August 20, 1968
Report No. 10 from Generals Pavlovsky and Kovalov to Brigadier General Florian Siwicki
Translated from Russian S [handwritten]
Office of accessibility and archiving of documents [stamped diagonally across the page with an identical inverted version]
105
GENERAL STAFF 1891 [text below is crossed out]
[Illegible] Department TOP SECRET
No. 0010/Special [handwritten] Copy no. 5
20 08. 1968
[Illegible diagonal handwriting] GOC SECOND POLISH ARMY
Comrade Brigadier General Florian SIWICKI
Dear Comrade General!
1. On 20th August, in line with Operation ‘Danube’, provide all ranks with rest for no less than 4-5 hours during the day.
Issue the enlisted men with additional dry rations.
Issue ammunition by 18:00 hours on 20th August.
Starting in the morning of 20th August to brief all personnel.
Issue officers maps and street plans.
2. ‘G’ Hour – crossing the state frontier – 09:00 hours 21st August local time.
All forces to move out of staging areas so precisely that they arrive at the frontier of the CSSR punctually at ‘G’ Hour.
Not to delay at the staging areas. To accomplish the mission as quickly as possible in order to achieve the element of surprise. Movement from the staging areas is to be continuous and rapid and the forces’ actions are to be decisive.
To block and stop all vehicular traffic both in built-up areas and on the roads of the CSSR, should they interfere with troop movements. Cars heading for the German Federal Republic and Austria are not to be stopped.
Once we have crossed into the territory of the CSSR, the troops’ attitude towards the civilian population and the forces of the CPA should be friendly.
In the event that units of the CPA, the People’s Militia and specific individuals should resist our forces using armed force, they are to be disarmed at gun point.
-2- 106
Office of accessibility and archiving of documents [stamped diagonally across the page with an identical inverted version]
3. Please confirm your state of readiness by 17:00 hours 20th August.
During exercises, please report daily by 05:00, 15:00 and 18:00 hours.
General PAVLOVSKY
Lieutenant General KOVALOV
________________
GOC SECOND POLISH ARMY
Comrade Brigadier General Florian SIWICKI
W.e.f. today’s date I have assumed command of Army Group ‘North’ in Operation ‘Danube’.
Lieutenant General KOVALOV has assumed the post of Chief of Staff.
/-/ General PAVLOVSKY
Translated thanks to a generous contribution from
John A. Adams and the John A. Adams Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis
at the Virginia Military Institute.
General Pavlovsky writes to the Commander of the Polish Second Army, Brigadier General Florian Siwicki. He lists preliminary steps in Operation Danube where the troops enter from Poland into Czechoslovakia.
Author(s):
Associated Places
Document Information
Source
Original Archive
Rights
The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.
To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at [email protected].