page_title: Wacław Micuta
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Wacław Micuta / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: WarsawUprising: Soldiers of tank platoon "Wacek" of "Zośka" Battalion on a German Panther tank around Okopowa Street. Sitting from the left: Zdzisław Moszczeński "Ryk" [2] (according to source [1] „Ryk” is standing first from left facing the tank), unknown, Jan Uniewski „Lumeński" [2] („Łuniewski” according to source [1]), Mieczysław Kijewski "Jordan", Jan Myszkowski Bagiński "Bajan" and Jan Zenka "Walek". Polski: Powstanie Warszawskie: Żołnierze plutonu pancernego "Wacek" batalionu "Zośka" na zdobytym niemieckim czołgu typu "Pantera" w okolicach ulicy Okopowej. O lewej siedzą: ppor. Zdzisław Moszczeński "Ryk"[2] (Wedle [1] „Ryk” stoi tyłem pierwszy z lewej), NN, Jan Uniewski „Lumeński" [2] („Łuniewski” [1]), plut.pchor. Mieczysław Kijewski "Jordan", sierżant pchor. Jan Myszkowski Bagiński "Bajan", kapral Jan Zenka "Walek".
context_page_description: Wacław Micuta was a Polish economist, World War II veteran, and United Nations functionary.
  He took part in the September 1939 defense of Poland and, in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, commanded one of two tanks that had been captured from the Germans.
context_section_description: Micuta was born to a Polish Kresy family in Petrograd, Russia. He was the son of Leonard Micuta (1885-1916) and Wanda Pawłowicz (1880-1956). In 1922 his family moved to Poznań, in western Poland, where he completed secondary school and studied economics. He was also active in the scouting movement. He finished his military enlistment at Włodzimierz Wołyński, in eastern Poland, in the rank of second lieutenant.
  After completing his studies in June 1939, he became secretary to the Governor of Silesia Province, Michał Grażyński, but he held this position only briefly due to the outbreak of World War II.
  Mobilized, he took part in the September Campaign of 1939, fighting, among others, at the Battle of the Bzura. On 19 September, during an attack on German positions at Laski, he suffered a serious wound to his right hand. Captured and sent to a German prisoner-of-war camp, he escaped in 1940 and made his way to Warsaw.
  There he was brought into the Armed Resistance by Jan Nowak-Jeziorański. At first he was adjutant to Major Jan Włodarkiewicz. However, in September 1940 he became a Szare Szeregi (boy-scout soldiers) instructor. After 1941 he served as an instructor in Lwów until July 1942, when he was arrested by the Gestapo. Under interrogation and torture he confessed to nothing and gave up none of his underground comrades. Thanks to friends' efforts on his behalf, after several months he was freed. He resumed underground activity and was promoted to first lieutenant.
  In summer 1944, Micuta returned to Warsaw, where he became a special-assignments officer for the Home Army's Scouting Batalion Zośka. During the Warsaw Uprising the battalion captured two German Panther tanks, and Micuta was made commander of a newly formed armored platoon (unique in its kind on the insurgent side) which fought in Warsaw's Wola district.
  Micuta was the actual commander of one of the captured tanks, which was nicknamed Magda, and used it in an operation which liberated the Gęsiówka concentration camp. The operation freed some 350 Polish, Greek, Hungarian and French Jews. One of the freed inmates, Henryk Lederman, organized a battalion from the liberated Jews, which he presented to Micuta. This unit fought under Micuta for the remainder of the uprising, according to Micuta "[fighting] like mad... I think only three of them survived."
  On 11 August 1944 the Polish insurgents had to abandon the captured tanks, which had been heavily damaged, and evacuated Wola via the sewer system for Warsaw's Old Town.
  In subsequent fighting Micuta was wounded in his left lung, but after a short stay at an insurgent hospital he returned to battle, later taking part in fighting in the Czerniaków and Śródmieście districts.
  During the Uprising he was promoted to captain.
caption: Batalion Zośka armored platoon on a captured German Panther tank
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