The Battle of Łomianki was a part of the opening campaign of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
during the 1939
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
, fought between
Polish and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
forces. It was a failed counter-offensive attempt by the Polish forces.
Background
After the defeat of two Polish Armies in the
Battle of Bzura, except for a few units, all Polish divisions and brigades were cut off in the Western Poland. They had no choice, but to withdraw to
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress () is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin (village), Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was original ...
or
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. A couple divisions and brigades did successfully reach Warsaw, but majority was halted by the Germans who were about to close the ring around the Polish capital. Around 5,000 Polish soldiers and officers led by General
Mikołaj Bołtuć decided to fight by
Łomianki.
Battle
The Poles were opposed by 3 German infantry divisions who dug in. In spite of the low odds of success, a combined assault of the Polish infantry, cavalry, and police did find a weak spot and penetrated the 1st line of the German defenses. However, afterward, the Poles made no progress.
Aftermath
800 Poles ended up dead. Moreover, 4,000 were seriously wounded. Only about 200 men survived the battle suffering only minor injuries. General
Mikołaj Bołtuć, the commanding officer was killed by sniper fire while leading the charge.
The German losses are unknown.
[Apoloniusz Zawilski: Bitwy polskiego września. Kraków: ZNAK, 2009, s. 617. .]
See also
*
List of World War II military equipment of Poland
*
List of German military equipment of World War II
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lomianki, battle of
Battles of the Invasion of Poland
World War II sites in Poland
World War II sites of Nazi Germany
Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939)