23rd September 1944: day 54 of 63... The Czerniakow beachhead falls. Upper Czerniakow has been captured by the Germans during the night. Polish defenders have made an attempt to fight their way through to Srodmiescie but only a small group get through. Five men under the command of Captain Ryszard Bialous Jerzy got through and made it to the YMCA building on Konopnieckiej Street, which is still held by the insurgents. The rest of the Polish unit was captured by the Germans. SS officers have executed by firing squad and hanging over 200 injured Polish insurgents, messengers and nurses. A Pallotine priest, Reverend Jozef Stanek “Rudy”, chaplain of the “Kryska” group was also executed on Solec Street by the Germans by hanging. Germans have stepped up the pressure on the district of Mokotow, which is now the chief target of General von dem Bach. They have also prepared to attack Zoliborz. Hermann Göring has selected additional division units to join the campaign. Artillery fire and air raids grow stronger. The area of Aleje Niepodleglosci Street is particularly hard hit. Polish insurgents are besieged in three areas of the city: Srodmiescie, Zoliborz and Mokotow. The Uprising is now a one-sided war of attrition, or rather a struggle for acceptable terms of surrender. For the past several days, German attacks near the Vistula have been escalating as they attempt to prevent further landings. But Polish troops continue to hold their positions on the eastern shore in preparation for the expected wave of Soviet landings. Other Polish troops have been making attempts to land since the 15th of September, but with very heavy casualties to men and materiel. Throughout the onslaught, Red Army support was all but non-existent except for intermittent and sporadic artillery fire and air support. Despite attempts by the 1st Polish Army, they were unable to link up with the insurgents. On the 19th of September, Home Army soldiers and landed elements of the 1st Polish Army had to retreat from their positions on the bank of the river. Of about 900 men who made it ashore, only a handful were able to return to the eastern shore of the Vistula. Berlings Polish Army suffered enormous losses in their attempt to aid the Uprising. Casualties were 5,660 killed, missing or wounded. There were no further attempts at a river crossing, and the promised evacuation of the wounded did not take place. Lt. John Ward, a British soldier and member of Armia Krajowa, has been dispatching secret radio reports of the Uprising to London authorities, always in the hope that the allies would provide assistance and intervention. In almost two months of battle, Polish insurgents have been left virtually alone and abandoned. Nevertheless Ward continues sending reports, if only to testify to the horrendous conditions dealt to the people of Warsaw. The inhabitants of Warsaw are now literally living only in ruins. Whole central part of city completely destroyed. In some cases by fires started by Poles to drive out enemy and in others by shell fire, mines and air bombs. Water very difficult to get. I personally today had first wash after six days and am considered lucky. To get one bucket of reasonably clean water it is necessary to stand in queues under fire four or five hours. Food even more scarce. Even front line soldiers get quite inadequate rations, usually about four ounces of boiled barley daily. Bread practically unheard of. Civilians mostly in even worse plight. Private stocks largely burnt or buried under ruins. Hospitals are in what were coal cellars a few weeks ago. Many thousands of wounded there, perhaps more civilians than military. Conditions in which they lie really terrible. Source of text: polishgreatness.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/warsaw-uprising-1944-september-23-nazi.html
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 11:27:09 +0000
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