Name day: Piotr, Julian
Sunrise 5:11 am; sunset 8:44 pm; air temperature: 18°C
Heavy clouds, isolated showers; Vistula river level: 125 cm



          7 am - The messengers receive first orders from Colonel Antoni Chruściel "Monter" scheduling the "W" hour on August 1 at 5.00 pm.
          The earliest fights begin in Żoliborz. Before 2 pm, an exchange of fire takes place between a Home Army unit transporting weaponry and a German patrol in the area of Suzin and Słowacki Streets. The incident alerts the occupants who immediately secure the overpass of Gdańsk Station, thus cutting Żoliborz off from Śródmieście. When the main attack starts at 5 pm, the Germans are vigilant and on the alert in their fortified positions. Not one of the strongholds is captured by the insurgents in the first strike. In this situation, the commander of Żoliborz, Lieutenant Colonel "Żywiciel" ("Breadwinner") (Mieczysław Niedzielski), orders his troops to march out to the Kampinos Forest. Only a small group of Home Army soldiers is left in Żoliborz - they hide in the buildings belonging to the Housing Cooperative "Feniks" near Wilson Square. They are commanded by Cavalry Captain "Żmija" ("Viper") (Adam Rzeszotarski). Thanks to this group of a few dozen soldiers, Żoliborz remains in the insurgent hands.
          Prior tio the "W" hour, fights erupt also in Wola. At 4 pm first fights are initiated in the vicinity of Kerceli Square in Wola, and a skirmish takes place during the defense of the Kalmer factory (62 Dzielna Street). For this reason many insurgents are unable to get across to their units. The insurgents also fail to transport all weaponry to the initial positions. The Home Army Headquarters with Commander General "Bór" "Forest" (Tadeusz Komorowski), situated in the Kalmer factory on Dzielna Street, is in danger. Struggles to break the encirclement and liberate the Home Army Command last a few hours. Despite the chaos resulting from the premature initiation of fights, the insurgent troops in Wola achieve some successes. The Kedyw soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel "Radosław" (Jan Mazurkiewicz) capture the German barracks located in the building of St. Kinga School at 5 Okopowa Street, the Pfeiffer factory, the Jewish cemetery ("Zośka" battalion), the Calvinist cemetery ("Parasol" ["Umbrella"] battalion), houses at the junction of Okopowa Street and Kerceli Square ("Miotła" ["Broom"] battalion). Moreover, the Germans are dislodged from the uniform and food magazines on Stawki Street and from the school on Niska Street (by a unit headed by Lieutenant "Stasinek" - Stanisław Sosabowski).

          5 pm - the "W" hour - the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising

          The Old Town is almost under full control of the insurgents. The building of the Court of Appeal near Krasiński Square falls into the insurgent hands, which is a significant success.

          The insurgents also control a large part of Śródmieście. The soldiers of the "Kiliński" battalion capture the Prudential - the highest dwelling house in Warsaw, on top of which they hang a white-red flag.
          The "Golski" battalion takes over the buildings of the University of Technology, but they fail to seize the edifice of the Ministry of Communications and the Voivodeship Office, and the Municipal Hospital and Nurse School. An attack on the Piłsudski Hospital, Kraftfahpark and Frontleinstelle is not carried out because of weapons shortage.
          From the west direction, the insurgents secure Żelazna Brama (Iron Gate) Square, Bank Square, the court building on Leszno Street. They also capture the Military Geographical Institute on Aleje Jerozolimskie and the building of the Municipal Transport Company on Świętokrzyska Street.
          In the center, the Germans still control the complex between Piłsudski Square (today Victory Square) and Theater Square (where General Stahel, the commander of the German garrison in Warsaw, got stuck), Main Railway Station, Krakowskie Przedmieście, and Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (State Development Bank) at the corner of Aleje Jerozolimskie and Nowy Świat Street.
          The German crew stationed in the building of the Main Post Office on Napoleon Square (today Warsaw Uprising Square) is continuously repelling insurgent attacks.
          Bloody fights over the Gestapo headquarters on Szucha Alley and the local "police" area are taking place in south Śródmieście. A simultaneous attack from a few directions is disrupted under the drumfire of machine guns and artillery. The "Jeleń" ("Deer") division loses 50% of its headcount. Krystyna Krahelska, a poet, is one of the victims in this attack. Still, a large part of south Śródmieście gets into the insurgent hands.

          Attempts at capturing the German strongholds in Mokotów end in failure. The scattered troops of the Mokotów Sub-district fall back to the Kabacki Forest, leaving behind only a few hundred soldiers of the "Baszta" ("Bastille") regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel "Daniel" (Stanisław Kamiński).

          A similar situation is in Ochota. The attacks on police barracks in the student dorm at Narutowicza Square, on SS barracks on Wawelska Street, and on buildings occupied by the Germans on Tarczyńska, Sucha and Filtrowa Streets - all are repelled. The Ochota Sub-district has no contact with Śródmieście and Wola. In view of this, Lieutenant Colonel "Grzymała" (Mieczysław Sokołowski) together with his 700 men decides to force his way through to the Chojnów Forest. A group of nearly 200 soldiers, who have not been notified about this maneuver, is left in Ochota.

          Around 8.00 pm - it starts raining. The townspeople and the insurgents begin to erect first barricades.

          The Germans still control railway stations, German barracks, among others a complex on Rakowiecka Street, and the area of the Horse Race Track where the insurgents suffer heavy losses.

          The insurgents also fail to seize Okęcie and Bemowo airports. The attack of the "Garłuch" regiment on Okęcie airport is called off in the last moment. However, the order does not reach a group commanded by Lieutenant "Kuba" (Romuald Jakubowski), which charges the airport. As a result, under heavy fire the unit loses ? of its soldiers, including almost all of its commanders.

          The insurgent attacks on the Poniatowski and Kierbedź bridges also end in failure.

          On the right bank of the Vistula River the insurgents secure Bródno, Targówek, a part of Grochów and a part of Praga. The troops in Praga seize the building of the Railway Directorate at the corner of Wileńska and Targowa Streets. Still, the district remains cut off from the left bank part of the city. The situation of poorly armed insurgents, in close proximity to the eastern front, is very unfavorable.

          On the evening of August 1, the insurgents already realize that the first assault has not brought the desired results. The partisans were not able to take control of the bridges, railway stations, airports, many barracks. They, however, caused a stir in the German garrison in Warsaw and threatened to compromise the actions of the 9th Army. The command of this army spent the whole night of 1 and 2 August considering their situation in connection with the outbreak of the Uprising.
          In the attack performed on August 1 the insurgents lost over 2000 soldiers, the Germans - over 500.