Battle of Grodno (1939)
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| Polish September Campaign |
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The Soviet aggression caught much of the eastern Poland virtually undefended, as most of the Polish forces from the area have already been transferred to the German front. After breaking through overstretched defences of the Border Defence Corps, the Soviet 15th Armoured Corps started a fast advance towards the city of Grodno. Commander of the pre-war Grodno Military Area Command, Gen. Józef Olszyna-Wilczyński together with the mayor of Grodno Roman Sawicki started organizing city defences, basing mostly on march battalions, volunteers, Boy Scouts and police forces.
Ill-equipped, undermanned and lacking any anti-tank artillery, the Polish defenders relied mostly on improvised anti-tank means, such as bottles of gasoline or turpentine and anti-tank obstacles. On September 20 the Soviet tanks of the Soviet 27th Armoured Brigade of the 15th Armoured Corps reached the city's outskirts. Although both numerically and technically supperior, the Soviet forces lacked infantry support and oil, which stopped many tanks. Also, the tank crews had no experience in urban warfare, which was a significant help for the defenders.
The Soviets tried to seize the city from the south, through the bridge over the Niemen River. However, the initial assault was repelled. In the early morning of September 21, the defenders were joined by the remnants of the reserve Wołkowysk Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier General Wacław Przeździecki. After two days of heavy fights, often in close quarters, much of the city centre was destroyed by Soviet artillery. Seing no chance for further defence, on September 22 the remainder of the Polish forces withdrew towards the Lithuanian border. According to Soviet sources the Red Army lost 57 killed and 159 wounded, as well as 19 tanks and 4 APCs. Polish losses, both civilian and military, remain fully unknown (by the Soviets - 644 killed, 1543 captives plus salvages: 514 guns, 146 machine-guns, 1 mortar, 1 antiaircraft gun etc.).
After the battle, the remaining forces of the Wołkowysk Cavalry Brigade broke through the lines of the recce battalion of the 2nd Armoured Brigade in the battle of Kodziowce and headed for the Augustów forest.
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