Battle of Kołobrzeg

This is an article about the 1945 battle. For the 1807 battle, see Battle of Kołobrzeg (1807).

Battle of Kołobrzeg (Festung Kolberg)

Part of the East Pomeranian Offensive, Eastern Front of World War II

Kołobrzeg (Kolberg) in 1945. 80% of the city was destroyed during the war

Date	March 4–14, 1945
Location	Kołobrzeg (Kolberg)
Result	Soviet and Polish victory

Combatants

Nazi Germany

Soviet Union

Poland

Commanders

Fritz Fullriede

Stanislav Poplavsky

Strength

8,000–15,000

over 28,000

Casualties

over 1,000

The Battle of Kołobrzeg was the taking of the city of Kołobrzeg (German: Kolberg) by the Soviet Army and its Polish allies from the Nazi German forces during the East Pomeranian Offensive in March 1945. Between 4 March and 18 March 1945, there was major urban fighting of the Soviet and Polish forces against the German army for the control over the city. The Germans succeeded in evacuating much of their military personnel and refugees from the city via sea before it was taken by the Poles on March 18.

Background

In November 1944 the city, a large Baltic seaport, was designated a stronghold – Festung Kolberg, part of the German Pomeranian Wall. The Festung Kolberg was one of the German's key positions in the Pomeranian Wall, a vital link between Pomerania and Prussia. The German High Command planned to use the seaport to supply nearby German forces, and hoped that the stronghold would draw off Soviet forces from the main thrust towards Berlin.

The Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive in the south pushed the German forces to the West and the East Pomeranian Offensive, while less successful, still managed to cut off and surround the city and nearby German forces (mostly from Army Group Center), eventually forming the Kolberg pocket. The first commander of the Festung Kolberg was an elderly general, Paul Hermann, but due to illness he was transferred (in February) to a less demanding post. The command was taken by col. Gerhard Troschel. Since 1 March the city was under the command of a former Afrika Korps officer, Col. Fritz Fullriede.

Opposing forces

The German defence forces represented various formations from Army Group Centre, some tasked with defending the fortress, others simply cut off in the Kolberg pocket. The most notable units included elements of the Third Panzer Army, the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) and the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian). Estimates of the German defenders — including local militia and volunteers (Volkssturm) — range from 8,000 to 15,000, supported by some artillery (about 60 pieces), an armored train and about 18 tanks and a dozen support vehicles of various types. The German units also received some air and sea support (including pocket battleships Lützow and Admiral Scheer).

The Soviet forces attacking the city can be divided into two waves: the Soviet wave (March 4–7) and the Polish wave (March 8–14) (although some Soviet units took part in the combat after March 8). The Soviet main units were the 45th Soviet Tank Brigade (engaged from March 4 to 7) and the 272nd Infantry Division (March 6 to 9). Polish units included elements of the Polish First Army (from the 1st Belorussian Front): Polish 6th Infantry Division (from March 7); Polish 3rd Infantry Division (from March 9); Polish 4th Infantry Division (from March 12) and various support units. The personnel of the Polish units numbered over 28,000.

The battle

Map of the fight

The first attack was led on the 4 March by the Soviet units of the 1st Belorussian Front and 2nd Belorussian Front; with first Soviet units entering the city around 0800, but was repulsed. On the same day, the nearby city of Koszalin (German: Köslin) fell and Soviets started to gather reinforcements to take Kołobrzeg.

On the 6 March the Soviet High Command decided to turn the siege of the city from the Soviet forces to its Polish allies. By 8 March Soviets received reinforcements in the form of the units from the Polish People's Army, Polish First Army under Stanislav Poplavsky: the 6th, the 3rd Polish Infantry Division and support units. The Polish First Army was now tasked with taking the city; however their first attack was also repulsed. The German forces held stubbornly to the city, protecting the ongoing evacuation. Due to a lack of anti-tank weapons, German battleships used their guns to support the defenders of Kolberg.

On the 12 March a new assault was launched, with heavy tanks, additional artillery units and the 4th Polish Infantry Division. The attack advanced but at the cost of very heavy casualties, and was broken off on the 14 March. The Germans refused a proposal to surrender.

On the 15 March the fighting resumed and the Germans received reinforcements from the Świnoujście (German: Swinemünde) — the Kell battalions. They however failed to stop the Polish forces from advancing further, which took the barracks, part of the railway station and the Salt Island.

By the 16 March the Germans pulled back most of their forces and concentrated on the defense of the port. The destruction of the collegiate church in Kołobrzeg after heavy artillery shelling (by katyushas) allowed the Polish troops to breach the inner city. Polish forces assaulted the railway station (defended by a German armored train), pharmaceutics factory and the horse riding arena.

On 17 March the Germans abandoned most of the defensive lines, leaving only a small amount of the troops to cover their retreat, and started to evacuate their main body of forces from the city. Polish forces took the railway station and reached the port, but most of the German troops managed to evacuate to Świnoujście. The last German stronghold was in the fort built near today's light house.

Aftermath

Most of the city (over 80%) was destroyed in the heavy fighting. The battle was among the most intense city fights the Polish army took part in. Polish casualties were about 1000 dead and 3000 wounded.

On the 18 March, on the day the city fell, the Polish People's Army re-enacted Poland's Wedding to the Sea ceremony, which had been celebrated for the first time in 1920 by general Józef Haller (there was also a lesser known ceremony on the 17 March).[1]

Evacuation

With the Soviet forces approaching, in 1945, valuable equipment, most of the inhabitants and tens of thousands of refugees from surrounding areas (about 70,000), as well as 40,000 German soldiers were evacuated from the besieged city by German naval forces in Operation Hannibal. Only about 2,000 soldiers were left on the 17th of March to cover last sea transports.

In media

In 1945, Polish Film Chronicle made a short film about the battle.[2] In 1969 a movie was made in Poland, Jarzębina Czerwona, with the battle for the city as its background.[3] In 2005, a 25 minutes Polish documentary film about the battle for the city was made.[4]

References

(Polish) Festung Kolberg

External links

(Polish) Kołobrzeg marzec 1945 — jak dziś wygląda pole bitwy…
(Polish) Speech by Polish president on the 60th anniversary of the 45' Wedding to the Sea