{"id":930,"date":"2023-12-27T22:25:59","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T21:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/1-dywizja-pancerna\/1-dywizja-pancerna-okupacja-niemiec-1945-1947\/"},"modified":"2023-12-29T07:08:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T06:08:45","slug":"1st-armored-division-occupation-of-germany-1945-1947","status":"publish","type":"1-dywizja-pancerna","link":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/1st-polish-armoured-division\/1st-armored-division-occupation-of-germany-1945-1947\/","title":{"rendered":"1st Armored Division – occupation of Germany 1945-1947"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On April 8, 1945, the last major Allied offensive in the West began. The 1st Armored Division crossed the German border at Goch and attacked towards the Coastal Canal (K\u00fcstenkanal). It was not possible to break through it on the march and only after strong air and artillery support they managed to break the German defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 12, the Polish 2nd Armored Regiment liberated the Stalag VIC prisoner of war camp in Oberlangen, where over 1,700 women – soldiers of the Polish Home Army and participants of the Warsaw Uprising – had been imprisoned since the end of the Uprising. It was a symbolic moment of uniting the fighting Polish troops – those fighting throughout the occupation in Poland and those fighting alongside the Allies against the Germans in Western Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1st Armored Division was then ordered to attack the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven. The attacking force consisted of three columns: the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, the 1st Polish Armored Division and the 4th Canadian Armored Division. The attack took place in the very difficult terrain of the Frisian Plain with numerous depressions, canals, rivers and lagoons. On May 4, 1945, the 1st Polish Armored Division reached the outer ring of the city’s fortifications and began preparations for the assault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fighting lasted until May 5. Then the fortress crew surrendered. General Maczek entrusted the task of accepting the surrender to Col. Antoni Grudzi\u0144ski. The general himself coordinated the activities of the Division, which was tasked with occupying the north-western part of Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Antoni Grudzi\u0144ski described the moment of accepting the surrender of the fortress and the “Ostfrisland” fleet as follows: “In complete silence, you could hear the splashing of rain on the stone road. I spoke Polish. (\u2026) When I finished, I thought: “For September [1939]”.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The command of the German 10th Armored Division, as well as the command of eight infantry and artillery regiments surrendered to the Poles. Huge amounts of military equipment were seized. Polish and British flags hung on the Wilhelmshaven town hall. For General Maczek’s armored units, capturing the base was the end of the battle trail. \u2013 \u201c1 The Armored Division went towards Poland in the glory of victories, in combat hardship, as a sacrifice of soldiers’ blood”<\/em> – said Antoni Grudzi\u0144ski. However the decisions of Allied leaders at the Yalta and Potsdam peace conferences changed the fate of post-war Poland, leaving it under Soviet influence. For this reason, many soldiers of the victorious 1st Polish Armored Division never reached their homeland, fearing repression from the communist authorities. Those who finally decided to do so were subjected to surveillance and numerous harassment. We would like to tell you about their post-war fate in our Virtual Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the years 1945-1947, Polish soldiers of the 1st Armored Division, under the changed command – currently General Klemens Rudnicki, performed occupation tasks in north-western Germany in the British occupation zone. During this time, they also provided care to thousands of Polish civilian refugees who were in this area after the liberation of German concentration, labor and POW camps. The town of Haren was turned into Polish Maczk\u00f3w for two years. In June 1947, the 1st Division was transferred to England, where it was demobilized and disarmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos for the text “Departure of the Workshop Battalion of the 1st Armored Division from Maczk\u00f3w, 1946\/47”; source: from the collection of Zofia Krajewska, daughter of Corporal J\u00f3zef Zazula, provided by Witold Gudy\u015b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":923,"template":"","categories":[61],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/1-dywizja-pancerna\/930"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/1-dywizja-pancerna"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/1-dywizja-pancerna"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maczek.wirtualnemuzeum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}