Battle of Pszczyna


Battle of Pszczyna refers to a series of battles between 1 and 4 September 1939 near the town of Pszczyna during the Invasion of Poland. The battle of Pszczyna formed part of the defensive Battle of the Border. The initial, decisive victory of the Polish forces on September 1, 1939 was followed by the crushing defeat on the next day near Ćwiklice, due to a major tactical error on the part of the Polish military command, resulting in premature withdrawal of the entire Armia Kraków from Upper Silesia.

Background

The battle was fought along the defense belt wide and long, from the west extending to the Polish-German border, and from the east to the rivers Przemsza and Soła. The Rybnicki and Kobiorski forests constituted the north-side perimeter of the battlefield, and to the south, the Vistula river along with the right tributary of Odra, the Piotrówka river provided natural protection. The defensive line some 22 kilometers in length was built by Poland already in 192933, as part of the strategic plan for securing the national border around the Central Industrial Region. The fortifications erected at the cost of 300,000 zł, included concrete shelters manned by the Silesian 23rd Infantry Division. In 193637 two new bridges were built over the Vistula and the Chochułka rivers near Goczałkowice and Pszczyna for military transport, and the supply roads were paved with asphalt in late 1930s. Overall, the defense line seemed sufficient at the time to stop a successful panzer attack. The tactical mistake of the Polish command was the assumption that the attack of the German 5th Panzer Division would require the support of infantry to secure its rear.

Overview

The battle can be divided into four phases:
During the second day of the battle Polish forces suffered a defeat and were forced to retreat. The main reason of their defeat was that the Polish commanders incorrectly predicted the direction of the main German attack on 2 September. As the result, the whole Polish plan of defense failed, because then it became impossible to activate a huge trap, which was prepared for German tanks, called the "big bag" trap, which was weak in front, but strong on its sides - with strong artillery assisting in attacking targets which entered the 'bag'. Also, overmuch certainty after great successes of the previous day contributed to Polish defeat.
Because of their certainty, Polish commanders decided to make "the big bag trap" more shallow - which meant that it was less flexible, and Polish positions would be easier to crush if the defense was not successful - but on the other hand - if the defense was successful, the shallow "bag" would be more effective because the German attack would be stopped faster and with greater casualties for the enemy due to a greater concentration of firepower.
The defeat suffered at Pszczyna forced the Polish High Command to pull back the entire frontline, and cede the territory of Upper Silesia to the Germans.
;German equipment losses and Polish equipment losses and casualties
PlaceGerman casualtiesPolish casualtiesPolish dead
Rybnik7 tanks7+ cars16+ dead
Rydułtowynonenone2 dead
Mszana7 armoured carsnonenone
Branica2 tanksnoneunknown
Łąkafew tanksunknownunknown
Brzeźce13 - 14 tanks and 1 tank surrendered to the Poles and was destroyed1 AT gun1 - 2 dead
Równie4 tanks 1 75mm cannonunknown
Żory4 tanksnone11 dead
Głożynynonenone7 dead
Wilchwynonenone2 dead
Wodzisławnonenone1 dead
Boża Góra/Jastrzębie2 tanks and 4 - 6 armoured carsnone3 dead
Warszowicenonenone2 dead
Kryry3 tanks and 2 more tanks stuck in the swamps nonenone
Wisła Wielka4 tanks1 75mm cannon15 dead
Strumień1 light tank, 1 Luftwaffe recon plane shot down over Strumieńnone2 dead
Unknown placeunknownunknown3 dead
Total 1 September:45 - 47+ tanks & 11 - 13+ armoured cars, 1 recon plane2 cannons, 1 AT gun, 7 cars+65 - 66+ dead

PlaceGerman casualtiesPolish casualtiesPolish dead
Łąkanoneunknown 27 dead
Pszczyna5 tanksunknown10 dead
Ćwiklice17 - 18+ tanks and 3 more got stuck in the mud unknown, but very high - including 6 batteries of light artillery & at least 3 AT guns 226 or 251 dead and estimated 300 - 350 wounded
Stara Wieś3 - 8 tanks unknown9 - 13 dead
Jankowicenoneunknown6 dead
Miedźna1 tankunknownnone
Góra1 tankunknown3 dead
Goczałkowicenoneunknown1 dead
Unknown placeunknownunknownunknown
Total 2 September:30 - 36+ tanks23 - 24 75mm cannons, 4 105mm cannons, 4 AT guns282 - 311+ dead
Międzyrzeczeseveral tanksnoneunknown
Bojszowy5 tanksnonenone
Jankowicenone1 AT gun2 dead
Piaseknonenone1 dead
Unknown placeunknownunknownunknown
Total 3 September:7 - 8+ tanks1 AT gun3+ dead
Rajsko - 4 IX5+ tanks5 AT guns, 4 75mm cannons80 - 83 dead + 11 drown in the river Soła
Unknown place 4 IXunknown2 tankettes - non-combat losses unknown
Grand Total Battle of Pszczyna:87 - 96+ tanks & 11 - 13+ armoured cars, 1 Luftwaffe recon plane2 tankettes, 29 - 30 75mm cannons, 4 105mm cannons, 11 AT guns441 - 474+ dead

Casualty list according to monograph about the battle titled Bitwa Pszczyńska 1939 by Janusz Ryt.
After the long and bloody combat at Ćwiklice on 2 September 1939, German war correspondent K. Frowein wrote after seeing one of the Polish infantrymen heavily wounded: