Warsaw Uprising - Wola 1944 Order of Battle

 

The map of 200 places, where Germans murdered 50 thousand dwellers of the district of Wola during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising.

Soldiers from Kolegium "A" of Kedyw on Stawki Street in Wola district - Warsaw Uprising 1944

A German strike was delivered from the direction of the Wola district on August 5 – 6, towards Kierbedz bridge. This divided the areas controlled by the Home Army forces. In the occupied areas, particularly in the Wola district, the German forces perpetrated crimes of a massive scale on the civilian population (about 25 to 30,000 people executed by firing squad). The areas controlled by the insurgents were split into three as the run of the battle took its course:

The northern area including the cemeteries, the former Jewish ghetto, the Old Town, the district of Zoliborz and the forests to the north of Warsaw

The region of the city centre (Sródmiescie) together with two riverside areas - Powiśle and Czerniaków

The southern region – the district of Mokotów together with the sub-district of Sadyba and the Home Army detachments in the forests to the south of Warsaw

From the first days of the Uprising, a surrogate form of normality informed everyday life - with a food distribution system, and a postal service run by scouts. The insurgent radio station Blyskawica (“Lightening”) made its inaugural broadcast on August 8.

Meanwhile, the Germans systematically reinforced their armies in Warsaw. SS General Erich von dem Bach Zelewski took charge of quelling the rising. By August 20, his forces increased to about 25,000 men. Periodically, detachments from three panzer divisions – the 25th, the 19th and the “Hermann Goering” divisions – were drafted into action. Besides bomber aircraft, the Germans used numerous sub-units of sappers, self-propelled “Goliath” mines and exploding tanks used for demolishing fortifications, rocket launchers and the heaviest artillery (including the 600mm “Karl” mortars).

The last point of resistance in the Ochota district fell on August 11, with the Home Army forces being simultaneously pushed out of the Wola district.

POLISH FORCE:
AK - Armia Krajowa - Home Army
AL - Armia Ludowa - Peoples Army ( communists )
OW PPS - Organizacja Wojskowa Polskiej Partii Socjalistycznej -
Military Organizations Polish Socialisms Party
Group “Radoslaw” and subdivisions “KEDYW”
1. AK “Zoska” - elite force;
2. AK “Parasol” - elite force;
3. AK “Wacek” - 2 captured “Panther”;
4. AK “Broda”;
5. AK “Czata 49″;
6. AK “Miotla”;
7. AK “Piesc” ;
8. AK “Wigry”;
Other units:
1. AK “Igor” - reserve force, 2nd line - poor;
2. AK “Hal” - poor;
3. AL - poor;
4. OW PPS - poor;
5. AK “Pantera”;
6. AK “Waligora” - poor;
7. AK “Waga”.
8. AK “1806″ - secure Stawki warehouses.

GERMAN FORCE:
Kampfgruppe Dirlewanger:
1. SS Sonderbrigade Dirlewanger ;
Kampfruppe Reinefarth:
1. II Aserbeinschanische Feld Abteilung - 8 platoons - “they had no mercy”;
2. “Sarnow” Polizie - Police force;
3. Sondergruppe Geandarmerie “Walter”;
4. SS “Rontgen”;
Kampfgruppe Schmidt:
1. 608 Schiserung ( Posener Ersatz - Regiment );
Other:
1. “Hermann Goering” Reserve Panzer Kp. - 20 “Panther” - reserve tank company Panzer-FJ Division “Hermann Goering”;
2. Pz.Zug No 75 - Armored Train No 75;
3. 6 Ju-87 from 6th Luftflotte;
4. KL Wachtregiment - crew of “Gesiowka”;
5. Pawiak Wachtregiment - crew of “Pawiak”;
6. Wachtregiment Warschau - small elements SS, Schutzpolizie, etc.