Battle of Tuchola Forest

Battle of Tuchola Forest
Part of the Invasion of Poland
German armored car Sd.Kfz.221 during the battle.
Date 1–5 September 1939 Location Near Tuchola Forest, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	Poland
Commanders and leaders
Günther von Kluge Heinz Guderian Adolf Strauss	Władysław Bortnowski Stanisław Grzmot-Skotnicki Józef Werobej Juliusz Drapella
Casualties and losses
506 killed 743 wounded	1,600 killed 750 wounded Unknown number captured

The Battle of Tuchola Forest (German: Schlacht in der Tucheler Heide, Polish: Bitwa w Borach Tucholskich) was one of the first battles of World War II, during the invasion of Poland. The battle occurred from 1 September to 5 September 1939 and resulted in a major German victory.

Poor Polish command and control, as well as German numerical and tactical superiority, allowed the Germans to manage to cripple Poland's Armia Pomorze (Army Pomerania) and, by breaking through the Polish Corridor, to connect mainland Germany with East Prussia.^[1]

The battle was fought against the judgment of General Władysław Bortnowski, the commander of Army Pomerania, who believed the Corridor to be a very poor defensive position and had repeatedly asked for permission to withdraw his forces from it.^[2]