pipes]

I have some sources I can look into regarding this. I will post them later tonight if all goes well after work!

[Njorl]

Wladyslaw Steblik, author of Armia 'Kraków' 1939 monography refers to Wir zogen gegen Polen several times while writing about fighting in and near Osiek (pp. 26-30 deal with these events).

He writes that having faced resistance in Osiek the 27. ID at first commited an infantry battalion with one battery into battle, and later employed 2 infantry regiments along with majority of divisional artillery.

The German regiments had been identified during fight - according to Cpt. Antoni Kurdziel (tactical aide-de-camp of IV special battalion of 73. IR) - Bavarian 74. and 91. IR assaulted Osiek. The corps had been identified as well. In GO "Jagmin" report to army commander about succesful forging of Vistula near Baranow one can read, that prisoners from German 91. infantry regiment were taken (7 corps). This report didn't reach the Army HQ, though.

If he had found more details in VII Korps' publication he would have used them. Anton Detlev von Plato's Die Geschichte Der 5. Panzer Division 1938 bis 1945 is said to have 20 or so pages on Polenfeldzug but so far I haven't get hold of it

Regards,

Michal Jungiewicz

[ericv]

Plato's 5 Pz Div History details the battles 5 pz div fought to the north of Osiec. Notably the plan to cross the Weichsel at Sandomierz.

There isnt much:

On the night of the 10th/11th september the division was assembling to strike Sandomierz when an order from XV corps interfered.
Apparently, strong enemy columns were advancing towards Sandomierz from the southwest.
The mission changed from attack to one of defense trying to prevent the force advancing to Sandomierz from joining up with the one in Sandomierz.

At 05:30 11-9-39, 5 pz div was ready for defense (abwehrbereit as the germans call it). SR 13, SR 14 and AA 8 were positioned to the north of Osiec on al line along the river Gorzyczinka, stretching from Samborzeg (SR 14) to Klimontow (AA , SR 13 between them.
Division Artillery started bombarding the Tarnobrzeg Weichsel crossing (a couple of miles to the east of Osiec) around this time , apparently with some measure of succes.

Around 09:30 it was apparent that the advancing force was trying to cross the Weichsel to the south of Sandomierz instead of joining up with the force in Sandomierz, whereupon 5 PzDiv in accordance with Hoth, decided to go ahead with the orginal attack, whose objective was to capture the Sandomierz crossing.
(Reconaissance, done by SR 14 during the assembly for the attack, however reported strong MG and Artillery on the East Bank of the Weichsel, so the attack was postponed to the next day. By then it was too late however. At 16:10 on the 11th the road bridge was blown up at Sandomierz, at 08:00 the next day the railroad bridge was also blown up.)

In the end only a few minor engagements were fought between 5 pz div and the polish force near Osiec.
These were:
At 14:00 on the 11th, AA 8 attacked a motorised column near Osiec. This skirmish lasted until 15:30, the polish force retreated eastwards towards the Weichsel. No mention is made what unit this was however.
A company of SR 14 captured 50 prisoners and an artillery battery during a reconaissance around the same time. in a forest 3 km west of Bukowa (a couple of miles to the northwest of Osiec.)

The only further mention of Osiec is that it was reached by the 27th Inf Div around 12:00 on the 12th. The 68th Inf Div positioned itself between this Div and 5 PzDiv near Klimontow around this time.

AA = Aufklärungsabteilung
SR = Schützenregiment

regards

Eric

[Njorl]

Thank you kindly Eric,

From a memory - the Polish motorized column was most probably the pontoon column (company sized) of Army's engineer battalion. The most badly needed to set up a bridge on Vistula So Poles were forced to build a new one for artillery and supply vehicles and fix the other one previously blown up on Gen. Piasecki's order at first sight of German forces on the first sight of their presence on northern bank.

The battery mentioned was most probably a battery of I./65 Light Artillery Regiment. It was later reclaimed in counterattack but manpower losses were appaling.

Polish forces give information about ca. 120 Germans taken prisoner in Osiek during one of Polish counterattacks. Will it be right to accept they were from 74. and 91. IRs?

Regards,

Michal Jungiewicz

PS. As I'm plan to be ill and will have extra spare time I'll post more over the wekend.

[ericv]

Join the club Michal, i've been ill for a week now. Didnt really plan on it though

I think it's indeed fair to say that it was the 27th infantry division that suffered these losses. I haven't got any sources or details concerning this division or the 68th however so i can't say for sure.
The other 14th Army armycorps were operating much farther to the south, so their divisions can be safely ruled out.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; although late may be someone finds it interesting.......................

The hard fighting by Osiek - Sep 11, 1939.

The 5 Pz was chasing the remnants of the Polish 22 DP and 23 DP which withdrew towards Sandomierz. The 27 ID was marching to Busk when on September 11 arrived the Army Corps' Order (VII AK) for the Vistula crossing. The IR 40 followed behind the IR 91 by Sielec - Rytwiany towards Osiek. After departing from Rytwiany the regiment marched thru a wooded land which seemed had no end. Already during the march reached the regiment the news that Osiek was strongly manned by the enemy, which attacked IR 91 with artillery support. The I./ AR 27 did it best and the guns' crews engaged the Polish attackers in direct fire at the first line. The infantrymen and the artillerymen fought shoulder to shoulder there.

Meanwhile the IR 40 came in order to help the IR 91. By twilight the II./ IR 40 reached the edge of the forest. Already in the night the regiment (IR 40) occupied its readiness area in order to assault Osiek at dawn; the bulk of the artillery would furnish fire support to the attack. The few hours of the night were still exploited and reconnaissance patrol were sent ceaseless. Around 03:00 hours the spähtrupp of Uffz. Gretschmann reported that the enemy had evacuated Osiek........

At 06:00 hours the german artillery unleashed its fire and the I. and II. Battalions jumped out to the attack against Osiek. The enemy had retreated and the advance proceeded by Dlugoleka up to the Vistula river bank. At 09:40 hours the II./ IR 40 reached the bridge west of Baranow; the bridge itself had been blown up by the Poles.

Sources: Die Vierziger. Chronik des Regiments. Joseph Dinglreiter. Kameradschaft Regiment, 1959
WW2 German soldiers Photo Album, early days in Poland. http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/index.php

Hope be useful. Cheers. Raúl M .

[Njorl]

Already during the march reached the regiment the news that Osiek was strongly manned by the enemy, which attacked IR 91 with artillery support. The I./ AR 27 did it best and the guns' crews engaged the Polish attackers in direct fire at the first line. The infantrymen and the artillerymen fought shoulder to shoulder there.

Ahem, I thought that I.R. 91 wanted to capture Osiek (defended by 201 pp rez. from 55 DP rez.), not that it only defended itself against Polish forces that had their positions there.

And 23 DP was not in that bad shape.

It was quite a battle at least in terms of Polish campaign. Whole day long, with a few turns. Whole artillery of GO "Jagmin" was at stake.

There were 90+ KIA on German side. Probably mainly in III./I.R. 91. Strangely enough German documents give here totally different data as to which regiment suffered loses. Polish loses were higher - ca. 125 KIA. 201 pp rez. lost 98 KIA, but this regiment bore the biggest burden of fighting for Osiek.

Regards,
MJU

[tigre]

Hello to all ; just a few clarifications after reading again this part of the story.........

The 5 Pz was chasing the remnants of the Polish 22 DP and 23 DP which withdrew towards Sandomierz

Scattered parts of the Polish 22. DP and 23. DP which had fought with the Detachment Schneider, still opposing bitter resistance to the VIII AK. The bulk of the Polish forces moved towards Sandomierz. The 5 Pz had been brought forward in order to annihilate this enemy.

Ahem, I thought that I.R. 91 wanted to capture Osiek

and you thought well my friend..........

Already during the march reached the regiment the news that Osiek was strongly manned by the enemy, which attacked IR 91 with artillery support.

Already during the march reached the regiment (IR 40) the news that Osiek was strongly occupied by the enemy, which created great difficulties to the IR 91 which was attacking them with artillery support. Osiek was burning by all sides.

The I./ AR 27 did it best and the guns' crews engaged the Polish attackers in direct fire at the first line. The infantrymen and the artillerymen fought shoulder to shoulder there

The I./ AR 27 did it best and the guns' crews engaged the Polish in direct fire at the first line. The infantrymen and the artillerymen fought shoulder to shoulder there. At last both front-line battalions could halt the enemy counterattack.

Sources: Die Vierziger. Chronik des Regiments. Joseph Dinglreiter. Kameradschaft Regiment, 1959

My first quick summary was to short indeed. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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

The hard fighting by Osiek - Sep 11, 1939.

See below a map of that area.....................

Sources: Wir zogen gegen Polen.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; I've found this regarding this subject...........

A casualty from the fighting at Osiek, a Gefreiter belonging to the IR 91.

Source: in the picture.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more on this...........

Another casualty from the fighting at Osiek, a Gefreiter in one infantry regiment who was killed with 19 years.

Source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Sterbebild-2-Wk- ... 5896929eba.

Cheers. Raúl M .