140th and 269th NKVD Divisions were dismantled within the first hour, their weapons and equipment going into Polish stocks. More than one group of prisoners was mercilessly chopped down in retribution for NKVD atrocities, past and present.
64th NKVD Division managed to escape with three of its rifle and border regiments intact, the hapless 98th NKVD Border Regiment finding little forgiveness at the hands of their captors.
Thousands of Soviet prisoners filled the combat area, something that was less than desirable for all concerned.
However, plans had been made to evacuate these men in the vessels that delivered supplies, lessening the demands on the logistical chain.
The Second Polish Army [AWP] had been withdrawn under the direct orders of the GKO. It was heavily policed by NKVD units, and most units were either disarmed or, as was the case with 5th Polish Infantry Division [AWP], massacred piecemeal as the various units arrived at pre-ordained rendezvous points, staffed by security troops with a very specific brief.
At first, there had been issues with loyalty, as confused soldiers found it hard to understand who was who, and officers with leanings towards the Soviet regime held sway in most areas of Polish Second Army.
Matters were quickly sorted out, but not without some tragedies, and most of the Polish Second Army moved eastwards and away from the fighting, finding employment in the Ukraine, where civil disorder was rapidly turning into open civil warfare.
Only the 5th Polish Heavy Tank Regiment, 4th Polish Engineer Brigade, and 9th Polish Infantry Division defected en masse to the newly formed Polish Liberation Army Group, where there was understandable scepticism about their loyalty.
One issue that arose was unit numbering, as there were divisions that shared the same title allocated to different corps, hence the labelling AK with every ex-Soviet unit.
Soviet initial efforts had been aimed at destroying the bridgehead but quickly became a task of containment, as lack of resources swiftly became an issue.
The impending presence of the British Twenty-First Army Group caused most of the spare major units that could have been used for counter-attacks to be hived off for defence on the main front, leaving barely sufficient units in place to hold the landing in check.
Soviet command quickly started to pull in more resources, hampered, as ever, by the enemy’s command of the air.
From the start, the Allied plan had been obvious.
1-Strike eastwards along the Baltic coast with 21st Army Group.
2-Drop paratroops to secure the bridges and crossing points to allow the new forces to move westwards from the bridgehead.
3-Connect the two, thus posing an unendurable threat to the flank of the entire European force.
4-Reinforce and support the existing Polish forces, creating a whole new and proficient manpower group to cause more problems for the Red Army.
Allied intelligence had failed to locate many of the dedicated assault formations assembled by 1st Baltic, and these had hammered into the British advance, halting it, moving it back, and then stabilising the front, ensuring that the bridgehead would not be relieved.
1st Guards Mechanised Rifle Division, under Deniken’s command, had moved and found itself isolated at Naugard, which in itself, upset Allied plans for British XXXIII Corps to attack through Stettin.
The second incarnation of 6th Army was moved swiftly to ensure that any attempt to advance through Swinoujscie, most probably by Polish IX Corps, would die in its infancy.
And so it proved.
The Polish bridgehead became an attritional stalemate, with the occupants too weak to push out, and those surrounding it too weak to crush the resistance.
Bortnovski, low on options, ordered one last effort to get his formations moving, ordering the thorn in his side to be removed by force.
The Naugard attack plan would be completed, regardless of the cost.
The bulk of British 2nd Armoured Division was kept back to exploit the breech.
An assault force of the Azul Division, part of the Guards Battlegroup, the 5th Polish Heavy Tank Regiment [AK], and a German Fallschirmjager battle group were designated for the assault. They would be supported by every artillery and mortar weapon the Polish General could lay his hands on, topped off with air support from the carriers off shore.
Bortnovski completed the planning with a flourish, having added a few smaller specialist units to the assault on Naugard.
Standing erect, he issued his verbal order, confirming the attack.
“Gentlemen, the assault will be preceded by an intense bombardment, commencing at 1230. This will cease at 1300, to be followed by an air attack on the entire Soviet front line position.”
The assembled officers knew this, but it was the Polish General’s way.
“The assault force will then move in at speed, obliquely, striking at the north of Naugard, with the main force moving around to the south-west and pushing the Soviet forces away from the main route, occupying Wollchow, securing it, before striking into the enemy rear.”
“Gentlemen, you have your orders. I wish you luck.”
The Polish Lieutenant General threw up a magnificent salute and watched as his officer trooped from the room.
Władysław Bortnowski had been a prisoner of the Germans since commanding the Polish Pomorze Army during the 1939 invasion of his country. He had been liberated in 1945.
As a very senior Polish officer, well-known amongst his soldiery and civilian population alike, Bortnowski probably had no equal, and it was this public image and his obvious skill at arms that propelled him into the position of Commander, PLAG.
A reputation gained in different times against the German Army of 1938 had been tested against a wholly different foe in 1946, and opinions differed on how well the fifty-five year old General was standing the test of time.
Yarishlov and Kriks shared a table, although not conventionally.
The former, having alerted his command to stand to, sought refuge under the large and robust piece of furniture to use the field telephone in safety, as the Allied artillery lashed down upon Soviet positions from Wollchow to Eberstein.
The latter was protecting two mugs of coffee, or coffee the way Kriks made it, with something extra that mustn’t be contaminated by descending dust.
He could hear Deniken’s voice quite clearly.
“No, Arkady, the 23rd report little activity, neither do the 333rd Regiment to our south-west. Seems this is all for us.”
Yarishlov digested the information.
“So, what do you want me to do, as it seems likely we’re going to get hit?”
“Stay put for now. My own tanks are covering here. Perhaps ready a company to send off immediately to support the defences here, if I scream for more. Meantime, keep your head down and stay safe. I’m sure the Capitalist bastards will give us something to think about soon.”
“Just one company?”
“Two would be better, of course.”
“It is done.”
“If their ground attack… stupid… when their aircraft come, the AA commander has prepared that surprise we discussed. I think we may show them a thing or two, Arkady.”
Both chuckled.
“I suspect you’re correct, Vladimir.”
The Allied ground attack aircraft had been ruling for too long, and today, when they came, they would face a challenge.
“Signing off now. Good luck, Comrade.”