Battle of Radzymin (1944)
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The Battle of Radzymin was a clash between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht that happened between August 1 and August 10 near the town of Radzymin in the vicinity of Warsaw. The Russian forces entered the area, which sparked the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising by the Home Army.
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[edit] Before the battle
After crossing into Poland, the Red Army's 1st Byelorussian Front of Konstantin Rokossovsky continued its advance towards Warsaw. The 65th Army (12 divisions) together with the attached 1st Guards Armoured Corps, was to advance towards the town of Serock and then outflank Warsaw from the north. The 28th Army (9 divisions) together with 1st Mechanized and 9th Armoured Corps was advancing directly towards Warsaw and was separated from the 47th Army by the Siedlce-Mińsk Mazowiecki line, and from the 65th Army by the Sokołów Podlaski-Węgrów-Radzymin line. Both armies, supported by additional 2nd and 4th Cavalry Corps, were to take part in repelling a German tactical counter-assault at Radzymin and Wołomin near Warsaw. At the same time, the 47th Army (10 divisions) was to seize the southern approaches to Praga, seize right-bank Warsaw and cross the river through the bridges in Warsaw or through a temporary bridge in Góra Kalwaria. The 70th Army (4 divisions) was to follow the 47th and serve as a tactical reserve.
At the same time the remaining forces of the front were to support the assault of Warsaw by crossing the Vistula south of it, near Magnuszew and outflanking the city from the South and West. The 8th Guards Army (9 divisions) together with the 1st Polish army (3 divisions) and 69th Army (9 divisions aided by the 11th Armoured Corps) were to cross the river at Magnuszew.
[edit] Battle
After the Russian reconnaissance units reached Warsaw in late July, on August 1, 1944 the Warsaw Uprising started. At the same time the Germans started a tactical counter-assault near Radzymin. The offensive, carried out by 5 understrength Panzer divisions, was to secure the eastern approaches to Warsaw and Vistula crossings. However, due to poor planning, the German attack was aimed directly in front of both 28th and 65th Armies and was stopped by the 2nd Tank Army. However, for unknown reasons, on August 2, 1944 all armies that were to assault Warsaw had their orders changed.
The 28th, 47th and 65th Armies were ordered to turn northwards and seize the undefended town of Wyszków and the Liwiec river line. The 2nd Tank Army was left in place and had to fight the Germans alone, without support of the infantry. Also, 69th Army was ordered to stop while the 8th Guards Army under Vasily Chuikov was ordered to halt the assault and await German attack from the direction of Garwolin.
Altogether, the unsupported 2nd Tank Army engaged in a heavy tank battle near the town of Radzymin alone . The fights lasted until August 10, when the Germans finally withdrew. However, due to German lack of tanks and reinforcements, the losses on Soviet side were small.
[edit] Aftermath
Altogether, between 1st and 10th of August the 2nd Tank Army lost 409 killed in action, 1271 wounded and 589 missing. In addition, it lost 284 tanks and self-propelled guns (40% of these losses were non-recoverable, amounting to 113 armored vehicles lost permanently ) out of 679 available to the army on July 30. After the World War II, the communist propaganda used the example of the Battle of Radzymin of 1944 as a proof that the German counter-attack prevented the Red Army from helping the Warsaw Uprising. However, it remains unknown why the Soviet assault was halted as the Russian archives are still closed to historians.
[edit] Notes
- ↑ Танковый удар: танковая армия в наступательной операции фронта по опыту Великой Отечественной войны by Радзиевский Алексей Иванович link
- ↑ ibid, Map of 2nd Tank Army operations map
[edit] References
- Jerzy Kirchmayer (1974). Powstanie Warszawskie. Książka i Wiedza, Warsaw. ISBN 83-05-11080-X.
- Zachowaj ich w pamięci Warszawo. Historia krótkofalarstwa polskiego. Retrieved on October 17, 2005.
- Jan Sidorowicz. Co działo się na wschód od Wisły w czasie Powstania Warszawskiego?. Gazeta - dziennik Polonii w Kanadzie. Retrieved on October 17, 2005.
