Sub-district II of Zoliborz (of Armia Krajowa)
Encyclopedia
The Sub-district II of Żoliborz (of Armia Krajowa) (Polish: Obwód II Żoliborz also named as Obwód Żywiciel) - a territorial organisational unit of the District of Warsaw
of Armia Krajowa
. It covered the area of Żoliborz
in Warsaw
, fought in conspiracy during the German occupation of Poland during World War II
and openly during the Warsaw Uprising
1944.
(Engl.: Association of Polish Scouts), Association of Reservists, Polish Socialist Party
.
The oldest conspiracy association was formed in Żoliborz by soldiers of the 21st Infantry Regiment "Children of Warsaw" (Polish 21 Pułk Piechoty "Dzieci Warszawy". The command of it was assumed by major Stefan Obrąbski and after his arrest and deportation to a P.O.W. camp, the command was assumed by officer cadet Stefan Szuba. The first commander of the Sub-district II of Żoliborz was major Stanisław Thun pesudonym Nawrot. After him the command as assumed by major Mieczysław Niedzielski pseudonyms "Żywiciel" or "Wojciechowski" or "Sadowik".
The number of the sub-district in the beginning of 1944 amounted to 2,000 soldiers.
In the evening on 1 August lieutenant-colonel "Żywiciel" made a decision to withdraw the units to the Kampinos Forest
and sent a woman liaison officer Ludmiła Bassalik-Chabielska pseudonym "Irena" with a report of the situation and a request of further orders to the commander of the District of Warsaw colonel Antoni Chruściel
pseudonym "Monter". The same officer returned to the sub-district's units stationed in Sieraków
with the order of immediate return of the units into their abandoned positions in Żoliborz
. On 4 August the units reached the center of Żoliborz and joined the course of fights.
Lieutenant-colonel "Żywiciel" reorganised the sub-district II and ordered to re-group the units. He created 6 groups (Polish: zgrupowanie plural: zgrupowania) of the line, with cryptonyms starting from letter "Ż":
Carrying on heavy fights and suffering large losses, the units of the sub-district hold out on until the capitulation of Żoliborz on 30 September 1944.
The following persons, among others, fought in the sub-district: Henryk Ligięza, Danuta Przystasz, Jan Strzelecki and Zygmunt Trószyński.
District of Warsaw (of Armia Krajowa)
The District of Warsaw - one of territorial organisational units of Armia Krajowa, which covered the territory of Warsaw and its close neighbourhood i.e. the Powiat of Warsaw. Military units belonging to that district took part in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.The rest of the territory of Mazovia,...
of Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
. It covered the area of Żoliborz
Zoliborz
Żoliborz is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of Warsaw....
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, fought in conspiracy during the German occupation of Poland during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and openly during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
1944.
Period of conspiracy
The origin of the sub-district goes down to various conspiracy organisations like Związek Harcerstwa PolskiegoZwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego
Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego is the coeducational Polish Scouting organization recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It was founded in 1918 and currently is the largest Scouting organization in Poland...
(Engl.: Association of Polish Scouts), Association of Reservists, Polish Socialist Party
Polish Socialist Party
The Polish Socialist Party was one of the most important Polish left-wing political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948...
.
The oldest conspiracy association was formed in Żoliborz by soldiers of the 21st Infantry Regiment "Children of Warsaw" (Polish 21 Pułk Piechoty "Dzieci Warszawy". The command of it was assumed by major Stefan Obrąbski and after his arrest and deportation to a P.O.W. camp, the command was assumed by officer cadet Stefan Szuba. The first commander of the Sub-district II of Żoliborz was major Stanisław Thun pesudonym Nawrot. After him the command as assumed by major Mieczysław Niedzielski pseudonyms "Żywiciel" or "Wojciechowski" or "Sadowik".
Organisation
The sub-district II of Żoliborz included four regions:- Region I Żoliborz - commanded by captain Marian Kamiński pseudonyms "Żaglowiec" or "Ster" or "Jur";
- Region II Marymont - commanded by captain of horse Adam Rzeszotarski pseudonyms "Żmija" or "Junosza" or "Sum";
- Region III Bielany - commanded by captain Marian Masternak pseudonym "Zwoliński" (until 1943) - then by major Władysław Nowakowski pseudonyms "Serb" or "Żubr";
- Region IV Powązki - commanded by captain Kazimierz Nowacki pseudonym "Szkodnik". The region also included four platoons of the Oddziały Wojskowe Polskiej Partii Socjalistycznej (Engl.: Military Units of the Polish Socialist Party commanded by sec. lieutenant Roman DąbrowskiRoman DabrowskiRoman Dąbrowski , aka Kaan Dobra , is a former Polish professional footballer and assistant manager at Beşiktaş....
pseudonym "Stary".
The number of the sub-district in the beginning of 1944 amounted to 2,000 soldiers.
Tasks assigned for an uprising case
Units of the sub-district were assigned the following tasks in case of military uprising:- From the south: to seize the Warsaw CitadelWarsaw CitadelCytadela is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. It served as a prison into the late 1930s.- History :The Citadel was built by personal...
, the Traugutt Fort, the Legions Fort, the Warsaw Gdańsk Station, - From the west: to seize the Institute of Chemistry, the Bem fort, BoernerowoBoernerowoBoernerowo is a neighbourhood in the Warsaw's borough of Bemowo. Initially the spot was occupied by a small village called Babice, with an eponymous fort located in its centre. In early 1920s the area surrounding the fort was bought by the Polish state and in 1922 the Ministry of Post and...
and an anti-aircraft artillery battery in Buraków, - From the north: to seize the complex of the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education (Polish: Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Józefa Piłsudskiego, the BielanyBielanyBielany is a district in Warsaw located in the north-western part of the city.Initially a part of Żoliborz, Bielany has been an independent district since 1994. Bielany borders Żoliborz to the south-east, and Bemowo to the south-west...
airfield and the Gas School in MarymontMarymontMarymont is one of the northern neighbourhoods of Warsaw, Poland, administratively a part of the boroughs of Żoliborz and Bielany . Named after the queen of Poland Maria Kazimiera , wife of king John III Sobieski, it initially housed a small summer manor...
Course of combat in the Warsaw Uprising 1944
On 1 August at the hour "W" 60% of soldiers turned up in the place of mobilisation. Because of shortages of weapon and failure to use the factor of surprise, attacks of the insurgent units were forced back. The sub-district's units suffered large losses in people and equipment.In the evening on 1 August lieutenant-colonel "Żywiciel" made a decision to withdraw the units to the Kampinos Forest
Kampinos Forest
Kampinos Forest is a large forest complex located to the west of Warsaw in Poland. It covers a large part of the ancient valley of Vistula, between Vistula and Bzura rivers. Once a gigantic forest covering 670 km² of central Poland, it currently covers roughly 240 km².Most of the...
and sent a woman liaison officer Ludmiła Bassalik-Chabielska pseudonym "Irena" with a report of the situation and a request of further orders to the commander of the District of Warsaw colonel Antoni Chruściel
Antoni Chrusciel
Gen. Antoni Chruściel was a Polish military officer and a general of the Polish Army. He is best known as the de facto commander of all the armed forces of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, as well as Home Army's chief of staff.-Early life:...
pseudonym "Monter". The same officer returned to the sub-district's units stationed in Sieraków
Sieraków
Sieraków is a town in western Poland with 6,022 inhabitants . Located by the Warta River, it has been situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship , previously in Poznań Voivodeship ....
with the order of immediate return of the units into their abandoned positions in Żoliborz
Zoliborz
Żoliborz is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of Warsaw....
. On 4 August the units reached the center of Żoliborz and joined the course of fights.
Lieutenant-colonel "Żywiciel" reorganised the sub-district II and ordered to re-group the units. He created 6 groups (Polish: zgrupowanie plural: zgrupowania) of the line, with cryptonyms starting from letter "Ż":
- Żaglowiec GroupZaglowiec GroupThe Żaglowiec Group - a group of conspiracy military units of Armia Krajowa in the Sub-district II of Żoliborz in Żoliborz of Warsaw during the German occupation of Poland. They fought in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944.-Organisation:Commander - captain Marian Kamiński pseudonym."Żaglowiec",*201st...
(Sailing-ship Group) (Polish: "Zgrupowanie Żaglowiec"), - Żbik GroupZbik GroupThe Żbik Group - a group of conspiracy military units of Armia Krajowa in the Sub-district II of Żoliborz in Żoliborz of Warsaw, which took part in fights of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944....
(Wildcat Group) (Polish: "Zgrupowanie Żbik"), - Żmija GroupZmija GroupThe Żmija Group - a group of conspiracy military units of the Sub-district II of Żoliborz of Armia Krajowa in Żoliborz in Warsaw during the German occupation of Poland...
(Viper Group) (Polish: "Zgrupowanie Żmija") , - Żniwiarz GroupZniwiarz GroupThe Żniwiarz Group - a group of conspiracy military units in Żoliborz in Warsaw, Poland, which took part in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944....
(Harvester Group) (Polish: "Zgrupowanie Żniwiarz"). - Żubr Group (Aurochs Group) (Polish: "Zgrypowanie Żubr"),
- Żyrafa GroupZyrafa GroupThe Żyrafa Group was a group of military units of Armia Krajowa, which fought during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 in the Sub district II of Żoliborz , which included the Żoliborz district of Warsaw.-Composition and command:Commander - sec...
(Giraffe Group) (Polish: "Zgrupowanie Żyrafa").
Carrying on heavy fights and suffering large losses, the units of the sub-district hold out on until the capitulation of Żoliborz on 30 September 1944.
The following persons, among others, fought in the sub-district: Henryk Ligięza, Danuta Przystasz, Jan Strzelecki and Zygmunt Trószyński.