The Defense of Ochota and Wola refers to military actions undertaken by the Polish Army on 8–9 September 1939 during the September campaign, in the districts of Ochota and Wola in Warsaw. The result was the repulsion of the German assault by the 4th Panzer Division and thus the thwarting of the German plan for a rapid capture of the Polish capital.
On 8 September 1939, German tanks reached the outskirts of Warsaw. Believing that merely their presence would break the defenders' will to fight, General Georg-Hans Reinhardt attempted to capture the city that same afternoon. However, the German tanks advancing along the Kraków Avenue were repelled by the fire of Polish artillery and infantry. The next day, after bringing up artillery and the main forces of the 4th Panzer Division, the Germans launched a regular assault. The main focus of the attack was on Ochota, although fighting also broke out in Wola and at Mokotów Field after a while. The Polish defenders managed to repel the enemy assault, and the 4th Panzer Division suffered the loss of up to 50% of its tanks during its unsuccessful attempt to capture Warsaw.
The defense of Ochota and Wola was the greatest success achieved by the Poles during the defense of Warsaw in September 1939. The repulsion of the attack had a positive impact on the morale of both soldiers and civilians. Combined with the Polish counteroffensive that began at the same time on the Bzura river, it forced the Germans to temporarily cease their attempts to capture Warsaw through direct assault.
Background
Plan West assigned Warsaw a relatively modest role in the event of war with Germany. Polish planners assumed that the fighting would take place far from the capital, and the possibility of the enemy quickly reaching its borders, let alone Warsaw being surrounded, was not even considered. The main military tasks planned for the city focused primarily on repelling Luftwaffe attacks.
On 1 September 1939, Germany launched its armed aggression against Poland. On the night of 1 to 2 September, the German 10th Army broke through the Polish front near Częstochowa. By the evening of September 5, the Łódź Army, which had been defending against the German advance, was forced to abandon its main defensive position and begin a general retreat. Meanwhile, in battles near Piotrków Trybunalski and Tomaszów Mazowiecki, the Germans defeated the not fully concentrated and poorly led Prussian Army. These victories opened the way for them towards central Wisła and Warsaw.
On September 3, the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard, Brigadier General Walerian Czuma, was summoned by the Minister of Military Affairs, General Tadeusz Kasprzycki, and tasked with organizing the defense of the capital. Work began on forming the staff of the Warsaw Defense Command. The next day, General Mieczysław Ryś-Trojanowski officially appointed General Czuma as the commander of the Warsaw garrison. Due to previous neglect by the high command, Czuma had to organize the city's defense from scratch, in conditions of complete improvisation. Worse still, the preparations were disrupted by chaos and panic, caused by the hasty evacuation of government authorities. The situation was further worsened by the exodus of civilians, driven by an ill-conceived radio appeal made by the Head of Propaganda of the Supreme Command, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Umiastowski, on September 6. Ultimately, General Czuma, with significant support from the city's commissioner president, Stefan Starzyński – who became Civil Commissioner of the Warsaw Defense Command on September 8 – managed to bring the situation under control and prepare the city for defense in less than four days.
By September 8, the Warsaw garrison consisted of 17 infantry battalions, 10 light artillery batteries, 6 heavy artillery batteries, and the equivalent of a tank battalion (the so-called Armored-Motor Group of the Warsaw Defense Command, under Captain Bolesław Kowalski).
Polish defense in Ochota and Wola
On 8 September 1939, the Warsaw Defense Command reorganized the defense of the left-bank part of the city, dividing it into three sectors. The districts of Wola and Ochota were included in the "West" sector, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Józef Kalandyk, who also led the 40th Infantry Regiment of the Lviv Children. The command post was located in the Mounted Police barracks at 13 Ciepła Street.
The forward defensive line of the "West" sector began in Ochota, starting at Sucha Street, running along the northern edge of the Mokotów Field, along Wawelska Street, and reaching Opaczewska Street at Ludwik Pasteur Street. From there, it continued along Opaczewska Street to Mszczonowska Street and, crossing the railroad tracks, reached Wola. In Wola, it ran first along Gizów and Redutowa streets, reaching the Koło neighborhood and covering its western edge. This line was defended by three infantry battalions supported by artillery units equivalent to slightly more than a division.
The II Battalion of the 41st Suwałki Infantry Regiment held positions along Wawelska Street (starting from Sucha Street), with its defensive line continuing along Ludwik Pasteur and Opaczewska streets to Białobrzeska Street. Its commander, Major Roman Zagłoba-Kaniowski, set up his command post at 24 Grójecka Street. The individual subunits were deployed as follows:
- 5th Company: Wawelska – Ludwik Pasteur streets
- 6th Company: eastern section of Opaczewska Street
- 4th Company (reserve): Warsaw Water Filters
- Artillery:
- 1st Platoon, 1st Battery, 29th Field Artillery Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): one unit at the intersection of Grójecka and Nieborowska streets, the other at the corner of Słupecka Street.
- 2nd Platoon, 1st Battery, 29th Field Artillery Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): one unit at the intersection of Wawelska Street and Żwirki i Wigury Street, near the Naval Headquarters building (according to other sources – in the square at the corner of Raszyńska and Rej streets), the other at the intersection of Raszyńska and Filtrowa streets.
- Motorized Anti-Tank Company (3 anti-tank guns, 37 mm): northern edge of Mokotów Field, between Sucha Street and Żwirki i Wigury Street.
- 2nd Anti-Tank Platoon, 41st Infantry Regiment (3 anti-tank guns, 37 mm): one unit in the building at 9 Wawelska Street, another in the square by the Radium Institute, and the third in the administrative building of the Zieleniak market.
The II Battalion of the 40th Infantry Regiment of the Lviv Children held positions starting at the intersection of Opaczewska and Mątwicka streets, continuing along the western part of Opaczewska Street, and then along Mszczonowska (on both sides of the Warsaw Cross-City Line) and Gizów streets to Jan Kazimierz Street (including the intersection with Wolska Street). Its commander, Major Antoni Kassian, set up his command post at 11 Sękocińska Street. The individual subunits were deployed as follows:
- 4th Company: buildings along the northern side of Opaczewska Street, then a trench angled northwards with a front facing west, protecting scattered buildings on the western side of Szczęśliwicka Street, up to the Konarzewski tannery at the corner of Szczęśliwicka and Ogrodzieniecka streets.
- 5th Company: its defensive positions began east of Na Bateryjce Street, then ran along the edge of the railway workers' settlement in Czyste, and then along Mszczonowska and Gizów streets.
- 6th Company (reserve): one platoon was positioned at Częstochowska Street, and another at the intersection of Brylowska and Kopińska streets, behind the front-line units. The third platoon, deployed around Niemcewicza and Sękocińska streets and the railway tracks, protected the battalion command post, field kitchens, and transport.
- Artillery:
- Infantry Artillery Platoon, 41st Infantry Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): one unit at the intersection of Szczęśliwicka and Częstochowska streets, the other at the intersection of Kopińska and Skalmierzycka streets.
- 3rd Battery, 41st Field Artillery Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): Gizów Street.
- Anti-Tank Platoon, 40th Infantry Regiment (5 anti-tank guns, 37 mm): one unit at the intersection of Opaczewska and Szczęśliwicka streets, another on the western side of Szczęśliwicka Street, a third at the intersection of Gizów, Mszczonowska, and Gniewkowska streets, a fourth at the intersection of Sękocińska and Szczęśliwicka streets, and a fifth at the intersection of Słupecka, Sękocińska, and Kaliska streets.
The III Battalion of the 40th Infantry Regiment of the Lviv Children held positions from Wolska Street, along Redutowa and Księcia Janusza streets, to Fort Bema. Its commander, Major Antoni Sanojca, set up his command post at a pencil factory on Syreny Street. The individual subunits were deployed as follows:
- 7th Company: Księcia Janusza Street
- 8th Company: Gizów – Redutowa streets
- 9th Company (reserve): western side of the Cross-City Line
- Artillery:
- 3rd Battery, 41st Field Artillery Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): on both sides of Wolska Street, behind the positions of the 8th Company, near a barricade across the street at Gizów Street.
- 1st Battery, 41st Field Artillery Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): on both sides of Górczewska Street, behind the positions of the 7th Company.
- Infantry Artillery Platoon, 40th Infantry Regiment (2 guns, 75 mm): one unit at Wolska Street (near Płocka Street), the other at Górczewska Street, also near Płocka Street.
- Anti-Tank Platoon, 40th Infantry Regiment (4 anti-tank guns, 37 mm): one unit on the left side of Wolska Street, near the barricade, another in the angle of buildings 151 and 149 on Wolska Street, a third in the gate of St. Lawrence's Church, and a fourth on Górczewska Street (on its right side).
- Motorized Anti-Tank Company (3 anti-tank guns, 37 mm): behind the positions of the 8th Company, with two units to the left of Wolska Street (in the area of Gizów Street) and one to the right of Wolska Street (near Redutowa Street).
The second line of defense in Ochota stretched from the Warsaw University of Technology buildings to Szczęśliwicka Street. It was manned by the III Battalion of the not-yet-fully-formed 360th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Major Wacław Niedzielski. The second line of defense in Wola was manned by the I Battalion of the 360th Infantry Regiment under the command of Major Artemi Aroniszydze.
If needed, additional fire support could be provided by two platoons from the 1st Battery of the Warsaw Defense, deployed at the end of Independence Avenue near the Mokotów Field and in the vicinity of Artur Zawisza Square (a total of 5 guns, 75 mm). This meant that the infantry of the "West" sector could count on the support of approximately 20 guns, 75 mm, and several dozen anti-tank guns, 37 mm.
As early as September 5, barricades and anti-tank barriers began to be constructed in Ochota, particularly blocking key routes leading into the city. The civilian population actively participated in their construction. Minefields were laid in the outskirts. Obstacles, fortifications, and mines were also set up in Wola.
Like in other sectors, General Czuma based the Polish defense on the compact urban fabric, hoping to offset the enemy's advantage in armored forces. Polish units primarily manned the main routes leading into the city, while the spaces between them were only guarded by outposts. The course of the fighting proved this to be a wise decision. However, it was a mistake to leave Fort Szczęśliwice unguarded, as the Germans later used it as a base for attacks on Ochota.
Fighting on September 8
Prelude
On September 8 at around 5:00 AM, the reconnaissance company of the 40th Infantry Regiment, acting on the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Kalandyk, sent out two patrols to reconnoiter the approaches to the capital. A mounted platoon led by the company commander, Second Lieutenant Tadeusz Düring, headed towards Ożarów Mazowiecki and Piastów. A platoon of cyclists commanded by Reserve Second Lieutenant Zdzisław Szczudłowski went in the direction of Falenty. Both subunits returned to Warsaw around 10:00 AM, having failed to make contact with the enemy. Two officer patrols sent at 8:00 AM by the II and III battalions of the 40th Infantry Regiment (the first heading towards Rakowiec and Szczęśliwice, the second towards Włochy) also did not encounter any Germans.
Before noon, independent of Lieutenant Colonel Kalandyk, Colonel Tadeusz Roman Tomaszewski, the chief of staff of the Command of the Defense of Warsaw, decided to direct reconnaissance towards the western approaches to the capital. Motorized pioneer patrols and a reconnaissance tank company under the command of Captain Antoni Brażuk set out on this task.
On the same day, the German XVI Army Corps, commanded by General Erich Hoepner, reached Warsaw. Its right-flank 1st Panzer Division captured Góra Kalwaria. Meanwhile, the 4th Panzer Division reached the Pruszków – Raszyn line around noon. Its leading units encountered and defeated Captain Brażuk's reconnaissance tank company. The Poles lost 12 soldiers and 5 TK-3 tankettes.