2.1m members in the HistoryMemes community. They could be reached either through direct assault through the swamps or by attack along the causeway leading from the bridge in Wizna. At the same time an assault on the southern part of Polish fortifications became a stalemate. On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland, thereby unleashing World War II. In addition, the area was reinforced with trenches, anti-tank and anti-personnel obstacles, barbed wire lines and land mines. Lyrics. Regardless of the large number of dead and wounded troops, those in the remaining bunkers continued to resist. Subsequently, this brutal battle in Polish culture was called the “Polish Thermopylae.”. It was to shield the Polish positions further to the south and guard the crossing of the Narew and Biebrza rivers. Heavy fighting for each of the now isolated bunkers continued. Tadeusz Tabaczyński, commander of the Osowiec fortified area located some 30 kilometres to the north, he could not expect any reinforcements. What they got instead was the Polish Thermopylae. The troops on the Wizna line were surrounded.Assaults on the fortifications around Wizna continued. History memes and jokes go here. After strong artillery fire, the Polish commander of the Giełczyn area, First Lieutenant Kiewlicz, received an order to burn the wooden bridge over the Narew and retreat to Białystok. 40:1 means an estimated ratio of forces on both sides of battle in fact, with 42,200 Germans and 720 Poles, it is 60:1. According to latest sources under 720 Poles defended a fortified line for three days against more than 40,000 Germans. Out of 720 Polish soldiers only approximately 70 survived. Jakub Fober. Only Genuine Products. On September 1, 1939, the Polish Defensive War and World War II started. Despite this, by 6:00 PM the Polish troops in the trenches and field fortifications had been forced to retreat to the bunkers. Exact Polish losses are unknown, mostly because very little is known of the soldiers that were taken as prisoners of war by the Germans. [9] Some successfully withdrew and reached the Polish lines, others were taken prisoner. [citation needed] The Wehrmacht lost at least 10 tanks and several other AFVs in the struggle. Background. Lt. Col. Tadeusz Tabaczyński was unable to send his troops to the aid of Raginis, although he was less than 19 miles (30 km) away from him in the fortified area of Osowiec. It's easy to imagine all the heated battles of World War II's European Theater taking place in France or Belgium or North Africa – all the campaigns Polish forces numbered about 700 enlisted soldiers and 20 officers. [6] Units defending the line were subordinate to the Polish Independent Operational Group Narew shielding Łomża and providing defence of the northern approach to Warsaw. However, Władysław Raginis and Lt. Brykalski refused to surrender and vowed to fight to the death. Read another story from us: Blitzkrieg Tactics: Lightning Conquest of Poland. Our Discord Server can be found in the sidebar … When the order was withdrawn and the unit returned to Osowiec, it was already too late to help the isolated Poles at Wizna. History: Eve of the Battle: Positions Prior to Battle : Before the war the area of the village of Wizna was prepared as a fortified line of defence. Although all the bunkers were destroyed and the Polish resistance was finally broken, the fortified area of Wizna managed to halt the German advance for three days. Polish scouts from the mountain rifle division suffered losses and were forced to retreat to the southern bank of the Narew. 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