The actions on prisons were not only about saving the arrested. They were also to serve to stop further detentions, which took place as a result of revealing organizational secrets from inmates. But were the benefits in proportion to the losses suffered?
On the night of August 5-6, 1943, six soldiers from the Kedyw sub-district of the Rzeszów AK, under the command of 2nd Lt. Zenon Sobota, "Korczak", was tricked into the prison in Jasło and freed over 60 members of the underground. The action was codenamed "Pension".
In June 1943, there were numerous arrests in the structures of the Home Army in Podkarpacie. They were not the result of one pour in, but of a series of smaller Gestapo actions in various localities of the Rzeszów AK sub-district. Among others, the German hands on the German airport in Krosno fell into the hands of the head of the independent Department of the Second Department of the Home Army Headquarters, Maj Jan Ptak "Janek" and the head of the Kedyw District of the Home Army Krosno, Capt. Julian Müller "Mierzanowski".
The arrested persons were most often sent to the largest prison in this area in Jasło. Of course, the Gestapo spared the detainees a fan of the most sophisticated tortures, trying to break the stubborn and reach other people of the underground.
Feverish preparations
In order to stop further arrests, the commander of the Kedyw District in the Rzeszów Home Army Sub-District, 2nd Lt. Zenon Sobota "Korczak" put forward the idea of carrying out an attack on the Jasło torture chamber and freeing the detained soldiers.
This is what the prison in Jasło looked like.
The command of the Krakow District agreed to perform the action. However, it was not an easy matter. The prison was in the very center of the city and was surrounded by a high wall with watchtowers and patrols all around. In addition, there were a number of German military, police and administrative facilities with numerous personnel in the vicinity. Therefore, there was no question of the armed capture of the torture chamber. There was another way to get inside.
Fortunately, as in many other prisons, also here the Home Army had "plugs" among the staff. The main roles were played by two guards:a member of the Home Army, a platoon. Józef Okwieka "Trójka" and Jan Wawszczak. Okwieka, through the Madejewski family, sent reports on the situation in the prison and provided a list of people who should be released. He was also supposed to play a key role during the action itself.
Apart from him, Sobota engaged only four Home Army soldiers to perform the task:Sec. Zbigniew Cerkowniak "Boruta", platoon cadet Zbigniew Zawiła "Żbik", Cpl. cadet Stanisław Kostka "Dąbrowa" and Stanisław Magura "Pawia".
You can read about other successes of the soldiers of the Polish underground in the book by Wojciech Königsberg entitled "AK 75. Daring actions of the Home Army" (Znak Horyzont 2017).
The term was postponed several times. One of the next attempts was made on the night of August 5-6. The strike group after eating dinner at the Madejewski family's place at approx. At 22.45, Jasło reached the vicinity of the prison through a loop. The Akowskis lay in the bushes opposite the entrance gate and waited nervously for the appointed time. Suddenly there was an unexpected danger. Let's give the floor to Kostka:
Dead silence in town. Shortly before eleven o'clock, it is interrupted by the rapidly increasing roar of engines. After a while, cars pull up in front of the prison. They stop. You can hear the gibberish of German commands. Suddenly, the hitherto dim lights of the vehicles burst into full light right at us ... On one of the cabins there is a wheelchair mounted ... - Betrayal - says "Boruta" quietly.
After some time, the cars drove away. Before the eyes of the unit, a police patrol marched past and it was time to start. Now the "Three" had to play its part. At around 11 p.m., he informed one of the guards that he urgently needed to see a pregnant wife. As they approached the exit, he gave the arranged light sign to the Home Army soldiers waiting outside. After opening the gate, the guard noticed people and wanted to hurry to close it. However, "Boruta" was faster and managed to block the door with his shoe.
Zbigniew Cerkowniak "Boruta" blocked the door with his shoe, which the guard intended to shut.
The German defeat
After the guard was disarmed, the soldiers entered the prison buildings. "Korczak" and "Boruta" terrorized the guards playing cards and locked them in prison. "Dąbrowa", pretending to be a Gestapo officer, ordered the guard guarding the bars for the political cells on the second floor to open it, and then took his gun from him.
At first, the prisoners, hearing noises in the corridor, were convinced that the Germans were preparing them for destruction. However, when they realized who they were dealing with, the proverbial stone fell from their hearts. One of the liberated Home Army activists Antoni Strahl "Rzewny" made a note:
Between 11pm and midnight we heard a lot of traffic in the corridor of our department. The movement grew stronger, we could clearly hear the crack of the door opening, loud calls and screams. We were sure that destiny was approaching - we started to say goodbye to each other. (...) However, after leaving the corridor, I met the one who entered our cell with the gun and I couldn't stand it - I shouted:"Korczak" !, for which I was scolded by him.
66 political prisoners were released from the cells. They were set to march. They received money to survive the first days of freedom. In the meantime, Jan Musiał, a Gestapo informant who was still in one of the rooms, was terrorized. During the struggle with "Boruta" he was slightly injured.
One of the five Home Army soldiers, Stanisław Magura "Paw". The photo is from 1939, when he was 17.
Around 00.30 the whole group went outside and left Jasło in a compact column, unchallenged by anyone. Outside the city, it split into smaller groups. More than 120 other prisoners were also released from the cells, who were allowed 15 minutes after the departure of the first group to escape. According to sources, only 2074 escaped German criminal prisoners.
The price of a win
The action turned out to be one of the greatest successes of the Home Army in this area. The participants received the Virtuti Militari Orders of War of the 5th class. The Germans went wild with rage. Despite this, they did not decide to retaliate against the civilian population, which is typical of this situation. Only after a few months did they discover the trail. The Madejewski family and Magura with their brother were arrested, as well as several other people indirectly related to the events in the prison. There was even an action to rescue them. However, the whole group was transported to Krakow and executed.
It is worth mentioning that the Germans also suffered the consequences. The head of Sipo in Jasło SS-Hauptsturmführer Wilhelm Raschwitz and the head of the prison, Iwan Diduch, were dismissed.
General Governor Hans Frank found out about the operation in Jasło after four days. The photo was taken about a month later, during the Wawel harvest festival.
On August 9, Governor Hans Frank was informed about the events in Jasło. During a conference at Wawel, one of the officials reported:
Secretary of State dr [Ernst - W.K.] Boepple notifies the governor-general of the attack on the prison in Jasło, which took place on August 5, 1943 (...) the bandits released 51 political prisoners and 20 others, either serving a sentence, or in custody. As a result of the immediate action, 10 of these prisoners were captured.
On August 26 in the "Information Bulletin" there was a laconic mention:
On the night of August 5, 1943, S.Z.K troops [Armed Forces in the Country - W.K.] carried out the release of political prisoners in Jasło. 66 prisoners were released. UNDERGROUND FIGHT MANAGEMENT. 18.VIII.43.
Monument dedicated to the Home Army soldiers in Jasło. The photo comes from the book "AK 75. Daring actions of the Home Army".
The message, in a slightly altered form, was also sent by encrypted cable to the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief in London. More extensive information was published on August 30 in the "Republic of Poland" published by the Government Delegation for the country:
Underground army soldiers attacked Jasło prison, freeing 60 Polish prisoners. In the evening hours, several cars dressed in German uniforms drove up to the prison building, who, after entering the prison, terrorized the guards and opened the cells.
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You can read about other successes of the soldiers of the Polish underground in the book by Wojciech Königsberg entitled AK 75. Daring actions of the Home Army .