Poland 1st Armoured Division occupied Wilhelmshaven

In the evening of April 7, 1945, divisional troops crossed the Dutch-German border in the Gennep and Goch area southeast of Nijmegen and then crossed the bridge on the Rhine in the Rees area. On further march, they again entered the Netherlands and through Neede and Almelo reached the top elements of Coevorden on 9 April. It was the most massive march of the 1st Armoured Division. Within just 18 hours, division troops travelled 250–400 km. This march took place in hard conditions, as it rained and in many places the visibility was very low due to the forming fog. In addition, many bridges had besides small burden capacity to let march columns to enter them, so their crossing was done individually. This perpetuated the conviction of armored vehicle crews, primarily tanks and self-propelled guns, that it was possible to cross dense armored bridge equipment with a burden capacity of 9 t, 3 t, or even 1.8 t, which was the consequence of action on the Dutch-German border.

Fights on the Dutch-German border

The second phase of the Polish 1st Armoured Division in Canada's 2nd Corps is mainly fought on the left bank of the Ems River, on the Dutch-German border, by a tactical group of 3rd firearm Brigade commanded by Colonel Władysław Dec, reinforced by the 10th Horse firearm Regiment, or a divisional reconnaissance armored regiment, as well as 2nd Armored Regiment and 10th Dragons Regiment and Belgian 1st SAS parachute battalion. This group invaded Wierden, Rijssen, on 9 April 1945, and then captured the crossings on the Verlengde Hoogeveense Vaart Canal and conducted a reconnaissance in a north-westerly direction and towards Westerbork to make contact with French parachute troops dropped in that area.

Polish tank en way to Wilhelmshaven. Public domain

The next day, the 10th Horse firearm Regiment with the squadron of the 10th Dragon Regiment arrived in the area: Westerbork, Beilen over the Linthorst Homan Canal and established tactical contact with French paratroopers who, due to pilots' mistake, were dropped in considerable dispersal and distant from the landing areas. For this reason, the Canadian 1st Army's command considered the usage of part of division troops to support Operation ‘Amherst’, led in the north-eastern Netherlands by peculiar troops allied by the forces of the French Battalions of the 1st Parachutes firearm Regiment (1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutites) of the peculiar Air Service Brigade. The intent of this operation was to master crossings and airports in the Steenwijk area. Given the distance between the divisions achieved by the 1st Armoured Division and Steenwijk, this intention was abandoned, and this task was performed by the 1st Corps Canadian units. The 3rd firearm Brigade tactical group took over the Ter Appeal area, Weerdinge on 11 April while crossing the Dutch-German border in the Rütenbrock area, a village close the Ter Appeal road from Haren. The Belgian 1st SAS parachute battalion occupied Veele located north of Vlagtwedde.

On April 12, 1945, the day proved crucial for the 1st Armoured Division for 2 reasons. For further action by the division, it mattered as the 9th firearm Battalion, along with the 11th Bomb Squadron, reached the Haren area, where they seized the bay on the right bank of the Ems River and began building the bridge, which was completed the following day. Unfortunately, the state of the roads in the Emmen area delayed the displacement of the tactical group of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, which only arrived in the Haren area on 14 April, and then crossed the river and came out the leading elements over Küstenkanal (The Coast Canal). In the afternoon, April 12, 2nd Armoured Regiment (sub-colon-in-command Stanisław Koszutski and 5 officers, 7 privates, Sherman tank, 2 Scout car armored cars, a personal-terrestrial car and a motorcycle) He liberated Stalag VI C prisoner of war camp in Oberlangen, located 5 km north of Haren, where 1721 women were liberated – soldiers of the National Army taken prisoner after the fall Warsaw Uprising. This had a symbolic dimension on the 1 hand, and, on the other, resulted in many contacts and formations within the 2nd Army Service Auxiliary Battalion.

Two days later, the 3rd firearm Brigade group seized the historical town-fortress of Bourtange and the approach to Neue Rhede, breaking up the German 366 naval fortress battalion (Marine-Festungs-Bataillon 366). Finally, on April 18, Borsum, fenced off by the ems old-age spillers utilized to make floods, where 1 marine-Infanterie-Lehr-Bataillon was broken up. The surveillance of the 3rd firearm Brigade took over the 10th Dragon Regiment on April 19. The clearing of areas east of the Ems River from the German survivors continued for 2 more days erstwhile the area was taken over by the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, whose first troops loosened the dragoons on the night of 20 to 21 April. In this way, the activities of a group of certified colonels ended Deca led on the left bank of the Ems River to a depth of 40 km.

Forcing Küstenkanal

The 3rd phase of the Polish 1st Armoured Division in the Canadian 2nd Corps is the fighting fought on the right bank of the Ems River in German Frisia by a tactical group of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade commanded by Colonel-in-Chief Franz Skibiński. The most crucial component of these activities was the pushing of Küstenkanal. The canal, which was completed in 1936, connected the Ems River in the Dörpen area with Wezera between Bremen and Bremerhaven. In the assault lane of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, the Ems River with flat, swampy shores effectively prevented the flanking of the opponent defending the canal from the western direction. The width of the channel was 30 m, which caused it to be a major obstacle against appearances, especially as the ability to approach its edges was greatly hampered due to the wet, peat bog terrain. For this reason, the movement of military vehicles could only take place on roads. However, it should be pointed out that the roads in this area, although convenient for wheeled traffic, required the drivers of track vehicles to be very careful in driving, as the hard, narrow surface was a thin layer on a natural substrate in the form of a peat subsoil. In this situation, any effort to drive off the surface ended with the vehicle being immediately trapped. Therefore, the assault of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade had to be conducted along the Meppen – Papenburg road. In addition, it appeared that in the Dörpen region, Lehe departed from Küstenkanal another channel moving meridianally all the way to Papenburg.

Ammunition replenishment in the Sherman-Firefly tank of 1 of the armored regiments of the 1st Armoured Division. Property: Julius S. This.

At that time, the reconnaissance of the Canadian 2nd Corps identified 5 German tactical groups in the area between the Ems Rivers and Wezera. In the Leer area, Emden operated units of the Second Paratroop Corps – the 7th and 8th Paratroop firearm Division and the conflict Group “Gericke” (Kampfgruppe “Gericke”), composed of paratroopers and naval troops. To the east of the 2nd Parachute Corps, the units of the LXXVI Army Corps were deployed: 471 and 490th Infantry Division. The opponents of the 1st Armoured Division were the German 2nd Corps units. Against the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade were the troops of the conflict Group "Gericke", as well as elements of a tactical group called Vertedigungsabschnitt Emden commanded by the Commander (Capitän zur See) Axel von Blessingha, whose troops fought mostly with the 3rd firearm Brigade on the left bank of the Ems River. It was a divisional union consisting of 3 Marine-Regiment regiments, which have a common name, "West" and differing numbers and organizational composition, each being a cluster of various branches, and the Marine-Flak-Regiment 6. These regiments included: 359, 363, and 367 naval fortress battalion (Marine-Festungs-Bataillon 363) with Wilhelmshaven, 366 naval fortress battalion (Marine-Festungs-Bataillon 366) with Emden, 1 naval school battalion (Marine-Infanterie-Lehr-Bataillon 1), 1 marine school-stock battalion (Marine-Infanterie-Ersatz-Ausbildung-Bataillon 1), and 3 batteries of 126 marine artillery division (Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 126). These troops were cut into 2 groups, from which the right wing was pushed to Delfzijl, and the stronger left wing led reverse fighting, retreating along the Ems River towards Weener – Leer.

The effort to push Küstenkanal from the march on 14 April 1945 resulted in failure due to strong device weapon and mortar fire and anti-aircraft guns firing flat spray-based missiles. Only a solidly prepared force, supported by the fire of division artillery and air strikes by Typhoon aircraft, took place on April 19, brought about an effect in the form of control of the base by the 9th firearm Battalion, even though half of the assault boats destroyed the enemy's fire. The bridge built by the 10th company of bomb squads allowed the introduction of the 24th Ulan Regiment to the tankhead, and then the improvement of success by the 1st Battleship of the 1st Armoured Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stefanowicz, who next day took over the town of Aschendorf, as well as by the “Constanta” group – the 24th Ulan Regiment and the battalion of Podhalan gunners – commanded by the deputy commander-in-chief of the brigade of the certified Colonel Antoni Grudziński, who took over Papenburg on 21 April. In this way, the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade arrived at a depth of 20 km. During this time, the group of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Nowaczyński, composed of the 8th firearm Battalion and the 10th Horse firearm Regiment, cleared the German troops from the survivors located to the east of the mastered foothold of Neue Lehe, Börgermoor.

At that time, the position of Deputy Commander of the 1st Armoured Division was changed. erstwhile Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Diplomatic Colonel Kazimierz Dworak, was transferred to the staff composition of the Military Training Inspectorate in the United Kingdom, and his place was shortly taken by Diplomatic Colonel Klemens Rudnicki, who served in the 2nd Corps as Deputy Commander of the 5th End Infantry Division. In addition, both colonels were promoted to Brigadier Generals. At the same time, the commander of the 2nd Armoured Regiment was changed. Commander-in-Chief of this branch since 31 August 1942, Lieutenant-Colonel Diplomat Stanisław Koszutski was transferred to the post of Chief of Tactical School at the Centre for Armoured and method Training in the United Kingdom, and the command of the regiment was taken over by the erstwhile Deputy Commander of the 10th Horse firearm Regiment Major Michał Gutowski. In addition, Maj-Gen Stanisław Maczek he was appointed as commander of the First Corps, but due to the ongoing activities, the time limit for taking that position was to be set by a separate order.

In the floods of the rivers Ledy and Jümme

The next phase of action of the 1st Armoured Division is an effort to push the Hault Fehn Canal and the Leda and Jümme rivers towards Potshausen – Stickhausen, where the German 365 naval fortress battalion (Marine-Festungs-Bataillon 365) fought. Wilhelmshaven, taken on 24-27 April. The 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade group moved 22 km to the northeast in the Potshausen area. dense fighting and laborious overcoming of the very hard terrain have active subdivisions of the 10th Dragon Regiment and the 24th Ulan Regiment. The distance between Potshausen and Stickhausen was just 4.5 km. On the right wing, the group of Lt. Col. Nowaczyński seized the Bollingen area, which was defended by the 367th Marine-Festungs-Bataillon 367).

That was the fun of the real army... "Let the dragons live!" A toast of triumph erected by the outgoing commander of the 1st Armoured Division of Gen. Stanisław Maczek during a gathering in the 10th Dragon Regiment. To the left of Gen. Maczka fresh division commander Gen. Brig. Klemens Rudnicki. Hooeskel, May 22, 1945. Property: Julius S. This.

Commander of the 1st Armoured Division, General Maczek in his memoirs referred to the conditions that prevailed in the area of further water obstacles, namely the Leda and Jümme rivers: “It would not be excessive to find that we drowned in the mud, especially tanks and self-propelled guns, breaking down a thin layer of peat with caterpillars and sinking into dark mud. The Leda River turned out to be a river more swampy than any of our Polesia, and the area before and beyond the river so wet and burnt through canals that not only bridges but roads and accesses had to be built to advance. The proximity of the Leda and Jümme rivers to the sea made all tide of the sea increase not only the water level, but rehydrated this wet belt of Frisian land. German technology has masterfully utilized these advantages of the site for defense. Each intersection of the road or its section moving in the knots between the marshes was the center of a immense 50-foot-diameter funnel, which could not be otherwise jumped, as the construction of the Bailley Bridge [Bailey] . These rainforests were formed by firing large-caliber air bombs buried in the pit.” These destructions were a consequence of the order of Chancellor of the 3rd Reich of Adolf Hitler of 19 March 1945, which ordered: "All devices, specified as permanent military equipment, communications, means of transport, industrial installations and warehouses in Germany, which can service e.g. in further combat, are to be destroyed."

Due to the fact that the Potshausen – Stickhausen direction proved to be unfavourable to armored weapons on April 27, General Maczek ordered tactical pause and regrouping of the division. 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, awaiting the mastery of the bridgehead on the Leda River by Canadian 3 The Infantry Division in the Leer area, adopted a militant group to strike on the wing and rear of the opponent defending the Jümme River, in order to master the Filsum region, Hesel, Brunn.

A decisive blow

The activities conducted on 29 April were limited to the activity of reconnaissance patrols, as the weather collapsed, with dense rains accompanied by cold wind. However, this did not prevent the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division from provoking Leda in the Leer area, which was overrun in the evening.

On that morning, the commander of the Canadian 2nd Corps General Guy Simonds and the commander of the Canadian division appeared in command of the 1st Armoured Division to agree to cooperate. The Polish division was to support the Canadian 4th mediate Artillery Regiment (medium) of the 2nd Armies Group of the Royal Canadian Artillery (2nd Army Group, Royal Canadian Artillery) and 11th Field Artillery Regiment (11th Army Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery) of the 1st Armies Group of the Royal Canadian Artillery, as well as the British 53rd mediate Artillery Regiment (medium), which demonstrates how crucial the command of the corps attached to the operations of the 1st Armored Division.

Soldiers were able to cope with adverse weather conditions in various ways. Sitting in an armored car Scout car Humber Mk II officer of the 2nd Armored Regiment utilized a civilian umbrella. Property: Julius S. This.

The following day, on 30 April, in the afternoons, troops of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade crossed Leda on bridges built by Canadian bomb squads, then passed through the destroyed junction at Logabirum, from where the group of Major Gutowski, whose core was the 2nd Armoured Regiment, struck Hesel, and the group of Lieutenant Colonel Stefanowicz, whose core was the 1st Armoured Regiment, took over Filsum. Thus began the 5th phase of division action, where the depth of the first phase task was for both regimental combat groups of 16 km. At the same time, the battalion of Podhale gunmen, leading the attack towards Potshausen – Stickhausen, invaded the area: Detern, Stickhausen, and then established tactical communication with the group of Lieutenant Colonel Stefanowicz. In addition, the 10th Cavalry Regiment bypassed from the south the forest located to the east of Hesel, then mastered Remels and the crossings located there on the Nord-Georgsfehner channel.

General Maczek put the commander of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade to carry out an attack on the direction of Hesel – Remels – Moorburg, or to a depth of 23 km. After mastering the second village, the brigade was to stay on alert to act southeast on Westerstede or northeast on Halsbek. As the area was conquered, German opposition gradually declined, especially after news of the suicide of the Reich Chancellor. The troops of this brigade took over Moorburg on May 3, Halsbek, and then together with the 3rd firearm Brigade occupied Westerstede.

German surrender

General Simonds made the decision to mention the 1st Armoured Division to Neuenburg, Jever and Wilhelmshaven. In the first stage, the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade was to take over Neuenburg. Unexpectedly on May 4, Canadian 1st Army commander General John Crerar received information from Command 21 of the Army Group that the erstwhile day to the office of Marshal Bernard L. The German delegation reached Montgomery and negotiations for the unconditional surrender of German troops in north-western Europe began. The German delegation was able to negociate to halt Allied attack and ceasefire. At 20.35 p.m. General Crerar was notified of the surrender of German troops in the Netherlands, northwestern Germany along with the Frisian Islands and Helgoland, in the Schleswig-Holstein state and in Denmark. As a result, the attack was to be halted, and a ceasefire was ordered, which would apply from 5 May 1945 as of 8 p.m. Despite the halting of the motor artillery regiments of the 1st Armoured Division, they led a fire harassing German positions throughout the night, and in the morning performed 19-minute artillery preparation. The actions of the Polish division were stopped about 40 km from Wilhelmshaven.

Commander of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, a certified Colonel Skibiński mentioned that on late evening he was ordered to check in with General Maczek. “I walked into the surviving area of the German court with a grim and offended face. On the seats sat [general Stanislaw] Maczek, General [Klemens] Rudnicki, [commander of Division Artillery certified Bronisław] Noel and [chief of division staff lieutenant colonel certified Louis] Stankiewicz. On the table, in a silver bucket, a bottle of champagne froze. That's all I need. The poppy warned the outbreak of my bad humour: – Don't be mad that I didn't let you sleep, but with you I started this war at Jordanów, so I gotta end it with you. present – it was after midnight – there will be a ceasefire on our front. They had champagne. We were shaking. They drank. Bad temper as his hand took off.”

General Simonds, in the presence of the division commanders of the Canadian 2nd Corps, including General Maczek, accepted on 5 May 1945 at the mayor's office in Bad Zwischenahn General Erich Straubego, commander of improvised Armeeabteilung Straube, to whom about 30,000 soldiers were subject.

Generals Klemens Rudnicki and Stanisław Maczek in Wilhelmshaven, May 1945 National Digital Archive

General Maczek recalled the event as follows: “They went in, lined up in front of the table, saluted, and stood alert. [...] Gen. Straube started talking. General Simonds interrupted him with a motion of impatience. “You did not come here to negociate with us – you are only to perceive to the conditions of the unconstitutional warrant – the conditions for unconditional surrender”. Point by point, a hard, powerful voice began to read these conditions: “The first Polish armored division (or I think Gen. Simonds chants slow and clearly and deliberately all word) – Wilhelmshaven”. But no. For the first time, through the faces standing inactive at the attention of German officers passed like a contraction, the eyes of Germans, previously avoiding me, turned on me, on my Polish uniform. It is not essential to remind us that they started this terrible war from us and in the face of the typical of 1 of the inactive fighting Polish units – present they are laying down their weapons.”

German units were to prepare for unconditional surrender on the terms specified by the commanders of the individual divisions of the corps. Most of them demanded that the disarmament of the troops take place before the surrender. The Nazi salute was banned. In many places, there have been incidents involving foreigners exported for forced labour.

On the following day, the 1st Armoured Division troops set off at 9.00 a.m. in a northern direction to occupy the assigned business area. At 10.45 a group of deputy commanders of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade Colonel Antoni Grudziński, a associate of the 2nd Armoured Regiment and 8th firearm Battalion, entered Wilhelmshaven. At this largest Kriegsmarine naval base, 226 ships and auxiliary units capitulated in front of the British Royal Navy, including 3 cruisers and 18 submarines. At 6:00 p.m., the main forces of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigades entered Jever. Hohenkirchen became a garrison of the 10th Dragon Regiment. The 3rd firearm Brigade took Neuenburg, Zetel, Bockhorn, Hohemoor. In addition, the towns of Ruttelerfeld and Wiesederfehn were occupied. A police hr was introduced in the division's work area, initially from 22.15 to 6.30. The division's troops served as occupying servants in Wilhelmshaven, Jever until May 20, 1945, and then performed business tasks in the Meppen, Aschendorf and Haren areas. The German population was displaced from the second village and the name of the town was changed to Maczek.

Between 7 April and 7 May 1945, the 1st Armoured Division captured 5659 prisoners. The division's losses were 7 officers and 92 Privates killed, 23 officers and 331 Privates injured and 13 Privates missing, a full of 30 officers and 436 Privates.