The Polish defenders managed to repel the enemy assault, and the 4th Panzer Division suffered the loss of up to 50% of its tanks during its unsuccessful attempt to capture Warsaw.

Combined with the Polish counteroffensive that began at the same time on the Bzura river, it forced the Germans to temporarily cease their attempts to capture Warsaw through direct assault.

Polish planners assumed that the fighting would take place far from the capital, and the possibility of the enemy quickly reaching its borders, let alone Warsaw being surrounded, was not even considered.

[4] By the evening of September 5, the Łódź Army, which had been defending against the German advance, was forced to abandon its main defensive position and begin a general retreat.

The situation was further worsened by the exodus of civilians, driven by an ill-conceived radio appeal made by the Head of Propaganda of the Supreme Command, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Umiastowski, on September 6.

[33] If needed, additional fire support could be provided by two platoons from the 1st Battery of the Warsaw Defense, deployed at the end of Independence Avenue [pl] near the Mokotów Field and in the vicinity of Artur Zawisza Square[g][34] (a total of 5 guns, 75 mm).

[38] Like in other sectors, General Czuma based the Polish defense on the compact urban fabric, hoping to offset the enemy's advantage in armored forces.

[40] On September 8 at around 5:00 AM, the reconnaissance company of the 40th Infantry Regiment, acting on the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Kalandyk, sent out two patrols to reconnoiter the approaches to the capital.

[41] Two officer patrols sent at 8:00 AM by the II and III battalions of the 40th Infantry Regiment (the first heading towards Rakowiec and Szczęśliwice [pl], the second towards Włochy) also did not encounter any Germans.

Many saw themselves already as masters of the city, enjoying hotels and the best accommodations.That day, General Czuma issued a daily order, urging soldiers to fight for the defense of the capital.

He demands that the enemy's assault break against the walls of Warsaw, that an end be put to the destruction of Polish lands; to avenge our fallen comrades in battle, men, women, and children who have died a soldier's death.

[55] When the tanks reached the allotment gardens on the outskirts of Ochota, a radio message was sent from the 4th Panzer Division headquarters: "German troops entered Warsaw today at 5:15 PM".

[64] On the evening of 8 September, the 4th Panzer Division concentrated in the area of Raków [pl], Zosin, Szczęśliwice, and Rakowiec, where it spent the night in a formation enabling a circular defense.

He remained convinced that the defenders were unprepared for serious fighting, and therefore a concentric attack by the entire division, supported by artillery fire, would lead to the rapid fall of the Polish capital.

[69] The targets of the German pilots were primarily bridges, train stations, and the city's main exit roads, with the strongest bombing occurring in Praga.

The most effective was the 6th Battery of the 3rd Artillery Regiment, whose fire was directed by Second Lieutenant Kazimierz Paprocki from an observation post on top of the 1st District Hospital at 218 Independence Avenue.

On the left flank, the Germans broke the resistance of a platoon commanded by Reserve Lieutenant Jan Chomicz, who defended himself from a trench near the Zieleniak.

200 meters behind the barricade, at the corner of Grójecka and Nieborowska streets, stood a single 75 mm gun from the 1st Battery of the 29th Artillery Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Józef Suchocki.

Paradoxically, they made it easier for Lieutenant Suchocki's gunner, who gained insight into the street and opened accurate fire on German vehicles from which motorized infantry was disembarking.

[82] The Germans lost several tanks in this area, including six that were destroyed by the fire of the 75 mm guns commanded by Second Lieutenant Jan Koreywo.

The favorable fate causes the smoke grenades burning in the tanks engulfed in flames to cover us with fog.Shortly thereafter, the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Motorized Rifle Regiment launched an attack on Mokotów Field.

They helped eliminate individual German tanks that managed to breach the line of Wawelska Street and the outskirts of the Staszic Colony [pl].

Some sources indicate that part of the German column, which had initially attacked in the area of Szczęśliwicka Street, redirected through Włochy towards Wola, hoping to circumvent the Polish positions.

[101] The fire from the ignited turpentine quickly engulfed the tightly packed vehicles on the narrow street, causing panic among the tank crews and infantry.

[109] In addition, General Czuma assigned a platoon of 7TP tanks under the command of Second Lieutenant Robert Kraskowski to Colonel Porwit, although, fearing the loss of these valuable vehicles, they were initially used mainly for reconnaissance.

[111] Ultimately, the Poles succeeded in pushing the enemy back and reclaiming the front line along Opaczewska Street, including the building of the Free Polish University.

[107] However, the limited forces involved, along with the timing and duration of these attacks, suggest that the real objective was to divert Polish attention and facilitate the evacuation of damaged combat vehicles that had been abandoned the previous day.

[127] The battles fought in defense of Ochota in September 1939 inspired several poems by Jan Janiczek [pl], published clandestinely in 1941, including the most famous one, Ulica Opaczewska.

[131] On the side wall of the nearby St. Lawrence's Church, a plaque commemorates Lieutenant Zdzisław Pacak-Kuźmirski and the soldiers of the 40th Infantry Regiment who defended Warsaw.

56, soldiers of the 40th Infantry Regiment "Children of Lviv", under the command of the heroic Lieutenant Zdzisław Pacak, later a colonel in the Home Army with the codename Kuźmirski, defended access to Warsaw against the Nazi invaders.