Battle of Bologna

Battle of Bologna
	Part of theSpring 1945 offensive in ItalyduringWorld War II
	; Map of the battle
Date	9–21 April 1945
Location	Bologna,Italy44°29′38.000″N11°20′34.001″E/ 44.49388889°N 11.34277806°E
Result	Allied victory
Belligerents
Poland; United Kingdom; United States; Italy; Brazil(aviation)	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Władysław Anders; Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko	Richard Heidrich
Units involved
II Corps; V Corps(Elements); II Corps(Elements); Brazilian Expeditionary Force	I Parachute Corps; XIV Panzer Corps(Elements)
Casualties and losses
234 dead & 1,228 wounded; 84 killed, 159 wounded, 15 missing	Unknown, but heavy
	class=notpageimage\|Location within Italy Battle of Bologna (Europe)

TheBattle of Bolognawas fought inBologna,Italyfrom 9–21 April 1945 during theSecond World War,as part of theSpring 1945 offensive in Italy.TheAlliedforces were victorious, with thePolish II Corpsand supporting Allied units capturing the city on 21 April.

Background[edit]

Allied Spring Offensive: Italy 1945, 9 April – 2 May. This map shows the advance of the Polish II Corps on Bologna

Map of US IV and II Corps breakthrough into thePo valley,April 1945 (this map shows operations in the Bologna region, 14–21 April 1945, but does not seem to show any operations of non-US troops in the region)

In March 1945 the Allies were preparing a new offensive,Operation Buckland,inNorthern Italy.^[2]The capture of Bologna, an important regional communication hub, was set as a part of that offensive. The Allied forces tasked with this were composed of theUS 5th Army(II Corps,South African 6th Armoured Division^[3]) and theBritish 8th Army(which for that part of the theatre, was composed of theV Corpsand thePolish II Corps).^[2]The German units defending the area were composed of theGerman 26th Panzer Divisionof theXIV Panzer Corps,the1st Parachute Divisionand the4th Parachute Divisionof theI Parachute Corps.^[2]German defenses in that region were part of theArmy Group C,^[4]^[5]defending thePaula Line.^[6]

The morale of the Polish forces was weakened by the outcome of theYalta Conferencewhich ended on 11 February, where the British and Americans, without consultation with the Poles, had decided to give a major part of the 1921–1939Polish territories to the Soviet Union.^[7]^[8]^[9]One of the three Polish divisions, thePolish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division,was named after theKresyregion, which was now given to the Soviets in its entirety.^[7]When the Polish commander of II Corps, GeneralWładysław Anders,asked for his unit to be withdrawn from the front line,Winston Churchilltold him "you [the Poles] are no longer needed" but the American and British front line commanders—GeneralsRichard McCreery,Mark Wayne Clarkand Field MarshalHarold Alexander—requested Anders that the Polish units remain in their positions, as they had no troops to replace them. Anders eventually decided to keep the Polish units engaged.^[7]^[9]

Order of battle[edit]

Allies[edit]

US 5th Army

II Corps

South African 6th Armoured Division

United States Army Air Forces

62d Fighter Wing

Brazilian 1st Fighter Squadron

British 8th Army

V Corps

Polish II Corps

Major-GeneralZygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko(acting commander)

Corps Troops
- Army Group Polish Artillery
- 54th Super Heavy RegimentRoyal Artillery(one battery)
- British7th Armoured Brigade(under command)
- 43rd Gurkha Lorried Infantry Brigade(under command)
- 14th/20th Hussars(Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers) (under command)
Polish 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division(Major-GeneralBolesław Bronisław Duch)
- 1st Carpathian Rifle Brigade
- 2nd Carpathian Rifle Brigade
- 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade
Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Major-GeneralNikodem Sulik)
- 5th Wilenska Infantry Brigade
- 6th Lwowska Infantry Brigade
- 4th Wolwyn Infantry Brigade
Polish 2nd Armoured Brigade(Brigadier-GeneralBronislaw Rakowski)

Germans[edit]

XIV Panzer Corps

German 26th Panzer Division

German 65th Infantry Division

I Parachute Corps(Richard Heidrichcommanding^[10])

1st Parachute Division

4th Parachute Division

Battle[edit]

The offensive on Bologna started on 9 April at 4:00 am local time, with a major air and artillery bombardment of 400 guns firing on German positions, followed by an advance of ground forces the same evening.^[2]^[11]Friendly fire caused casualties as American bombers killed 38 advancing Polish troops on that day.^[12]^[13]The American and British units engaged the German flanks, while the Polish units broke through to the city.^[2]On 10 April, Polish forces pushed the Germans away from theSenio River.^[2]From 12 to 14 April Polish forces fought the Germans at theSanterno Riverand capturedImola.^[2]From 15 to 16 April, the Poles fought at theSillaro Riverand theMedicinaCanal.^[2]On 17 April, the commander of the Eighth Army ordered the Polish forces to continue their push towards Bologna from the east. The city was to be taken initially by the American troops of the Fifth Army advancing from the south.^[2]^[14]

On 21 April the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade of thePolish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Divisionentered the city, where only isolated German units were still fighting.^[2](Another source attributes the entrance to the Polish 5th Kresowa Division).^[12]By 6:15 am the Poles had secured the city, displaying Polish flags from the city hall and theTorre Asinellitower, the highest tower in the city.^[14]The local Italian population welcomed the Poles as their liberators.^[2]^[14]At 8:00 am, American (South African^[15]) tanks arrived in the city, followed byItalian partisansand the "Friuli" division of theItalian Co-belligerent Army.^[14]

Aftermath[edit]

The Battle of Bologna was the last battle of the Polish II Corps, which was taken out of the front line on 22 April.^[2]^[14]American and British troops completed their encirclement of the Germans forces north of theReno River,the8th Indian Divisioncrossed thePo Riverand the German forces in Italy capitulated on 29 April.^[2]^[14]The Polish II Corps, commanded by General Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko, suffered 234 dead and 1,228 wounded out of 55,780 front line personnel.^[7]^[14]

German divisions were left in disarray, and as the end of the war neared, many splintered into small groups in order to retreat across the Po and try to reach the passes into Germany. The 65th Infantry Division lost its commander, GeneralmajorHellmuth Pfeiferin the last days of the war as he tried to make his way north with the remnants of divisional headquarters.^[16]

Notes[edit]

^"Friuli"
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^mZbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii,p.9
^Compiled from official records; Terry Cave (29 March 2012).The Battle Honours of the Second World War 1939-1945 and Korea 1950-1953: British and Colonial Regiments.Andrews UK Limited. p. 135.ISBN 978-1-78151-379-8.
^John Gooch (12 November 2012).Decisive Campaigns of the Second World War.Routledge. p. 157.ISBN 978-1-136-28881-4.
^Francis Harry Hinsley; Edward Eastaway Thomas (1988).British Intelligence in the Second World War.Cambridge University Press. p. 705.ISBN 978-0-521-35196-6.
^Christopher Chant (18 October 2013).The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II (Routledge Revivals).Routledge. p. 180.ISBN 978-1-134-64787-3.
^^a ^b ^c ^dZbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii,p.8
^Steven J. Zaloga, Richard Hook,The Polish army 1939–45,Osprey Publishing, 1982,ISBN 0-85045-417-4,Google Print, p.20
^^a ^bAnthony James Joes,Urban guerrilla warfare,University Press of Kentucky, 2007,ISBN 9780813124377,Google Print, p.37
^Ivor Matanle (1994).History of World War II, 1939-1945.Tiger Books International.ISBN 978-1-85501-603-3.
^Eyewitness account, G.Z. Tabona, Royal Malta Artillery, 1999
^^a ^bKenneth K. Koskodan (2009).No Greater Ally: The Untold Story of Poland's Forces in World War II.Osprey Publishing. p. 135.ISBN 978-1-84603-365-0.^{[permanent dead link]}
^Halik Kochanski (13 November 2012).The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War.Harvard University Press. p. 479.ISBN 978-0-674-06816-2.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^gZbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii,p.13
^R Spencer Kidd (1 October 2013).MILITARY UNIFORMS IN EUROPE 1900–2000 Volume Two.Lulu.com. p. 7.ISBN 978-1-291-18746-5.
^Velten, WilhelmVom Kugelbaum zur Hangranate: Die Gesichte der 65. Infanterie Division

References[edit]

(in Polish)Zbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii[Capture of Bologna], Chwała Oręża Polskiego 32 (53), Rzeczpospolita, 3 March 2007 (publication contains a map of the battle).

[1] "Friuli"

[Wawer9-2] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^mZbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii,p.9

[recordsCave2012-3] Compiled from official records; Terry Cave (29 March 2012).The Battle Honours of the Second World War 1939-1945 and Korea 1950-1953: British and Colonial Regiments.Andrews UK Limited. p. 135.ISBN 978-1-78151-379-8.

[Gooch2012-4] John Gooch (12 November 2012).Decisive Campaigns of the Second World War.Routledge. p. 157.ISBN 978-1-136-28881-4.

[HinsleyThomas1988-5] Francis Harry Hinsley; Edward Eastaway Thomas (1988).British Intelligence in the Second World War.Cambridge University Press. p. 705.ISBN 978-0-521-35196-6.

[Chant2013-6] Christopher Chant (18 October 2013).The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II (Routledge Revivals).Routledge. p. 180.ISBN 978-1-134-64787-3.

[Wawer8-7] Zbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii,p.8

[8] Steven J. Zaloga, Richard Hook,The Polish army 1939–45,Osprey Publishing, 1982,ISBN 0-85045-417-4,Google Print, p.20

[ajj-9] Anthony James Joes,Urban guerrilla warfare,University Press of Kentucky, 2007,ISBN 9780813124377,Google Print, p.37

[Matanle1994-10] Ivor Matanle (1994).History of World War II, 1939-1945.Tiger Books International.ISBN 978-1-85501-603-3.

[11] Eyewitness account, G.Z. Tabona, Royal Malta Artillery, 1999

[Koskodan2009-12] Kenneth K. Koskodan (2009).No Greater Ally: The Untold Story of Poland's Forces in World War II.Osprey Publishing. p. 135.ISBN 978-1-84603-365-0.^{[permanent dead link]}

[Kochanski2012-13] Halik Kochanski (13 November 2012).The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War.Harvard University Press. p. 479.ISBN 978-0-674-06816-2.

[Wawer13-14] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^gZbigniew Wawer,Zdobycie Bolonii,p.13

[Kidd2013-15] R Spencer Kidd (1 October 2013).MILITARY UNIFORMS IN EUROPE 1900–2000 Volume Two.Lulu.com. p. 7.ISBN 978-1-291-18746-5.

[16] Velten, WilhelmVom Kugelbaum zur Hangranate: Die Gesichte der 65. Infanterie Division

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