Warszawa II (11 page)

A PanzerbefehlsWagen III ausf M has fallen through a bridge. The crew had a huge job in front of them, either to lift it up and transport it back to their unit, or destroy it so that it did not fall into the hands of the Russians. Eastern Poland, August 1944. (Leandoer & Ekholm Archive).

Soviet units crossing the Wisła at Puławay in August 1944. In the foreground is an amphibious vehicle, model Ford GPA (WAF)

A command vehicle, PzBfWg V Sd Kfz 267 “Panther” (tactical number “R 02”), from the command company, SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 “Wiking”, August 1944. On the right, a KIPzBfWg Sd Kfz 265 from Panzer-Regiment 35. (MWP)

At the same time, the Soviet the 16th Tank Corps, which fought side by side with the 73rd Infantry Division, slowly began to approach Praga. Once in the vicinity of the city, Soviet units were fiercely attacked by the German infantry supported by a small number of armoured vehicles. The commander of the corps, General Dubovoj, however, did not regard these troops as being particularly threatening. Despite this, he complied with General Radzjijevskij's three-day-old order, making it clear that the tank corps alone did not have permission to storm the buildings inside the city. Thus the 16th Tank Corps waited in Międzyleś and Zbytki for the arrival of the 125th Rifle Corps out of the 47th Army. To better the 2ndTank Army's situation, General Dubovoj renewed the attack on the area of Zakręt – and after it was seized, he dispatched the 73rd Infantry Division to the Zastowski-Forest which lay between Anin and Stara Miłosna. Outside Zakręt, the 16th Tank Corps linked up with the 8th Tank Guards Corps' left flank. Despite the 3rd Tank Corps' difficult situation, the 109th Tank Brigade from the 16th Tank Corps withdrew to the army reserve at the rear of the front.

Two Panther tanks from the 4th Panzer-Division east of Warsaw at the beginning of August 1944. Note the extra camouflage which is draped on both vehicles. Apparently, the Luftwaffe wasn't totally to be relied on! (Leandoer & Ekholm Archive)

On August 3, Gruppe “von Saucken” placed even more pressure on General Vjedjenjejev's increasingly weakened 3rd Tank Corps. After the tank attacks, came aerial assaults with SG 1s and SG 77s, along with intensive artillery bombardment. However, the Soviet troops were not completely chanceless. What they plainly lacked were fuel and ammunition, but around Wołomin they organised a defence by making use of close to 100 tanks. The terrain was favourable to making anti-tank ambushes, but the fighting was hindered by hilly terrain and marshy wet lands. General von Saucken attacked from the north with a Kampfgruppe from the 4thPanzer-Division; from the west with the 19th Panzer-Division and a portion of the “Herman Göring”; and from the east with units from the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division “Totenkopf.” The 5th SS-Panzer-Division “Wiking” attacked the 8th Tank Guards Corps east of Okuniew. General Popov's forces also launched offensives. The Soviet forces tried to improve their situation along the Michałów-Okuniew-Sulejówek line. Controlling this line would ensure contact with those units fighting at Wołomin.

For the entire day, the 3rd Tank Corps held their positions outside Wołomin at the cost of some tens of tanks, but they also caused significant losses to the German forces. Reports from Gruppe “von Saucken” tell of heavy fighting having taken place. In Gruppe “Herman Göring's” daily report, special mention is made of the III Panzer-Abteilung “Herman Göring” 10th Company, under Captain Bellinger's command, which apparently had destroyed as many as 36 enemy tanks. Panzer-Regiment 35 from the 4th Panzer-Division reported the elimination of 14 Soviet tanks. However, in the commander of the 2nd Panzer-Army's report made some four weeks later it states that, on the day of the engagement at Wołomin, 47 tanks were lost as well as six 7.62 cm guns, two 5.7 cm guns, a 12 cm mortar, two motorcycles (footnoted as having been crushed), seven 8.2 cm mortars, along with 12 vehicles. By that evening, it was apparent to General Vjedjenjejev that it would be impossible to hold the town any longer. He ordered his troops to withdraw south through Leśniakowizna. During the night of August 3, the Soviet troops left Wołomin and after having marched through the woods along the Długa Brook, they reached the 8th Tank Guards corps' position. A part of the heavy war-equipment was evacuated, among other things, some tens of tanks. These were probably driven away on a forest road via Łysa Góra.

Command tank, PzBfWg V “Panther” Sd Kfz 267, from the company staff's Panzer-Regiment 35. The photo is probably taken during fighting in the vicinity of Radzymin during the first ten days in August 1944. (MWP)

A command vehicle PzBfWg V “Panther” Sd Kfz 267 from the Company Staff's Panzer-Regiment 35. The picture is probably taken during fighting in the vicinity of Radzymin during the first ten days of August 1944. (MWP)

On the morning of August 4, General von Vormann informed General Field Marshal Model that the 3rd Tank Corps had been destroyed, although it actually had not been completely neutralised. The commander of Heeresgruppe “Mitte” made a mistake here caused by the successive and, for every passing day, increasingly serious crisis emerging outside Magnuszew. At this point in time, the most vital concern for Model was the 8th Guards Army's attack on his frontline troops. On August 3, the enemy had namely concentrated nearly nine rifle divisions, a tank brigade, plus two “assault-gun and tracked-artillery” regiments on the German forces. He then gave the order that the combat forces in Gruppe “von Saucken” be divided into two independent combat forces. A portion of the 19th Panzer-Division, together with “Hermann Göring,” would cross over the Wisła at Pilica while two Waffen-SS panser divisions would guarantee that stability was maintained in moving towards Praga. The 4thPanzer-Division was also to be withdrawn.

A tank, model PzKpfw V Sd Kfz 171 “Panther” Ausf. G, from the I Panzer-Regiment 35, August 1944. (MWP)

A tank, model PzKpfw V Sd Kfz 171 “Panther” (“800”), belonging to the commander of the 8th SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 “Wiking,” SS-Obersturmführer Karl Nicolussi Leck, Radzymin region August 1944. (ADM)