Battle of Modlin

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Battle of Modlin
Part of Invasion of Poland (1939)
Ruins of the southern bridgehead
Date September 13 to September 29, 1939 Location Modlin village, Modlin Fortress Result German victory
Combatants
Poland	Nazi Germany
Commanders
Wiktor Thommée	Hermann Hoth Adolf Strauss Werner Kempf
Strength
40,000 men (peak) 96 guns 7 TK-3 tankettes Armoured train "Śmierć"	4 infantry divisions 2nd Light Division Panzer Division Kempf 100 aircraft [1]
Casualties
1,300 KIA 4,000 WIA 35,000 captured	Unknown

Invasion of Poland

Westerplatte – Danzig – The Border - Krojanty – Lasy Królewskie – Mokra – Gdańsk Bay – Pszczyna – Mława – Tuchola Forest – Jordanów – Borowa Góra – Mikołów – Węgierska Górka – Tomaszów Mazowiecki – Wizna – Łódź – Przemyśl – Piotrków – Różan – Radom – Łomża – Wola Cyrusowa – Warsaw – Gdynia – Hel – Bzura – Jarosław – Kałuszyn – Węgrów – Wilno – Lwów – Modlin – Kobryń – Brześć – Kępa Oksywska – Tomaszów Lubelski – Wólka Węglowa – Kampinos Forest – Janów, Wereszyca, and Hołosko – Krasnystaw – Grodno – Cześniki – Krasnobród – Władypol – Szack – Wytyczno – Parczew – Kock

During the Invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War, Modlin Fortress was a headquarters of the Modlin Army until it retreated eastwards. From September 13 to September 29, 1939 it was defended by Polish forces under the command of general Wiktor Thommée against assaulting German units. During that time, the fighting was closely connected with the strategic situation of the Battle of Warsaw.

Among Polish forces defending the fortress was the armoured train 'Śmierć' (death). Modlin anti-aircraft battery was the one that shot down the most Luftwaffe planes in September. Modlin capitulated on September 29, as one of the last Polish units to remain operational during the campaign.

[edit] External link

• Modlin fortress as seen from a satellite - green cross marks the southern bridgehead pictured above