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1st Polish Artillery Observer Regiment
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1.Establishment of the Regiment.
The Artillery Measurement Regiment was established in 1943 in Iraq from:
The Section of the Topographic group were created in the USSR (Russia)
Parts of soldiers of the 8th P.A.L. and 7th Division of the Polish Army in the east.
Some of the regimental soldiers escaped Poland in 1939 via the then, boarder with Romania, traveling via ship which docked in Italy. Then forced to dock in Malta by the Royal navy where men in plain clothes they were allowed to disembark. Then on wards to Scotland[1].[2]
The staff from Great Britain included 10 officers and 24 cadets who had completed a measurement course at the English Measurement School in Larkhill Wiltshire. From 22.10.1941 to 20.11.41 returning to Perth Scotland by 21.11.1941(2) Return training 14.1.1942.[1]
Together with the measurement staff, the British Meteorological Section arrived, consisting of 2 officers and 9 privates.
The regiment became an economically independent unit on April 1, 1943. /Ch. Boss. Int D-wa A.P. in the east L. dz.451/43/L/org./ 506/ Int.tj. of 28/11/43/
2. Organization of the Regiment
Regimental Headquarters –
The Regiment's economic command of the battery covered.
Command roll, Support roll, Repair & Maintenance.
Topographic and fire platoon, later transformed into a topographic and fire battery.
Two divisions, each with a command battery and 3 topographic sections, making up of a visual and sound battery, each with 2 platoons.
The regiment's strength: 34 officers and 558 privates.
After the arrival of surveying officers from German captivity and the promotion of cadets to second lieutenants, the Regiment consisted of 54 officers.
3. Equipment.
[edit]Equipment for topographic measurements: theodolites, arithmometers, drawing instruments.
Equipment for visual measurements: optical - observation devices, drawing instruments, counting devices.
Equipment for sound measurements: microphones, sound receivers, drawing instruments, switches. Means of communication.
Means of transport: 36 motorcycles, 28 Willys Jeeps, 13 armoured vehicles. Mixture of 103 car of different types and 23 car trailers units.
4. Training
The regiment conducted training in subsequent staging areas.
Iraq / Kirkuk / in the period April - September 1943.
Palestine / Isdud / in October - December 1943.
Egypt / Heliopolis / in January - February 1944.
Some difficulties in the training were due to climatic conditions, limited instructor forces, incomplete equipment.
In November 1943, 2 batteries took part in the divisional operation in Palestine in the Beersheba-Hebron area.
The state of combat readiness would hopefully be achieved by February 1944, but additional training would be required, some units gained experience during combat operations.
5. Arrival in Italy.
The regiment embarked on February 12, 1944. in Alexandria and landed on February 14, 1944 In Italy.
The Regiment then stayed in Taranto close to the landing point from February 14, 1944 to March 2, 1944.
6. The Regiments staffing structure.
Regimental commander - Colonel. Marchand Adrian.
Deputy Regimental commander -Lieutenant Colonel . Zawadzki Antoni.
Commander of the regiment's command battery. Captain. Kaliszewicz Igor
Commander of the topographic and fire battery. Second Lieutenant. Wigura Edward.
Second Lieutenant. Czosnowicz Roman.
1st Squadron
Commander of the 1st Squadron Major. Sielicki Wacław.[3]
Commander of the command battery of the 1st division - 2nd Lt. Rogowski Tadeusz
Commander of the topographic battery. Lieutenant Walkow Oktawian
Visual battery commander Captain. Korolkiewcz Jan
Captain Marek Franciszek
Second Lieutenant. Tarwinski. Marian
Commander of the 1st sound command battery. Captain. Bejnar Tadeusz
2nd Squadron
Commander of the 2nd Squadron. Major Michalski Zenon
Acting Captain Korolkiewicz Jan
Commander of the command battery of the 2nd Division. Lieutenant Zacharo Stanisław.
Commander of the 2nd topographic battery. 2nd Lieutenant. Gałczyński Zdzisław.
Commander of the 2nd visual battery. Captain Zbrozek Tadeusz
Commander of the 2nd Sound Battery Captain. Szpiganonwicz Tadeusz.
7. Tasks of the Regiment.
Topographic batteries were intended to provide troops with basic artillery topographic data, enabling them to quickly determine the direction of the battery firing positions and directions of the guns.
They performed this task by defining and establishing non-reaching positions and establishing directions near the fire positions.
Topographic batteries also cooperated with visual and sound batteries in determining the topographic location of their observation and microphone outposts.
The visual and sound batteries were intended to detect sightings between enemy artillery positions and - less often - to observe firing artillery.
Visual batteries observed the flashes and smoke of gun shots from a number of outposts appropriately located in the field (visual system).
The sound batteries performed their task by receiving sound waves propagating from enemy cannon fire. Detection was done from a number of microphone stations. Appropriately placed in the field. Determining the location of the sound source was done by recording the waves by the receiver and relaying them to the headquarters for analysis.
The topographic-fire battery had the same task as the topographic battery, as well as the task of firing using the high-spray method.
Such shooting had very little use in the Italian campaign.
8. Participation of the Regiment in combat operations. Battle of Monte Cassino
The regiment took part in all combat operations of the 2nd Corps in the Italian campaign:
Monte Cassino, Adriatic, Ancona, Apennines and Bologna.
The regiment was subordinate to the Commander of the Artillery Group of the 2nd Corps.
It served all artillery units of the Corps.
Cooperation with these branches was effective and produced positive results.
Artillery unit commanders expressed their appreciation for the work of the surveyors.
One of the factors for the efficient operation of topographic batteries was their equipment with light vehicles / rovers /. Allowing quick movement of small topographic units.
During the Italian campaign, topographic batteries established 822 ground positions in all.
The visual and auditory batteries were established in 25 visual and 26 sound systems.
In all the regiments detected 2,461 enemy fire positions comprising of Gun batteries, Mortars positions, Nebelwelfers rocket positions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_cm_Nebelwerfer_41
The information obtained about the location of the German artillery was passed on to the
Anti-artillery staff.
9.Losses.
Killed: 1 officer and 5 privates
Dead: 14 privates
Wounded: From fire, e.g. 1 officer, 26 privates.
Injured in car accidents: 1 officer, 43 privates.
Injured from various accidents: 15 privates
10. Decorations.
Virtuti Militari Cross, 5th class: 4
Cross of Valor: 131
Cross of Merit with swords: 4 gold, 23 silver, 165 bronze.
Commemorative Cross: 561
Army Medal: 510
Italy Star: 608
American: Legion of Merit – officer 1
Croce al merito di Guerra: 5
Ordine Della Corona d'Itailia Commenda 1
11. Regimental badge.
Approved by personal order No. 14th Personnel Unit, 2nd Corps of January 17, 1948.
12. Regimental holiday
May 12.
13. Dissolution of the Regiment.
The regiment was transferred from Italy to England in August 1946 and was at Ty-Croes Camp in Wales from 28 July 1946 to 17 January 1947 and at Adderley Camp[4] in England from 17 January 1947 to 10 March 1947 on which date was Dissolved and ceased to exist. Its subunits became part of the units of the Polish Training and Deployment Corps /P.K.P.R/
- ^ a b c Source Major W. Sielicki Personal letters Last paragraph
- ^ My conversations on the subject with Major Wacław Sielicki
- ^ The whole documentation other than cited belonged to Major W. Sielicki
- ^ Dates taken from personal letters Major W.Sielicki , places taken from orginal document of Major W.Sielicki.