| Operation Tempest | |||||||
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| Part ofEastern Front andWorld War II | |||||||
 Polish soldiers during theWarsaw Uprising. | |||||||
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 Germany | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Hans Frank Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski | Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski Leopold Okulicki | ||||||
| Part ofa series on the |
| Polish Underground State |
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Operation Tempest orOperation Burza[a] (Polish:akcja „Burza”, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted duringWorld War II against occupying German forces by the PolishHome Army (Armia Krajowa, abbreviatedAK), the dominant force in thePolish resistance.
Operation Tempest's objective was to seize control of German-occupied cities and areas while the Germans were preparing their defenses against the advancing SovietRed Army. ThePolish Underground State hoped to take power before the Soviets arrived.
A goal of thePolish government-in-exile inLondon was to restore Poland's 1939 borders with the USSR, rejecting theCurzon Line border. According toJan Ciechanowski,
"The [exiled] Polish Cabinet believed that by refusing to accept theCurzon Line they were defending their country's right to exist as a national entity. They were determined that Russo-Polish relations should be restored on the basis of the pre-1939 territorial arrangements."[1]
From its inception, the Home Army had been preparing a national armed uprising against the Germans. The basic framework of the future uprising was created in September 1942. According to the plan, the Uprising was to be ordered by the PolishCommander-in-Chief in exile when the defeat of theWehrmacht on theEastern Front became apparent. The Uprising was to begin in CentralPoland: in theGeneral Government,Dąbrowa Basin,Kraków Voivodeship, and theBiałystok andBrześć areas.
The Uprising's basic objectives were to:
Reconstruction of a Polish regular army was to be based on theprewar Polish order of battle. Home Army units were to be turned into regular divisions. Initially to be created were 16 infantry divisions, three cavalry brigades and one motorized brigade, to be equipped with captured weapons or with arms and supplies delivered by theAllies. The second phase was to see the re-building of an additional 15 divisions and 5 cavalry brigades which, beforeWorld War II, had been stationed in eastern and western Poland.
The plan was partly implemented. Beginning in 1943, Home Army units were grouped into larger units bearing the names and numbers of prewar Polish divisions, brigades and regiments.
In early 1943, after the Germandefeat at Stalingrad, it became clear that the Soviets would be the force the Home Army would most likely have to deal with, and that the planned Polish uprising would face a still-powerful German army, rather than units retreating to an already defeated homeland.
In February 1943, theHome Army chief, GeneralStefan Rowecki, amended the plan. The Uprising would take place in three stages. The first stage would be an armed uprising in the east (with main centers of resistance atLwów andVilnius) in advance of the approachingRed Army. In preparation, the "Wachlarz" organization was formed. The second stage would be an armed struggle in the zone between theCurzon Line and theVistula River; and the third stage would be a national uprising throughout the rest of Poland.
On April 25, 1943, Polish-Soviet diplomatic relations were broken off byJoseph Stalin due to Polish inquiries about theKatyn massacres, and it became clear that the advancing Red Army might not come to Poland as a liberator but rather, as General Rowecki put it, "our allies' ally." On November 26, 1943, the Polish government-in-exile issued instructions that, if diplomatic relations did not resume with the Soviet Union before the Soviets entered Poland, Home Army forces were to remain underground pending further decisions.
The Home Army's commander on the ground, however, took a different approach, and on November 30, 1943, a final version of the plan was drafted.
The plan was to cooperate with the advancing Red Army on a tactical level, while Polish civil authorities came out from underground and took power in Allied-controlled Polish territory. This plan was approved by the Delegate of the government-in-exile and by the Polish underground parliament, theHome Political Representation.
On January 2, 1944, Red Army forces of the2nd Belorussian Front crossed the prewar Polish border and Operation Tempest began. The Division managed to contact the commanders of the advancing Red Army and began successful joint operations against the Wehrmacht. Together they retookKowel (April 6) andWłodzimierz. However, the Division[which?] was soon forced to retreat west, and inPolesia was attacked by both German and Soviet forces. Polish soldiers taken prisoner by the Soviets were given the choice of joining the Red Army or being sent toSoviet forced-labor camps. The remnants of the Division crossed theBug River, where they were attacked bySoviet partisan units. After liberating the towns ofLubartów andKock, the Division (reduced to some 3,200 men) was surrounded by the Red Army and taken prisoner.
Operation Tempest began inVolhynia, a region which until 1939 had belonged to theSecond Polish Republic (seeWołyń Voivodeship (1921–1939)), in January 1944, after theRed Army had entered prewar Polish territory east of the town ofSarny on January 4. The operation, which was mainly carried out by the27th Home Army Infantry Division (Poland) (some 6500 soldiers) was aimed at theWehrmacht units, still operating in the region.
All together, between January and June 1944, the 27th Volhynian ID of the Home Army took part in over 100 skirmishes, losing over 600 soldiers. German and Hungarian losses are estimated at up to 750 KIA and 900 wounded.
In the north, on July 7, 1944, the forces of theWilno [pl] andNowogródek Home Army districts [pl] (some 13,000 men under ColonelAleksander Krzyżanowski) launched anattack on German-occupied Vilnius, although the attack stalled until the arrival of Soviet forces. The AK and Soviet armies then jointly occupied the city on July 13. Prior to the assault, the surrounding countryside had also been seized by Polish and Soviet partisans. Cooperation ended almost immediately after Vilnius was occupied; on July 14, Krzyżanowski and his officers were disarmed and imprisoned, and AK units who resisted disarmament were violently crushed by Soviet forces, with dozens of Polish fatalities.[2]
On July 23, Home Army forces in Lwów (nowLviv) began an armed rising in cooperation with advancing Soviet forces. In four days the city was taken over. The Polish civil and military authorities were then summoned to "a meeting with Red Army commanders" and taken prisoner by the SovietNKVD. ColonelWładysław Filipkowski's men were forcibly conscripted into the Red Army, sent toforced-labor camps, or went back underground.
Operation Tempest in Polesia took place in the final days of the German occupation of this region. Due to rapid Soviet advance westwards (seeOperation Bagration), it lasted for two weeks (July 15–30, 1944), mainly in the western part of Polesie, nearBrześć nad Bugiem,Kobryn andBereza Kartuska, but also in the area ofPinsk. The Home Army headquarters gave orders for the 30th Home Army Infantry Division to be created in Polesia. This unit was tasked with capturing the areas north and east of Brześć. The division concentrated in forested areas along theNurzec river, with some 1000 soldiers.
On July 17, aWehrmacht motorized transport was attacked near thefolwark of Adampol, and a skirmish with the Germans took place near the village of Wyzary. On July 30, 1944, Polish forces made contact withRed Army's65th Army: Soviet officers ordered the Poles to merge withFirst Polish Army. Poles disobeyed this order, and headed towardsBiała Podlaska, where they decided to march toWarsaw and fight in theWarsaw Uprising. NearOtwock, the division was surrounded and disarmed by the Soviets.
Seeing the fate of the Home Army forces that had taken part in Operation Tempest, thePolish government in exile and the Home Army's current commander, GeneralTadeusz Bór-Komorowski, decided that the last chance for regaining Poland's independence was to open an uprising in Warsaw. On July 21, 1944, Bór-Komorowski ordered that the Warsaw Uprising begin at 17:00 hours on August 1, 1944. The political goal was to emphasize for the Allies the existence of the Polish government and Polish civil authorities. Warsaw was to be taken in order to allow the legitimatePolish government to return from exile to Poland.
At the same time, other Home Army districts were also mobilized. Units of theKraków area were preparing an uprising, similar to the one in Wilno, Lwów and Warsaw, but it was cancelled due to several reasons (see:Kraków Uprising (1944)). In theKielce andRadom area, the2nd Polish Home Army Division was formed and took control of the entire area except for the cities. Other units were also mustered in Kraków,Łódź andGreater Poland.
Operation Tempest inBiałystok and its area began in the second half of July 1944 and lasted until late September. The Home Army recreated here four units, based on interbellumPolish Army: 18th and 29th Infantry Divisions, alsoSuwałki Cavalry Brigade andPodlaska Cavalry Brigade. All together, some 7,000 soldiers fought in over 200 battles and skirmishes. The operation was commanded by ColonelWładysław Liniarski.
The first unit to enter the fighting was 81st Home Army Infantry Regiment, which operated in the forests aroundGrodno. Armed with light weapons, the regiment was too weak to capture the city of Grodno and limited its activities to fighting German outposts and police stations.
In the outskirts of Białystok, among Polish forces concentrated in theKnyszyn Wilderness were: 42nd Home Army Infantry Regiment, and 10th Home ArmyUhlan Regiment. The 2nd Home ArmyUhlan Regiment operated in the area ofBransk andHajnówka. This unit destroyed the rail line between Hajnówka andCzeremcha, including a rail bridge, which was blown up. The 76th Home Army Infantry Regiment fought in the area ofCiechanowiec andLapy.
Three Home Army regiments were formed in theAugustów Primeval Forest: 1st Home Army Uhlan Regiment (with 300 soldiers), 41st Home Army Infantry Regiment and 3rd Regiment (all together: 700 soldiers).
Fearing a partisan attack, the Germans declared a state of emergency in the town ofAugustów. During Operation Tempest in this part of Białystok Province, over 30 raids of different kinds took place, in which 4 military transports were blown up, along the rail line from Augustow to Grodno. Home Army forces cooperated with theRed Army. On August 6, a unit of 300 soldiers managed to get through German lines, and into the areas controlled by the Soviets. By autumn 1944, most regiments had ceased operations. The last skirmish in this area took place on November 2 near the village of Nowinka.
In the forests surrounding theOsowiec Fortress, 9th Home Army Mounted Rifles were concentrated under Wiktor Konopka. In July and August 1944, this regiment fought the Germans in several locations. On September 8, after a heavy battle, the unit was destroyed by the enemy. Survivors managed to cross the frontline, which at that time was along theBiebrza river.
In the area ofŁomża, the 33rd Home Army Infantry Regiment was created, with three battalions. It fought rear German units, breaking communication links between frontline andEast Prussia. Near the village ofCzarnowo-Undy, some 150 Soviet prisoners of war were released by the Poles. As a reprisal, the Germans burned the village, shooting all its residents (July 22, 1944). On August 20, the 5th Home Army Uhlan Regiment, which operated in the area ofOstrołęka, attacked a German artillery battery near the village of Labedy.
Operation Tempest in the area ofLublin took place in the final two weeks of July 1944. The Home Army created there such units, as 3rd Infantry Division, 9th Infantry Division, 15th Infantry Regiment, also units ofBataliony Chłopskie and other resistance organizations, plus27th Home Army Infantry Division (Poland) from the province ofVolhynia. All together, Polish forces in the region had some 20,000 men.
The partisans attacked retreating German forces along railways and roads in the whole district of Lublin. In several cases, they defended villages pacified by theWehrmacht and theSS. Poles cooperated withRed Army guerillas, which also operated in the area.
In the south (the region ofZamość), 9th Infantry Regiment under Major Stanislaw Prus liberated the town ofBełżec (July 21). Together with the Soviets, they capturedTomaszów Lubelski. German forces were attacked in several locations, includingFrampol andZwierzyniec.
On July 21 and 22, Volhynian 27th Division capturedKock,Lubartów andFirlej. In western part of the province, 8th and 15th Infantry Regiments liberated a number of towns:Kurów,Urzędów,Nałęczów,Garbów,Wąwolnica,Sobolew,Ryki,Końskowola. On July 26, Polish units cooperated with Soviet forces fighting forPuławy. Several German rail transports were destroyed, and Polish soldiers saved Końskowola from Germans, who planned to set the town on fire.
Home Army District ofKraków was one of the largest districts of the organization. It spread fromPrzemyśl to Kraków itself, and the first fighting in the area took place in the east. InRzeszow and Przemysl, 22nd and 24th Home Army Divisions were mobilized. In Rzeszów,Mielec andKrosno, 10th Home Army Cavalry Brigade was created. In the west, 6th and 106th Home Army Infantry Divisions were created, also Kraków Brigade of Motorized Cavalry. Other units active in the region were: Independent Battalion of Major Jan Panczakiewicz and Operational Group Kraków under Colonel Edward Godlewski.
The Home Army considered an armed insurrection in the city of Kraków, but this plan was abandoned (seeKraków Uprising (1944)).
Operation Tempest inRadom andKielce began on August 1, 1944, and lasted until October 6. The Home Army here created 2nd, 7th and 28th Infantry Divisions, with several other units. The purpose of the operation was to aid the Red Army with its capture of the eastern bank of theVistula and cities of the region. Polish partisans planned to defend the Vistula bridges, and armament factories inStarachowice andSkarżysko-Kamienna.
After the Red Army had managed to cross the Vistula and capture bridgeheads atSandomierz andMagnuszew (seeLublin–Brest Offensive), Home Army got in touch with the Soviets, and began cooperating with them.
InKozienice and Sandomierz, Polish units supported the advancing Soviets: on the night of July 31 / August 1, 1944, a German counterattack was halted by the Polish 2nd Infantry Regiment of Captain Michal Mandziara, which helped the Soviets keep their positions in the Sandomierz Bridgehead. On August 3, Polish and Soviet forces liberatedStaszów; in the following days, Poles, helped by Soviet tanks, capturedStopnica andBusko.
On August 14, 1944, GeneralTadeusz Bór-Komorowski ordered all units of the Kielce – Radom area to march towards Warsaw and join the Warsaw Uprising. Operation Revenge, as it was called, resulted in the creation of Kielce Corps of the Home Army, under Colonel Jan Zientarski, with 6,430 soldiers. On August 21, during its concentration, the Corps saved residents of the village of Antoniów, which was raided by Germans.
Even though Kielce Corps began its march towards Warsaw, it did not reach the Polish capital. After careful analysis of German forces concentrated around Warsaw, Home Army leaders decided to halt the operation, as it was too risky. Poles did not have heavy weapons and tanks to face the enemy on equal terms. Operation Revenge was abandoned, and the Corps was dissolved.
In early September 1944, local units of the Home Army planned to capture either Kielce or Radom, also there were plans to seizeCzęstochowa and Skarzysko. 7th Infantry Division was transferred westwards, to the area of Częstochowa. 2nd Infantry remained near Kielce, actively fighting the enemy until November. In late October 1944, Operation Tempest was cancelled. All units were dissolved.
Operation Tempest in the area of the city ofŁódź took place in summer and autumn of 1944, lasting from August 14 until November 26. Local Home Army mobilized here several units, such as the 25th Infantry Regiment under Major Rudolf Majewski. This regiment was stationed in forests nearPrzysucha: in August 1944, it carried out a number of attacks on German forces, destroying rail lines. The last battle of the 25th regiment took place on November 8, all together it lost 130 men.
Among other units was 29th Kaniow Rifles Regiment, which operated nearBrzeziny. On September 14, it captured a German warehouse at the station ofSłotwiny nearKoluszki.
The Germans' suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, in the absence of Soviet assistance to the insurgents, marked the end of Operation Tempest. In military terms it was a success, in political terms a defeat.[3] The Red Army, with the NKVD following the Polish forces, soon showed its real colours. Almost half of the Polish soldiers who took part in Operation Tempest were arrested. They were forcibly conscripted into Berling's army, deported deep into Russia, or simply murdered.
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