Operation BARRIER (Bariera)

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The AK had a number of diversionary operations against the Germans throughout the war. These were:

Wachlarz (See https://polandinexile.com/article/operation-wachlarz-fan/

Wieniec (See https://polandinexile.com/article/operation-wieniec-garland/)

Jula and Ewa (See https://polandinexile.com/article/operation-jula-and-ewa-april-1944/)

Burza (See https://polandinexile.com/article/the-warsaw-rising/)

There was a constant campaign from 1941 until 1945 to disrupt rail communications which resulted in 1,175 operations which destroyed and derailed 19,058 rail cars, 1,165 fuel tank cars, 38 bridges and 4,326 military vehicles. Prisons were attacked are inmates freed and over 2,000 Gestapo informers assassinated (Bałuk, 1995). The Cichociemni were dropped into Poland to support these operations and the Kedyw (Directorate of Sabotage).

The map below shows the location of the operations.

Operation BARRIER

A map of Poland showing major cities, railways, and six colour-coded military strike directions with corresponding legends at the bottom left.

Source: Bałuk (1995)

Organisation and Employment:

Typically a partisan unit had a Battle Unit consisting of 75-100 men in 2-3 Companies. Diversion Sections Sections who were tasked with sabotage of rail, road and telecommunications consisted of 3-10 men and led by a unit commander who issued the orders (TNA/ HS4-143). The AK operated on similar lines.

A weathered, cracked memorial plaque with faded Spanish text, a bird silhouette, and an anarchy symbol painted on the lower left-hand side.

Campo de Concentration de Miranda de Ebro

In 1941, Polish escapees were captured crossing into Spain and sent to Miranda de Ebro, Franco’s harsh concentration camp, before release in 1943.

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Military map showing troop positions, movements, and river crossings near Wesel, Germany during Operation Varsity & Plunder on 24 March 1945.

At War’s End

Introduction The final days were a mixture of jubilation, exhaustion and terror of what was to come in most parts of Europe, the Balkans and Middle East.  Reynolds (2006) suggested that the ‘Big Three’ (Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States) wanted to maintain their wartime alliance on the basis for post-war international cooperation, even…

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Operation JULA and EWA April 1944

Operations JULA and EWA in 1944 showcased the Polish Home Army’s sabotage against German rail lines while resisting Soviet interference and political betrayal.

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