Battle of Węgierska Górka

Battle of Węgierska Górka
Part of Invasion of Poland
Fort "Wędrowiec" in Węgierska Górka, modern view
Date 1–3 September 1939 Location Węgierska Górka, Kraków Voivodeship, Poland Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	Poland
Commanders and leaders
Eugen Ott	Tadeusz Semik Janusz Gaładyk
Strength
17,000 men	1,200 men 21 guns 20 MGs [1]
Casualties and losses
Heavy casualties.	7-20 killed 7 captured and executed

The Battle of Węgierska Górka was a two-day-long defence of a Polish fortified area in south of Silesia during the opening stages of the Invasion of Poland of 1939.

Although the Polish position was not completed and only five bunkers were manned, the line was defended for two days and nights against superior German forces of the German 7th Infantry Division. One of the bunkers was successfully evacuated by the Polish 1st Mountain Brigade, but the others lacked radio receivers and did not receive the order to retreat. Eventually, the Germans managed to break through the Polish positions, but with heavy casualties on their side and with a significant delay.

Following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Poland's southern border became vulnerable to a possible German invasion. Because of that, in April 1939 the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces dispatched Col. Tadeusz Zieleniewski to prepare plans of fortifications along the border to cover the southern flank of the Kraków Army in case of an armed conflict with Nazi Germany. The plan assumed creation of four major fortified areas sealing all four river valleys in the area. The Soła valley was to be blocked by 20 large bunkers located around the village of Węgierska Górka, the Koszarawa was to be sealed in Korbielów, Krzyżowa and Przyborów, the Skawa shielded in Bystra and Jordanów, while the Raba River valley was to be defended by bunkers built in Raba Niżna. The plan was accepted on 24 June and the construction at Węgierska Górka and Korbielów started almost immediately, in early July.

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