Nine weeks of blood and glory
Warsaw Uprising of 1944 day by day.
August 19, 1944 - Nineteenth day of the Uprising
Name day: Jan, Bolesław
Saturday
Sunrise 5:41 am; sunset 8:09 pm; average air temperature: 22°C
Fine weather during the day, cloudy in the evening; Vistula river level: 100 cm
The Reinefarth group launches a general attack on the Old Town - 10 battalions of infantry and 2 assault sapper battalions, supported with a large amount of heavy equipment, an armored train and a gunboat, go into action.
The powerful enemy forces with the crushing superiority of fire are storming the insurgent barricades in Muranów, John of God's Hospital, the Cathedral, Town Hall, Bank of Poland, Krasiński Garden. Despite this colossal fire superiority, the insurgents manage to repel the attacks from all directions, but at a great cost of their own forces.
In Śródmieście-South, the insurgent troops are decimated after the all-day attacks of the combat group of General Rohr - the Polish troops are forced to withdraw from the burning buildings of the University of Technology. The "Golski" troops capture the even-numbered side of Noakowskiego Street.
Only some soldiers from the relief group commanded by Major Alfons Kotowski "Okoń" ("Perch") are able to reach Żoliborz from Kampinos.
At night, another group of 550 soldiers come to the rescue of Żoliborz from the Kampinos Forest under the command of Major Alfons Kotowski "Okoń". A decision to make a passage between Żoliborz and the Old Town through the railroad track at the Gdańsk Station is undertaken.
The troops from the Chojnów Forest and Kabaty break through to Sadyba in the vicinity of Wilanów and Wolica. The combined forces of the forest troops and the Sadyba units fail to perform a joint attack on the Wilanowski Palace. The relief forces from the Kabacki Forest are partially destroyed. Lieutenant Colonel Mieczysław Sokołowski "Grzymała", the commander of the group from the Chojnów Forest, loses his life in the attack. However, a quite numerous group of 350 insurgents successfully makes its way to Sadyba and repels the German attacks.
When the Home Army forces from Kabaty arrive at Sadyba, Cavalry Captain Andrzej Czajowski "Garda" ("Guard") forms the Home Army battalion "Ryś" ("Lynx") and takes command over the unit.
edited by: Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz
translated by: Beata Murzyn
Copyright © 2023 Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz. All rights reserved.