Translation działania wojenne w rejonie biłgorajskim we wrześniu 39
MILITARY ACTIONS IN BIŁGORAJ PROVINCE
Military actions around Biłgoraj were part of the last phase of defensive war. Between 17.09. 1939 and 6.10.1939, only few remaining groups and members of the resistance movement still actively participated in fights.
Having crossed the San River near Jarosław on 11th September, 1939, Germans reached Lviv, occupied Tomaszów Lubelski and Zamość two days later, to finally cross the San in Rudnik, Krzeszów and Sieniawa on 14th September, 1939. On the 16th, the XIX Army Corps encircled Brest from the north while the XXII Army Corps approached the town from the south. The Red Army invaded Poland on 17th September, 1939 as indicated in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and marched west towards the San. Wehrmacht left occupied lands on 24th September, 1939 and the Red Army retreated to the territory across the Bug River, where new border diving annexed Poland between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany had been established.
Following Commander-in-Chief’s orders, Polish troops were to re-group to Eastern part of Lesser Poland close to Romanian border and continue fighting there. Armies marched from the south, west and north-west. First units reached Biłgoraj region on the 13th September, 1939. Having bought a number of battles, united armies were surrounded in Tomaszów Lubelski and unable to defended the Germans, capitulated on the 20th.
A number of Polish units fought in the region and plenty of soldiers were killed by the Red Army and Wehrmacht. Death toll among civilians was high, as were the damages caused by Luftwaffe’s bombings of Frampol and Biłgoraj.
After the Red Army’s retreat, Biłgoraj was controlled by Wehrmacht and after 25th October, 1939 it was part of the General Government.
