July 18, 1944, Moscow, L. Beria’s Report

For J. Stalin, V. Molotov, and A. Antonov, about results of the operation to disarm units of the Home Army in the Wilno Region

Top Secret

[For:]

Comrade Stalin
Comrade Molotov
Comrade Antonov

Today, on July 18th, following information was received from [Ivan] Serov and Tshernyakowskyi:

Yesterday at 800 hours, under the pretext of an inspection by the commandant of the [Russian] Front, commandants of brigades and regiments [of Polish Home Army] were gathered around the village Bogusze. Altogether, gathered were 26 officers, including 9 commandants of brigades, 12 unit commanders, and 5 staff officers of Polish army.

When directed by us to turn in their weapons, they refused, and only after the threat of force, they were disarmed.

Additionally, yesterday detained were: the Commandant of the Wilno District, Colonel Lubosław Krzeszowski, nom de guerre “Ludwik”, and Commandant of the Nowogródek District [of Home Army], Colonel Adam Szydłowski, nom de guerre “Poleszuk”. In May of this year, Szydłowski was dropped via parachute in [and around] Warsaw via flight from Italy, in order to organize Polish partisans in the Nowogródek District. Today, at down, we began combing operations through the forests, in which, according to our estimates, the Poles were present. In some [of these] places, the Poles were not found. It was ascertained, that during the night they marched into the southern direction. Because of the steps taken, we caught up with them, and disarmed them.

According to the situational reports for 1600 hours, 3,500 men were disarmed, among them, 200 officers and NCOs.

During the disarming, confiscated were: 3,000 guns, 300 machine guns, 50 heavy machine guns, 15 mortars, 7 light artillery pieces, 12 vehicles, and large number of grenades and ammunition.

The Polish privates and officers are directed to the assembly points under security, and the weapons are transported to the collection points.

Units taking part in this operation continue further intelligence, apprehension, and disarming of Polish units.

As a result of the interrogations of the commanders of units, and brigades, and also the “commandants” of the Wilno and Nowogródek Districts, it was ascertained that an overall number of soldiers in the so-called Polish Home Army located throughout the operational area of the 3rd Belarusian Front, is approximately 8 to 10 thousand men.

No excesses were observed during the operation to disarm [the Polish units].

People’s Commisar of Internal Affairs of Soviet Socialist Republics

L. Beria