Battle of the Bzura TL

[Don Quijote]

This is my first proper attempt at a TL, so I hope it doesn't go badly Quick Wikipedia summary of OTL events below.

The Battle of the Bzura (or Kutno or Battle of Kutno — German name) was a battle in the opening campaign of World War II during the 1939 German invasion of Poland, fought between 9 and 19 September, 1939, between Polish and German forces. Initially a Polish counter-offensive, the Germans outflanked the Polish forces and took all of western Poland.
It was the single largest battle in the 1939 September campaign and took place to the west of Warsaw, near the Bzura River. In it, a Polish breakout attack gained initial success but eventually faltered after a concentrated German counterattack.

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8th of September 1939, HQ Army Poznan

As Army Group South pressed forwards, Army Krakow and Army Lodz were vigorously defending their positions between the Warta and the Vistula. Advance German units had already established at least one bridgehead over the Warta, while further north, forces moving out of East Prussia menaced Modlin. Army Poznan however, despite being fairly close to the border, had not been caught up in the main German assaults, and remained intact and capable of offensive action. Its commander, General Tadeusz Kutrzeba, repeated those words to himself. 'Offensive action'. There was no point in trying to continue with a retreat before an enemy which could move more quickly and efficiently, so the only logical alternative was to take the fight to them. Army Pomorze on his right flank was also in a good enough condition to contribute men to the attack.

His planning for a counter attack over the last few days had not yet been given approval by Marshal Rydz-Smigly, who was in the middle of moving his HQ from Warsaw to Brzesc - a useless exercise, as far as Kutrzeba was concerned, as it merely exacerbated the communications difficulties. He expected a reply today (8th September) though, and wasn't going to be pleased if it was negative. He could see an opportunity where the Germans had overextended themselves, and his forces were in the ideal position to strike. The German 8th Army under Johannes Blaskowitz was meant to protect the main thrust towards Warsaw by the 10th and 14th Armies, but was relatively thinly spread along the German line of advance, over approximately 25 miles. In the area around the Bzura river, a tributary of the Vistula, Polish troops had numerical superiority, although air and artillery support were lacking. Aircraft directly under Army control would have to be sufficient, as the Pursuit Brigade was fully committed to Warsaw's air defence, and the Bomber Brigade, with its modern P.37 Los aircraft, had been strangely inactive for the first days. There was the potential of securing its support, but he could not fully rely on it.

That afternoon, word came through from Rydz-Smigly. The attack was to go ahead, commencing tomorrow.

 

[galileo-034]

Another miracle ?
I could see it possible if not for the Soviets backstabbing Poland.

 

[Don Quijote]

Another miracle ?
I could see it possible if not for the Soviets backstabbing Poland.

I'm not working towards a predetermined ending, but unless the western Allies make an effort (which they might) Poland is still going to fall, but the Germans will get a bit more of a shock from the counterattack than IOTL.

 

[severak]

Never seen an idea like this. subbed.

 

[Don Quijote]

This update will contain the main PODs. So far the only change has been to get Rydz-Smigly's approval on the 8th rather than the 9th, so the attack can begin earlier.
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9th of September 1939, HQ Army Poznan
Early morning

Good news came through to General Kutrzeba that morning. The plan had been for Army Poznan to provide the vast majority of the attacking force, with the 14th, 17th and 25th Infantry Divisions going into action, alongside two cavalry brigades. The 26th Infantry Division would be held in reserve. Army Pomorze would provide some support, but due to the threat of German attacks in the north it could not be fully committed. Now General Juliusz Rómmel* of Army Lodz had informed him that he could provide the 10th Infantry Division for the assault,** as well as the Wolynska Cavalry Brigade, which had distinguished itself in the clash at Mokra, although it had taken serious casualties when it came under attack from an armoured car unit.*** Rómmel had had a narrow miss when his headquarters had been bombed, but fortunately he escaped safely, and was able to continue to regroup his army. The counter attack would be a risk, as it would widen the hole in the Polish line between Armies Lodz and Krakow, but it was felt that such a risk had to be taken in order to disrupt the enemy advance.

The first Polish forces from Army Poznan moved off at 7am, and were to be followed up by their supporting units later in the day. At this stage their primary objectives were the towns of Leczyca and Piatek. The first clashes just south of the Bzura came quickly, as they attempted to cut into the left flank of the German 8th Army. They were provided with limited but accurate artillery support, which kept at least some of the German infantry in their hastily dug trenches while the Polish infantry moved forwards. The only significant German forces in the immediate area were the 30th and 46th Infantry Divisions, which were already beginning to weary after a week on the march. When the Poles fell on them they were shocked by the force of the attack, and had to withdraw, leaving many of their men lying dead behind them. A number of light tanks also went into battle, and although they were not concentrated at particular points in the German style, along with the cavalry they were effective in defeating and demoralising their opponents, as their mobility allowed them to appear at often unexpected locations behind the German lines.

As well as the attacks from the base of the Poznan salient to the north, Army Lodz did what it could to pressure the 8th Army from the south-east. Inevitably, it also came into contact with German armour from the 10th Army, and did not make much headway there, but it diverted reserve troops which would otherwise have been committed to halting Army Poznan's attack. Probably the most important effect was to persuade General Reichenau, commander of the 10th Army, to order the 4th Panzer Division to stop its advance on Warsaw and instead turn north to face these developing threats.

*A distant relative of Erwin Rommel.
**In reality, Army Lodz remained on the defensive during the battle.
***This is thought to be where the 'Polish cavalry charged at German tanks' myth originated.

 

[Julius Vogel]

Very interesting. I rather like this kind of small POD contemporary TL

 

[seraphim74]

1. On the 9th of September general Rómmel was not in charge of the Army "Łódź" anymore. He lost contact with his army after his HQ was bombed by the LUftwaffe and returned to Warsaw, when he was made commander of the Army "Warszawa". The Army "Łódź" at the time, with heavy casualties was withdrawing in direction of Warsaw and then Modlin under the command of general Wiktor Thommee.
2. On the 8th of September 1939 Polish 10th Infantry Division was already exhausted and suffered very heavy losses. IIRC Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade was in somewhat better condition but an attack? IMO Thommee's forces were not capable of any serious offensive action. However, their activity might at least force Germans to leave some forces to stop them, so if ordered, Thommee might use his forces to at least limited attack, forcing Germans to send some troops against him.
3. A good thing for Rydz-Śmigły would be to make general Kutrzeba commander of whole Polish offensive group, i.e. both armies "Poznań" and "Pomorze". General Bortnowski, agreed to obbey Kutrzeba IOTL, but it was somewhat informal solution and he often disputed his orders loosing precious time.
4. Another possible solution from Polish side might be an attack of the army "Warszawa" defending Warsaw. I do not think it would be enough to defeat German forces near Polish capital but engaging them would make much harder for Germans to send those troops against Kutrzeba.
5. IMO more successful for Poles battle of Bzura would not change the fate of Poland in 1939, but German losses would be higher and perhaps even German commanders might become more cautious concerning their flanks, which can influence the French campaign.

 

[Don Quijote]

1. On the 9th of September general Rómmel was not in charge of the Army "Łódź" anymore. He lost contact with his army after his HQ was bombed by the LUftwaffe and returned to Warsaw, when he was made commander of the Army "Warszawa". The Army "Łódź" at the time, with heavy casualties was withdrawing in direction of Warsaw and then Modlin under the command of general Wiktor Thommee.
2. On the 8th of September 1939 Polish 10th Infantry Division was already exhausted and suffered very heavy losses. IIRC Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade was in somewhat better condition but an attack? IMO Thommee's forces were not capable of any serious offensive action. However, their activity might at least force Germans to leave some forces to stop them, so if ordered, Thommee might use his forces to at least limited attack, forcing Germans to send some troops against him.
3. A good thing for Rydz-Śmigły would be to make general Kutrzeba commander of whole Polish offensive group, i.e. both armies "Poznań" and "Pomorze". General Bortnowski, agreed to obbey Kutrzeba IOTL, but it was somewhat informal solution and he often disputed his orders loosing precious time.
4. Another possible solution from Polish side might be an attack of the army "Warszawa" defending Warsaw. I do not think it would be enough to defeat German forces near Polish capital but engaging them would make much harder for Germans to send those troops against Kutrzeba.
5. IMO more successful for Poles battle of Bzura would not change the fate of Poland in 1939, but German losses would be higher and perhaps even German commanders might become more cautious concerning their flanks, which can influence the French campaign.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to put up an update this week.
1 - I should probably make that part of the POD, so Army Lodz can remain in a more organised state.
2 - I knew that they had come off badly in the first week of fighting, which is why I said they were only acting in a support/diversionary role. As you can see, they are being beaten back, but their main job is to stop the Germans from counterattacking so strongly as IOTL and surrounding the Polish force.
3 - That's a good idea, but from what I know Rydz-Smigly liked to keep himself in overall command and take responsibility himself for major decisions.
4 - Are you sure that Army Warsaw was fully ready for an attack as early as the 8th? It was a fairly improvised force with the primary task of defending the capital, not going on the attack. Also, it was further behind the frontline, whereas Army Lodz is already available.
5 - The battle itself isn't going to force the Germans out of Poland, but action from the Western Allies might...

 

[Don Quijote]

The Germans are reacting, but the Poles still have the initiative.
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10th of September, HQ X Army Corps (German)
9:30 a.m.

'General von Briesen of the 30th Division reports that the situation regarding the enemy attack is 'exceptionally serious', and requests immediate reinforcement. Apparently enemy cavalry have been engaging our infantry several miles behind yesterday's front line, and minor attacks have continued throughout the night'

'Reichenau has already diverted the 4th Panzer, he can't send everything he has to the 8th Army. Blaskowitz is of the opinion that X Corps is capable of holding its ground, provided the Poles don't throw in more troops.'*

'Have you spoken to Rundstedt this morning?'

'Yes, and he has already said he is willing to move forces from 10th Army to 8th Army, provided 10th Army's advance can be maintained. The 3rd Light division will go, but the 1st Panzer will not, as it is already engaged outside Warsaw. Of course, there are our own reserves to call upon as well.'*

'Very good sir, I'll inform Briesen to stand firm.'


*This is General Wilhelm Ulex speaking, commander of X Corps.

 

[Don Quijote]

Meanwhile in the west...
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10th of September, the Saar

German civilians in the town of Gersheim looked out to see advancing French infantry passing through the streets. They were men of the 11th Infantry Division, part of General Edouard Réquin's 4th Army, which was the central force in the French attack. On its left flank was 3rd Army under Charles Condé, and to the right was 5th Army under Victor Bourret. They had begun their advance from the border town of Bliesbruck, and moved northwards at a fairly slow pace. Enemy resistance had been negligible so far, the main threat being from German minefields, which had caused a number of casualties. Behind the infantry came several Renault R35 tanks, some of which had also been destroyed by mines on their way into Germany. These tanks however, were in perfect condition, having reached the town safely.

Renault R35s moving into Germany... but not too far in.

The French had made their move on the 7th, with a 'limited offensive' into the Saar region, intended to probe German defences and possibly relieve pressure on Poland. The Poles naturally viewed the latter as being the priority, as they were clearly bearing the brunt of the fighting, and indeed facing destruction, while the French and British did little more than drop propaganda leaflets on German cities. French strategic thinking throughout the last two decades had clearly been to rely on a strong defensive system, which would force the Germans to take the more costly action of attacking, thus preventing another slaughter of France's youth. On the other hand, not everyone in the French military had such a mindset, and it was recognised that some offensive action, however limited, would be needed to hit back at Germany in the event of war. The current situation, with German aggression in the east, and a lack of fighting in the west, had not been planned for to the same extent, despite the warnings provided by the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia and Memel. The British and French Military Missions to Poland were now sending an unambiguous message - an attack on Germany was essential, or Poland would fall within weeks.

Maurice Gamelin, Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces, was closely following the progress of the Saar Offensive. The operation was being managed by commander of the 2nd Army Group André-Gaston Prételat, who had previously voiced opposition to going to war with Germany, perhaps not the best choice for leading an assault into the country. Gamelin was feeling more optimistic. Given the light resistance experienced so far, at midday on the 10th he ordered Prételat to expand the scope of the attack.* 3rd Army was to secure the Warndt Forest, then establish a defensive position facing north to protect the left of the 4th Army, while remaining units would advance on Saarbrucken. 4th Army was to send the bulk of its forces towards the city as well, while keeping in contact with 5th Army, which would consolidate any ground gained east of the River Blies.


*In reality Gamelin decided on the 11th that no further advances were to be made. It may be slightly out of character for him, but I think it's reasonably plausible for him to attempt to capture a lightly defended city so close to the frontier.

 

[Archibald]

My advice: have a (long range) shell landing straight on Gamelin, turning him into porridge, and 9 months later France might be saved from disgrace...

 

[Don Quijote]

My advice: have a (long range) shell landing straight on Gamelin, turning him into porridge, and 9 months later France might be saved from disgrace...

I've decided to make him a little bit more aggressive in 1939 instead, so that in nine months the situation will probably be quite a lot different...

 

[seraphim74]

4 - Are you sure that Army Warsaw was fully ready for an attack as early as the 8th? It was a fairly improvised force with the primary task of defending the capital, not going on the attack. Also, it was further behind the frontline, whereas Army Lodz is already available.

I think you're right. Indeed, AFAICT Army Warszawa was too weak. My apologies. Although I still have my doubts about Army Łódź being able to attack. OTOH just engaging the Germans would force them to spred their forces.

 

[KnightofTempest]

Please continue this. We don't have many Poland TLs

 

[Don Quijote]

10th of September, southwestern suburbs of Warsaw
7:40 p.m.

The PzKpfw IVs of the 1st Panzer Division began an evening assault to root out Polish defenders on the outskirts of the capital city, supported by a larger number of lighter tanks. The attack had been rethought to take into account the loss of the 4th Panzer and 3rd light Divisions (partly compensated by the use of the 31st Infantry Division), and was no longer intended to be a major attempt to break the southern defences, but rather a prelude to a larger attack when the situation allowed it. An attack on the evening of the 8th by the 4th Panzer, before its reallocation, had ended in failure with the loss of many PzKpfw Is and IIs*, but the use of heavier vehicles was expected to make more headway.

As they moved into the Praga suburb, the leading tanks began to take fire from a number of Polish anti-tank weapons, a mixture of 37mm and 75mm guns manned by troops of the newly formed Army Warsaw, under the command of General Wiktor Thommee**. As well as these servicemen, at every corner were volunteers with improvised grenades, which were thrown in the path of the tanks. Naturally, the infantry supporting the attack darted forwards to eliminate these points of resistance, and their better training meant they came off better in these engagements. On the other hand, the defenders were much more familiar with their surroundings, and could fire from well placed positions, picking off Germans who stayed in the open for too long. The infantry pressed on, systematically clearing buildings containing Polish fighters, but growing more cautious as resistance strengthened further into Warsaw.

A Polish anti-tank crew dug in outside Warsaw.

Behind the advance units of the attack, the remainder of the 31st Infantry mopped up any remaining resistance and began to set up temporary defences. It was recognised by General Reichenau, in charge of the 10th Army, that his forces were no yet in a position to capture the city, but he and his men did not expect that they would have to wait long until the situation on the Bzura had been resolved, and the drive on the capital by the other German units nearby could resume. Back on the tactical level, by nightfall the operation was over, and had cost the 1st Panzer Division a total of 43 tanks. The majority were the less well armoured PzKpfw IIs which had fallen victim to the deadly combination of anti-tank weapons used by the desperate Poles. In one case, flammable liquid had been sprayed on the street as the Panzers approached, then ignited.*** The German troops had gained a new respect for their opponents, as it became clear that a difficult and brutal fight lay ahead.


*This engagement took place in OTL.
**The commands of Rómmel and Thommee have been reversed.
***This tactic was used during the Battle of Warsaw when defenders ran short of ammunition (not just in the Battle of the Bulge!)

 

[Derwit]

Great idea for a time line.

I've always felt that if the Poles could have held on a week or so longer than OTL then the French would have felt compelled to act more aggressively in the west. Of course Poland still falls but any limited Franco-German fighting before the winter gives the French the opportunity to sort out some of their most dangerous problems before the main event in 1940.

What effect does a better Polish performance have on the Russian? I think they will wait until the Polish forces are clearly defeated before they move.

 

[KnightofTempest]

Great idea for a time line.

I've always felt that if the Poles could have held on a week or so longer than OTL then the French would have felt compelled to act more aggressively in the west. Of course Poland still falls but any limited Franco-German fighting before the winter gives the French the opportunity to sort out some of their most dangerous problems before the main event in 1940.

What effect does a better Polish performance have on the Russian? I think they will wait until the Polish forces are clearly defeated before they move.

Stalin won't move in until he thinks that the Poles don't have a chance to win. Remember the Soviets got to Warsaw in 1921 only to suffer a massive reversal due to the Poles local superiority in numbers.

If Stalin thinks that a repeat of that is about to happen, especially if the French Invasion of Germany starts pulling away troops and planes to face the bigger threat, he won't move in.

 

[Cymraeg]

I've decided to make him a little bit more aggressive in 1939 instead, so that in nine months the situation will probably be quite a lot different...

At the very least even a slightly more aggressive France in September 1939 will have an impact, as it will teach them some lessons in modern warfare that even Gamelin might realise it needs to learn.

 

[Don Quijote]

Great idea for a time line.

I've always felt that if the Poles could have held on a week or so longer than OTL then the French would have felt compelled to act more aggressively in the west. Of course Poland still falls but any limited Franco-German fighting before the winter gives the French the opportunity to sort out some of their most dangerous problems before the main event in 1940.

What effect does a better Polish performance have on the Russian? I think they will wait until the Polish forces are clearly defeated before they move.

Stalin won't move in until he thinks that the Poles don't have a chance to win. Remember the Soviets got to Warsaw in 1921 only to suffer a massive reversal due to the Poles local superiority in numbers.

If Stalin thinks that a repeat of that is about to happen, especially if the French Invasion of Germany starts pulling away troops and planes to face the bigger threat, he won't move in.

The French were obliged by an agreement with the Poles to attack across the border with a force of at least 32 divisions within (I think) 12 days of a German invasion of Poland. ITTL the attack will be a bit more than a 'reconnaissance in force'.
Stalin will of course respond cautiously, but will not cancel the Soviet invasion, as this situation is not necessarily unfavourable to the USSR.

At the very least even a slightly more aggressive France in September 1939 will have an impact, as it will teach them some lessons in modern warfare that even Gamelin might realise it needs to learn.

True, the French will gain important experience in their Saar Offensive.

 

[KnightofTempest]

The French were obliged by an agreement with the Poles to attack across the border with a force of at least 32 divisions within (I think) 12 days of a German invasion of Poland. ITTL the attack will be a bit more than a 'reconnaissance in force'.
Stalin will of course respond cautiously, but will not cancel the Soviet invasion, as this situation is not necessarily unfavourable to the USSR.

IOTL Stalin held off invading until the last week of the Defensive War. If the Poles do better it's possible he'll postpone the invasion. He IS still fighting a war with Finland at this time too, so he has to be extra careful with how he manages his forces, and with the Japanese raising hell in the east, he needs to devote forces to the far East to prevent opportunism from Japan.