[23][24] Outside the town the German advance stalled, as their troops were running low on fuel supplies. Czesław Grzelak; Henryk Stańczyk; Stefan Zwoliński (1993) (in Polish). … [1][28] They managed, however, to inflict very serious casualties on the local Polish and Soviet units and stopped the Polish drive on Dresden (it was still in German hands at the time of the German capitulation on May 9). [2][12] Many of them were new recruits inexperienced in combat, incorporated from the recently retaken Polish territories. [2] Meanwhile Schörner was concentrating his units (the "Görlitz Group") in the Görlitz (Zgorzelec) and Reichenbach region, and planned to launch a counteroffensive at the southern flank of the Polish Army. [18] Konev also sent his chief of staff, General Ivan Yefimovich Petrov, and his chief of operations, General Vladimir Ivanovich Kostylev, to look at the situation. Gordon Williamson; Stephen Andrew (19 February 2003). [9] The Polish units were stretched over a line of 50 kilometers (31 mi). FRENCH FORCES: ARMY COMMANDER = NAPOLEON 3 x ADCs (Strategist) IMPERIAL GUARD 5 x ADCs The Prusso-Russians fell back in good order. Battle of Bautzen. Following Napoleon’s victory at Lützen on 2 May 1813 Prince Ludwig Pyotr Wittgenstein’s Russo-Prussian army retreated to Bautzen, where it was reinforced by 13,000 Russians commanded by Prince Mikhail Barclay de Tolly. [2] In a relatively short time the Polish Second Army lost more than 22 percent of its personnel and 57 percent of its tanks and armored vehicles (about 200 total). [16] The command group managed to break through to the 16th Tank Brigade, but that unit itself was almost annihilated at Förstgen (Forsiegen), losing over 90 percent of its personnel; out of 1,300 soldiers, only about 100 survived. [3], By 25 April Polish units were able to stabilize a defense on the line Kamenz–Kuckau–north Bautzen–Spree–Spreewiese–Heideanger. Additionally, Marshal Ney had 85,000 more men within easy marching distance. The battle of Lutzen will rank higher than the battles of Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland and the Moskowa”. [2] Some other estimates give the Polish casualties as up to 25,000. For the battle, the Germans had two armored divisions (the 20th and Hermann Göring Divisions), two mechanized divisions (the Brandenburg and Hermann Göring 2 Divisions), an infantry division (the 17th) as well as an infantry division battle group (the remnants of the 545th Volksgrenadier Division). Bautzen definition, a city in E Germany, on the Spree River: scene of defeat of Prussian and Russian armies by Napoleon I, 1813. It was fought on the extreme southern flank of the Spremberg-Torgau Offensive, seeing days of pitched street fighting between forces of the Polish Second Army and elements of the Soviet's 52nd Army and 5th Guards Army[a] on one side and elements of German Army Group Center in the form of the remnants of the 4th Panzer and 17th Armies on the other. 2. But Marshal Ney became confused, and his faulty positioning left the door open for the Allies to escape. [15] Many of the officers in the Polish Army were Soviet officers of Polish descent. After the battle both sides claimed victory and modern views as to who won the battle remain contradictory. The fierce tank battle which took place in early March 1945 near the Silesian town of Lauban („Luban” in Polish) was a rather interesting episode of WW2 for two reasons: 1. April 1945". BAUTZEN 1813 (WHC 2017). "Die Kämpfe um Bautzen 18. bis 27. English: In the Battle of Bautzen (20–21 May 1813) a combined Russian / Prussian army was pushed back by French forces under Napoleon I, but escaped destruction. Coordinating with the trapped troops, he was able to break into the town. [12] The Germans continued their push toward Königswartha and Hoyerswerda. The Battle of Bautzen 20-21 May 1813. [2][30] He was briefly relieved of command by Marshal Konev,[2] but due to the backing of the Soviet high command (most likely the NKVD) he not only retained his position but all controversies were hushed up, and after the war was hailed as a hero. [2] The commanding general of the Polish 5th Infantry Division, Aleksander Waszkiewicz, was killed. [12], According to some sources, 26 April marks the end of this battle, although less severe and isolated clashes in that region continued until 30 April. Major combat began on 21 April 1945 and continued until 26 April although isolated engagements continued to take place until 30 April. Opposing these forces was the 4th Panzer Army under General Fritz-Hubert Gräser, of Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner's Army Group Center. The 21st of May, The Emperor Napoleon assaulted the fortified positions of the Russo-Prussian army of Wittgenstein and Blücher. The Armistice of Pleischwitz was signed on the 4 June, and lasted until the 20 July, but was later extended to the 10 August. The battle was one of … The Battle of Bautzen (or Battle of Budziszyn, April 1945) was one of the last battles of the Eastern Front during World War II. Polish sources describe the Germans as more experienced, however the German sources accentuate their mixed structure of experienced soldiers and inexperienced recruits of Hitlerjugend and Volkssturm units. Eberhard Berndt (1995). Bronikowski then lost no time and immediately ordered an attack into Bautzen. [14][b], The Polish Second Army consisted of five infantry divisions: (5th Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Division, 9th Infantry Division and 10th Infantry Division, the 1st Armored Corps, and smaller units), about 84,000–90,000 men, and 500 tanks. [2] In the west 20th Panzer Division commenced its drive on Bautzen, while in the east 17th Infantry Division advanced on Niesky and Weißenberg, freeing a number of trapped German troops on its way. [1], The 9th Division found itself alone at the spearhead of the abandoned Polish push towards Dresden. In the last months of World War II the Polish Second Army, under General Karol Świerczewski, took part in the Soviet drive on Berlin. [2][9] The headquarters of the 5th Division, defended only by sapper and training battalions, came under attack. Napoleon was trying re-establish his ascendancy in Germany after his disastrous 1812 Russian campaign; and the Coalition needed to … The battle of Bautzen (20-21 May 1813) was the second major battle of the Spring Campaign of 1813, and saw Napoleon come close to winning the decisive victory he needed to knock at least one of his opponents out of the war (War of Liberation). The Prusso-Russian army was in a full retreat following their defeat at the Battle of Lützen.Finally, generals Wittgenstein and Blücher were ordered to stop at Bautzen by Tsar Alexander I and König Frederick William III.The Prusso-Russian army was nearly 100,000 men strong, but Napoleon had 115,000 troops. Once again, Marshal Ney became distracted and decided to seize the village of Preititz [de], and thus lost sight of the strategic importance of cutting off the allies. [12] 2nd Air Army was also assigned to this theater. By nightfall, the French were positioning to cut the allies off from their line of retreat but the Coalition was aware of Ney's approach to their right flank. On 17 April, the Polish Second Army breached Germa… It is reported that Napoleon later (on Saint Helena) said that his agreement to this truce was a bad mistake, because the break was of much more use to the allies than to him. Although a success for the French, Bautzen was not the decisive, strategic result Napoleon was looking for. But these assaults were only intended to fix the allies in place so they could be cut off and enveloped. [5] Part of Marshal Ivan Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front, the Poles operated in the centre of the front, flanked on the right by the 5th Guards Army and on the left by the 7th Mechanized Corps. [2] A Polish military hospital convoy from the same division was ambushed near Horka, with most of its personnel and wounded executed (about 300 casualties). Although the battle had no strategic impact on the battle raging in Berlin, it allowed most of the participating German units as well as numerous refugees from the east to escape to the west, surrendering to the Western Allies. [1][22] On 22 April he ordered the 1st Armored Corps to change direction, retreat from Dresden and support the centre. [1][12] With the Soviet units on their right flank they also secured a road to Königswartha. Without Ney's forces to seal them in; however, they again escaped the crushing defeat Napoleon had hoped for. [12] By the end of the month, the Polish Second Army and the Soviet forces had repelled the German attack, forming a line toward Kamenz–Doberschütz–Dauban, and was preparing to launch an offensive toward Prague. The Russo-Prussian army was being pushed back and at 4:00pm, the Tsar realized the threat that Ney posed on his right and that the battle was lost and issued orders for a general retreat. [18], Meanwhile the German advance to the southeast of Bautzen was successful. The Allied retreat was mainly through Gorlitz on the Neisse. [5], On 17 April, the Polish Second Army breached German defenses on the rivers Weisser Schöps[6] and Neisse. [19] At first, Polish general Świerczewski continued with his attempt to take Dresden, which contributed to the growing chaos in the Polish forces, as many communication lines were cut. Aleksander A. Maslov; David M. Glantz (30 September 1998). [12], Eventually, Świerczewski halted his force's advance on Dresden, and ordered it to pull back and secure the breach. [2] Other sources note that heavy fighting still took place on 27 April, and that the German advance was only completely halted by 28 April. Major combat began on 21 April 1945 and continued until 26 April although isolated engagements continued to take place until 30 April. 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