topas 1 Posted May 29, 2012 Quoted from the impressions topic: want rural civilians and war refugees. For you and anyone interested in details about this particular episode of the offensive depicted in Iron Front and how it was seen by common civilians and refugees I have a good read. Originally the text was in Polish, all I did was to run it through GT, sorry for no time to make a decent translation myself. Hopefully it's readable though. It provides depth, background and context. A bitter-sweet mix of the whole palette of human emotions...These two quotes sum it all up, I think: "When in August 1944 came with us, on the bridgehead, Soviet soldiers, the local people welcomed them with bread and flowers. They considered them as liberators, because even in July, Germany murdered our guerrillas, and deporting them by shooting in the head on kurozwęckim cemetery. " Assess the meaning of war fought under Kotuszowem in August 1944 is not clear. From a military point of view - the victory of the Soviets who created and defended beachhead baranowsko-Sandomierz - nigh the time of the final defeat of the Third Reich and the end of World War II. However, from a political point of view - all facilitated the success of the Red Army on its territory dominated by the establishment of the new communist order of body, which excluded the independent existence of the Polish state. Source of the original article: http://www.dws.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=128322 ------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction Kotuszów is a small village, situated in the municipality Szydłów, in the county Staszów, in the. It runs through the road connecting the Staszow Chańcza and route to Szydlow. Geographical coordinates of the city are: N 50 ° 36 '31 "E 21o 04' 31". Due to the physical-geographical regionalization Kotuszów must be placed on the border mezoregionu Polanyetski Basin in makrogionie mezoregionu Nida Basin and foothills of the region of Bernese Szydlowski Kielce. Relief Kotuszowa largely depends on the geological structure. This undulating area of ​​Precambrian and Paleozoic wypiętrzeń covered sea sediments of the Miocene and Quaternary loess and river sediments, clearly tilted towards the north-east, toward the Black River Valley Staszowska. Altitude, which is located Kotuszów, ranges from approximately 175 m (bottom of the riverbed) to about 241 m Soil cover, generally of good quality, is varied, it consists of alluvial river (in the lower parts village) and rendzina (in the higher parts of the village). The charming area spatially Kotuszowa part-Szydłowski Chmielnicko Protected Landscape Area. In the village there are two monuments. The first, located on a slope by the road side Kurozwek on Earth is the only exposure Staszowska Precambrian shales and silty-clay, mineralized calcite, pyrite and barite, with the remains of flora from the Upper Precambrian and Lower Cambrian, known to science as an "island kotuszowska "or" layer kotuszowskie ". The second - the oak with a circumference of 628 cm, growing in the park mansion. The village population 276 people (2008). The main source of their subsistence is agriculture, horticulture and livestock. Some of them are employed in the local Arabian Stud or enterprises operating in Staszów, located about 12 km, and some lead farmhouses, mainly targeted guests interested in leisure services at the nearby (2.5 km) reservoir in Chańczy. Kotuszowa metric reaches full by the Middle Ages. The first mention of it dates from 1325 (presented in the source as Cothossou). The next year, there has developed, the parish of St. James Elder. Kotuszów name is an example of settlement bearing the name possessive, ie one that urobiona was from the name of an individual. Local tradition sees in this role that the man named Toligniewa Kotuszowskiego Włodarz these lands. The existence of the parish church, built of wood, the documents mentioned only in the 2nd half. The fifteenth century Another historical event was more weight in the 2nd half. Sixteenth century, the era of the Reformation on Polish soil, profanation and pillage the church, completed its total destruction, carried out by the then heir Kotuszowa - Christopher Lanckoroński, Castellan of Radom, follower of Arianism. His son, Zbigniew, for a change - a Catholic, he founded a new church, which burned down in the seventeenth century brick temple, in the Baroque style, erected in 1661, Christopher of Brzezia Lantskoronski, governor Szydlowski, Castellan of Radom (though it was buried). Act of Consecration of the church made in 1681 Nicholas Oborski, suffragan bishop of Krakow. During the war in 1944-1945, the church was burned, along with equipment, and its walls - significantly affected. Restoration of the church and its equipment has to come here in 1945, Fr. Anthony Sobczyk, who with the help of parishioners in a short time (until 1949) has raised the subject of the ruins, and then provided him with the necessary liturgical items (to 1955). Interestingly, the parish has a book kotuszowska marital status, conducted continuously since 1717, It is worth noting that in the nineteenth century lived in Kotuszowie Ogińscy-Kontrymowiczowie, relatives, mother of Stefan Zeromski, known Staszowska stays on Earth, described by him in the "Diaries". The deepest imprint on the history has left no doubt Kotuszowa World War II, specifically the long, extremely bloody struggle to maintain a foothold baranowsko-Sandomierz, fought by the Soviet and German troops during the period from August 1944 to January 1945, which resulted in the village was almost completely wiped off the face of the earth. The family comes Kotuszowa Kamila. Tales of the members of those events have long inspired us - school friends - to penetrate the space combat and exploration of knowledge on this subject. In this paper we present status of our current study and popularize the memory of the battles that took place under Kotuszowem in the past century. With regret, we find that among the inhabitants Kotuszowa battle was not raised, so far, much interest since it was not commemorated in any material form (eg a monument). Characteristics of fighting in the bridgehead baranowsko-Sandomierz (1944-1945) World War II (1939-1945) is the most tragic period in over a thousand years of Polish history. Attackers - German and Soviet - led to the collapse of the Second Republic and the Polish people threatened with annihilation. "Poland does not rise anymore" - told the executioner swaggered Polish nation, the Governor General Hans Frank. In terror, lawlessness and crimes the Nazis Kielce community, including residents Kotuszowa, from the first days of occupation answered sabotage, subversion and organizing clandestine organization whose purpose was the armed struggle against the enemy, led to independence. The activity of the latter strongly intensified in early 1944, in connection with permanentnymi disasters incurred by the Germans on the Eastern Front, and the Red Army entered the territory of pre-war Polish state. The main attack, taken in the summer-autumn offensive of 1944, the Red Army carried out in Belarus and Lithuania. Within lasted from late June to early August the operation of the Belarusian Soviet troops (1 Belorussian Front march. Constantine Rokossovsky) reached the front line of the Vistula River near Warsaw, rejecting the forces of German Army Group "Center" of about 500 km to the west and mastering outposts near Pulawy, Warka and Magnuszew. The aim of exploiting natural Wehrmacht in Belarus and the attempts made by the Russians halt further progress on the central reaches of the struggle, in July of that year the Soviet Army forces 1st Ukrainian Front, commanded by the march. Ivan Konev, took another strategic strike, this time from the Western Ukraine. By the end of this month (July 30) The Russians, in cooperation with the branch BCh S. Ordyka "Czernik," crossed the Vistula at Kostya Sandomierski, and began building a bridgehead. In particular, grew luxuriantly on the part of the district staszowskiego and Busko. Meanwhile, the southern wing of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached the foothills of the Carpathians, which meant moving the front lines on this section at a distance of 320 km. In order to eliminate baranowsko-Sandomierz bridgehead, and then said - "gun-placed in the neck of Germany", in the period from 11 to 19 August Nazis in powerful armored force (4 APanc.) To attack the directions Solec Stopnica and Szydłów-Staszów. Although Soviet forces after heavy fighting, were forced out of Stopnica and Szydlow, but managed to stop the German counter-strike by tactical successes and charged to the Oględowem Kotuszowem. It is worth noting that the burden of the struggle rested here on the shoulders of 5 Guards Army Col. Gen. Alexei satisfactory, and 3 Guards tank army Gen. Paul Rybałki. Forming part of the last seven Guard Corps Gen. Vasily Mitrofanowa, was a right wing groups and attacked the Rybałki Staszów - Szydłów - Rakow, while 6 Guard Corps Gen. Vasily Novikov, forming the left wing, moved towards Tucząp and Stopnica. The seven corps reached a very successful 55 Guard armored brigade of Colonel David Draguńskiego, 56 - Colonel Zachara Sulisarenki Guard and 23 motorized infantry brigade of Colonel Alexander Gołowaczewa. However, in six body marked by the buoys 52 Guard armored brigade Lieutenant Colonel Michael pliesko and 53 - Colonel Vasil Arkhipova. The final formation of a border outpost occurred in mid-August 1944, one expert in the north of the Vistula River in the vicinity Dwikoz by Featherweight - Lagow - Rakow - Korytnica - Wet - Grzymala - Stopnica - Piestrzec - Podwale to the river under Szczucin - in the south. Abutment was about 70 kilometers wide and 40 km depth. Nearly six-month deadlock in the fighting on the front line (August 1944 - January 1945), both parties have used to carefully prepare for further struggles, and the Germans were preparing a defensive action (with a strong ufortyfikowaniu their front area testified that the 1 km square accounted for between 5 and 10 reinforced concrete shelters built there, and a dense network of trenches, barbed wire fence and extensive mine fields), and the Soviets - to attack the so-called. Vistula-Oder operation. Their plan proposes to make an impact in the direction of Czestochowa-Krakow-Wroclaw (under the. Operations sandomiersko-Silesian). Its implementation began on January 12, 1945 in the village Wet, moved from where the assault that finally freed the Kielce region of the Nazis, is placed on the memorial plaque and the inscription of such content (now almost illegible): "From this point on January 12, 1945 at 4:00 armies and the Soviet Army, Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Konev launched a winter offensive, by which Poland was liberated, and routed the Nazis. Glory be to the Invincible Red Army. " At the end of the first day of fighting the Soviet Army liberated about 160 localities, and among them, and Stopnica Szydłów. Also took control of the strategically important road leading from Chmielnik to Busk. They have taken the flanking maneuver to the north, from Chmielnik in Kielce. The German command, afraid to break its zone defense and began to pull violently reserves. German 24 Panzer Corps was ordered to break into the northern wing of the Soviet troops, break them and reject the positions. These intentions never realized, because the Red Army's rapid approach to the deployment of reserve areas prevented them from Nazi taken to complete the preparations for counterattacks. In the evening the second day of the offensive was triggered such Busko and Chmielnik. In solving this very difficult task was to establish and maintain a foothold baranowsko-Sandomierz, a significant share was Polish partisan, both those represented prolondyński camp (and under its auspices implement the objectives of the "Storm") and those that were the pro-Moscow camp. During July-August, they have, a large-scale military operations, ranging from the destruction of roads, blowing wheel and rail transport with the supply of war, by breaking the smaller German troops, and ending with the liberation of towns and villages, alone or together with the forces of the Soviet (eg Staszow Szydlow) and even larger tracts of land where open activity have the lawful authority of the Republic (such as the "Republic Pinczowski"). Fight the Kotuszowem (from memories of Natalia Firmanty, grandmother Camille) In the first days of August 1944 the German high command decided to eliminate the Sandomierz bridgehead on the Vistula and play solid defensive front. For this purpose, the district Stopnica przerzuciło from Germany and Romania and the less vulnerable sections of the eastern front, armored units of the strong (including the 501 battalion of heavy tanks, Featuring 20 powerful "Bengalskimi Tigers" - the new "Wunderwaffe" Hitler), which was planned to direct toward the Baranov Sandomierz in order to cut the Soviet army isolated from each part, and then subsequently destroy them. Introduction to this operation was to strike the pin 5 and 13 Guards Army - in the area west of the cancer, where the troops were dyslokowane respectively 95 and 112 Guards infantry divisions. Attack of the 16 German armored division, taken on the morning of 11 August, while in three points: the Szydłów, the area west of Staszow and south of Rakow, the Germans did not bring the expected results. The loss of the element of surprise they decided to work great Soviet reconnaissance units. On the basis of reports in advance of the Red Army command properly prepared to defend. Although under pressure from an angry thrust of the enemy the Soviets were forced to withdraw in the evening on the line Kurozwęki - Oględów - Right - Ponik, but in the night a counterattack to regain the town, destroying its nine tanks and six armored personnel carriers. So the next day the Germans launched a general attack on the side towards the Black Szydlow Staszowska, to capture the bridgehead on the left bank of the river. Although they managed to keep Kotuszów, busy even 11 August, but here 64 Regiment deployed 16 armored division, mainly due to intense bombing two military air Gen. Stepan Krasovsky, lost several tanks (note that this figure includes at least two heavy tanks " Tiger "And that, as a result of incorrect terrain implanted fight here too muddy ground), well over 100 killed and wounded. In this situation, the leadership was forced to leave this place and move into Stopnica. The threat to the West of the Soviet command immediately Rakow przerzuciło reinforcements in the form of 280 infantry divisions Colonel F. Simoczenkowa and 309 infantry divisions Colonel B. Lw, and 65 and 323 of the regiment, "Katyusha", 111 Guards regiment of howitzers, 3 light artillery brigade Guards 10 regiments and two artillery divisions, with the result that secured the advantage. Formation of massive artillery fire, opened a day later, he forced the enemy to surrender Will Osowa and effectively paralyzed the traffic on route Chmielnik-Staszów. After less than a week, on the wave of the general failure of the German efforts to destroy the baranowsko-Sandomierz bridgehead, August 19, the Russians regained full control over Kotuszowem. One of the people who remember fighting in the city, is my grandmother, Natalia Firmanty, a resident of this village, a woman now 80 years old. I conducted many interviews with her about this. With the outbreak of World War II, Natalia Firmanty was 9-year-old girl. She came from a large family. She was the youngest child, she had six siblings. The oldest brother, Stanislaw, a conscript soldier, took part in the September campaign, during which he was captured by the Germans. He stayed there until his death in 1945 (he was buried in Germany). He maintained a steady correspondence with his family, from which from time to time getting food parcels, usually picked him - he wrote - by German soldiers. The rest of the siblings at the same time she studied and worked on the land, because before the war, the family enjoyed a plentiful supply. When asked about his war memories, Natalia Firmanty confessed that despite the passage of time, images of those days remain in her memory is still vivid. The story quotes okraszała line offering the perfect atmosphere of these events, written by his cousin, Joseph Firmantego: "The front was approaching, heard works Since the bomb shakes the earth " "When in August 1944 came with us, on the bridgehead, Soviet soldiers, the local people welcomed them with bread and flowers. They considered them as liberators, because even in July, Germany murdered our guerrillas, and deporting them by shooting in the head on kurozwęckim cemetery. " "Frenzy of joy in our hearts Maybe finally release They told us to not be afraid It begins <nastuplenie> We are with scythes on his shoulder They are in the hands of Tommy guns We are happy to talk with us Their faces do not know fear " "Many kotuszowian saluted the Russians in their national language. Because in the era of the car made it mandatory annexation of Russian language teaching - old people well it could. 7 <katiusz> <Ruscy> lined and turned them toward Kotuszowa. When the shot - you could say that the burned land. The Russians told us to flee. There we took nothing with him, and fled from the village as we were. " "The life of our broken For half a year in exile Hungry, cold, blood drinking louse Life in the slow agony " "We have found refuge in the palace at Martin Popiel Kurozwęki, where for three weeks along with other refugees living in the ballroom. After this period, the army gave us a pass, you need to return to the family home and take from it what you can. But our house was destroyed by the fall of the German aircraft shot down by Soviet troops. The machine fell on the corner of the house. Remains of the house completely demolished and the Russians have built a dugout in the acacia grove, still growing by the road from Kurozwęki to Kotuszowa. My brothers, my father and I dug a dugout, where they sheltered. It was very hard. In the General Government were forbidden to eat white bread by the Poles, so for a period of occupation, we ate black bread, made with flour, crumbs at the mill. But then there was even such bread. In general, there was nothing to eat, so my mother cooked soup Francis nettles and dandelion. We slept on the bare ground, deprived of even the most primitive sanitary and medical devices. Full authority over the people, the Red Army held the subject to himself all property, houses, farm buildings, forests. Appointed by the commanders of war it became the real masters of life and death of civilians under their control. " The situation is therefore reminiscent of the recently abolished the conditions of German occupation. Natalia Firmanty noted here that in 1943-1944 Germany repeatedly carried out armed incursions into Kotuszowa, Szydlow and other nearby towns, where they organized "roundups". Detained persons were exported to the Third Reich for forced labor. Maybe it was a form of repression for the activation of the local resistance movement? "At that time the Forest Szydłowski Kotuszowskim and formed guerrilla units that attacked the Germans. From the stories of older residents remember exactly Kotuszowa the March 9, 1944 Szydłów guerrillas seized temporarily and 22 July 1944 <granatowej disarmed the police station there>. From the information that wyłuskiwaliśmy the radio at the end of July 1944, it appeared that the Red Army, despite the resistance of the Nazi occupation, in turn liberated villages surrounding us. August 6 Germans went to the counter. As a result of numerous bombings and attacks carried out, using tanks, the Russians were driven out of Szydlow. Their troops retreated slowly towards the bat, Will Podleśna, wet and Korytnica. As a result of air bombing and Szydłowie Kotuszowie destroyed many buildings for residential, business and church. The inhabitants, in order to save their belongings, built deep in the earth shelters, which covers the wood, stones and earth. I remember flying planes over our heads, which, as the Russians say, fly to Szydłów. That day stands out in my memory particularly deep, because what happened was like pandemonium! Learned from the radio that the ground armored battle raged in the air, at the same time - air. Around the fires in all buildings. Bloodiest battles were carried out on the beachhead near Szydlow. There he killed many innocent people. On a raid on the German command Szydłów announced that the area is an area of ​​our community front and ordered civilians to leave the house for three days. It was very hard to hide anywhere, because through our backyard going through the first line of the front. But what could I do - 18 August 1944, we loaded the cart remains of our possessions. On this day - I remember it well - came to our village, German soldiers who took the hosts chickens. Hunger, hence the displaced often risking their lives were returning to their fields to take a little grain or potatoes. " During the war the area was a rural area 'no man's land ", where each is approached, usually at night. Germans were the favorite pastime of "hunt" individual soldiers armed with Pancerfausty, held after dark, the T-34, usually toppings success, despite the variety of sets made by the Russian trap. "When the front moved in January to the west, to Kotuszowa had lost family, but only Gadawscy, Mandeccy Sidwowie and found the house intact. Just as many were saved from the 120 houses (also called remainder intact. Organist)! " "People attract to their nests But these scattered jack A few chimneys were And this is all burnt " "As for the battle of Kotuszowem - I remember the Soviet soldiers stationed in the fields, which the Germans sent two tanks" Tigers ". One of them buried in the cleft that separates the farm of Michael Chmiel and Martin Popiel. His crew managed to escape. Everything that was in him, quickly fell prey to enterprising kotuszowian. The fate of the first tank divided the next, which is buried between zagonami belonging Mr. Kaczmarczyk and Mr. Niedzwiecki (then population Kotuszowa). His crew had less luck since then, as if she wanted to get out - I saw it with my own eyes - the Russians killed all with machine guns. The corpses of those tankers przeleżały in an open field until spring, because the surrounding area was mined. Death is not skirted or civilians. My grandmother, fleeing across the field his son, Michael Chmiel before nadlatującym plane uklęknęła suddenly and began to pray. The pilot opened fire to her and blew her leg. Poor thing, bled to death! Her remains przeleżały in the field throughout the year, mine clearance until the place where she was killed. Tragedy also struck kotuszowskich many other families, lost their lives in total up to 70 people then. " "Fields of our zminowane Lined with barbed wire Who is it comes - is already His life ended " "What more? Before the eyes of the Red Army dug my bunk, built in the woods acacia, on our farm (still visible there are three depressions in the ground, being the remnants - editor. My - Kamil Bielec), a military field hospital, which was in the trench. It ended life the soldiers, whose state of negotiations is not no hope for improvement. Probably some of them were buried near this place. If it was - buried there today, because no one shares held exhumation. I also remember how the masked military cars. Constant tweaking vehicles side by side, right on the field. In the winter were covered with a layer of lime, and the sides were attached young pines, so that the enemy thought it was just a clump of trees. " "War, war in Poland was from the Baltic to the Tatras Germany was raging like a hurricane Drove like a hare hart Oh, this war is a stepmother Pain, tears and blood to pour On it killed innocent people " Battle of Kotuszowem abounds in various kinds of artifacts. By 1996, the ditch separating the farm from Camilla's great-grandfather's family estate lay Popielów the airplane wing. Currently it is in the Museum of the White Eagle in Skarżysko Stone. Last year, working for Uncle Kamil's thermal insulation of the house (standing on the site of the building destroyed during the war), at the level of the basement we came across a German aircraft shell fragments. Size of the remains and their condition prevents identification of the type of the machine. The property belonging to the family of Camilla, as well as parcels owned by their neighbors, we found many elements of weapons (bombs, shells and missiles on the cartridges, darts when mortar ammunition) and equipment (helmet, canteen) belonging to the soldiers of the warring parties. End Assess the meaning of war fought under Kotuszowem in August 1944 is not clear. From a military point of view - the victory of the Soviets who created and defended beachhead baranowsko-Sandomierz - nigh the time of the final defeat of the Third Reich and the end of World War II. However, from a political point of view - all facilitated the success of the Red Army on its territory dominated by the establishment of the new communist order of body, which excluded the independent existence of the Polish state. We, young, living in free and democratic Poland, in a uniting Europe, it is easier than anyone before, without prejudice to try to reconstruct "forgotten history", on the struggle on the Eastern Front (such as those under Kotuszowem), would then take the trouble of understanding and dissemination. They constitute an essential part of our historical consciousness as the world's population Staszowska - our "little homeland". They are also - included in the correct proportions - an episode which in some way influenced the Polish history. Therefore we would like to the place of the dramatic battles was erected a monument: a plaque, stone obelisk commemorating the fallen in battle both soldiers - Polish, Russian and German, as well as civilian casualties. Bibliography First Relationships. Interviews conducted by the authors with Natalia Firmanty in February-May 2010 Second Prints. Bieleccy Anna and Thomas, geography and natural environment of the Earth Staszowska, Staszów 2005 Encyclopedia of World War II, Warsaw 1975 Massalski Adam, Meducki Stanislaw, Kielce during the Nazi occupation of 1939-1945, The National Department. Ossolińskich 2007 Moszczynski Tadeusz, Szydłów, Kielce 1967 Myjak Joseph, Staszów and around (travel guide), Staszów 1998 The story Firmantego, Kielce-Staszów 2002 Witold Szymczyk, winning the summer, Rzeszow 1977 John Wisniewski, Historical description of the churches, cities, monuments and memorials in Stopnickiem, Mariówka 1929 Zarębski Maciej Andrzej, Staszów yesterday and today, Staszów 1999 Staszowska Earth. Social and Cultural Quarterly, No. 1 1989 Third Internet. http://www.sandomierz.opoka.org.pl http://www.staszow.pl http://www.battlefield.ru http://www.kotuszow.pl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
