0923_01_Tomaszow Lubelski (Second Phase) - Either AI - PzC 31 Poland '39

Date: September 23rd, 1939 - Size: Medium - Location: Tomaszow Lubelski

Intended for play as Human vs Either AI or Head to Head

Under orders to retreat toward Lwow and the Romanian bridgehead, the combined remnants of the Lublin and Krakow armies under Tadeusz Piskor were surrounded in the vicinity of Tomaszow Lubelski and Zwierzyniec. Repeated attacks on September 18th-20th failed to breakthrough German blocking positions and left Piskor's armies exhausted and depleted. The Lublin and Krakow armies laid down their arms on September 20th, their leaders unaware that the advance guard of General Stefan Dab-Biernacki's Northern Front, the largest remaining Polish force outside of Warsaw, was only about twenty-five kilometers away.

While the battle raged west of Tomaszow Lubelski, the Northern Front, composed of remnants from the Narew and Wyszkow groups and the Modlin Army, retreated south. Dab-Biernacki had hoped to reach the Romanian bridgehead via Sarny, but was forced to scrap this plan when the Red Army entered Poland on September 17th. The Polish commander instead decided to move his command toward Lwow via Tomaszow Lubelski.

The Northern Front was divided into three operational groups, two principally composed of infantry led by Jan Kruczewski and Emil Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski and a cavalry group under Wladyslaw Anders. Kruczewski's group, led by the 29th Infantry Brigade, advanced south from Chelm. Lacking artillery support, the 29th Brigade was repulsed at Zamosc on September 20th and suffered heavy losses. Meanwhile, General Bruno Olbrycht's 39th Infantry Division advanced to the east of Zamosc under orders to fall on Tomaszow from the north. Despite appearing strong on paper, the 39th Division was a shaky unit composed of disparate reserve elements and various remnants and the mass desertion of ethnic Ukrainians further demoralized and weakened the division. Olbrycht was unable to reach Tomaszow as the 39th Infantry became embroiled in difficult, back-and-forth fighting at Czesniki, Barchaczow, and Labunie on September 21st-22nd.

While Kruczewski's Operational Group stalled east of Zamosc, Anders and Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski moved south and west from the vicinity of Hrubieszow, encountering only light resistance from German reconnaissance patrols. Elements of the 1st Legions Infantry Division and the 13th Infantry Brigade pushed through advanced German positions northeast of Tomaszow and Lubelski on September 22nd. By dawn on the 23rd, Dab-Biernacki was ready to press his attack on a wide front.

The 13th Infantry Brigade would attack Tomaszow Lubelski from the northeast while the 19th Brigade covered its southern flank. Further north, the remnants of 1st Legions Infantry Division and Anders' cavalry group would cut the Tomaszow-Zamosc road and push towards Krasnobrod and Suchowola. Having occupied Labunie late on the 22nd, the exhausted 39th Infantry Division would head southwest while the 29th Infantry Brigade covered protected its western flank. With the surrender of the Lwow garrison on September 22nd, the mission of the Northern Front was now to reach the Hungarian border.

The appearance of a large Polish force north and east of Tomaszow Lubelski and Zamosc placed the German 14th Army in a precarious position. Having failed to grasp that Polish actions near Zamosc on the 20th-21st presaged a larger Polish attack, the German command was already preparing to relocate the VII and VIII Corps to the west. The battered 4th Light Division was withdrawn from the area altogether on the night of September 21st-22nd while most of the 68th Infantry Division and 2nd Panzer Division regrouped at Zwierzyniec and Rawa Ruska. Only on September 22nd did the full scope of the Polish attack become apparent and General List realized that his Army would be forced to fight a second battle at Tomaszow Lubelski. 8th Infantry Division was rushed to the west and occupied the hills north of Tomaszow just in time to block the 1st Legions Division. The 68th Infantry Division was on its way but would not arrive on time and, on the morning of September 23rd, there was still a large gap in the German lines between Antoniowka and Labunie. Caught off balance, General List decided to blunt the Polish attack with an attack of his own. As the Poles attacked between Tomaszow and Zamosc, the Germans would strike at the Polish flanks. 2nd Panzer Division, brought up from Rawa Ruska, would attack the 19th Infantry Brigade from the south with the goal of encircling the attacking 13th Brigade. 27th Infantry Division, having abandoned Labunie the night before to consolidate southeast of Zamosc, was to lay into the 29th Infantry Brigade and disrupt Operational Group Kruczewski's southward movement.

The Second Battle of Tomaszow Lubelski would be a confused and chaotic affair. Though the Poles had an advantage in manpower, serious supply shortages and weak leadership from Dab-Biernacki would doom the Polish effort.

Recommended Rules:
Alternative Assault Resolution, Artillery Set Up, Recon Spotting, Optional Surrender, Low Visibility Air Effects, Quality Fatigue Modifier, Counter Battery Fire, Night Fatigue, Programmed Weather.

Note: Virtual Supply Trucks are not used with this scenario.

Additionally, Delayed Disruption Reporting will provide a more challenging experience for the attacking player.

Design Notes: 1. The Polish player can score points by capturing objective hexes and moving units off the map in the exit hexes located on the southern map edge.

2. Randomized withdrawals represent Polish surrender.