tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42134477140516147012024-03-13T14:36:06.234-07:00193970 years ago on September 1, 1939, without a formal declaration of war, Germany began World War II with invasion of Poland.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-1084274133977497882009-08-29T05:54:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:58:35.722-07:00September Campaign - Civilian lossesThe September Campaign was an instance of total war. Consequently, civilian casualties were high during and after combat. Apart from the victims of the battles, the German forces are credited with the mass murder of several thousands of Polish POWs and civilians. Also, during Operation Tannenberg, nearly 20,000 Poles were shot at 760 mass execution sites by special units, the Einsatzgruppen.<br /><br />Altogether, the civilian losses of Polish population amounted to about 150,000-200,000 while German civilian losses amounted to roughly 3,250 (including 2,000 who died fighting Polish troops as members of a fifth column).Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-30905869209847093722009-08-29T05:30:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:47:41.456-07:00Swedish Rockers Invade Poland to commemorate WWIIHuffingtonPost: On Sept. 1, 1939, Poland was attacked by Nazi Germany. Now, 70 years later, a Swedish heavy metal band, Sabaton, is swooping down on Poland lauding the Poles for their valiant effort against the German blitzkrieg that started World War II and captured all of Europe.<br /><br />The band has written a thunderous guitar song about <a href="http://war1939.blogspot.com/search/label/Battle%20of%20Wizna">Battle of Wizna</a> that won the hearts of its fans, and WWII veterans, in Poland.<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-storozynski/mama-mia-swedish-rockers_b_271364.html">more</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/epeQwq-aYV0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/epeQwq-aYV0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-62512042707270171122009-08-29T05:02:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:03:40.820-07:00The shot that ignited EuropeThe Australian: The 70th anniversary of the start of World War II will be officially marked on Tuesday when German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets the prime ministers of Russia and Poland in Gdansk to commemorate the day Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's tanks rolled across Poland's borders.<br /><a href="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25994927-26040,00.html">more</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-14113995405084837552009-08-29T04:58:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:01:04.982-07:00We must not forget the real causes of the warThe Independent: It was Hitler’s invasion of Poland that set off the Second World War war, argues Norman Davies, one of our leading historians. But their suffering and Russia’s part in their fate afterwards still goes unrecognised.<br /><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/we-must-not-forget-the-real-causes-of-the-war-1778973.html">more</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-65759816946336673022009-06-21T10:57:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:49:21.696-07:00Battle of SzackBattle of Szack was one of the major battles between the Polish Army and the Red Army fought in 1939 in the beginning the Second World War.<br /><br />At 8 o'clock in the morning the Soviet tank unit (composed mostly of the T-26 tanks) started a direct assault on Polish positions. When the tanks were only some 500 metres from the Polish lines the Polish anti-tank guns opened fire. Soon they were joined by the infantry and the 75 mm artillery. All Soviet tanks were destroyed and Polish battalion was ordered to attack the town of Szack. The Soviet units were taken by surprise and after a short hand to hand fight the Soviet forces were routed. Only a small part of the motorised infantry managed to retreat, but had to leave behind all their lorries, artillery and 9 T-26 tanks. The Poles also captured the staff headquarters.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Szack">more at Wikipedia</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-12689836373876913692009-06-21T10:10:00.000-07:002009-06-21T10:36:06.463-07:00Bloody SundayOn September 3, 1939, two days after the beginning of the German invasion of Poland, highly controversial killings occurred in and around the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, with a sizable German minority, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. <br /><br />According to the traditional Polish version, the incident is related to the activities of groups of German saboteurs attacking Polish troops behind the front lines. As a contingent of the Polish Army from Pomerania was withdrawing through Bydgoszcz it was attacked by German irregulars from within the city and reported to be engaging enemy snipers. In the ensuing fight both sides suffered some casualties; captured German nonuniformed armed insurgents were executed on spot and some mob lynching was also reported.<br /><br />The killings were followed by German reprisals and oppression, including a "de-Polonisation" campaign. In an act of retaliation, hundreds of Polish civilians were picked at random and executed by German military, including by units of Einsatzgruppen, Waffen SS and Wehrmacht, with further reprisals soon to follow. After attacks by Polish snipers on German troops in Bydgoszcz continued for several days, German governor, General Walter Braemer, ordered the execution of 80 Polish hostages over the next few days. By September 8, 1939, between 200 to 400 Polish civilians had been killed.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1939)">more at Wikipedia</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-13460075319776669112009-06-15T19:06:00.000-07:002009-06-15T19:15:36.448-07:00Romanian BridgeheadThe Romanian Bridgehead was an area in southeastern Poland, now located in Ukraine. September 14, 1939 the Polish Commander in Chief Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz-Śmigły ordered all Polish troops fighting east of the Vistula (approximately 20 divisions still retaining cohesion) to withdraw towards Lwów (now in Ukraine), and then to the hills along the borders with Romania and the Soviet Union.<br /><br />The plan was that the Polish forces would be able to organise a successful defence until the winter, and hold out until the promised French offensive on the Western Front started. However, the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17 made those plans obsolete. As a result, Polish units were ordered to evacuate Poland and reorganize in France.<br /><br />Up to 120,000 Polish troops withdrew to neutral Romania and Hungary. The majority of those troops joined the newly-formed Polish Armed Forces in the West. Until the United States, the Polish army was one of the largest forces of the Allies.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_bridgehead"><span style="font-weight:bold;">more at Wikipedia</span></a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-39524017357080154492009-06-15T08:12:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:53:53.785-07:00Siege of Warsaw<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JcfC5An8VAe669VMS-eEphwAfVKYd7r89PLH9g1WrKfig7LBPvz3-8BExI_A8PwVTPaU0exOxg-fd0aFnFj4RH4NWgsgPDEij9TCxWOep1Ifm0zgeZa2LshoYYldNM7hNzGHZrkyQa4/s1600-h/Warszawa.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JcfC5An8VAe669VMS-eEphwAfVKYd7r89PLH9g1WrKfig7LBPvz3-8BExI_A8PwVTPaU0exOxg-fd0aFnFj4RH4NWgsgPDEij9TCxWOep1Ifm0zgeZa2LshoYYldNM7hNzGHZrkyQa4/s320/Warszawa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347573427282744546" /></a><br />The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Army Warsaw, garrisoned and entrenched in the capital of Poland (Warsaw) and the German Army. It started with huge aerial bombardments by the Luftwaffe starting on September 1, 1939.<br /><br />Land fighting started on September 8, when the first German armoured units reached the Wola area and south-western suburbs of the city. Despite German radio broadcasts claiming to have captured Warsaw, the attack was stopped and soon afterwards Warsaw was under siege. The siege lasted until September 28, when the Polish garrison under Gen. Walerian Czuma capitulated.<br /><br />The Polish Army lost approximately 6,000 KIA and 16,000 WIA. The civilian population of Warsaw lost 25,800 dead and approximately 50,000 wounded. As an effect of bombardment 12% of buildings were turned into ruins.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Warsaw_(1939)">more at Wikipedia</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-85827890065040755522009-06-15T08:05:00.000-07:002009-06-15T08:17:40.673-07:00Sept. 13, 1939 - Battle of ModlinModlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From September 13 to September 29 in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces under the command of General Wiktor Thommée against assaulting German units. This fighting was closely linked with the strategic situation of the Battle of Warsaw.<br /><br />Polish forces: 40,000 men, 96 guns, 7 TK-3 tankettes, armoured train "Śmierć".<br />German forces: 4 infantry divisions, 2nd Light Division, Panzer Division Kempf, 100 aircraf.<br /><br />Polish casualties and losses: 1,300 KIA, 4,000 WIA, 35,000 captured.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-14022414496906666882009-06-15T07:55:00.000-07:002009-06-15T08:18:29.025-07:00Sept. 17, 1939 - Battle of Tomaszów LubelskiBattle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 17 September to 26 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. It was the second largest battle of the Invasion of Poland and also the largest tank battle of the campaign. It resulted in the destruction of the Polish forces.<br /><br />Polish forces composed of Army Lublin, Army Kraków, Army Modlin, Operational Groups Wyszków, Narew and Anders Cavalry attempted to break through the German positions around Tomaszów towards the Romanian Bridgehead area. <br /><br />Only the cavalry group under general Władysław Anders was successful; most of the remaining Polish forces failed to break through and capitulated around 26 September.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-9275818857364453362009-06-14T20:13:00.000-07:002009-06-14T20:34:04.209-07:00Sept. 17, 1939 - Soviet invasion of Poland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABdw2Ank4rKeOUjRle1zTXEK99JSnQ4KmnhAECrHXZo0ThVPGY5UZrQG9cU63lOMN8klF_zU3VLrIa9cX4ZE8b_QvN2h8-scABJqpvnZhXpcEUDJ4jkPzok3WCKdqeQaobF7lBzTdIbU/s1600-h/Soviet_Tanks_invades_Poland_17.09.1939.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABdw2Ank4rKeOUjRle1zTXEK99JSnQ4KmnhAECrHXZo0ThVPGY5UZrQG9cU63lOMN8klF_zU3VLrIa9cX4ZE8b_QvN2h8-scABJqpvnZhXpcEUDJ4jkPzok3WCKdqeQaobF7lBzTdIbU/s320/Soviet_Tanks_invades_Poland_17.09.1939.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347392480008519730" /></a><br />From the beginning, the German government repeatedly asked Joseph Stalin to act upon the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and attack Poland from the east and on 17 September, the Red Army invaded Poland. The Soviet government announced that it was acting to protect the Ukrainians and Belarusians who lived in the eastern part of Poland, because the Polish state had collapsed in the face of the German attack and could no longer guarantee the security of its own citizens.<br /><br />The Red Army entered the eastern regions of Poland with seven field armies, almost 1,000,000 troops. <br /><br />The Polish Army originally had a well-developed defensive plan to deal with the threat of the Soviet Union, but they were unprepared to face two invasions at once. By the time the Soviets invaded, the Polish commanders had sent most of their troops west to face the Germans, leaving the east protected by only 20 under-strength battalions. <br /><br />At first, the Polish commander-in-chief, Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz-Śmigły, ordered the border forces to resist the Soviets. He then changed his mind after consulting with Prime Minister and ordered them to fall back and engage the Soviets only in self-defense.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland"><span style="font-weight:bold;">More about Soviet Invasion at Wikipedia</span></a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-3530931185577641002009-06-14T19:46:00.000-07:002009-06-15T07:50:57.258-07:00Sept. 9, 1939 - Battle of the BzuraThe Battle of the Bzura was the single largest battle in the 1939 September campaign fought between September 9 and 19. It took place to the west of Warsaw, near the Bzura River. In it, a Polish breakout attack gained initial success but eventually faltered after a concentrated German counterattack.<br /><br />It is also noted as one of the last major military actions ever to have been conducted on horseback.<br /><br />Polish forces consisted of Army Poznań and Army Pomorze (8 infantry divisions and 2 cavalry brigades) totaling 225,000 soldiers. German forces included the 8th Army, 10th Army, elements of the 4th Army and the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe (12 infantry divisions and 5 armored and motorized divisions) totaling 425,000 soldiers.<br /><br />Only a few Polish units managed to break out of the encirclement. These groups entered Warsaw and Modlin around 19th and 20th of September.<br /><br />Polish casualties and losses: 18,000–20,000 dead, 32,000 wounded and 170,000 captured.<br />German casualties and losses: 8,000 dead, 4,000 captured, 50 tanks, 100 cars, 20 artillery pieces.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bzura"><span style="font-weight:bold;">[More about this battle at Wikipedia]</span></a><br /><br />After Polish defeat in the Battle of the Bzura the Germans gained an undisputed advantage. Polish forces then began a withdrawal southeast, following a plan that called for a long defence in the Romanian bridgehead area, where the Polish forces were to await an expected Allied counterattack and relief.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-67678124983275951302009-06-14T19:16:00.000-07:002009-08-29T05:40:28.696-07:00Sept. 7, 1939 - Battle of WiznaBattle of Wizna, also called the Polish Thermopylae, was fought between September 7 and September 10. <br /><br />On September 7, 1939, the reconnaissance units of the German 10th Panzer Division captured the village of Wizna. Polish mounted reconnaissance squads after a short fight retreated to the other, southern, bank of the Narew river. German tanks tried to cross the river but the bridge blown up by Polish engineers. After dark, patrols of German infantry crossed the river and advanced forward but were repelled with heavy casualties.<br /><br />On September 8 general Heinz Guderian, commander of the XIX Panzer Corps, was ordered to advance through Wizna. By early morning of September 9 his units reached the Wizna area and were joined with 10th Panzer Division and "Lötzen" Brigade already present in the area. His forces numbered some 1 200 officers and 41 000 soldiers and NCOs, equipped with over 350 tanks, 108 howitzers, 58 pieces of artillery, 195 anti-tank guns, 108 mortars, 188 grenade launchers, 288 heavy machine guns and 689 machine guns. Altogether, his forces were some 60 times stronger than the Polish defenders (720 men including 20 officers).<br /><br />Although the Polish resistance was finally broken, the fortified area of Wizna managed to halt the German advance for three days. The heroic struggle against overwhelming odds is nowadays one of the symbols of the Polish Defensive War of 1939 and is a part of Polish popular culture. The battle is the theme of one of the Sabaton songs on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epeQwq-aYV0">"The Art of War" album, entitled "40:1"</a>, for an estimated ratio of forces on both sides of battle.<br /><br />Also: <a href="http://war1939.blogspot.com/2009/08/swedish-rockers-invade-poland-to.html">Swedish Rockers Invade Poland to commemorate WWII</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-53838850047314596712009-06-06T07:17:00.000-07:002009-06-15T07:51:56.226-07:00Sept. 6th - Battle of Tomaszow MazowieckiOn September 6th in the region of Tomaszow Mazowiecki Polish 13th infantry division fought 2 German panzer (armoured-tank) divisions of XVI Panzer Corps. After whole day of fighting Germans took the city and Polish forces retreated toward Warsaw.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-71204918401096312132009-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:002009-06-14T20:35:41.499-07:00Luftwaffe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisamZ4iWbjvb4LFurOv5KlLkHqejIr3-LNk_0SLs19eOCw0Lk7Xv4D9_xyl3FVV9cMqkbA8_JEvR_L-cRx3uEDF8oiHBKOlSSoJqE98QLqUtDzlUQqy7JCMjBwC0FWsX30XySB_BfxATk/s1600-h/German_plane_bombing_Warsaw_1939.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisamZ4iWbjvb4LFurOv5KlLkHqejIr3-LNk_0SLs19eOCw0Lk7Xv4D9_xyl3FVV9cMqkbA8_JEvR_L-cRx3uEDF8oiHBKOlSSoJqE98QLqUtDzlUQqy7JCMjBwC0FWsX30XySB_BfxATk/s320/German_plane_bombing_Warsaw_1939.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344216658388803906" /></a><br />The Luftwaffe gained air superiority early in the campaign. By destroying communications, the Luftwaffe increased the pace of the advance which overran Polish airstrips and early warning sites and causing logistical problems for the Poles. Many Polish Air Force units ran low on supplies, 98 of their number withdrew into then-neutral Romania. The Polish initial strength of 400 was reduced to just 54 by September 14 and air opposition virtually ceased.<br /><br />The Luftwaffe forces consisted of 1,180 fighter aircraft: 290 Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, 1,100 conventional bombers. In total, Germany had close to 4,000 aircraft, all up to modern standards. Due to its prior participation in the Spanish Civil War, the Luftwaffe was probably the most experienced, best trained and best equipped air force in the world in 1939.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-48042157555739681802009-06-03T15:50:00.000-07:002009-06-15T07:52:28.470-07:00Sept. 3, 1939 - Phony WarOn September 3rd the Allied governments declared war on Germany starting "Strange" or "Phony" war. It was called "Phony" because western allies failed to provide any meaningful support, most notably the failed to respond with an overland invasion from the West as agreed upon with Poland. Great Britain and France did however enforced a naval blockade on Germany and seized German ships.<br /><br />According to the Franco-Polish military convention on the 15th day of the mobilization (that is on September 16), the French Army was to start a full scale assault on Germany. <br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_betrayal#The_Phony_War">more on Phony War</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-45820939711714853642009-06-01T04:50:00.000-07:002009-06-15T07:52:57.940-07:00Battle of the BorderAt 08:00 hours, September 1st, German troops, still without a formal declaration of war issued, attacked near the Polish town of Mokra beginning series of battles collectively called the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Battle of the Border</span>. Later that day, the Germans opened fronts along Poland's western, southern and northern borders, while German aircraft began raids on Polish cities. <br /><br />The main routes of attack led eastwards from Germany proper through the western Polish border. A second route carried supporting attacks from East Prussia in the north, and a co-operative German-Slovak attack by units from the territory of the German-allied Slovakia in the south. All three assaults converged on the Polish capital of Warsaw.<br /><br />The Battle of the Border included the following battles:<br />- Defense of the Polish Post Office in Danzig - September 1st<br />- Battle of Chojnice- September 1st<br />- Skirmish of Krojanty - September 1st<br />- Battle of Royal Forests - September 1st<br />- <a href="http://war1939.blogspot.com/2009/05/battle-of-mokra.html">Battle of Mokra</a> - September 1st<br />- Battle of Pszczyna - September 1-4<br />- Battle of Grudziądz - September 1-3<br />- Battle of Mława and Ciechanow - September 1-4<br />- Battle of Jordanów - September 2nd<br />- Battle of Węgierska Górka - September 1-3<br />- Battle of Tuchola Forest - September 1-5<br />- Battle of Borowa Góra - September 2-5<br />- <a href="http://war1939.blogspot.com/2009/05/september-1-1939.html">Battle of Westerplatte</a> - September 1-7<br />- Battle of Różan - September 4-6<br />- Battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki - September 6th<br />- Battle of Wizna - September 7-10<br />- Battle of Hel - September 1st to October 2nd<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Border">more on Wikipedia</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-41115715784820600322009-05-31T15:32:00.000-07:002009-06-15T07:53:23.731-07:00Battle of Mokra<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknOWNKmJTHW9nsqFTFlCzQGiDORsOknYwg44aqz-TYJcZaipLbj3KJi-5uGUGqTbQdewQOtMaivVo0qv2ahbfDwGxqgLpxtwVzcYCXJ9SBIKsNTNCT6T_nORTmBdv4gczoLozCubqluw/s1600-h/Polish_cavalry_in_Sochaczew.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknOWNKmJTHW9nsqFTFlCzQGiDORsOknYwg44aqz-TYJcZaipLbj3KJi-5uGUGqTbQdewQOtMaivVo0qv2ahbfDwGxqgLpxtwVzcYCXJ9SBIKsNTNCT6T_nORTmBdv4gczoLozCubqluw/s320/Polish_cavalry_in_Sochaczew.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342122399431027538" /></a><br />The Battle of Mokra took place on September 1, 1939 near the village of Mokra, north-west of Częstochowa, Poland. It started at 8:00 am and ended around 5:00 pm. It was one of the first battles of the Invasion of Poland, of the Second World War and one of the few Polish victories of that campaign.<br /><br />The losses on both sides were high. The Germans lost approximately 800 men (killed, missing, captured or seriously wounded), and between 100 and 160 AFVs (at least 50 of them tanks). The Polish brigade lost 200 killed and 300 wounded, as well as 300 horses and several guns.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-52506849672074157172009-05-30T06:06:00.000-07:002009-06-14T20:35:41.499-07:00September 1, 1939 4:40 - first "war crime" of WWII<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hz7oJet9CeFHFwaHYoJauWaRd-Xq-O5WhVvgLYfDwK0HjI2q58TzM1Em31w5vNQM86CeBMl732gnmaWI4R6oOs22EDvzCzxc7xmKiA_9TESnJyq7_Xvy8UGyrIvxdg6Q-WP79OZdRhY/s1600-h/wwii-wielun.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hz7oJet9CeFHFwaHYoJauWaRd-Xq-O5WhVvgLYfDwK0HjI2q58TzM1Em31w5vNQM86CeBMl732gnmaWI4R6oOs22EDvzCzxc7xmKiA_9TESnJyq7_Xvy8UGyrIvxdg6Q-WP79OZdRhY/s320/wwii-wielun.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341605192294802274" /></a><br />The war's first "war crime" committed by the German Luftwaffe took place on September 1st. 1939 in town of Wieluń. The air raid started about five minutes before the shelling of Westerplatte, which has traditionally been considered the beginning of World War II. The bombing of Wieluń is considered as one of the <span style="font-weight:bold;">first terror bombings in history</span>.<br /><br />There were no military or industrial targets of note in the area, except for a small sugar factory in the outskirts of the town. German bombers destroyed 90% of the town center and killed approximately 1,200 civilians, about 8% of the town's population of 15,000. Among the first targets was the hospital (despite a huge Red Cross sign painted on the roof). Some eyewitnesses claimed that the German planes strafed civilians who were fleeing through the streets.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Wielu%C5%84">more at Wikipedia</a>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4213447714051614701.post-21152572358146114212009-05-29T03:59:00.000-07:002009-06-14T20:35:41.499-07:00September 1, 1939 4:45am - The Battle of WesterplatteOn September 1, 1939, at 0445 local time, as Germany began its invasion of Poland, Schleswig-Holstein started to shell the Polish garrison on Westerplatte near the city of Gdansk. <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Battle of Westerplatte</span> was the very first battle of the war. It lasted 7 days. 182 Polish soldiers fought 3,500 German soldiers. <br /><br />Read more on Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Westerplatte">Battle of Westerplatte</a><br /><br />Below you can see an authentic footage of the attack. (Audio is edited.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bfoRhrvTgmA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bfoRhrvTgmA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288700547485932472noreply@blogger.com0