How Polish resistance dealt with SS general

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U.S. Officers Honor Heroism of Polish "Armia Krajowa"

poland.usembassy. gov

6 February 2009

Five U.S. military officers from the Embassy's Defense Attaché Office and Office of Defense Cooperation represented the American people on February 1, 2009 at the 65th anniversary memorial celebration of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army) action aimed against the notorious Franz Kutschera, SS General and Police Leader of Nazi-occupied Warsaw, responsible for the murders of hundreds of Polish resistance members and civilians. The officers were introduced to Maria "Kama" Stypu³kowska- Chojecka, winner of Poland's highest order, the "Virtuti Militari." During the ceremony, wreaths were laid at the location of the Home Army action and at a nearby spot at the Hungarian Embassy where hundreds of Warsaw residents were executed by the SS following the Home Army's successful elimination of Kutschera. Kama, as a young girl during World War II, served in the famous Scout Unit known as "Parasol." She played an integral role in several key Home Army actions. In the action against Kutschera, Kama served in the critical position of "first lookout," positively identifying the target and signaling her colleagues in the resistance about the vehicle approach of Kutschera and his SS entourage. During her speech, Kama credited Captain Adam Borys "P³ug," Parasol Battalion Commander, for his excellent and dedicated leadership of Parasol and his brilliant planning of the February 1 action. Attending the ceremony were Col (USAF) Burke, LTC (USA) Kaffka, LCDR (USN) Strosin, MAJ (USA) Shea, and Capt (USAF) Szczepanski.



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kutschera
Franz Kutschera was an SS General and Gauleiter of Carinthia. As SS and Police Leader of the Poland's Warsaw district, he was sentenced to death by Armia Krajowa (AK) in agreement with the Polish government in exile and assassinated.

Kutschera was appointed an SS-Brigadeführer in 1940 and late in 1942 a Major-General of the police. He distinguished himself in the fight against the Resistance with his fanaticism and skill. Hence, he was appointed SS and Police Leader, first from April 1943 in the Mogilev district of the Soviet Union and then as of September 1943, and until his death on 1 February 1944, the Police leader of the District of Warsaw in the occupied Poland.

Operation Kutschera

Kutschera was sentenced to death by the secret Military Tribunal of the Polish Secret State for the crimes against Polish nation, in particular mass murders of civilians in occupied Warsaw. The death sentence was approved by the Polish government in exile and the execution order was given by the commander of KeDyw, Gen. Emil August Fieldorf “Nil”. The assassination, code named Operation Kutschera, was carried out in front of Kutschera’s Warsaw residency and near the Warsaw SS headquarters.

[Bonobo]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Kutschera

SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of Polizei Franz Kutschera became SS and Police Leader of the Warsaw District on 25 September 1943. During his earlier posting in Mogilev District of the Soviet Union he proved himself as ruthless officer, prone to brutal and unscrupulous methods.

Immediately on his arrival in Warsaw he stepped up terror measures directed against civilian population. Number of public executions and łapanka round-ups was increased, lists of hostages to be shot in case of any attack on German soldier were published daily. These actions, based on decree by Hans Frank, were intended to crush the will of resistance among Polish citizens. Due to Kutschera's policy since Autumn 1943 any step outside home door was a venture into the unknown. Thus, the underground leadership included Kutschera in its "Operation Heads" list, describing him only as "SS and Police Leader" (Kutschera knew methods of Polish intelligence and kept his name and whereabouts confidential). His disclosure was a matter of lucky coincidence.

Chief of the Agat company's intelligence "Rayski" (Aleksander Kunicki) was working on Walter Stamm, IV Department Gestapo director in Warsaw Sicherheitsdienst and Gestapo Command Office as well as Dr Ludwig Hahn, the Office's boss himself, often visiting the police quarter of Warsaw. One day he noticed an Opel Admiral limousine entering drive of a palace at Aleje Ujazdowskie 23, seat of the Warsaw District SS and Police Leader. Out of this car an SS-man emerged and his black coat opened a little, showing general's collar insignia. From then on his arrivals were closely followed and soon his name and address were discovered.

[edit] Preparations

"Rayski"'s report reached Kedyw commander Emil August Fieldorf "Nil" and in several days a Special Courts liquidation order was sent back. "Pług" (Adam Borys), Batalion Parasol commander chose 1st Platoon for this action. Platoon commander "Lot" (Bronisław Pietraszewicz) assumed personal leading and after completing all intelligence from "Rayski" planned the assassination in close cooperation with "Pług".

First attempt was prepared for 28 January 1944. "Lot" people took their positions and waited in vain, as Kutschera did not show up. On break up, after all arms were given over, Jan Kordulski "Żbik" was heavily wounded by German patrol. That caused addition of Zbigniew Gęsicki "Juno" and Stanisław Huskowski "Ali" to the team.

Next attempt took place on 1 February 1944, 8.50 AM. The execution team finally included:

1. "Lot" (Bronisław Pietraszewicz) – commander and 1st executioner, (armament: MP 40 submachine gun, Vis gun, Filipinka hand grenade).
2. "Ali" (Stanisław Huskowski) – second-in-command and security screen, (STEN, grenades).
3. "Kruszynka" (Zdzisław Poradzki) – 2nd executioner, (STEN, grenades).
4. "Miś" (Michał Issajewicz) – Adler Trumpf-Junior car driver and 3rd executioner, (Parabellum pistol and grenades).
5. "Cichy" (Marian Senger) – cover, STEN, Parabellum, grenades.
6. "Olbrzym" (Henryk Humięcki) – cover, STEN, Parabellum, grenades.
7. "Juno" (Zbigniew Gęsicki) – cover, STEN, Vis, grenades.
8. "Bruno" (Bronisław Hellwig) – Opel Kapitän driver, 2 Parabellums, grenades.
9. "Sokół" (Kazimierz Sott) – Mercedes 170 V driver, 2 Parabellum, grenades.
10. "Kama" (Maria Stypułkowska-Chojecka) – signals.
11. "Dewajtis" (Elżbieta Dziębowska) – signals.
12. "Hanka" (Anna Szarzyńska-Rewska) – signals.

[edit] Operation

9.09 AM "Kama" signalled Kutschera leaving his house at Aleja Róż 2. Kutschera had barely 150 meters to the SS headquarters, yet was always using his car. When he was closing at the gate of SS HQ, he was blocked by a car driven by "Miś". "Lot" and "Kruszynka" run up to limousine and opened fire from close range. At the same time covering squad took their places and evacuation cars got closer. An intensive firefight ensued, as German guards from neighbouring institutions (Gestapo, Schutzpolizei, garrison club) reacted . "Miś" jumped out of his car, together with "Kruszynka" finished off wounded Kutschera and searched him for documents.

In critical moment "Ali" could not open briefcase with concealed hand grenades, and since it was his only weapon (other did not arrive in time), he could not support "Cichy", "Lot" and "Olbrzym" - all of them were soon wounded, as the open street surface was under constant fire. Due to his wound "Lot" could not shout withdrawal orders loud enough and the firefight was unnecessarily prolonged in a very dangerous center of German office quarter. Finally all managed to get into cars and drove away.

That was however just a start of troubles, as frantic search for a hospital ready to defy the Germans and operate heavily wounded "Cichy" and "Lot" began. It took several hours and quite an ordeal before they were finally admitted, so in a couple of days both died. Meanwhile, "Sokół" and "Juno" were intercepted amidst Kierbedź bridge, after a hopeless fight jumped in the Vistula river and were shot or did drown.

Watch the assassination in a Polish film made in 1960s.


A funny scene from the same film. Poles carry weapons to the site. Stopped by a German patrol, the girl sincerely answers what they carry: machine guns and hand granades. Seeing more dangerous Poles in the area, Germans prefer to ignore the incident and walk away.





Aaaaah, now I know what kind of monument I photographed while riding on a coach through the streets of Warsaw in 2007!


It is a memorial stone put in honour of brave underground soldiers who killed Kutschera.







Modern reconstruction:
www.tvnwarszawa.pl/-1,1587368,0,,kedyw_zlikwidowal_kata_warszawy,wiadomosc.html

[Bonobo]

Nazi General assassin given military send-off
13.03.2012 09:08
A Polish resistance veteran who took part in one of the most famed, yet costly, assassination actions of WW II was laid to rest in Warsaw on Monday.

photo

photo - PAP/Tomasz Gazell

Michal Issajewicz (codename Bear), who died last week aged 91, had taken part in the shooting of General Franz Kutschera, Chief of the SS and Police in Nazi-occupied Warsaw.

The operation, which took place in broad daylight on 1 February 1944, was carried out in reaction to a rash of public executions and arrests under Kutschera's authority.

The SS general was pronounced guilty by a court of Poland's underground Home Army (AK).

Michal Issajewicz drove a car directly in front of Kutchera's limousine as the general was driven to work at SS headquarters on the morning of 1 Fenruary.

Having blocked the car, Issajewicz leapt out, and along with two other colleagues, fired shots at the general, who died on the scene.

A shoot-out ensued with German guards and nearby police, and four of the nine Polish participants perished as a result of the action.

The following day, a hundred Polish civilian hostages were shot on Ujazdowski Avenue as a reprisal.

The operation marked one of the last high level assassinations before the AK launched the Warsaw Uprising, the doomed bid to take control of the entire city that began on August 1, 1944.

Issajewicz's ashes were interred at Warsaw's Military Cemetery at Powazki, in the presence of family and other resistance veterans.