Chapter 199 Volume 6, Chapter 9, The Martyrdom of Warsaw

The Russians cross the Vistula River Germany's collapse on the Eastern Front July 29th Moscow broadcast calls for Warsaw general uprising August 1st uprising begins August 4th I send a telegram to Stalin Cold reply German counteroffensive Orders from Warsaw Sad news August 14 My telegram to Eden Vyshinsky's astonishing statement and Stalin's telegram August 16 August 20 joint appeal by the President of the United States and me Telegram Stalin's answer to the sufferings of Warsaw Climax August 24th Mr. Roosevelt's call to me We need Soviet airports President's opposition to British War Cabinet Anger September 4th Cabinet telegram to Moscow September 5th Mr. Roosevelt telegram Soviet tactics markedly changed September On the 18th, the tragic end of our heavy bomber airdrop in Warsaw.

The Russian summer offensive in late July pushed their troops to the Vistula River.Reports from all sides point to the impending fall of Poland to the Russians in the very near future.Leaders of the Polish underground army loyal to the London government must now decide when to stage a general insurrection against the Germans in order to hasten the liberation of their homeland and prevent a series of German defenses in Poland, especially in Warsaw itself. The Polish government in exile in London authorized the commander of the Polish army, General Bor Komarowski, and his civilian advisers to declare a general insurrection as they saw fit.This time seems to be the right time.On July 20 came news of the assassination of Hitler, followed by news of Allied forces storming the beaches of Normandy.Around July 22, the Poles intercepted the wireless telegram of the German Fourth Panzer Army and ordered the entire line to retreat to the west bank of the Vistula River.On the same day, Russian troops crossed the river and their outposts advanced in the direction of Warsaw.There is no doubt that a total collapse looks imminent.General Guderian described the situation in these words during his trial at the Nuremberg Tribunal:

On July 21, 1944, I was newly appointed Chief of the General Staff of the German Army on the Eastern Front.After my inauguration, the entire front, if it could be called an operational line, was almost nothing but the disorganized remnants of our army trying to withdraw to the Vistula line; all twenty-five divisions were wiped out. General Bor therefore decided to launch a major uprising to liberate the city.He has about 40,000 horses under his command, and has stored enough food and ammunition to fight for seven to ten days.The artillery fire of the Russian troops across the Vistula was now audible.The Soviet air force bombed the German forces in Warsaw from the newly occupied airfields near the capital, the nearest airfield being only twenty minutes away.Meanwhile in eastern Poland, a Communist National Liberation Committee had been formed, and the liberated lands, which the Russians claimed, must be brought under their control.Soviet radio stations had been urging the Poles for quite some time to be less cautious and start a general uprising against the Germans.On July 29, three days before the uprising began, Radio Moscow broadcast an appeal from the Polish Communists to the people of Warsaw, saying that the cannons of liberation were ringing in their ears, calling them to do as they did in 1939. Take part in the battle against Germany, now is the time for the decisive battle.For Warsaw, a city that never surrendered and fought to the end, the time for action has come.The broadcast pointed out that the German plan to set up defensive positions to resist would gradually destroy the city.At the end of the broadcast, the residents were reminded that if they don't take the initiative to save themselves, everything will come to naught.By directly and actively participating in the street-by-lane and house-to-house fighting in Warsaw, etc., the time of final liberation will be hastened and the lives of fellow citizens will be saved.

On the evening of July 31, the headquarters of the Warsaw Underground Army learned that Soviet tanks had penetrated the German defense lines east of Warsaw.The German military radio announced: Today the Russian troops launched a general attack on Warsaw from the southeast.Russian troops are now less than ten miles away.The headquarters of the Polish Underground Army in the capital ordered a general uprising at 5:00 p.m. the next day.General Bor described what happened this way: When the clock struck five, tens of thousands of windows flew open, and a rain of bullets fell from all directions on the heads of the passing German troops, shooting at their buildings and marching queues.

In the blink of an eye, the ordinary people who stayed in the streets and alleys disappeared.From the doors of the houses our brethren poured out into battle.Within fifteen minutes, millions of residents of the city were involved in the fighting, and all kinds of traffic were stopped.Just behind the German front lines, Warsaw no longer existed as a huge traffic center where wheels spoke in all directions.The battle to liberate the city is on. Word reached London the next day, and we eagerly awaited more news.Soviet radio remained silent, and Russian Air Force activities ceased.On August 4, the German army launched an offensive from various strongholds that were still in their hands throughout the urban and suburban areas.The Polish government-in-exile in London informed us that airlift supplies were urgently needed.The insurgents faced a hastily put together counterattack by five German divisions.Hermann Göring's division had arrived from Italy, and two more SS divisions were soon to follow.

I therefore called Stalin: Prime Minister to Marshal Stalin August 4, 1944 In response to the urgent request of the Polish underground army, if the weather permits, we will immediately drop about 60 tons of equipment and munitions to the southwest of Warsaw.The Polish uprising against the Germans was reported to be in the midst of fierce fighting in this region.They also said they had appealed to Russia for support, as it seemed close at hand.The Poles were under attack by a division and a half of the Germans.Notifying this situation may help you take action. The fallback was swift and relentless.

Marshal Stalin to Prime Minister August 5, 1944 I have received your call regarding the situation in Warsaw. I find the information given to you by the Poles to be too exaggerated to be believed.One can even draw this conclusion from the fact that the Polish immigrants have claimed that they have almost captured Vilna with the strength of some scattered units of the Home Army, and they have even announced it on the radio.This, of course, is far from the truth.The Polish National Army consisted of only a few subdivisions, which they inaccurately called divisions.They have neither artillery nor aircraft and tanks.But the Germans were equipped with four tank divisions, including Hermann Göring's division to guard Warsaw. I can't imagine how such a small unit could capture Warsaw.

At the same time, fierce battles with German Tiger tanks were going on street by street. By August 9, the Germans had carved a wedge-shaped passage through the city to the Vistula River, driving the Polish-occupied area to the Vistula River. The region is divided into a number of isolated small pieces.RAF planes flown by Polish, British and Dominion personnel took off from Italian bases to rescue Warsaw, but their valiant attempts were both hopeless and weak.On the night of August 4th, only two planes were seen over Warsaw, and four nights later, three more planes were seen. The Polish Prime Minister Mikoleček had been in Moscow since July 30, trying to reach some kind of agreement with the Soviet government, which had recognized the KNL as the future ruler of the country.These negotiations continued throughout the first days of the Warsaw Uprising.Mikolecik received daily telegrams from General Bor asking for munitions, anti-tank weapons, and support from the Red Army.At this time the Russians insisted that the Poles agreed on the borders of post-war Poland and formed a coalition government.The last fruitless talks with Stalin took place on August 9.

On August 12th I called Stalin: Prime Minister to Marshal Stalin August 12, 1944 I have received the following sad telegram from a Pole in Warsaw.Ten days later, they are still fighting a sizable German army, which has divided the city into three parts: (Beginning with telegraph) Deputy Prime Minister to the President of the Republic, the Government and the Commander-in-Chief: On the tenth day, we are engaged in a bloody battle.The city is divided by three roads All these routes were defended by German tanks and traversed with extreme difficulty (surrounding buildings burned to the ground).The two armored trains on the railway line between Gdansk Station and West Station and the artillery stationed in Praga continued to fire on the city, supported by the air force.

In this case the battle continues.We only received one small airdrop from you guys.From the third day, the German-Russian front fell silent.Therefore, apart from a brief speech by the (Polish) Deputy Prime Minister (in London) on the eighth day, we have received no material or moral support, and our actions have not even received your acknowledgment.The soldiers and residents of the capital looked desperately at the sky, hoping for the support of the Allies.In the smoky sky, they saw only German planes.They were surprised, deeply depressed, and began to curse. We have received very little information from you, no information about the political situation, no instructions or instructions.Are you discussing support for Warsaw in Moscow?I stress again: Without immediate and direct support, including airdrops of arms and ammunition, bombing of enemy positions, and airborne landings, our battle would collapse in a matter of days.

With the aforementioned support, the fight will continue. In this regard, I expect your best efforts. (Electrical end) They demand machine guns and ammunition.Given that Italy is so far away, can you give them further assistance? On the 14th I called Eden from Italy, where I had visited General Alexander's troops: If hints of abandonment circulated by the Polish patriots in Warsaw, it would irritate the Russians, but they could easily have done what they could to avoid trouble.It is really inexplicable that when the underground army revolted, the Russian army broke off the attack on Warsaw and retreated some distance.To them it involved no more than a hundred-mile flight to feed the Poles with the machine guns and ammunition they needed to fight valiantly.I've talked to (Vice General) Slesser, trying to get all possible support from here.But what exactly did the Russians do?I think it would be best for your Excellency to send a letter to Stalin through Molotov, referring to the current hints from various sources, asking the Russians to provide all possible assistance.This approach will be more objective than my direct call to Stalin.Twenty-eight planes made the 700-mile flight from Italy last night, and three were lost.This is the fourth flight from here under very special conditions. On the evening of August 16, Vyshinsky summoned the American ambassador to the Soviet Union, explaining that he wished to avoid possible misunderstandings, and read the following startling statement: Of course, the Soviet government had no objection to British or American aircraft dropping arms in the Warsaw area, because this was a matter for Britain and the United States.However, the Soviet government categorically refused to allow American or British aircraft to land on Soviet territory after dropping arms in the Warsaw area, because the Soviet government did not want to be directly or indirectly involved in the Warsaw adventure. On the same day, I received a more tactful telegram from Stalin: Marshal Stalin to Prime Minister August 16, 1944 After my meeting with Mr. Mikoleček, I ordered the Red Army Command to airdrop arms intensively in the Warsaw area.An Airborne Liaison Officer was also airdropped.According to the headquarters report, the liaison officer was killed by the Germans before reaching his destination. Furthermore, having learned more about the situation in Warsaw, I am convinced that the actions in Warsaw were a reckless and terrible adventure, which took great sacrifices on the local population.Had the Soviet command been informed of this or the Poles had kept in touch with the Soviet command before the Warsaw operation began, such a thing should not have happened. Now that the situation had occurred, the Soviet Army Command concluded that the Soviet Army must have nothing to do with Warsaw's adventures, because it cannot bear any direct or indirect responsibility for Warsaw's actions. According to Mikoleček's report, the first paragraph of the telegram is completely untrue.The two officers arrived safely in Warsaw and were received by Polish Army Command.A Soviet colonel stayed there for several days and sent several telegrams to Moscow via London, urging reinforcements for the insurgents. On the 18th I called Mr. Eden again. Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary August 18, 1944 I have read the extremely indifferent cable of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff to General Eisenhower dated August 15, which was received after my last call to you. The Air Force authorities here assured me that the American troops wanted to send support to Warsaw from Great Britain, and that this was entirely feasible, subject, of course, to the permission of the Russians.It is beyond my belief that the Russians should be asked to facilitate a landing unless General Doolittle has reviewed the operation as practicable.You have to find out whether this is actually feasible, which is the most important thing. The military difficulties must of course be resolved before the President or myself or both could make any individual or joint appeal to Stalin. At the same time I make a request to the President: Prime Minister (from Italy) to President Roosevelt August 18, 1944 Serious events with far-reaching consequences arose when the Russians refused to allow U.S. aircraft to airlift much-needed relief to the heroic insurgents in Warsaw.The Russians were only a few dozen miles away from Warsaw, and the situation was aggravated by their own complete disregard for the airdrops.It was almost certain that once the Germans took hold of the capital, a massacre would ensue, and nothing could be done to prevent the ensuing consequences. 2. I intend to write a personal letter to Stalin, or a similar letter yourself, if you think it wise.Perhaps it would be better if two of us signed jointly than two separate letters. 3. The great victory in France by American and British forces is changing the situation in Europe.It seems likely that our victory at Normandy would eclipse whatever the Russians had achieved in individual cases.Therefore, I feel that they will have some respect for what we say, as long as we say it clearly and simply.We are a nation serving a noble cause, and we must advise the cause of world peace, even at the risk of Stalin's irritation.He probably won't. Two days later, we issued the following joint appeal drafted by the President: Prime Minister (from Italy) and President Roosevelt to Marshal Stalin August 20, 1944 We are considering what world opinion would say if the anti-Nazis in Warsaw had in fact been left alone.We are convinced that all three of us should try to save as many Patriots as possible from there.We would like you to drop emergency supplies and ammunition to the Polish patriots in Warsaw, if not, can you agree to help our planes to make the drop quickly.We hope you will agree.The time factor is extremely important. This is the answer we got: Marshal Stalin to Prime Minister and President Roosevelt August 22, 1944 I have read your telephone call with Mr. Roosevelt concerning Warsaw.I would like to state my opinion: 2. The truth about the adventures in Warsaw launched by criminal groups aimed at seizing power will sooner or later come to light.These guys took advantage of the sincerity of Warsaw's residents to drive many of its nearly unarmed residents into battle with German guns, tanks, and planes.Thus a situation arose where, day after day, the situation was not in favor of the liberation of Warsaw by the Poles, but in favor of the brutal massacre of the inhabitants of Warsaw by Hitler's bandits. 3. From a military point of view, the situation that had developed drew the attention of the German army more and more towards Warsaw, which was as bad for the Red Army as it was for the Poles.At the same time, the Germans have recently made considerable efforts to counterattack the Soviet army, which is doing everything in its power to crush these counterattacks of the Hitlerites, before moving on to a new large-scale offensive in the Warsaw area.There is no doubt that the Red Army did everything in its power to crush the German forces around Warsaw and liberate Warsaw for the sake of the Polish people.That is the best and most effective support for the anti-Nazi Poles. At the same time the pain in Warsaw was at its height. prime minister to president roosevelt August 24, 1944 The following is an eyewitness account of the Warsaw Uprising.A copy was sent to the Soviet ambassador in London. 1.August 11 Despite the best efforts of the Polish underground forces to resist, the Germans continued to use brutal methods of terror.In many cases, they set fire to entire streets of houses, shot and killed all the men in the houses, and drove women and children out of the houses, seeking their safety in the streets where bullets were raining.On Krolevska Street, many private houses were destroyed, and one house was hit by four separate bombs.In a house where some old retired professors from Polish universities lived, the SS broke through the door and killed a lot of people.Some escaped by fleeing from the cellar to other houses.The morale of the Polish underground army and the people is extremely high.The slogan is: beat the German devils to death. 2‧August 11 Last night German tank units were desperately trying to rescue some of their strongholds in the city. But this task is not easy, because huge roadblocks have been built in the streets and alleys, most of which are made of cement boards dug from the road.For the most part, German attempts failed, so the tankers vented their anger by setting fire to houses or bombarding them from a distance.The dead lay dead in the streets, and in many cases the Germans also set fire to the corpses. The German tank regiments began to understand the power of the Polish roadblocks, because they knew that waiting for them behind each roadblock were the troops of the Polish underground army with gasoline bottles. , They made up their minds to fight to the end.Such gasoline bottles have cost the lives of many of their associates. 3. August 13th The Germans brutally murdered the sick and wounded, both male and female, lying in the St. Lazarus, St. Carol, and St. Massa hospitals. When the German tanks were carrying supplies to one of the outpost positions, they drove some 500 women and children to the front to prevent the Polish underground army from taking action against them.Many women and children were shot and wounded.Similar instances came from many other parts of the city. Despite a lack of weapons, Polish troops continued to hold the initiative in the Siege of Warsaw.In some areas, they broke through German bunkers and seized much-needed weapons and ammunition.On August 12, 11,600 rifle bullets, 5 machine guns, 8,500 small arms bullets, 20 pistols, 30 anti-tank mines and transport vehicles were seized. The German army was struggling desperately.When the underground army set fire to a building occupied by the German army as a fortress, two German soldiers waved a white flag and tried to escape to the Polish front, but an SS officer spotted them and beat them to death.On the night of August 12-13, the underground army received some weapons from Allied airdrops. April 15th The dead are buried in backyards or squares.The food situation continues to deteriorate, but so far there has been no famine.Today, there is not a drop of water in the pipes.Water is drawn from the few wells and storage tanks in the houses.All parts of the city are under the threat of enemy fire, and several fires have broken out.Supply drops boost morale.Everyone wants to fight and is determined to fight, but it is depressing to be uncertain about the imminent end. May 16th The fierce battle in Warsaw is still very fierce.The Germans fought for every inch of ground.In some places entire areas have reportedly been set ablaze.Residents were either shot or taken to Germany.The residents kept repeating: once the weapons are in hand, we want blood for blood. The battle to attack the power station began at 5:10 p.m. on August 1st.Twenty-three soldiers of the Polish National Army had previously been stationed at the power station, awaiting the start of the uprising, since they had been hired in the normal way.The day before, the Germans had increased the strength of their garrison to one hundred and fifty military policemen, manning the concrete bunkers, bunkers and all buildings of the power station.The signal for action is the explosion of a mine buried under a certain building.After nineteen hours of fighting, the power station was completely in Polish hands.The Polish losses were seventeen killed and twenty-seven wounded.German losses were twenty killed, twenty-two wounded, and fifty-six captured.The detachment that seized the power station was composed entirely of manual and metal workers from the power station.Although the Germans bombarded the power station with seventy-five-millimeter artillery every day, the workers managed to maintain the civilian power supply without interruption. The battle is truly going on underground, as it is called.The only means of communication between the different sections occupied by the Poles were sewers.The Germans threw grenades and gas bombs in and out of the entrance.Combat takes place in a black, waist-deep mass of feces, sometimes hand-to-hand, sometimes suffocating the opponent by pressing him into the stinky muddy water.On the ground, German artillery and fighter jets set much of the urban area on fire. I think there are some sinful and horrible things that should be made public: Prime Minister (from Italy) to Minister of Information August 23, 1944 Did the propaganda about the truth about the suffering in Warsaw stop?From the newspapers, publication of such matters appears to have been practically prohibited.Of course there is no need for us to blame the Soviet government, but we should let the facts speak for themselves.There is no need to mention the strange and insidious behavior of the Russians, but why should the consequences of such behavior not be made public? The President of the United States has now answered my telegram. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister August 24, 1944 Thank you for your call describing the inhumane atrocities of the Nazis and the dire situation of the Poles in Warsaw. Stalin's reply to our joint offer to aid the Warsaw Poles was not at all encouraging. I was told that unless the Soviets allowed us to land and take off at Soviet airfields, it would be impossible for us to resupply the Warsaw Poles.Russian authorities have so far banned the use of those airports to aid Warsaw. I can't think of any effective further steps we can take at this time. I called back the next day: prime minister to president roosevelt August 25, 1944 In view of the fact that Stalin's reply avoided answering our specific questions and did not provide us with any new information, I propose the following reply: (beginning with electricity) We earnestly look forward to sending American planes from Great Britain.Why do you have to inquire about the movement of our planes along the route before allowing them to land at the refueling stations assigned to us behind the Russian front?In this way, your government can maintain the principle of not having anything to do with this special incident.We trust that your usual care will ensure rescue of damaged British and American aircraft should they be forced to land behind your lines.Our sympathy goes out to these almost unarmed people, whose special convictions directed them to attack the German tanks, guns and planes.But we are in no hurry to call for a judgment on the instigators of this uprising, despite the fact that Radio Moscow did repeatedly call for it.We don't think that Hitler's atrocities will end with the end of their resistance. Rather, this may be the beginning of a heinous atrocity.When the war is over and we reunite, the massacre in Warsaw will surely be very difficult.We therefore advise that, unless directly prohibited by you, we will dispatch the aircraft. (End of attached cable) If he does not reply to this cable, my opinion is that we should send a plane and watch the development of the situation.I don't believe they were abused or detained.Since we expressed these opinions, I have seen that the Russians are even trying to recover the American airfields in Poltava and elsewhere behind their lines. The reply was against. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister August 26, 1944 From the long-term perspective of the general war prospects, I do not think it is beneficial for you and me to send the proposed telegram to Stalin, but if you think it is appropriate to do so, I have no objection to you sending it yourself. telegram.Before drawing the above conclusions, I have considered Uncle Joe's attitude towards supporting the Warsaw underground in his telegram to you and me, his categorical refusal to our use of Russian airfields for this purpose, and the current U.S. Factors such as future talks to use other Russian bases. I had counted on the Americans to support us in taking drastic measures.On September 1, I received Polish Prime Minister Mikoleček who had returned from Moscow.I can offer no consolation.He told me that he intended to propose a political solution to the Lublin Council that would give them fourteen seats in a coalition government.These proposals were debated on the line of fire by representatives of the Polish underground army in Warsaw and adopted unanimously.A year later most of those who participated in the discussion were tried for treason in Soviet courts in Moscow. When the cabinet met on the evening of September 4th, even though I had a little fever, I thought the topic was so important, so I got out of bed and went to the underground meeting room.We have gathered together for many unpleasant incidents.I can't remember a time in the past when all the cabinet members expressed such deep anger, whether they belonged to the Conservative Party, Labor Party, Liberal Party or not.I really wanted to say: the plane we sent will land on your territory after the supply drop in Warsaw. If you don't treat us with courtesy, we will stop sending all escort convoys immediately.But the readers of these pages in the years to come must understand that the fate of millions of people who are struggling around the world must be kept in mind by each of them; .Therefore, I do not recommend this drastic action.This kind of action could have been effective at the time, because the people in the Kremlin with whom we dealt were not influenced by emotion but by calculation.They do not intend to revive the Polish spirit in Warsaw.Their plans were pinned on the Lublin Committee.That was the only Poland they cared about.Perhaps only by cutting off the convoy at the critical juncture of the Russian advance would it be possible for them to weigh the matter in their minds the way ordinary people usually consider reputation, humanity, and reasonable sincerity.The following telegrams indicate what we consider the most sensible course of action. Prime Minister (London) to President Roosevelt September 4, 1944 The war cabinet was deeply disturbed by the situation in Warsaw and by the far-reaching implications for future relations with Russia caused by Stalin's refusal to provide airport facilities. 2. Furthermore, as your Excellency knows, Mikoleček has sent his proposals for a political solution to the Polish Liberation Council.I feared that the fall of Warsaw would not only dash any hope of progress, but would also doom Mikoleček's own position. 3. Among the telegrams I will soon send are a telegram drawn up collectively by the War Cabinet to our Ambassador in Moscow, and a letter from a woman in Warsaw to the Pope, which was delivered to us by the Vatican of the envoy. 4. The only quick way to provide material support to the Poles fighting in Warsaw is to use Russian airfields to drop supplies by American planes.Given the urgency of the situation, we ask you to reconsider the situation at stake that has arisen.If necessary, can you authorize aircraft of your Air Force to carry out this operation, to land at a Russian airfield without the formal consent of the Russians?In view of our huge victories on the Western Front, I don't think the Russians will reject this fait accompli.They might even welcome this type of action, which relieves them from an embarrassing situation.Of course we will fully bear the consequences of any actions of your air force with your country. prime minister to president roosevelt September 4, 1944 The following is a copy of tonight's message to Moscow, which I referred to in a previous telegram I just sent: The War Cabinet met today to discuss the latest reports of the situation in Warsaw. The situation showed that the Poles fighting the Germans were in a desperate situation.The War Cabinet wanted the Soviet government to understand that our public opinion was deeply moved by events in Warsaw and the suffering of the Poles there.Whatever the merits of launching the Warsaw Uprising, the people of Warsaw themselves cannot be held accountable for the decision to take this action.Our people do not understand why supplies are not being sent to the Poles in Warsaw from abroad.The fact that your government is refusing to allow US aircraft to land at Russian-controlled airfields to allow resupply delivery is now gradually becoming public knowledge.What's more, if the Poles in Warsaw are now defeated by the Germans, it is said that this will happen within two or three days, and the shock of public opinion here will be immeasurable.The War Cabinet itself found it incomprehensible that your government refused to consider the obligations of the British and American governments to help the Poles in Warsaw.Your government's actions to impede the delivery of aid appear to us to be inconsistent with the spirit of ally cooperation that our two countries value now and in the future. Out of respect for Marshal Stalin and the people of all nationalities in the Soviet Union, we sincerely hope that we can continue to cooperate with them in the years to come This is to facilitate the landing of United States aircraft at your airport. prime minister to president roosevelt September 4, 1944 Here are the letters from the women in Warsaw mentioned in my previous telegram: Most revered Holy Father, we Polish women are inspired by deep feelings of patriotism and devotion to the Fatherland.For three weeks we clung to our fort, without food or medicine.Warsaw is in ruins.The Germans massacred the wounded in various hospitals.They drove women and children ahead of them to protect their tanks.There is no exaggeration in the reports of children fighting tanks with gasoline bottles and burning them down.We mothers have seen our sons die for their country and their freedom.The enemy does not see our husbands, our sons, our brothers as combatants.Dear Pope!No one is helping us now.The Russian army has been at the gates of Warsaw for three weeks and has not advanced an inch.Aid from the UK is insufficient.The world ignores our fight.Only God is with us.Holy Father, Pope, if you can hear us, please pray for us Polish women who are fighting for the Church and freedom. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister September 5, 1944 Reply: We have learned from enemy military intelligence that the fighting Poles have been evacuated from Warsaw and that the Germans are now in full control of the city. Thus, unfortunately, the question of the rescue of the Poles in Warsaw has been eliminated by the delay and the actions of the Germans.It appears that there is nothing we can do to aid them now. I have long been troubled by my inability to provide adequate support to Warsaw's heroic defenders.I hope that together we can still help Poland to become one of the victors in this battle against the Nazis. After six weeks of suffering for the Poles, on September 10 the Kremlin appeared to change tack.That afternoon, shells from Soviet artillery began to fall on the eastern outskirts of Warsaw, and Soviet aircraft reappeared over the city.Polish communist forces, under Soviet orders, pushed to the edge of the capital.The Soviet Air Force began airdropping supplies on September 14, but the parachutes were rarely opened, and many of the airdropped supplies were broken and could not be used.The next day, Russia occupied the Praga suburbs but stopped advancing.They wanted the non-Communist Poles to be wiped out, but they maintained the feeling that they were coming to the rescue of the Poles.At the same time, the Germans advanced from house to house, clearing out the center of Polish resistance throughout the city, and a tragic fate befell the residents.Many people were transported away by German invaders.General Bor's appeal to the Soviet commander, General Rokossovsky, went unanswered.Famine prevailed. My effort to get US support resulted in a single but massive operation.On September 18, 104 heavy bombers flew over the capital to drop supplies, but it was too late.On the evening of October 2, Prime Minister Mikoleček came to tell me that the Polish army in Warsaw was about to surrender to the Germans.One of the last broadcasts from this heroic city was heard in London: This is downright honest.We were treated worse than Hitler's minions, worse than Italy, Romania, Finland.A just God, judge the terrible injustice suffered by the Polish nation, and may he punish the perpetrators accordingly. Your heroes are soldiers who fight tanks, planes, cannons with revolvers, petrol bottles as weapons.Your heroes are the women who nursed the wounded under bombardment, delivered letters, cooked in bombed-out basements, fed children and fed adults.They comfort the dying and ease their pain.Your heroes are the children who play quietly among the smoking ruins.These are the people of Warsaw. The nation that inspires such widespread heroism is immortal, for the dead are so to speak vanquished; and the living will fight on, triumph, and prove once more that as long as the Poles live, Poland exists. These words are unforgettable.The fighting in Warsaw lasted more than sixty days.About 15,000 of the 40,000 men and women of the Polish Underground Army died.Two hundred thousand out of a million people suffered.The German army paid the price of 10,000 dead, 7,000 missing, and 9,000 injured in suppressing the uprising.This ratio illustrates the characteristic of hand-to-hand combat. When the Russians entered the city three months later, they found nothing but devastated streets and unburied bodies.This is their liberation of Poland, which they rule now.But that won't be the end of the story.