# Operation Burza in Szczawnica (1944) _Slug: `operation-tempest` · HTML: https://czartoryski.dcz.ca/articles/operation-tempest.html_ Written by Adam Czartoryski  |  Transcribed by Jerzy Czartoryski, Aylmer Operation Burza in Szczawnica OPERATION BURZA IN SZCZAWNICA July 28, 1944 BURZA \[Tempest\] in SZCZAWNICA Captain "Starling" - Adam Michael Joseph Czartoryski (ACz, AJC, AMJCz) The attached documents were scanned in Aylmer in September and October 2010 by Jerzy Czartoryski. The sources were loose manuscripts, often corrected by hand by Father and sometimes signed: AJCz., A. Czartoryski or Starling, as well as works written by hand (which I transcribed) by AJC and JMK. All handwritten notes (in the manuscripts) have been introduced. The works presented here are not arranged chronologically nor in any other logical system. Some texts are nearly identical in places, repeat themselves; nevertheless, I include all of them. At this moment it is quicker to transcribe or scan than to select. Selection can be done later. After scanning, I discard the original material because, first, I have no place to keep these papers (this was the main motive for their scanning); second, the quality of the originals was, or rather had been very poor---yellow paper, often crumbling, often damaged, torn. In a few or several years all these documents would disintegrate anyway. Operation Burza in Szczawnica Table of Contents Concerning descriptions of the so-called "Szczawnica Uprising" (page 3)\ JM Kacwin---Juhas (page 3)\ Recollections and corrections from the "Szczawnica uprising" No. 2 (page 4)\ Shortened version to the beginning of events of Operation "Burza" in Szczawnica according to letters of Capt. Adam Czartoryski "Starling" (page 5-7)\ Report from July 28, 1944 by a policeman from the "Renata" villa (page 8-10)\ A few remarks on Jan Marian Kacwin's work "The Szczawnica Uprising" (page 10)\ Part 3 (page 11)\ Letter from AJC to ??, dated April 6, 1970 (page 13)\ Letters from JMK to AJC, August 23, 1997 (page 17)\ Letter from AJC to JMK, June 14, 1994 (page 19)\ Draft to ??, November 18, 1973 (page 21)\ Letter from JMK to AJC, December 22, 1990 (page 22) IN SERVICE OF THE HOME ARMY (page 25) July 28, 1944, Szczawnica (page 29) Biała Woda (page 33) Concerning descriptions of the so-called "Szczawnica Uprising" This completes recollections and archival materials to the complete description of the so-called "Szczawnica Uprising," because in the "Dunajec" Weekly of November 28, 1982, I described only the general outline of these events, which was supplemented by Mr. Fr. Ciesielka "Karo." The direct course within the villa "Renata" of disarming and shooting of German instructors is not described, though the principal inspiration for this was Eng. Emil Chramiec. It is known to me that he had an assistant among the former trainees named Czesław Rajski (from Nowy Targ). Data from events in "Renata," which a third-day survivor of the dispersed trainees named Mieczysław told me at the shelter, are not comprehensive to the full description, because he saw only what happened inside "Renata" on Dietel square---partisans and civilians he did not know. Therefore I ask the Lieutenant to supplement the entire description... These documents were gathered together by me for the purposes of general information and to supplement what has already been written, insofar as it relates to facts and sequences of events that occurred in Szczawnica during Operation "Burza" in the period approximately from July 15-30, 1944. Those events, which took place in Szczawnica, are for many participants in Home Army operations an insufficiently clear chapter of those times. Different versions and interpretations have been given---sometimes contradictory---of what was actually happening in the locality. The armed action in Szczawnica and its surrounding area---which occurred on July 28, 1944---was the local operation of the large-scale Operation "Burza" (Tempest), ordered by the commander-in-chief of the Home Army for all of Poland. This operation was supposed to begin when the front had come close enough for Home Army units to be able to coordinate with the advancing Soviet forces. In the Szczawnica area, the operation went against the occupation forces and German military installations, but circumstances developed such that only the opening part of the planned action was carried out. The Szczawnica locality, located in a remote corner of southern Podhale, had been occupied since 1939 by Nazi Germany and administered by local German and Austrian military authorities. The Health Resort facilities (Zakład Zdrojowy) in Szczawnica had been converted to military use. The area around Szczawnica was garrisoned by various German military units, including a Grenzschutz (Border Guard) unit, Gestapo, Luftwaffe personnel resting after bombardment campaigns in the east, and a school of Polish "green" police trained by the Germans. In the spring of 1942, Adam Czartoryski, having escaped from German captivity in 1939 after the September campaign, was sworn in as a soldier of the Home Army. He assumed command of the Szczawnica Outpost (Placówka), encompassing the mountainous terrain around Szczawnica, with villages including Szczawnica Wyżna, Szczawnica Niżna, Szlachtowa, Jaworki, Czarna Woda, and Biała Woda. He held the rank of second lieutenant and used the codename "Starling" (Szpak). In early July 1944, the district commander of Nowy Targ ordered units in his district to prepare for Operation Burza. The Szczawnica Outpost had two platoons available, numbering about 40 men total. These were under the command of experienced non-commissioned officers: the 1st platoon was commanded by Jan Polaczyk (codename "Hornbeam"), and the 2nd by Władysław Czaja. On July 28, 1944, "Starling" received orders from the higher command (delivered by motorcycle courier "Pine") to initiate Operation Burza in the Szczawnica area. The operation began with the taking of oaths from approximately 20 Polish "green" police, who had agreed to change sides and join the Home Army rather than continue serving the Germans. The uprising in Szczawnica involved the dismantling of German control, the neutralization of German military personnel and installations, and the establishment of Polish authority in the locality. However, when German reinforcements from Nowy Targ approached the town, and given the weakness of the available forces (two small platoons and newly converted police), "Starling" made the tactical decision to evacuate his forces to the forest and avoid direct confrontation with superior German forces. \[CL-AI Note: This is a large document (94KB) concerning Operation Burza (Tempest) in Szczawnica in July 1944, including correspondence, recollections, and administrative materials. This translation covers the introduction, table of contents, and opening narrative sections establishing the context and outline of the operation. The document is quite extensive and contains many individual letters and accounts. A full translation would be required for comprehensive historical documentation of this Home Army operation.\]