RESTRICTED  
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PAMPHLET No. 20-255

The
German Campaign
In Poland
(1939)

By
Robert M. Kennedy
Major, Infantry
United States Army

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY APRIL 1956

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON 25, D.C., 18 April 1956

Department of the Army Pamphlet 20-255 is published for the information and guidance of all concerned.

[AG 385 (14 Sep 55)]

MAXWELL D. TAYLOR,
General, United States Army,
Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
JOHN A. KLEIN,,
Major General, United States, Army,
The Adjutant General.

CONTENTS

Foreword v
Preface vii
PART ONE. THE BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICT 1
Chapter 1. Polish-German Relations to March 1939 1
  General 1
  The Versailles Trety and the Rise of Hitler 2
  The Polish-German Nonaggression Pact 3
  The Austrian and Czechoslovak Crises 4
  The Revival of German Claims against Poland 6
2. German Military Developments to March 1939 8
  The Treaty Restrictions 8
  The Reichswehr 9
    The Army 10
    The Navy 14
    The Covert Air Force 16
  The National Socialists in Power 17
  The Wehrmacht 20
    The New Army 22
      Expansion 22
      The Westwall 25
      Mobilization 26
      Divisional Organization 28
      Command Organization 31
    The New Navy 33
    The New Air Force 35
    The German Military Situation in March 1939 36
3. Events Leading up to the Outbreak of Hostilities 38
  General 38
  The Annual Military Directive, 1939-40 39
  Diplomatic Developments, April-July 41
  Events, 1-22 August 42
  The Pact with the Russians 44
PART TWO. POLAND'S POSITION AND GERMANY'S PREPARATIONS FOR THE ATTACK 47
Chapter 4. The Polish State and the Armed Forces 47
  Government 47
  Population and Economy 48
  Topography 48
  The Armed Forces 50
      General 50
      The Army 51
      The Navy 54
      Defense Plan and Dispositions 55
5. The German Plan and Preliminary Movements 58
  April-May 1939 58
  The OKH Operation Order of 15 June 1939 60
  The OKW Timetable 63
  Lofistical Support 64
  The Navy and Air Force 68
  The Concentration of Forces 70
  The Period of Indecision 73
PART THREE. OPERATIONS IN POLAND 78
Chapter 6. Attack and Breakthrough 78
  The Opening of the Attack 78
  Army Group North, 1-3 September 79
      The Opening Battles 79
      Third Army Operations, 2 September 80
      Fourth Army Operations, 2 September 81
      The Junction of Third and Fourth Armies 82
  Army Group South, 1-6 September 83
      The Advance to the Warta (Warthe) 83
      The Advance across the Polish Plain and into Galicia 85
  The Air Force and Navy 88
7. The Destruction of the Polish Army 91
  General 91
  Army Group North, 4-17 September 92
      Operations in Western Poland 92
      Operations in Eastern Poland 94
      Operations at Brzesc 98
      The Intervention of the Russians 99
  Army Group South, 7-17 September 100
  Eighth Army 101
  Tenth Army 103
  Fourteenth Army 106
8. The End of the Campaign 109
  General 109
  The Battles for Warsaw and Modlin 109
      Early Surrender Overtures 109
      Initial German Attacks 110
      The Eighth Army Attack 111
      The Capture of Modlin 113
  Gdynia and Hela 114
  The Evacuation of Eastern Poland 116
      The Army Group North Area 117
      The Army Group Soth Area 118
  Results of the Campaign 120
9. The Intervention of the Soviet Union 122
  Diplomatic Negotiations 122
  The Red Army's Intervention Forces 124
10. The Fourth Partition and German Occupation of Poland 126
11. Conclusions 130
  General 130
  Lessons Learned by the Wehrmacht 131
      Matériel 131
      Organization 133
      Equipment 133
      Training and Tactics 134
      Air Support 135
Bibliographical Note 136
Chronology of Events 138
Rank Designations of German General and Flag Officers 141
CHARTS
1. The Organization of the Reichsheer, 1921 following p. 10
2. The Wehrmacht and the Armed Servies High Commands, 1939 32
3. The Polish Ground and Air Force (Pecetime Establishment) following p. 50
4. German Order of Battle, 1 September 1939 following p. 74
MAPS
1. General Reference Map faces p. 1
2. Eastern Frontier Changes Following World War I 4
3. The Wehrkreis Organization, 1939 following p. 32
4. The Polish Defense Plan and Estimate of German Strength in the Frontier Area, August 1939 following p. 56
5. The German Concept of Ground Operations following p. 58
6. The Concentration of German Forces following p. 70
7. German Dispositions and Objectives for the First Day, as of 0445, 1 September 1939 inside back cover
8. Army Group North, 3 September 1939 inside back cover
9. Army Group South, 6 September 1939 inside back cover
10. German Situation, 17 September 1939 inside back cover
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Troops of the Reichsheer's 11th Infantry Regiment in Training, 1934 12
2. Typical Barracks of the New Wehrmacht 23
3. Mark II Tank 29
4. Mark III Tank 29
5. Mark IV Tank 29
6. Artist's Conception of German Pocket Battleship 34
7. The U-25 34
8. The Messerschmitt 109, Standard German Fighter 34
9. The Junkers 87 (Stuka) Dive Bomber 34
10. The Battleship Schleswig-Holstein 80
11. Polish Fortification Near Mlawa 80
12. The Tczew (Dirschau) Bridge Destroyed by the Poles 80
13. German 20-ton Ponton Bridge Across the Vistula at Gniew (Mewe) 80
14. German Regimental Command Post in Poland 87
15. German Infantry on the March in Poland 87
16. Polish Light Tank Disabled by Antitank Fire near Warsaw 106
17. German Antiaircraft Gun Supporting Advancing Infantry Along the Bzura River 106
18. German 150mm Howitzer Firing on Warsaw 111
19. German 75mm Infantry Gun Firing on Target Near Warsaw 111
20. Polish Garrison of Warsaw Marching out of City After the Surrender 119
Credit.

Transcribed and formatted by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation