Battle of Paprotzan

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Battle of Paprotzan
Part of
Tichau), Germany
Result Polish victory
Belligerents POW G.Śl. Weimar Republic Weimar RepublicCommanders and leaders
  • Wiktor Szczygieł
  • Jan Wróbel
  • Capt. Goess
    • Units involved
  • (2nd) Urbanowitz Insurgent Company
  • Tichau
    Insurgent Company

    • Grenzschutz Ost:

    Strength at least 75 insurgents Around 100 soldiers;
    Including several HMGs and artillery gunsCasualties and losses 15 killed 46 taken prisoner

    The Battle of Paprotzan (

    Tichau
    , and resulted in a Polish victory.

    The Battle of Paprotzan is considered the most significant insurgent victory of the First Silesian Uprising in the Pleß district.[1]

    Prelude

    With

    Kattowitz and Rybnik districts. Having not received an answer, Fizia decided to follow through with orders received from Piotrowice to commence the uprising.[2]

    Polish preparation

    Alojzy Fizia's operational plan foresaw the 2nd

    Paprotzan where it was intended to confront and defeat the German field artillery battery
    guarding the village.
    Meanwhile, the 1st
    Paprotzan.[2]

    German preparation

    A

    Paprotzan, numbering some 100-men.[3] Stationing German forces in Paprotzan were directly subordinate to a division commanded by Major Aldenhoven. German soldiers in the village were quartered in the houses of local farmers: on the lands of Teofil Czypek, Walentyn Czardybon, the Jarek family, Karol Goja, Wildner and Jan Bortl as well as in the school building and a pub owned by Salomon Richter (3-8 men in every building).[2] The captain and commander of the artillery battery was stationed in Wildner's house and the German lieutenant
    quartered in Czardybon's house.

    Shortly before the insurgents' attack on Paprotzan, a part of the artillery battery left the village headed for Czulow where fighting had broken out.[3]

    Outbreak of the uprising

    Without waiting for a signal to commence combat action, Wiktor Szczygieł, heading the 75-man strong 2nd insurgent company moved in to the manor in

    Paprotzan next where it intended on defeating the German battery of field artillery stationing in the village.[2]

    Battle

    On August 17 at around 1:00 a.m. the 2nd insurgent company from

    Paprotzan
    .

    The insurgent force, split into smaller combat groups, attacked multiple targets simultaneously. German soldiers put up significant resistance on the grounds of the Jarek family (where German

    Paprotzan to assist the insurgents engaged in combat.[3]

    Aforementioned insurgent reinforcements marched on Walenty Czardybon's house. Grenzschutz soldiers guarding the building responded with rifle fire, which proved ineffective due to thick fog and insurgent forces captured the building after cornering the guarding soldiers.[2]

    The Battle of Paprotzan was fierce but brief; after half an hour of fighting the

    Paprotzan was disarmed.[2] The German forces in the village, confident in their own strength, were taken by surprise by the insurgent attack.[4]

    Aftermath

    In total, 15 insurgents fell in the battle for Paprotzan.

    prisoners of war following the engagement, including Captain Goess.[3]

    A plaque, located on the front wall of the kindergarten in Paprocany, commemorates the battle.[5][6]

    References

    1. ^ "I Powstanie ŚLĄSKIE 1919 roku". Historia Powstań Śląskich (in Polish). Katowice: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej. 2019.
    2. ^ a b c d e f Grzegorzek, Józef (1935). Pierwsze powstanie śląskie 1919 r. w zarysie (in Polish). Katowice: Zakłady Graficzne B. Szczuki.
    3. ^
      ISBN 978-83-64210-74-7
      .
    4. ^
      ISBN 978-83-64210-74-7
      .
    5. ^ a b "Bitwa o Paprocany". opencaching.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 17 March 2024.
    6. ^ "Sierpień 1919 – Urbanowice, Paprocany, Czułów, Tychy". tychy.pl (in Polish). 14 August 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

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