world war 2: warsaw uprising 1944
 

John Ward

Articles reprinted from: The Times, September 7, 8, 14, 1944.

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  Warsaw Receiving no Food

September 7, 1944

Today, is the 35th day of the battle for the Polish capital, a city with a population of 1,300,000. During these 35 days there has been no communication with the provinces: therefore no food has reached Warsaw. Rations are already very short: in many places people are starving. The greatest tragedy is for the small children, who receive no milk or special nourishment. The people hear with hungry envy of the liberation of Paris after four days of fighting. They hear that the British Army rushed thousands of tons of food and medical supplies to the French population. Warsaw during the first few days of the rising received some much needed help in the form of ammunition dropped by the RAF, but for the past two or three weeks it has received no relief whatever.

Ceaseless Attacks on Warsaw

September 8, 1944

The Polish Home Army is staunchly resisting in the centre of the city. After the loss of the Old Town the enemy turned all his artillery and air force against this centre. The attacks go on without break. Many streets have been systematically destroyed house by house. The German aircraft fly at roof height. The electric works, which have been held by the Home Army since the first day o the uprising were damaged two days ago. It is doubtful whether the damage can be repaired.

The people are losing hope of help from allied air deliveries or from a Soviet advance which would liberate the city. The now pin their faith to the capitulation of Germany as a result of allied successes on the western front and to the German fear of destructive was on German soil.

Warsaw’s Desperate Struggle: Germans Trying to Divide City

September 14, 1944

The Germans are making very strong attempt to cut off the northern part of the city from the southern. The fight goes on day and night, and great fires are burning the whole time. About half of the people in the northern part of the city have been evacuated to the comparatively small southern area which is now under continuous heavy bombing and artillery fire. About 300,000 people are concentrated in this area.

Within the past 24 hours I have visited all the front lines and most of the bombed areas in the centre of Warsaw. I have seen many houses of five and six storeys destroyed. The people who had sheltered in the cellars were either killed on hopelessly trapped under the debris.
 
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