Operation Arsenal

Part of World War II

Date	March 26, 1943
Location	Warsaw, General Government (German-occupied Poland)
Result	Liberation of "Rudy", successful escape

Belligerents

Szare Szeregi

Nazi Germany

Commanders and leaders

Stanisław Broniewski

Tadeusz Zawadzki

Unknown, probably none

Strength

28 men

~15-20 men

Casualties and losses

2 dead
1 captured (subsequently executed)
140 Polish and Jewish hostages killed in reprisal

4 killed
9 wounded

The Operation Arsenal, code name: "Meksyk II" (Polish: Akcja pod Arsenałem) was the first major operation by the Szare Szeregi (Gray Ranks) Polish Underground formation during the Nazi occupation of Poland. It took place on March 26, 1943 in Warsaw. Its name was coined after the Warsaw Arsenal, in front of which the action took place. The plan was to free the troop leader Jan Bytnar "Rudy", who was arrested together with his father by the Gestapo. The operation was executed by 28 scouts led by Warsaw Standard Commander Stanisław Broniewski "Orsza". The initiator and the commander of the "Attack Group" was Tadeusz Zawadzki "Zośka".

The successfully conducted operation led to the release of Jan Bytnar and 24 other prisoners, including another Storm Group troop leader, Henryk Ostrowski "Henryk", and 6 women, in an attack on the prison van that was taking the inmates from Pawiak Prison to Gestapo Headquarters at Szucha Avenue. Bytnar himself died four days later on account of injuries sustained due to German torture. Both of his "interrogators" were assassinated by Szare Szeregi within two months.

The Operation was presented in a 1978 Polish film Akcja pod Arsenałem.

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Wikipedia