70 anniversary of Soviet invasion of Poland

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These 2500 KOP soldiers - with almost complete lack of heavy weapons - were to oppose the first strike of the entire 1st wave of Soviet forces directed against Poland - in total 617,588 Red Army soldiers, at least 4959 artillery guns and mortars, at least 4733 tanks and 3298 combat aircraft. Additionally 16,500 Soviet border defense soliders (so called WOP NKWD and border guard):

 

 

All 190 KOP guard houses along the border were attacked almost simultaneously - exactly at 3 o'clock in the morning of the Polish time (and 5 o'clock in the morning of the Moscow time). Most of KOP posts were completely surprised by the Soviet attack and were completely unprepared for defense. Many of KOP soldiers were killed by Soviet bullets and bombs before they managed to wake up, inside their bads. Those who managed to notice the Soviet attack on time, tried to put up resistance but in the face of huge Soviet superiority in numbers and firepower efficient resistance was impossible. After several hours of fierce combats along the border everything was over.

 

Only along the frontline of Belarusian Front KOP posts along the border after the first few hours of war were either killed, captured or forced to retreat. KOP posts facing the Belarusian Front lost 153 killed (8 officers, 8 NCOs and 137 soldiers), 49 wounded and 459 captured (7 officers, 27 NCOs and 425 soldiers - these numbers also include all 49 wounded). Losses of Belarusian Front in this first battle lasting for the first few hours were surprisingly heavy considering their huge superiority - Red Army lost 29 KIA and 111 wounded (in total 140 soldiers). Border guard lost 30 KIA or WIA.

 

Several kilometres behind the KOP posts along the border, there were reserves of KOP - in total around 15,000 facing both Soviet fronts (Ukrainian and Belarusian). Behind KOP there were Polish regular military forces, ad hoc formed units and frontline forces - but all of them were either facing the German army in fierce combats or were preparing to face the German army from the West and building new defensive lines directed towards the West.

 

Video about KOP:

 

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Because it is an important and serious historical event which shaped modern history.

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Wojciech Wlodarkiewicz, "Lwow 1939" writes (pp 185 - 186):

"On 21.09.1939, despite the fact that German units had already started withdrawal from their positions near Lemberg, delayed by the necessity of evacuation of wounded, a German messenger arrived at Grojecka street and once again proposed the capitulation of the city. In recognition of stubborn defense of the city, German side offered to salute the defenders and to allow Polish officers to retain their side arms. The German messenger declared, that 'the capitulation of the Polish crew to the Germans means remaining in Europe, while the capitulation to the Red Army would mean passing through to Asia forever'. It seems that it was a question of prestige for the Germans to capture the city - which had been vainly besieged by their forces since 12.09.1939 - at least for a while."

"On 21.09.1939 in the early morning Soviet side proposed the Poles to resume negotiations. Polish side sent a delegation with lt. col. Ryzinski and interpreter maj. Jan Jawicz to Winniki. During negotiations Soviet side insisted on allowing the Red Army by the Polish side to enter the city, but Polish delegation still didn't have authorisation to take such a decision. In this situation a meeting with general Langner was agreed at 2:00 PM behind the Lyczakowska tollgate. In the afternoon general Langner received information that the Red Army forces had attacked the city and defenders retreated from the most sticking out positions. In this situation gen. Januszajtis on behalf of the Command of Corps District No VI ordered the commander of the Group of Lwow Defense gen. Sikorski to open fire to the Soviet forces after triple warning. When the defenders opened fire, Russian units stopped the attack and retreated.

At 2:00 PM gen. Langner and lt. col. Ryzinski went to the Lyczakowska tollgate but the Soviet general didn't come to the agreed meeting. It was established, that the renewed meeting is going to take place in the same place after 3 hours. In the agreed time limit negotiations of both delegations took place and preliminary conditions of surrendering the city were established. During the night both sides were to specify these conditions in writing, in order to meet again at 8:00 AM of the Moscow's time on the next day, to finally discuss and accept them. The Soviet side guaranteed retaining the current city authorities, safety of live for all people inside the city, retaining the private property and the opportunity of emigration to neutral countries for everybody who wants it. During the negotiations gen. Langner repeatedly underlined that he prefers to hand over the city to the Soviet rather than to the 'eternal enemy of all Slavic people' - Germans."

 

Vladimir Beshanov, "Krasnyj Blickrig", fragments from pages 111 - 115:

 

"Thanks to energy and resourcefulness of the commander of Corps District VI gen. Wladyslaw Langner and the city's president Stanislaw Ostrowski, in the face of massive reinforcing of military forces by the Lwowian youth and thanks to arriving reserves, forces of the defenders of Lwow numbered 24 infantry battalions, 3 cavalry squadrons, company of sappers and many other units. Armament consisted of 78 field guns and 16 AA guns. There was shortage of AT guns, but forces defending the city had got 6,000 machine guns. On 18 - 19 September two armoured trains "Smialy" and "Bartosz Glowacki" as well as three transports with ammunition and weapons arrived in Lwow. In magazines Poles gathered 14 units of fire for infantry weapons and artillery each, food supplies sufficient for almost 3 months, fuel supplies - for 6 months. All conditions necessary for long-lasting defence were created. Despite the fact that civilian inhabitants were suffering from Luftwaffe bombings and each day hundreds of them were being killed, the German Command was vainly waiting for the capitulation of Lwow."

[...]

"During the night from 20th to 21st of September German forces started their retreat. Their positions were taken over by Russian units, preparing to the assault which was to begin at 9 o'clock in the morning. 38th and 10th Tank Brigades as well as the mixed unit of 97th and 96th Rifle Division were attached to the 1st Cavalry Corps. Plan of the assault was simple: 14th Cavalry Division was to attack the city from the north and from the north-east, mixed unit of 17th Rifle Corps and 38th Tank Brigade - from the east, 5th Cavalry Division together with 10th Tank Brigade - from the south and south-west. It should be noticed that even in official combat order Polish garrison of Lwow was called a "fascist organization". Soviet forces occupied assigned positions but in the morning Polish military command announced its readiness to start negotiations. General Langner softened. Especially that the "general directive" of the Polish High Command ordered Polish units not to fight against the Soviets. However, gen. Langner didn't take up any efforts to execute the 2nd point of this directive - breaking through to Hungary - despite the fact that the withdrawal of German forces created ideal opportunity for such action.

[...]

At 14:00 Polish units started to lay their weapons and one hour later dismounted units of the 2nd Cavalry Corps together with tanks of three armoured brigades (24., 38. and 10.) entered the city. For the European citizens of Lwow Red Army, in spite of huge mass of armoured technology, looked like a horde of scruffs:

"Low training of soldiers jumps out: marching units distinguish themselves with low discipline, they are unkempt and dirty. It is visible, that soldiers are badly fed, their weapons are neglected, uniforms are of different colours, even Polish uniforms can be seen, shoes are often tied with string in order to not fall to pieces; many are full of holes. General impression - a band, not an army."

Polish garrison fulfiled the conditions of surrendering, only in several places Polish soldiers who didn't want to surrender opened fire from behind the barricades, but their resistance was quickly put down. Until the evening on 23 September calmness reigned over the city and main Soviet forces entered the suburbs."

[...]

"Polish patriots in London and Paris later accused general Langner for small mindedness and lack of wider thinking:

"(...) Lwow, in our opinion, could have remained in Polish hands two or three weeks more, even up to 10.10.1939. It would have been the longest defence of the last boundary of Polish soil. Moral-propaganda and moral significance of such a defense - in front of the eyes of entire world, attention of which would have been then directed towards Poland - just cannot be overestimated (...) In general the role of gen. Langner in period after 17.09.1939 must be rated completely negatively.""