Polish resistance in Belarus during World War II

Polish resistance in Belarus during World War II
Leaders
Dates of operation1941–1944
IdeologyVarious:
Anti-fascism
Primary:

Secondary:

AlliesAllies of World War II
Opponents

The Polish resistance movement in Belarus during World War II was made up of several groups across the political spectrum, ranging from far-right, such as the Uderzeniowe Bataliony Kadrowe, to the centre-left Bataliony Chłopskie. The Polish underground operated over the whole pre-war territory of Poland, including the Polish territories annexed by the Soviet Union. As non-communist Poles tended to consider the Soviets as occupiers even after the German invasion of the Soviet Union there was some conflict between Polish and Soviet partisans.

Timeline

1941–1942

In the early days of the Belarusian resistance during World War II, the Soviet partisans primarily grew in Eastern Belorussia; out of 56,000 partisan personnel, 11,000 were operating in Western Belorussia, which was 3.5 less per 10 thousand local people than in the East, and even more so (up to 5–6 factor) if accounting for the much more efficient evacuation measures in the east in 1941. This discrepancy wouldn't be sufficiently explained by the German treatment of local people, nor by the quick German advance in 1941, nor by the social circumstances then existing in these regions. There is strong evidence that this was decision of the central Soviet authorities, who abstained from the greater build-up of partisan forces in the west with the intention of allowing Polish underground military structures to grow unopposed in the region, in the context of relations with the Polish government-in-exile of Władysław Sikorski. A certain level of military cooperation, imposed by the respective commands, was noted between Soviet partisans and the Home Army (AK); ethnic Poles were, to a degree, exempted from the terror campaign in 1942.[clarification needed] After the break of diplomatic relations between Soviet Union and Polish government-in-exile in April 1943, the situation changed radically. From then, the AK was treated as hostile military force.

1943

In late May 1943, Uderzeniowe Bataliony Kadrowe (UBK), with permission of the headquarters of the Home Army, concentrated its forces (200 men) around Wyszków. The Germans soon found out about it and surrounded the Poles. A skirmish ensued, in which 4 Poles were killed and 8 wounded. German losses were estimated at 15 killed and 22 wounded. Those who were not caught divided themselves into two groups and headed north, to Bialystok District. On 11 June 1943, the UBK forces under Major Stanislaw Pieciul (Radecki) of the 4th Battalion engaged the Germans near the village of Pawly, in Podlachia. 25 Poles and approximately 40 Germans died.

In July 1943 the Uderzeniowe Bataliony Kadrowe units active in Bialystok District consisted of five Battalions. Altogether, there were 200 fighters, and during a number of skirmishes with the Germans (including the 1943 Polish underground raid on East Prussia), 138 of them were killed. These heavy losses were criticized by the headquarters of the Home Army, who claimed that the UBK was profusely using lives of young Polish soldiers. On 17 August 1943, upon the order of General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, the UBK was included into the Home Army. Soon afterwards, all battalions were transferred to the area of Novogrudok.

On 22 June 1943, Central Committee of the Communist Party of Byelorussia received orders from Moscow to destroy the Home Army in Belarus. From then, the number of conflicts between Soviet and non-communist Polish partisans intensified. One Polish unit was arrested 1 December 1943, and some Polish officers were executed. The unit's commander, major Wacław Pełka, was transported to Moscow.

1943–1944

During the process of reorganization of the Novogrudok area of the Home Army, the Uderzeniowe Bataliony Kadrowe units created a battalion, which became part of the 77th Infantry Regiment of the Home Army, under Bolesław Piasecki. In February 1944 the battalion had around 700 soldiers (some sources put the number at around 500). The unit took part in the Operation Tempest, fighting the Germans around Lida and Vilnius (see: Operation Ostra Brama), where it suffered heavy losses.

The 5th Wileńska Brigade of the Home Army, commanded by Zygmunt Szendzielarz (Łupaszko), fought against Wehrmacht and SS units in the area of southern Wilno Voivodeship, but was also frequently attacked by the Soviet partisans paradropped in the area by the Red Army. In April 1944, Szendzielarz was arrested by Lithuanian police and handed over to the Gestapo. Szendzielarz escaped or was released in unknown circumstances at the end of April. In reprisal actions his brigade captured several dozen German officials and sent several threatening letters to Gestapo, but it remains unknown if and how these contributed to his release.

On 12 June 1944, General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, Commander-in-Chief of the Home Army, issued an order to prepare a plan of liberating Vilnius from German hands. The Home Army districts of Vilnius and Novogrudok planned to take control of the city before Soviet forces could reach it. The Commander of the Home Army district in Vilnius, General Aleksander Krzyżanowski "Wilk", decided to regroup all the partisan units in the north-eastern part of Poland for the assault, both from inside the city and from the outside.

On 23 June, two squads of the 5th Wileńska Brigade, commanded by "Maks" and "Rakoczy", attacked the Lithuanian policemen in Dubingiai.

The starting date was set to 7 July. Approximately 12,500 Home Army soldiers attacked the German garrison and managed to seize most of the city centre. Heavy street fighting in the outskirts lasted until 14 July. In Wilno's eastern suburbs, the Home Army units cooperated with reconnaissance groups of the Soviet 3rd Belorussian Front.

1944: Soviets enter

General Aleksander Krzyżanowski wanted to group all of the partisan units into a re-created Polish 19th Infantry Division. However, the advancing Red Army entered the city on 15 July, and the NKVD started to intern all Polish soldiers.

In August the commander of all Home Army units in the Vilnius area, Krzyżanowski ordered all six brigades under his command to prepare for the Operation Tempest – a plan for an all-national uprising against the German forces occupying Poland. In what became known as the Operation Ostra Brama, the V Brigade was to attack the Wilno suburb of Zwierzyniec in cooperation with the advancing units of the 3rd Belorussian Front. However, for fear of being arrested with his units by the NKVD and killed on the spot, Szendzielarz decided to disobey the orders and instead moved his unit to central Poland. Operation Ostra Brama was a success and the city was liberated by Polish soldiers, but the Polish commander was then arrested by the Soviets and the majority of his soldiers were sent to Gulags and sites of detention in the Soviet Union.

It is uncertain why Szendzielarz was not court-martialed for desertion. It is highly probable that in fact his unit was moved out of the battlefield by Krzyżanowski himself, due to the fact that Szendzielarz's unit has been long involved in fights with the Soviet partisans and he did not want to provoke the Red Army. Regardless, after crossing into Podlachia and Białystok area in October, the brigade continued the struggle against withdrawing Germans in the ranks of the "Białystok Home Army Area". After the region was overrun by the Soviets, Szendzielarz's unit remained in the forests and Szendzielarz decided to wait for the outcome of Russo-Polish talks held by the Polish government-in-exile. At the same time the unit was reorganized and captured enough equipment to fully arm 600 men with machine guns and machine pistols.

After the governments of the United Kingdom and United States broke the pacts with Poland and accepted the Polish Committee of National Liberation as the provisional government of Poland, Szendzielarz restarted the hostilities – this time against a new oppressor, in the ranks of Wolność i Niezawisłość organization. However, after several successful actions against the NKVD units in the area of Białowieża Forest, it became apparent that such actions would result in a total destruction of his unit.

Notable participants

Military units


This page was last updated at 2022-12-26 16:28 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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