Battle of Kępa Oksywska
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Battle of Kępa Oksywska | |
---|---|
Part of Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland | |
Result | German victory |
7,000 wounded
The Battle of Kępa Oksywska took place in the
Polish September Campaign during World War II. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the campaign, with Polish KIA
losses reaching roughly 14% of all the forces engaged.
The battle
German advance on Gdynia
On 10 September, after a series of
pułkownik Stanisław Dąbek, was in a difficult position. His forces, centred on the port of Gdynia, were forced to wage a two-front war against the German forces advancing both from the west and from the territory of the Free City of Danzig. The main part of his forces was facing the German forces under General der Flieger Leonhard Kaupisch, advancing from the east along the shores of the Gdańsk Bay. At the same time a smaller detachment of the Polish forces prepared a stand in the area of Oksywie, where the German forces managed to cut the Poles out of the nearby Hel Peninsula
. Thus Gdynia was besieged.
Positional fighting
Although the Polish forces managed to halt the German blitzkrieg and the fighting resembled World War I on the western front, the besieged garrison was suffering heavy losses and desperately needed to shorten its front lines. As there was no chance of relief of the besieged Polish forces by a strong force from the Polish mainland, the Heights offered a decent defensive position. Although completely unprepared for defence, the area was densely forested and made enemy penetration and aerial and naval bombardment much more difficult.
Polish withdrawal to Oksywie Heights
In order to spare the city from destruction in the event likely
refugees
. Massed in an area no greater than 4 km2, the Poles were able to inflict heavy losses on the numerically and technically superior enemy. Until 19 September there were no less than 110 skirmishes fought in an area of less than 4 square kilometres.
Cease-fire
However, constant
Col.
Dąbek then committed suicide.
54°32′55″N 18°32′46″E / 54.54861°N 18.54611°E
Notes
- ^ This includes the soldiers used at the Battle of Hel.[1]
See also
References
- ^ Williamson, D. G. Poland Betrayed: The Nazi-Soviet Invasions of 1939 p. 68