The Battle for Warsaw, 1944

Discussion in 'The Eastern Front' started by Drew5233, Feb 19, 2009.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I watched a rather good doc today about the Polish uprising to arms and fighting the Germans after the Russians pushed the Germans back in 1944.

    The programme mentioned to German Brigades I've not heard of before and can't pronounce the names or spell them to do a search on Google.

    Apparently these two units were given the job by Hitler to crush the rising and within the first week of the uprising 40,000 civilians were killed.

    1. sounds like Durlavanger Brigade

    2. sounds like Rhowna Brigade

    They are described as two of the most vicious units on the Eastern Front during WW2.

    Any help much appreciated in identifying them.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  2. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Andy

    Dirlanger Brigade.

    Rob.

    PS - Will put a link to a good site for you next post.
     
  3. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

  4. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Andy,
    I can recommend the book, Rising'44 The Battle for Warsaw.
    By Norman davies.

    It is a very thick paperback, but packed with information.
    Tom
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Cheers Rob do you know the other unit?

    Andy
     
  6. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    See Steve's mention of a book called "The Cruel Hunters".
    Oscar Dirlewanger was awarded the German Cross in Gold * and Knights Cross - a total dishonour to others who deserved these award.

    (Hitler's fried Egg*)

    He led a band of murderers and criminals and was one himself , he was as far as I am aware executed and deservedly so.

    Oskar Dirlewanger www.HolocaustResearchProject.org

    The Rape of Warsaw
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Mullet94

    Mullet94 Senior Member

  8. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    A

    Sorry don't know. Does that link I gave you tell you any other names. I just skimmed through it. I had Dirlanger stored in the deep recesses of my brain, but not anything ressembling the other.

    R
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Cheers all I found it on Rob's link

    The RONA brigade led by Kaminski


    Andy
     
  11. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Andy
    I just found the units glorious leader

    Quite a nasty piece of work.
    "Dr. Oskar Dirlewanger"
    SS- Oberfuhrer der Reserve.
    Born 26/9/95 , Wurzburg.
    Killed 7/6/45 in Altshausen Cz camp by former prisoners or guards. Buried in Altshaisen/Saulgau local cemetery.
    Clasp to EK2nd Class May 24th , 1942 , and to EK 1st Class on 16/9/42.
    German Cross in Gold 5/12/43.#Knights Cross 30/9/1944.
    His "brigade" is described as being a probation unit for soldiers guilty of criminal offences - by serving they has their "slate cleaned".
    Dirlewagner was "serving" under similar circumstances.

    Above from JHost Schneider's "Their Honour was Loyalty- An illustrated and documentary History of The Knight's Cross Holders of the Waffen SS and Police 1940-1945."
    Forgive me if I have no sympathy for the man.
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  13. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Cheers all I found it on Rob's link

    Andy

    Good stuff

    Rob
     
  14. Mullet94

    Mullet94 Senior Member

    Funny how their leader was executed by the Theird Reich
    Bronislav Kaminski - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Slightly off topic but I was watching the World at War episode that covered Japan and the Rape of Nanking last week which said that Germany complained to Japanese about what happened, seems a bit ironic given the Nazi's track record.
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Mullet me old cockney mucker !

    I missed your previous post (No.7) so apologies from me.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  16. Juszatek

    Juszatek Junior Member

    Andy,
    I can recommend the book, Rising'44 The Battle for Warsaw.
    By Norman davies.

    It is a very thick paperback, but packed with information.
    Tom

    Yes, it's probably the best book about Polish Uprising in Warsaw in English.:)

    There was two uprisings in Warsaw in WWII. First was The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943. Polish Jews fought, when German destroyed finally ghetto. About 60 thousands Jews and only 17 Nazi soldier were killed. Unfortunately Polish Home Army couldn't help Jews because ghetto was closed for Polish people. There was something like Berlin Wall and Polish partizants could only gave some guns. In occupied Poland for helping Jews, punishment was death. For example in occupied France, for the same, you can go to prison, but you can't be shot.

    The second Uprising was struggle by the Polish Home Army, when Soviet Army was near Warsaw. It was in august 1944. Uprising took 63 days, about 150-200 thousand civilians and 15 thousands polish soldiers was killed. German lost about 16 thousands. City, the capitol of Poland, was completely destroyed. Now, soldiers from Dirlewanger's unit are hunted by polish The Institute of National Membrance, for murders against polish civilians.

    Also, I take link to gallery from Institute of National Membrance about Polish Uprising in 1944.:)

    Institute of National Remembrance

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Pictures from gallery.:)
     
  17. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    SS Sonderkommando Dirlewanger, was composed by some of the worst Nazi scum ever, and given their members´"special qualities", was employed mainly in anti-partisan roles, both before and after the Warsaw Uprising.

    Here´s a link to some more info about this infamous outfit:

    The Dirlewanger Brigade: The Most Infamous of all SS Combat Units of World War Two

    By the way, I knew that there was some western allies´ support for the defenders; what kind was it? Supply airdrops perhaps? From where?
     
  18. Juszatek

    Juszatek Junior Member

    By the way, I knew that there was some western allies´ support for the defenders; what kind was it? Supply airdrops perhaps? From where?

    I know about South African, Polish, American squadrons. They flew from Italy.

    From 4 August the Western Allies began supporting the Uprising with airdrops of munitions and other supplies.[85] Initially the flights were carried out mostly by the 1568th Polish Flight of the Polish Air Force stationed in Bari and Brindisi in Italy, flying B-24 Liberator, Handley Page Halifax and Douglas C-47 Dakota planes. Later on, at the insistence of the Polish government-in-exile, they were joined by the Liberators of 2 Wing –No. 31 and No. 34 Squadrons of the South African Air Force based at Foggia in Southern Italy, and Halifaxes, flown by No. 148 and No. 178 RAF Squadrons. The drops by British, Polish and South African forces continued until 21 September. The total weight of allied drops varies according to source (104 tons,[86] 230 tons[85] or 239 tons[10]), over 200 flights were made.[87]
    The Soviet Union did not allow the Western Allies to use its airports for the airdrops,[5] so the planes had to use bases in the United Kingdom and Italy which reduced their carrying weight and number of sorties. The Allies' specific request for the use of landing strips made on 20 August was denied by Stalin on 22 August.[84] Stalin referred to the insurgents as "a handful of criminals"[88] and stated that the uprising was inspired by "enemies of the Soviet Union".[89]) Thus by denying landing rights to Allied aircraft on Soviet-controlled territory the Soviets vastly limited effectiveness of Allied assistance to the Uprising, and even fired at Allied airplanes which carried supplies from Italy and strayed into Soviet-controlled airspace.[84]
    American support was also limited. After Stalin's objections to supporting the uprising, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill telegraphed U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 25 August and proposed sending planes in defiance of Stalin, to "see what happens". Unwilling to upset Stalin before the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt replied on 26 August: "I do not consider it advantageous to the long-range general war prospect for me to join you".[84][90]


    Warsaw Uprising - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    There was some western prisoners who were liberated and fought in Polish Home Army. But I don't know anymore. It is sure that pilots who were brought down, fought on the polish side.
     
  19. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    Just found this pictures about Nazi armor put to work against their former owners during the battle:


    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  20. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Warlord can you add the source of these photos.
    It'd just be polite to acknowledge where you found them.
    Thanks.
     

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