Battle of Jaworów

The Battle of Jaworów (also known as the Battle of Yavoriv), was a World War II battle held from the 14th to the 16th of September 1939. The battle was fought by the Germans and elements of the Polish "Małopolska" Army which were trying to force their way to Lwów.

Before the Battle

Under orders from General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, the 38th Infantry Division, 11th Infantry Division also known as the "Carpathian," and 24th Infantry Division were advancing toward the forests near Janów (present day Ivano-Frankov) to enter Lwów.

Under the command of Colonel Bronisław Prugar-Ketling, the Carpathian Infantry Division was advancing on the left flank, formed into two columns. The 1st column consisted of the 49th Hutsul Rifle Regiment and the 53th Riflemen of Kresy Regiment were marching in the vanguard. The other column, approaching from a different direction, was made up of the 48th Riflemen of Kresy Regiment. A night attack was planned for the division to take over the western edge of the forest. Meanwhile, the 38th ID was attacking on the right flank from two different directions in the north. The regiment of SS-Standarte Germania (predecessor of SS Wiking), a mechanized unit, and 1st Mountain Division were defending against the attack.

The Battle

The battle started with an engagement initiated by the 49th battalion. The Polish infantry took a part of the forest and the villages of Szumlaki and Ozmola. At 2100, Muzylowice was captured. The Germans lost a significant number of men, artillery, tractors and cars. However, because the infantry units did not have any extra crews trained to man the captured equipment, the booty was destroyed. The German losses were so significant that SS-Standarte Germania ceased to exist.

In the meantime, the 48th Infantry Regiment attacked and took Rozgozno; several POWs were taken, 6 AT cannons, a battery of light artillery, and straight trucks. Later, the very regiment took over Czerczyk and the hunting lodge where the road from Jaworów split to Sądowa Wisznia and Przyłbice.

The 38th Regiment entered the combat with a delay because of the heavy bombardement and bad coordination of the rear elements of the 24th Regiment. The Tabor of the 24th inadvertandly was left in the way of the advancing 38th Regiment. Only by 2100 Czarnokonce and Rodatycze were taken. The Germans put a tough resistence only in the village Hartfeld; however, two Polish battalions succeeded in taking of the village. Some POW's were taken and trucks, fuel trucks, and other captured equipment was destroyed. The 98th Regiment without halting continued to attack and reached Dobrostany.

In the Northern direction, the Poles achieved a decisive victory. The German commander of the 14th Army pulled the SS Germania from the battle because it suffered heavily losses as well as lost majority of its vehicles and heavy equipment. In the South, however, the German Group "Utz" from the 1. Mountain Division held their positions.

In the secondary main push, the 24th Division of Infantry, after an all--night march, reached the forest north from Moloszkowicze.

On the 16th Spetember, the Germans recreated the rear reinforcement formations. The commander of the 1st Mountain Division formed a new combat group "Pemsel." "Pemsel" was to cut off the route to Lviv. The very ops group attacked in the direction of Dobrostany and Jaryn. A Polish Infnatry Battalion did successful repel the German counter--attack at Dobrostany destroying several heavy cannons and armored cars. However, the 38. ID got spread too thinly doring the initial attack, lost contact with her own compnent parts, and based on the wrong picture of the battle field wrong decisions were made by the commander. In spite of that, 6 battalions of the 38. ID made it to Janow.

General Sosnkowski set up his HQ in the forests near Berdyczow and told his forces to focus their defensive efforts on the western flank.

Looking on the hind sight, General Sosenkowski did write that the success of the Polish Infnatry in the very battle was due to, at least from his perspective, those were the best organized, commanded, and trained Polish infnatry divisions within the entire Southern Front.

under construction

Aftermath

Poles

One day after the battle, the Soviets invaded Poland from the east. Breaking through to Lviv became unrealistic, since Lviv was encircled by the united forces of the nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Some of the soldiers went POW in German and Soviet POW camps, some were executed by the Soviets, some participated in the battles around Lublin, and a few successfully crossed trough the Hungarian Bridgehead and made it either to France or Great Britain continuing to fight in 1940 in France and later along--side of the Brittish Commonwealth forces.

Germans

The German officers and NCO's were not allowed to lead German troops into the battle again; instead, they were assigned to lead a foreign—volunteer division known as SS Wiking

English Language Sources

• 49th Hutsul Rifle Regiment

Links

• A Long Polish--language version

under construction shorter version and translation of the Polish—language Wikipedia article: