The & Operation Vistula: Poland, 1947 By Maciej Jonasz

Ambush and two other Poles were dead. A an independent Ukraine, which long-time communist, Swierczewski they saw as rightfully including n 28 March 1947 a small was a protégé of Moscow. He wasn’t what were then parts of the Soviet convoy left the town of popular in Poland, since his policies Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia and above —The 14th SS Division unit patch. in the foothills of the went against nationalist aspirations. Romania. The OUN contained within O right — A close up of some 14th in southeastern Even so, he was a general, and his it the aforementioned UPA armed Waffen SS Ukrainian soldiers. Poland. It provided the escort for Gen. death was therefore of political wing. It had self-organized during Karol Swierczewski, the country’s dep- significance. It also served as the World War II to fight against both Defense Force (FDF) units were also uty defense minister, who was making beginning of an intensified military the Germans and the Soviets. The raised, giving the Warsaw government an inspection of army units. The Polish campaign, but one that’s gone largely UPA was known for ruthlessness and sufficient power to counterattack. Army was at the time engaged in con- unknown outside . effectiveness, surviving as an armed The first major Polish counterinsur- ducting counterinsurgency operations insurgency even after the surrender gency operation took place between against the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Behind the Red Army of the Third Reich in May 1945. April and October 1946, under the (UPA in Ukrainian-language acronym). The UPA had its base area in headquarters of Operational Group Ukrainian Bids for Independence On the 27th he’d visited the head- After the Soviet Army fought its southeastern Poland, an ethnically Rzeszow, an ad hoc unit. In response, quarters of the 8th Infantry Division in way across Poland in 1945, combat mixed region with a large Ukrainian the OUN leadership sent out a direc- The collapse of Czarist Russia in 1917 brought the hope of independence to the Sanok, and the next morning departed continued in the rear areas. The minority. One reason for its continued tive for UPA units to go underground . A Ukrainian government was established in 1918, and it fought for independence for an outpost in . The convoy communists—both from the USSR existence after the German withdrawal and wait for a better political both against the Poles, who were staking claim to all lands with Polish populations, and was initially composed of three cars, and native Poles—cracked down on was, as the frontline moved west, climate—the then almost universally against the Bolsheviks, who wanted to extend their control over all Russia's former lands. though one of them soon broke down all potential political opposition. Soviet security troops moved with anticipated war between what would Poland itself was a newly formed (or reborn) country, emerging from the collapse of and the other two continued. As they One of those opposition groups it, leaving a vacuum. A wave of UPA become NATO and the Soviets—to the Central Powers at the end of World War I and the chaos of the Russian Civil War. passed the village of Jablonka, in a was the Organization of Ukrainian attacks, which Polish communist resume active operations. Accordingly, The Poles offered peace to the Ukrainians: they wanted them as allies against the new mountain valley, shots rang out. It was Nationalists (OUN), which then forces were too weak to counter, hit vil- the scale of violence decreased as the Soviet Union that was militantly pushing communism westward. The Poles offered to an ambush. The Poles jumped out of operated throughout the Ukraine as lages and police stations. After the war UPA limited itself to small attacks and equip a Ukrainian Army and help it secure an independent state with its capital in Kiev. their vehicles and returned fire against well as in other Eastern European ended and attention could be shifted raids to obtain money and supplies. The Ukrainians accepted that offer, and the Poles conducted a successful an enemy shooting from the tree line. countries with Ukrainian minorities. from the front, elements of Polish After a calm winter, however, the offensive that cleared the communists from large parts of the Ukraine and secured The fighting lasted over an hour The OUN had been founded Second Army deployed to the region UPA resumed major operations early Kiev. Even so, the Ukrainians failed to rally behind their new government and, and, when it died down, Swierczewski in 1929 to promote the creation of to reinforce the police, while Frontier in 1947. One of the first of those was without a strong local ally, the Poles had to withdraw in the face of a new communist the ambush that killed Swierczewski, counteroffensive. The Poles defeated that Soviet invasion at the gates of Warsaw followed three days later by the in August 1920, but the Ukrainians had to be left conquered. The western region of annihilation of a 32-man FDF platoon. the Ukraine remained Polish, and the rest became a Soviet republic. Communist rule It was then the Warsaw government was harsh, with millions of Ukrainians killed, starved or deported to the gulag. made the decision to do whatever During the inter-war period, the OUN was created in Poland. There were some tentative was necessary to crush the nascent steps to work with the Germans when Hitler invaded the USSR in June 1941, but little was insurgency. Additional combat units accomplished due to the Nazi racial and resettlement policies. In 1943 the OUN formed were deployed to the region and a military wing, the UPA (Ukrayins’ka Povstans’ka Armiya—Ukrainian Insurgent Army). formed into Operational Group Wisla World War II in the Ukraine was effectively a free for all, as various political groups (Vistula). Plans were also laid to sought different ways to obtain independence, some of them with German support. For exam- root out the underground networks ple, several thousand Ukrainians joined the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division “Galicia.” that supplied the UPA with recruits, At the same time, the UPA continued to fight Soviet partisans and also attacked the local intelligence, sanctuary and supplies. ethnic-Polish civilian population, all with the intent to create a new Ukrainians-only state. The intent of Operation Vistula After the end of World War II the UPA remained underground, fighting both was to end the insurgency via the the Poles and the Soviets. The Soviets responded to the UPA in the Ukraine with a destruction of the insurgents’ support campaign of terror, including the commitment of a number of secret police divisions. network, followed by the annihilation The UPA hit back, killing thousands of communist officials and collaborators as well of all UPA combat units. The scheme of as Soviet troops. The UPA also received some outside assistance from the US Central maneuver called for three phases. The Intelligence Agency and British MI6. For a few years in the late 1940s, the western first involved deporting Ukrainians Ukraine was the most dangerous posting for Red Army forces within the USSR. and mixed Polish-Ukrainian families The Soviets proved too strong: their intelligence operations and political programs from the insurgent region for resettle- defeated the UPA, with the last active resistance dying out by the mid-1950s. The ment in other parts of Poland. The Ukrainian desire for independence was only realized in 1990 when the Soviet Union objective was to effectively eliminate collapsed, enabling its constituent republics to establish their own states. the UPA support structure, and in b

50 MODERN WAR 17 | MAY–JUN 2015 MODERN WAR 17 | MAY–JUN 2015 51 Phase 2 (June)

With the experience of the first phase behind them, the Poles modi- fied their approach. Quick Reaction Forces (QRF) were established at division, brigade and battalion levels. Equipped with trucks and reinforced with armored vehicles and engineers, the QRF were to deploy as soon as the enemy was sighted by reconnaissance patrols. Those QRF were instructed to maintain contact at all cost, and to continue pursuit regardless of unit boundaries, in order to ensure

Terrain

The Bieszczady Mountains in the southeastern corner of Poland form some of the most difficult terrain in Two views of Ukrainian Insurgent Army Fighters. the country. While not particularly high (the tallest peak is 4,416 feet), they were heavily wooded. That made it difficult for large units to operate, while making it easy for small groups to hide. Further, the road network in the region was sparse and of poor quality, resulting in a large number of vehicle breakdowns that strained repair and maintenance services. On the other hand, the terrain also put stress on the insurgents via malnourishment, inadequate footwear and general exposure to the elements. Those things undermined morale and led to deser- tions, with prisoners then providing the Poles with valuable intelligence. b that way cause their military units fighters killed or captured and the While the deportations were A typical view within the Biesczcady Mountains. to lose effectiveness. At the same discovery of several arms caches. executed efficiently, only limited suc- time, reconnaissance and combat At the same time, deportations cess was attained in Vistula’s combat operations would take place to set of Ukrainians began. Areas along operations. That was partly due to the the stage for the next phase. the national border were slated for difficult terrain and partly to superior The second phase was to focus on total deportation, while those in the insurgent field craft, especially in the destruction of UPA main combat interior for total or partial, depend- regard to their ability to conceal units. The third phase was to be a mop ing on the degree of loyalty found themselves. The insurgents were up operation, while also putting in to exist among the inhabitants. experts in guerilla warfare, while place whatever further assistance the While the UPA was immediately the Poles’ experience was in regular local civil authorities might require aware its very existence was jeop- combat operations—something that to maintain the newly won order. ardized by the new government didn’t carry over to counterinsurgency offensive, there was little it could missions in mountainous terrain. As it Phase 1 (April—May 1947) do as the deportations were carried was, though, the Poles’ initial engage- out by too many troops to be openly ments with UPA elements illustrated On arrival in the area of operations, resisted. Even so, they made attempts valuable tactical lessons that were Polish units established curfews and to disrupt the process by destroying then disseminated to other units in deployed patrols, the latter for recon- bridges, ordering the civilians to resist, preparation for the larger task ahead. naissance and to set up ambushes. and firing at convoys. Ultimately that The patrols yielded immediate wasn’t enough and, by the end of May, results, with a number of insurgent the deportations were complete.

52 MODERN WAR 17 | MAY–JUN 2015 MODERN WAR 17 | MAY–JUN 2015 53 forces found and seized supply caches. Combatants Lack of medical supplies and constant movement over rough terrain led to The UPA combat arm in southeastern Poland had about 6,000 men. Of them, 2,500 were the deaths of many wounded, whose in guerilla units with the balance in village militias or the security apparatus. The combat abandoned corpses were then fre- units were composed largely of experienced men who’d fought as partisans against the quently discovered by the Poles. UPA Germans, the Soviets and the Poles, or who’d served in the Waffen SS, during World War II. desertions increased, and it became Their combat experience, field craft and iron discipline made the UPA a dangerous opponent. ever more difficult for the insurgents to The largest UPA unit was the battalion, which were identified by the continue to operate as cohesive units. names of their commanders and had 400 to 800 men each. They were in To avoid annihilation, UPA units turn divided into three or four companies, each with 60 to 200 men. started withdrawing from Poland into Due to the difficulties inherent in sustaining large groups of insurgents, the UPA usually Czechoslovakia with the intent of operated at company level or lower. Support was obtained from local villages, and a network eventually make their way to Western of hidden supplies was set up throughout the forests that, in an emergency, could also Europe. That was a desperate decision, be used as fighting positions. That was truly a last resort, as defenders who stood and as it involved movement through fought in static positions were almost always wiped out by superior enemy firepower. unknown terrain. Of some 460 UPA In addition to its main force insurgent units, the UPA organized “village fighters who managed to get out of auxiliary detachments” (SKW in Ukrainian acronym), each with 30 to 50 men. Poland, only 40 made it to Austria. Those militias played an important role in the insurgency, defending supply caches, gathering intelligence and reinforcing regular units for local operations. A small UPA Phase 3 (July) unit could in that way rapidly expand by temporarily mobilizing SKW militiamen, overwhelming an enemy, and then dispersing back into the countryside. With the large insurgent units out The civilian population provided food and recruits. To make sure the of the picture, the Poles continued civilians gave that support, a field gendarmerie and security apparatus also their offensive in order to fully existed. It became the most feared part of the UPA, as it mercilessly retaliated eliminate the survivors. Even so, the against Poles, Ukrainians, and even UPA members for such offenses as refusal to intensity of operations died down cooperate, informing to government forces or holding defeatist attitudes. significantly and some units were The opposing Polish forces included one internal security and three army divisions. The sent back to their home garrisons. latter were understrength, since many of the troops had been demobilized to support the With the harvest soon coming in, reconstruction of the country in the wake of World War II. For example, 8th Infantry Division soldiers were assigned to provide had only 3,200 personnel in 1947. Full authorized strength would’ve been about 7,500. security for farmers in the areas where Two more views of Ukrainian Insurgent Army Fighters. The internal security division, the 1st Division of the , was actually insurgents were still known to exist. an ad hoc unit composed of elements brought in from across the country. It was a light Operation Vistula ended on 31 July infantry force, but one well armed with automatic weapons. Its fire support, though, was 1947 with the official disbandment Panzers, Landsers limited to mortars. Later it was reinforced with an armor battalion that deployed a company of the operational group. As it was, of 15 vehicles (a mix of Soviet and US models) along with an elite “fusilier” company. though, not all the fighting was actu- and Politics In addition to combat units, police, volunteer police, and frontier guard units took part in ally over: a week later, on 7 August, counterinsurgency operations. They assisted the regular military in setting up checkpoints two strong UPA units crossed into Short Stories on roads, while the volunteer police units were raised in ethnic-Polish towns and villages Poland from the Soviet Union. They to defend them from the insurgents. The frontier guards helped seal the border in order joined the UPA survivors still on the and Epic Novels to prevent the insurgents from escaping into Soviet or Czechoslovakian territory. loose, and several attacks on Polish b villages followed. Both those UPA units were destroyed, with three key the partisans wouldn’t get away. of either country could continue pur- commanders killed, by September. Reconnaissance platoons were suit of the insurgents across borders up Then, in March 1948, Myroslaw strengthened, equipped with motor to 20 miles into each other’s territory. Onyszkewycz, the overall UPA com- vehicles, and fully armed with One tactic was for a unit to lead mander for Poland, was caught. The automatic weapons. In addition, repre- with an attack element that pushed the underground Ukrainian network was Versailles to sentatives of the UBP (Public Security insurgents toward a line of ambushes also reckoned fully destroyed, though eradicated, UPA units were unable some of whom had themselves been the Eastern Front Bureau) were attached to the QRF and set up by a blocking force. At first some survivors held on as late as 1954. to sustain themselves in combat. In deported from Polish provinces incor- reconnaissance platoons to allow for that rarely worked. The insurgents general, the operations against the porated into the Soviet Union after immediate and effective interrogation were able to either find gaps through Conclusion UPA demonstrated the importance World War II, were resettled into the of prisoners. At times, members of which to escape, or they were strong of isolating insurgents from support abandoned villages and, slowly, normal “ A great victory the reconnaissance platoons would enough to fight their way through Overall, Polish counterinsurgency within the civilian population. life returned to the mountains. t dress as insurgents as a deception the thin blocking force. Only after the operations against the Ukrainian Operation Vistula also is measure—a tactic the insurgents also blocking forces were strengthened underground were successful. The became a controversial topic in Sources used by dressing in Polish uniform. did the tactic became successful. Poles initially faced a disciplined Poland. The forced resettlement a great danger.” Poliszczuk, Wiktor. Bitter Truth: The Criminality of the The government launched several The pressure those operations and tactically competent enemy of some 150,000 people was Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (The Testimony of a large operations, often in cooperation increasingly brought to bear on the who proved difficult to destroy. The considered a harsh measure. Ukrainian). Toronto, 1995. Friedrich Nietzsche with communist Czechoslovakian forc- insurgents began to take a toll. UPA UPA, however, had a significant With the end of Vistula, the opera- Prus, Edward. Atamania UPA. Instytut Wydawniczy 1870’s es. That cooperation extended not only casualties mounted, and their units weakness in that their support tional group was disbanded and its Zwiazkow Zawodowych. Warsaw, 1988. Sikorski, Feliks. Kabewiacy w Akcji Wisla. Wydawnictwo Visit our website to combined field operations, but also began to fall apart as the deportations system was dependent on the civilian elements returned to their home gar- Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej. Warsaw, 1989. to an agreement whereby combat units eliminated resupply while government population. Once that network was risons across the country. Ethnic Poles, www.panzerschlacht.us

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