Battle of Tuchola Forest
The Battle of Bory Tucholskie refers to one of the first battles of the Polish September Campaign, 1939. The battle started on 1 September and ended on 5 September with a major German victory. Due to lack of coordination and poor command of Polish forces and German numerical and tactical superiority, Germans managed to cripple Polish Armia Pomorze and connect mainland Germany with Prussia, breaking through the Polish Corridor[1]
Before the battle
Bory Tucholskie, or Tuchola's Forest, is a large forest complex in north-west Poland. Because of it's difficult terrain it was viewed by Polish side as a good terrain for defence.
Polish forces in the theater were composed of elements of Armia Pomorze: 9th under colonel Józef Werobej and 27th infantry divisions under general Juliusz Drapella, and Operational Group Czersk under gen. Stanisław Grzmot-Skotnicki.
German forces in the theater were composed on the elements of the 4th German Army under general Gunther von Kluge, specifically 19th Panzer Corps (commanded by general Heinz Guderian), and 2nd Army Corps under general Adolf Strauβ. Those units were based in Western Pomerania (west of the corridor).
19th Panzer Corps consisted of 2nd Motorized Division under general Paul Bader, 20th Motorized Division under general Mauritz von Wiktor and 3rd Panzer Division under general Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg. 2nd Army Corps was composed of two infantry divisions: 3rd Infantry Division under general Walter Lichel and 32nd Infantry Division under general Franz Böhme.
The battle
Despite several tactical Polish victories, including the Battle of Krojanty of 1 September, a famous Polish cavalry charge, and the destruction of German armored train near Chojnice, German forces were able to advance quickly.
Not all of Polish forces were in position by the 1 September. In addition, German advance managed to saw confusion into Polish forces, and communication problems meant that Polish forces did not act cohesivly from the first day of the campaign. Poles were forced to abandon plans for a counterattack and forced to retreat, pursuded by more mobilie German motorized and armored troops. As German forces had significant amount of armor support, including over 300 tanks commanded by famous panzer expert, general Guderian. Polish forces, faced with new German blitzkrieg tactics, found themself fighting an opponent that was hard to hurt and moved very quickly.
Most of Polish forces were surrounded by 3 September. Some were destroyed, while others managed to break through towards Bydgoszcz. By the 5 September Germans controlled most of the combat theatre.
Aftermath
Most of Polish forces were destroyed by 5 September. Germans were able to break through the Polish Corridor. Some German forces were ordered to erase the pockets of Polish restistance in fortified areas on Baltic Sea coast, while others continued their push south-east, deeper into Polish territory.
On 6 September Adolf Hitler visited Guderian on that day and congratulated him on his quick progress.[2]
References
- ^ Christer Jorgensen, Chris Mann, Strategy and Tactics: Strategy and Tactics, Zenith Imprint, 2001, ISBN 0760310165, Google Print, p.35.
- ^ Martin Gilbert, The Second World War: A Complete History, Owl Books, 2004, ISBN 0805076239 [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0805076239&id=Y_sfOn8BkOwC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=tuchola&sig=B-eDHWHuI0QVFHP61nYi_a1O6Y8&hl=en Google Print,
Further reading
- Steven J. Zaloga, Polish Army, 1939-1945, Osprey Publishing, 1982, ISBN 0850454174