Tank Clash

After breaking through the defensive positions of the Polish 7th Infantry Division, the German XVI Panzer Corps advanced towards Warsaw along the Piotrkowska road. On Sept. 4th, lead German units had reached the hastily prepared Polish positions located on the …

1939-09-05

PoH05

After breaking through the defensive positions of the Polish 7th Infantry Division, the German XVI Panzer Corps advanced towards Warsaw along the Piotrkowska road. On Sept. 4th, lead German units had reached the hastily prepared Polish positions located on the river Prudka and Borowa Mountain. After a day of battle, the Polish lines had been partially broken and German tanks poured onto the open plains near Piotrków. This area was occupied by the Polish 19th Infantry Division of the Polish Reserve Army “Prusy”. These forces were urgently preparing themselves against the German attack. On September 5 on the outskirts of Piotrkow, a bloody battle took place. German tanks of the 1st and 4th Panzer Divisions, supported by artillery and the Luftwaffe, broke through the Polish positions and captured Piotrków, opening the way to Warsaw. Despite committing their armored reserves in the form of the 301st Tank Battalion, the Poles were pushed back by the concentrated power of the XVI Hoepner Panzer Corps.

Piotrkow, Poland

The Battle of Piotrków Trybunalski was a battle in the Invasion of Poland from the 5 to 6 September 1939, which involved Polish and German tank formations. As the Germans advanced through Silesia, the 4th and 1st Panzer Divisions headed towards Piotrkow. The Polish 19th Infantry Division tried to counter-attack on 5 September, but there were many gaps in their lines. However, the Polish 2nd Tank Battalion entered the defense of the city and their 7TP tanks were successful in destroying 17 Panzers, 2 self-propelled guns and 14 armoured cars, with the loss of only 2 tanks. However, there were too few Polish tanks and could not prevent the Germans from breaking through the gap between Army Lodz and Army Kraków, even with help from Army Prusy. That evening, Marshal Rydz-Smigly ordered the Polish forces to withdraw to the east bank of the Vistula.

Wikipedia: Battle of Piotrkow Trybunalski

German

Polish