Battle of Stężarzyce
| Battle of Stężarzyce | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Polish–Ukrainian conflict and Eastern Front of World War II | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Ukrainian Insurgent Army | Home Army | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Unknown | Sylwester Brokowski | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Unspecified |
27th Volhynian Infantry Division
| ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | 2 companies[2] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 23 killed[3][2][4] | 1 killed[2] | ||||||||
The Battle of Stężarzyce or Attack of Stężarzyce took place between the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Home Army in the Volyn Oblast, in Stężarycze, It took place on February 20, 1944.[5][6]
Prelude
On February 11, 1944, the assault group of the "Osnowa" Group of the 27th Volhynian Home Army Division commanded by Lieutenant Sylwester Brokowski "Bogoria" from Sieliska intended to drive out the UPA militias from Stężarzyce, from whose direction another attack on Polish centers was expected. Before the attack on the village took place, it was completely deserted, because the UPA noticed the approaching Polish unit. One UPA member was shot dead.[2] A few days later, the UPA returned to the village, which was an important base for them, and built a system of defensive fortifications.[2]
Battle
On the night of February 20, 1944, two Polish battalions, "Lech" and "Bogoria", taking advantage of a snowstorm, reached the area of Stęzarzyce from the direction of Puzów.[7]
Despite taking great care during the march, surprise was not achieved, as the Polish forces were spotted and fired upon by an UPA outpost located in an outlying group of buildings. Nevertheless, a direct attack was undertaken. In the first line, two companies from the "Lech" battalion were deployed for the assault: the 5th company, led by Second Lieutenant Edward Kubala "Kostka", advanced with two platoons from the north towards the brickyard, along the road to Mosur, while the 4th company, under Second Lieutenant Szczepan Jasiński "Czesław", sending one platoon to circle around Stęzarzyce from the direction of Uściług, approached along two streets toward the brick school and the church, where, according to reconnaissance, the UPA had fortifications. A detachment from the "Bogoria" battalion went around Stęzarzyce to set up an ambush from the Mosur forest side.[7]
At the first sounds of gunfire, the Ukrainian civilian population, which had already returned to the village, packed their belongings onto sleds and, without being harassed, fled toward Uściług. At the signal of red and green flares, a simultaneous assault was launched on the brickyard, the school, and the church. While the brickyard was captured relatively easily, the defenders in the school and church fought fiercely. A platoon led by Second Lieutenant Michał Bubiłko "Wilk" threw grenades at the building that served as the priest’s residence, forcing the UPA fighters to abandon it. Unable to capture the church bell tower, the soldiers used an anti-tank grenade, whose explosion blew open the strong, wrought-iron doors and eliminated the dozen or so defenders of this strongpoint. A light machine gun was captured here and was immediately used in the action.[7]
The brick school building was surrounded by trenches and bunkers, which were difficult to capture. Only after setting a nearby barn and a pile of straw on fire were conditions created for an assault. Under cover of smoke, and with a feigned attack from the west, a real assault was launched on the UPA defensive points. The billowing smoke obscured the UPA’s line of sight, which allowed several Polish partisans to crawl up and destroy two bunkers with grenades. More partisans then broke into the school interior through the blownup doors.[7]
The surrounded UPA soldiers began escaping from the school through the windows, even jumping out from the upper floor. The school was captured after four hours of fighting.[4]
While fiercely defending themselves, the Ukrainians lost 23 killed in Stęzarzyce. Those who managed to break out of the combat zone fled through the forests toward the Bug River. The unit lying in ambush near the village of Mosur did not engage in the action. Due to the immobility required for concealment in the ambush, many soldiers once again suffered frostbite.[4]
Aftermath
In the captured village of Stęzarzyce a Polish outpost of platoon strength was left. In this way the operational base of "Osnowa" was significantly widened.[3][2]
References
- ^ Damian Markowski (2013). Wołyńskie powstanie : epopeja 27 Wołyńskiej Dywizji Piechoty AK (styczeń-kwiecień 1944 r.) (in Polish). p. 146.
- ^ a b c d e f Siemaszko & Siemaszko 2000, pp. 850.
- ^ a b Filar 2011, p. 62.
- ^ a b c Turowski 1990, p. 181.
- ^ Michał Klimecki . Combat involvement of Poland’s 27th Infantry Division of the Volhynia Home Army against the UPA in the light of the 27th’s entire combat trail. p. 5.
- ^ Damian Markowski (2013). Wołyńskie powstanie : epopeja 27 Wołyńskiej Dywizji Piechoty AK (styczeń-kwiecień 1944 r.) (in Polish). p. 147.
- ^ a b c d Turowski 1990, p. 180.
Bibliography
- Turowski, Józef (1990). walki 27 Wołyńskiej Dywizji AK (in Polish). State Publisher. Nauk. ISBN 8301084650.
- Filar, Władysław (2011). "DZIAŁANIA 27 WOŁYŃSKIEJ DYWIZJI PIECHOTY ARMII KRAJOWEJ CZĘŚĆ 1" (PDF) (in Polish). Warsaw.
- Siemaszko, Władysław; Siemaszko, Ewa (2000). Ludobójstwo dokonane przez nacjonalistów ukraińskich na ludności polskiej Wołynia 1939–1945 [Genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists on the Polish population of Volhynia] (in Polish). Warsaw: Von Borowiecky. ISBN 83-87689-34-3.