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Polish Thermopylae, with Panzers
The Battle of Wizna
The Battle of Wizna refers to a battle fought in the initial stages of the invasion of Poland. Taking place from September 7-10, 1939, the fight marks the heroic stand of the Polish army against overwhelming odds. Led by Captain Władysłav Raginis, the Polish soldiers – numbering between 350 and 720 men – held off the Wehrmacht – numbering over 40 000 soldiers – for three days.
September 1939
The German invasion of Poland began in September 1939. Poland was to also soon be invaded by the Soviet Union, and within six weeks would be divided by those two great powers.
On September 7, the XIX Army Corps of Heeresgruppe Nord, part of the German 3rd Army under General Heinz Guderian, was quickly advancing to try and cross the river Biebrza, a tributary of the River Narew, east of the town of Wizna. By doing so, it would be able to encircle the Polish Narew Corps and then close in on Warsaw from the Northeast.
Since early 1939, the Polish Army had begun building defence works around the strategic crossing where the Biebrza and Narew met, when the possibility of war really began looming. The crossing was surrounded by swamps and bogs, so a system of echeloned bunkers and pillboxes on the hills overlooking the rivers would be a serious threat to any army trying to make a crossing.
https://www.sabaton.net/historical-facts/battle-of-wizna-starts/
The Battle of Wizna refers to a battle fought in the initial stages of the invasion of Poland. Taking place from September 7-10, 1939, the fight marks the heroic stand of the Polish army against overwhelming odds. Led by Captain Władysłav Raginis, the Polish soldiers – numbering between 350 and 720 men – held off the Wehrmacht – numbering over 40 000 soldiers – for three days.
September 1939
The German invasion of Poland began in September 1939. Poland was to also soon be invaded by the Soviet Union, and within six weeks would be divided by those two great powers.
On September 7, the XIX Army Corps of Heeresgruppe Nord, part of the German 3rd Army under General Heinz Guderian, was quickly advancing to try and cross the river Biebrza, a tributary of the River Narew, east of the town of Wizna. By doing so, it would be able to encircle the Polish Narew Corps and then close in on Warsaw from the Northeast.
Since early 1939, the Polish Army had begun building defence works around the strategic crossing where the Biebrza and Narew met, when the possibility of war really began looming. The crossing was surrounded by swamps and bogs, so a system of echeloned bunkers and pillboxes on the hills overlooking the rivers would be a serious threat to any army trying to make a crossing.
The battle is commemorated in a song 40:1, thought the actual ratio was likely 60:1 or greater. In addition had over 300 tanks and near one artillery gun per Polish defender.