Battle of Czestochowa

The last major battle between NATO and Warsaw Pact troops in Poland. The largest of the three NATO columns entering Poland assembled around Boleslawiec with the goal of advancing south-east, clearing Soviet and pro-Soviet forces from southern Poland, and proceeding to occupy either the Romanian oil fields around Ploesti or the crop producing areas of western Ukraine. The recent defections of Soviet troops and growth in resistance activity meant that the NATO commanders saw a chance for an offensive, and with their ammunition supply running out with no prospect of a resupply from the United States, the summer of 1986 seemed like it might be their last chance to push back Soviet forces.

The force assembled in the Boleslawiec staging area was made up of 12,000 troops including significant mechanised and armoured components. The two largest components were the United States 5th Mechanized Division and the West German 5th Panzer Division. Although each had been heavily degraded during the prior year's fighting they had still retained reasonable combat strength and cohesion. A third division was assembled under a Canadian Brigadier-General, made up of survivors from other NATO units, including Canadian, Dutch and Belgian troops and the remnants of the US 4th Mechanized and West German 2nd Panzergrenadier Divisions. There were also small British and Danish contingents attached, as well as a group of Free Polish troops who acted as scouts, translators and pathfinders. Although a shadow of its pre-war strength, this force was easily the largest, most cohesive and most heavily armed unit in the NATO forces in Poland, and as such it was entrusted with the most strategically vital goal of breaking through to Romania and Ukraine, while smaller US-German and US-British forces were tasked with protecting its flank in Central and Northern Poland. The overall force command was given to the American Major-General in charge of the 5th Mechanized, General Dale Vesser.

Although this force was still large and cohesive, especially compared to most other units active in Poland, it was forced to adapt to an operating environment very alien to what its soldiers had trained for. Much of the heavy equipment that mechanized and panzer divisions were used to fighting with had had to be abandoned due to inability to perform maintenance, and what remained had been converted to less-efficient ethanol engines. Hostility from the Polish civilian population had drastically accelerated - although some Poles still viewed NATO forces as liberators, the destruction wrought on Poland by tactical nuclear weapons and the more low-level but widespread confiscation of weapons, food and vehicles from civilians by NATO troops trying to keep their war machine going lead to fear and hostility. Infectious disease was rampant in the staging area and continued to be a problem during the advance, exacerbated by lack of medical supplies. Finally, the divisions had not received orders from a higher command for several months - their long-range communications network had entirely broken down and they were only able to communicate with other NATO forces by low tech methods such as dispatch riders. Morale was low, as many German soldiers wanted to return to Germany to aid their families suffering in the aftermath of nuclear strikes and the Greifswald disaster, while American and Canadian soldiers wanted to return to North America, even if there was no obvious path to doing so.

The original plan was for the NATO forces to advance via the main Polish southern highway, through Krakow to Lviv. The plan changed when intelligence reports from Krakow stated that the city had declared itself a "Free City" and was denying entry to both Soviet and American forces. Over-running Krakow was considered, but Vesser decided that it was best to conserve his forces and only engage with troops that were actively hostile to NATO forces. As such, the NATO column diverted to the north of its initial route, instead planning an advance that passed through the smaller city of Czestochowa.

Czestochowa had been occupied for several months by the remains of the Polish 6th Airborne Division, who had been withdrawn to the area for rest and refit in late 1985 after heavy engagement and casualties in North Poland. The presence of a large, organised and well armed military unit had meant that Czestochowa had been spared the worst of the various marauder bands operating in South-Central Poland. The unit was in sporadic contact with Soviet forces and with the remains of the Polish pro-Soviet government. When word came of advancing NATO troops, the Division's commander called both the Soviets and the government for help, but the only reinforcements that arrived were a small force of 300 or so Soviet troops, although they did bring with them two extremely welcome heavy artillery pieces. The city's citizens had also mobilised to form several ad hoc, lightly armed defense groups, supplemented by cadets from a local military academy.

Vesser was just as well informed about Polish defenses in Czestochowa as the defenders were about his force's approach. He considered bypassing Czestochowa, but the 6th Airborne was too considerable a force to be left in his rear. He also hoped that a clear victory over a well-armed opponent would reduce the risks of resistance during later encounters.

The NATO forces outnumbered the Poles and had a considerable advantage in heavy weaponry, but many of their tanks and armoured vehicles were unsuited for urban fighting. NATO morale was also quite low and desertion continued to be a problem. Conversely, the Polish soldiers, fighting to defend their home, enjoyed high morale and very little desertion, but they were outnumbered and almost totally lacking in heavy weaponry.

NATO forces spent several days bombarding the city, reducing it to a wreck and killing thousands of Polish troops and civilians. The Poles retaliated with harassing low-level skirmish attacks against the NATO lines, mostly at night or under the cover of bad weather. Eventually, when the NATO guns began to run out of ammunition, they attempted to occupy the city, but were met by fierce resistance from Polish forces who were able to use the rubble to effectively hold off a superior force. Improvised demolition mines brought down several buildings on top of US and German soldiers. Throughout the battle Polish forces kept up a steady stream of propaganda, singing patriotic songs and prayers. NATO forces managed to establish footholds on the north and east sides of town. Several attempts were made to negotiate the surrender of the city, but the Poles knew that even if they were allowed to leave with their weapons, they stood little chance of survival trying to survive in open countryside populated by marauders. Casualties on both sides were extremely heavy. General Vesser was killed in the second week of fighting by a Polish sniper.

After nearly three weeks of fighting, the NATO forces were ordered to cease their attack and fall back towards their staging area in Boleslawiec. Only 4,000 troops remained effective of the 12,000 who had set out. Facing a long journey over hostile territory that had already been stripped of most food and supplies, almost half the remaining troops deserted. Some of these deserters headed south for Krakow. Others headed north, hoping to join up with the NATO forces around Warsaw (not realising that these forces, too, would soon be withdrawing). Others tried to find refuge with local villages or live off the countryside. A small group even tried to surrender to the Poles, only to find the Polish forces had been stripped to almost nothing and had no intent to shelter and feed prisoners. Of the remaining 2,000, most did not make it back to Boleslawiec - some got lost, some could not keep up with the pace of the march, and some were killed by the gangs of Marauders who saw the retreating US forces as prey. Some simply starved. The small core of maybe 500 troops who made it back to Boleslawiec found that their staging area had been over-run by Marauders and there were no supplies left. In five weeks the largest remaining NATO force in Poland had been destroyed. Some small groups of survivors still operated in their units, but with no command and control structure, they had to concentrate on finding enough food, water and ammunition to keep themselves alive. Inside Czestochowa, the Poles had fared little better - the airborne divison was reduced to less than 200 effectives and withdrew from the city, leaving civilians to defend themselves from Marauders as best they could.

The battle was technically a Polish-Soviet victory due to their retaining the city, but the main outcome was the end of large scale military operations by NATO forces in Poland.