Battle of Mikołów
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| Battle of Mikołów | |
|---|---|
| Part of Silesian Voivodeship, Poland | |
| Result | German victory |
Germany
Poland Erwin Koch Hans von Oberstfelder Jan Jagmin-Sadowski5th Armored Division
The Battle of Mikołów (
Introduction
The battle began with attacks by aircraft of the German 4th Air Fleet (
However, the main German attack was concentrated in the south of the industrial region, around the border towns of Mikołów and Pszczyna. There, units of the Polish Operational Group Silesia (part of
September 1, 1939
The German 5th Armored Division, attacking towards Rybnik and Żory, managed to annihilate the Polish defenders in the morning. The units destroyed by the attackers were located in the Pszczyna Forest, their task was to provide a connection between Operational Groups 'Silesia' and 'Bielsko'. Their loss created a gap in the Polish defense, and the Germans took advantage of it on the following day. Despite desperate fighting, the Polish 55th Infantry Division (under General Jan Jagmin-Sadowski), were unable to halt the invaders.
September 2, 1939
The Germans preceded their main attack with an artillery bombardment from 5 a.m. Later on that day, two German battalions (49th and 83rd) moved towards Tychy, they were faced by Polish units, in the area of the village of Zwakow.
The battle that followed was one of the most ferocious of all those that took place in September 1939 in Upper Silesia. Polish units managed to halt the Germans, preventing them from capturing the town of
Withdrawal
A withdrawal order reached all Polish units by 9 p.m. on September 2. Most soldiers did not believe it, however they obeyed and the whole operation was carried out good in order. Polish troops left Upper Silesia by September 3, heading towards Kraków. Most of these units found themselves in the area of Lublin, where they took part in the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski.
Among Polish units that distinguished themselves in the Battle of Mikołów, there was the 73rd Infantry Regiment from Katowice. Consisting of soldiers from Silesia, it was regarded as one of the best organized and toughest of the whole Polish Army.