Siege of Breslau

The Battle of Breslau, also known as the Siege of Breslau, was a three month long siege of the city of Breslau in Lower Silesia, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland), lasting to the end of World War II in Europe. From 13 February-6 May 1945, German troops in Breslau were besieged by the Soviet forces which encircled the city as part of the Lower Silesian Offensive Operation. The German garrison's surrender on 6 May was followed the next day by the surrender of all German forces.

Contents

Garrison commanders

Preparations

In August 1944, Adolf Hitler declared the city of Breslau to be a fortress (Festung), ordering that it be defended at all costs. He named Karl Hanke (Gauleiter of Silesia since 1941) to be the city's "Battle Commander" (Kampfkommandant).

On 19 January 1945, the civilian population was forced to leave (many thousands died in the bitter cold of the makeshift evacuation; many more arrived in Dresden, to be bombed a few weeks later). The German Army (Wehrmacht Heer), aided by the Home Guard (Volkssturm) and slave labourers, then turned the city into a military fortress: Breslau was to be capable of a lengthy defense against the advancing Soviets. A large area of the city center was demolished and turned into an airfield. Late in January, a regiment of Hitler Youth (Hitler-Jugend) was sent to reinforce the garrison of Festung Breslau. SS regiment "Besslein" (which included volunteers from France and Holland) also took part.

On 2 February, Hanke presented colors to the newly formed Home Guard units in Breslau. On the same day, Major General Hans von Ahlfen became the garrison commander of Fortress Breslau. Ahlfen (who commanded for only three weeks) had been personally selected by the Commander-in-Chief of Army Group Center (Heeresgruppe Mitte), Ferdinand Schörner.

On 2 March, Infantry General Hermann Niehoff replaced Ahlfen as garrison commander. Niehoff held the position until the final surrender in May.

The siege

The city was besieged as a result of the Lower Silesian Offensive Operation (8–24 February 1945) during 13 February, by the 6th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front commanded by Marshal Ivan Konev, and completed the encirclement of Breslau the next day. The 1st Ukrainian Front forces besieged the city with the 22nd and 74th Rifle Corps, and the 77th Fortified Region, as well as other smaller units. Even approximate estimates vary greatly concerning the number of German troops trapped in Breslau. Some sources claim that there were as many as 150,000 defenders, some 80,000, and some 50,000. The Siege of Breslau consisted of destructive house-to-house street fighting. The city was bombarded to ruin by artillery of the Soviet 6th Army, as well as the Soviet 2nd Air Army and the Soviet 18th Air Army. During the siege, both sides resorted to setting entire districts of the city on fire.

On 15 February, the German Luftwaffe started an airlift to aid the besieged garrison. For 76 days, until 1 May, the Luftwaffe made more than 2000 sorties with supplies and food. More than 1,638 short tons (1,486 t) of supplies were delivered.

On 22 February, the 6th Army occupied three suburbs of Breslau, and during the next day, the 6th Army troops were in the southern precincts of the city itself.

By 31 March, there was heavy artillery fire into the north, south, and west of Breslau suburbs. The 6th Army witnesses noted that much of the city was in flames.

On 20 April, where possible, General Niehoff had chocolates distributed to the troops in honor of Hitler's 56th birthday.

On 4 May, the clergy of Breslau — Pastor Hornig, Dr. Konrad, Bishop Ferche, and Canon Kramer — demanded that Niehoff surrender the town. Niehoff dismissed the clergy without a definitive answer. In the afternoon of the same day, Pastor Hornig repeated his demand in an address to the troop commanders. Hanke ordered Niehoff not to have any further dealings with the clergy.

Surrender

On 6 May, after an 82-day siege and shortly before the unconditional surrender of Germany in World War II, General Niehoff relinquished Festung Breslau to the Soviets. During the siege, Soviet forces inflicted approximately 29,000 civilian and military casualties and took more than 40,000 prisoners, while suffering 6,000 total casualties.[1] Estimates vary. The "Achtung Panzer" article referenced below indicates that 6,000 German soldiers and 170,000 German civilians were killed and that 45,000 troops were taken prisoner.

Breslau was the last major city in Germany to surrender, only one day before the end of the war in Europe. Gauleiter Hanke had fled to Prague by the time of the city's surrender. Breslau was transferred to Poland in the aftermath of the war and renamed Wrocław. Most remaining German inhabitants in Wrocław fled or were forcibly expelled between 1945 and 1949 and moved to Allied Occupation Zones in Germany. A small German minority has remained in the city to this day.

See also

Citations

  1. ^ Hastings, p.656

References

External references

(Polish) Festung Breslau Achtung Panzer Article Duffy, Christopher 'Red Storm on the Reich' Contemporary Time Magazine Article