Скачать или смотреть Part 4: The Battle for Hill 262 - The 1st Polish Armoured Division

Sources:
📖 This episode is based on research from Evan McGilvray's book: The Black Devils’ March: A Doomed Odyssey – The 1st Armoured Division 1939–1945. Published in Polish as Marsz Czarnych Diabłów.

In August 1944, the Battle of Normandy came down to one decisive question: could the German armies escape the Falaise Pocket?

The answer lay on a single ridge—Hill 262, Mount Ormel, known to Polish soldiers as Maczuga (The Mace).

As German columns streamed east under relentless Allied air attacks, the Polish 1st Armoured Division, commanded by General Stanisław Maczek, seized the high ground overlooking the escape route near Chambois. From this position, a handful of exhausted Polish units became the cork in the bottle, sealing off the German retreat.

Over three brutal days, the 10th Mounted Rifles Regiment and supporting Polish armor endured repeated tank assaults, artillery barrages, and infantry attacks. Outnumbered, cut off, and running out of ammunition, the Poles held their ground against desperate German breakout attempts. Entire enemy units surrendered, including senior officers, as Polish gunners fired point-blank into columns trapped in the valley below.

With no possibility of retreat, the Polish defenders made a single decision: hold Hill 262 at all costs—until Canadian relief finally arrived.

The stand at Maczuga shattered the last organized German escape from Normandy. Thousands were captured, dozens of tanks destroyed, and an entire army group was effectively doomed.

At Hill 262, the Poles did not just block a road—they helped win the Battle of Normandy.

Historic photos were colourized with AI. Some details might have been changed in the process.

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Polish 1st Armoured Division, Hill 262, Mount Ormel, Maczuga, Battle of Normandy, Falaise Pocket, General Stanisław Maczek, World War II battles, Polish Army WWII, Battle of Chambois, Allied victory Normandy, German retreat 1944, Canadian forces Normandy, 10th Mounted Rifles Regiment

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#PolishArmyWWII
#WorldWar2History
#StanisławMaczek
#WWIIBattles
#Normandy1944
#AlliedVictory
#MilitaryHistory
#ForgottenHistory

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