Special Action NSZ

In occupied Poland, 1942–1945, erstwhile the future of the nation hung in Italy, the National Armed Forces (NSZ) constituted 1 of the most organized and uncompromising conspiracy formations. In their structures, an elite operating cell – peculiar Action (AS) – emerged, responding to the request for a firm, fast and effective consequence to threats to the existence of the state and nation.

The NSZ peculiar Action, initially acting as peculiar Action Ambulance (PAS), was ordered on 1 December 1942 by the NSZ Command as a specialized diversion and liquidation structure. Its main objectives were to defend Polish society against threats from German business authorities, collaborators, Gestapo agents and communist structures. The activities of AS included, among others, the acquisition of weapons and financial resources for the further fight against the occupier, conducting reconnaissance and eliminating individuals threatening the safety of the independency conspiracy.

AS was distinguished by its advanced organisational level, excellent associate training, strict interior discipline and deep ideological rooting. Members of the peculiar Action were chosen carefully, frequently among the most trusted NSZ soldiers, ready for the top sacrifices in the name of free Poland. The AS (KAS) management, based on a central structure at the C of the NSZ Staff, guaranteed operational efficiency and a advanced level of secrecy and effectiveness of operations.

Thanks to his determination, his clear intent and his patriotic attitude, The peculiar Action played an crucial function in strengthening conspiracy national structures. He deserves a place in past as a formation highly effective, absolutely faithful to national ideals, acting not for glory or benefit, but for a deep sense of work towards the Homeland.

Genera and organisational structure of peculiar Action NSZ

In consequence to the increasing threats to the underground national structures in occupied Poland, on 1 December 1942 the National Armed Forces Command issued an order establishing a specialized operational structure — peculiar Action NSZ. Its uprising was an expression of the deep conviction that the national underground must have a formation capable of fast and decisive consequence to the activities of the occupier, the communist agent and social disintegration. The concept was created by Colonel Ignacy Oziewicz “Czesław”, the first NSZ commander and 1 of the most prominent national conspiracy strategies.

As shortly as the structure was created, its tasks were clearly defined. As we read in the December 1942 order, the intent of the peculiar Action was: "the acquisition of weapons and money, the verification of the readiness and suitability of troops in the diversion conflict and the defence of the Polish people against banditism". This meant not only strictly military activities, but besides counter-intelligence, protective and expropriation tasks. Initially, AS cells were planned to be created at territory level, adapted to local organizational capabilities. However, as early as July 1943, the decision was made to establish the central management of AS, operating at the NSZ Command as the study C of Branch III (training and operational plans) of the General Staff.

It was headed by Lieutenant-Rez. / NSZ Captain Andrzej Czajkowski, nicknamed “Chwalibóg”, “Halicki” — an officer of the Polish Army, a associate of the National Party, an experienced organizer and idealist. He was a commander with exceptional determination and deep knowing of the NSZ mission as a formation of not only military character, but above all national and ideological character. Tchaikovsky immediately embarked on the improvement of field structures and standardization of activities, introducing clear command hierarchy, reporting strategy and top-secret communication mode. In November 1943, under the next order, Referee C was separated from Division III and subjugated straight to the Chief of Staff of the NSZ. The fresh structure was named peculiar Action Management (KAS). As a result, the organization gained operational autonomy and direct contact with the organization's leadership. This allowed faster planning and implementation of actions of a liquidation, expropriation and diversion nature throughout the General Government and the incarnate lands.

AS had its own distribution units, besides known as PAS branches, which operated in both large cities (Warsaw, Częstochowa, Lublin, Kielce) and in agrarian areas. These cells were characterized by a advanced level of conspiracy, operational efficiency and strict compliance with orders, and their members were chosen among the most trusted NSZ soldiers. The condition for admission to AS structures was not only the courage and military experience, but besides the immaculate moral attitude and the perfect commitment to independence. AS troops provided training in hand-to-hand combat, diversion, sabotage, encryption and reconnaissance. Part of the command staff was trained earlier in the Polish Army or in a conspiracy. Their tasks were clearly defined: neutralise threats to the national underground and support the construction of independent structures of the Polish state.

It is worth noting that the peculiar Action was not an autonomous formation, but closely integrated with the full structure of the NSZ. Its existence was the implementation of the rule of active national self-defense — to respond by force where the foundations of free Poland were threatened. Thanks to the effectiveness and perfect consistency, this structure gained full assurance of the General Staff and became a model of action for later conspiracy formations, including for parts of NZW structures after 1944.

The death of Captain Tchaikovsky in 1944, murdered by the orders of the communist organization, was a blow to the leadership of AS, but did not interrupt its operation. The structure was so well organized that it worked further; both within the NSZ-AK and later formation of the post-war anti-communist conspiracy.

Scope of activities and operational methods of the peculiar Action NSZ

The NSZ peculiar Action activities were 1 of the most dynamic and effective areas of operation of the National Armed Forces during planet War II. Since the very beginning of AS, its operations have had a clear combat and counterintelligence character. These structures worked with full conviction that the work of the national underground is not only to fight the German occupier, but besides to destruct any interior threats that may lead to weakening of the conspiracy and breakdown of the national social fabric.

The scope of peculiar Action activities included 5 main operational categories.

The first and most crucial of these were the liquidation of the German agent — Gestapo, Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and the criminal police (Kripo). 1 of the basic tasks of AS was to disable people cooperating with the occupier. This category included secret informants, whistleblowers, provokers, and those liable for breaking up conspiracy structures. The sentences were issued by NSZ intelligence cells and executed by specialized AS militant groups. These actions protected underground structures, preventing arrests, deconspiracy and mass repression against the civilian population. AS was peculiarly active in Częstochowa, Lublin and Kielce, where the agential threat was very strong. In many cases, liquidation operations were carried out with surgical precision, frequently in broad daylight, in the city centre, which further confirmed the advanced training and courage of performers.

The second direction of action was to destruct the communist agentry and structures of GL/PPR. In the consciousness of the NSZ, the same threat to Poland's independency as the German occupier, was communist activity, aiming to subdue the country of russian domination. Therefore, the peculiar Action besides fought against activists of the People's Guards, PPR and NKVD agents. In many cases, AS operations prevented communists from taking control of local structures. Thanks to this, until the end of 1944, the independency of the thought and Organizational NSZ was maintained in many areas. The liquidations were carried out on the basis of intelligence and carefully prepared combat actions, frequently with the principles of conspiracy fighting ethics.

The 3rd aspect of AS's activity was the promotional shares. They consisted in obtaining financial and material resources for conspiracy purposes. The targets included military magazines, co-operation offices, German banks and postal and rail transports. specified actions were carried out without harming the civilian population. The NSZ papers have repeatedly stressed that exhibitions must not concern Poles or civilian institutions of a national nature. The funds raised by AS were utilized to acquisition weapons, print propaganda materials, aid families of fallen soldiers and finance intelligence networks.

The 4th category was shielding and reflection of prisoners. 1 of AS' exceptional achievements was the release of arrested NSZ members, both from German detention and later from UB facilities. frequently these operations were carried out by surprise, full effective, with minimal own losses. They required extraordinary courage, excellent designation and close cooperation of field cells. Additionally, AS secured conspiracy meetings, weapons and papers transport, and conducted protective actions against endangered families and activists.

The last, though equally crucial form of activity, was to counter demoralize and combat banditism. The peculiar Action actively combated the phenomenon of demoralization, voluntary armed actions and groups impersonating NSZ. The presence of AS in many regions has led to order and discipline in conspiracy activities, eliminating individuals acting for private benefit or carrying out activities contrary to the objectives of the national movement.

All these actions were conducted with full conviction that they service to defend the thought of independence, national identity and moral order in occupied Poland. These were not accidental actions, but carefully prepared operations based on orders, intelligence analyses, and a deep sense of work towards the nation. Thanks to them, the peculiar Action of the NSZ gained the reputation of elite, ideological and uncompromising formation in the fight for Poland's freedom.

Organisational structure of peculiar Action NSZ

The basis of the AS operation was the vertical structure and division of competences, modelled on military solutions of the pre-war Polish Army. The organisational structure of AS was centrally managed, but flexible in operation – it enabled fast consequence to threats in the field, while at the same time maintaining full control over operations through an extended command network.

At the head of the peculiar Action was the peculiar Action Management (KAS), which after the reorganization in November 1943 was straight subordinate to the Chief of Staff of the NSZ. The management was liable for:

• planning operations,
• distribution of resources,
• supervision of the performance of tasks,
• Contacts with the Intelligence Division (Reference B) and Counterintelligence (Reference C).

The commander of the KAS was Captain Andrzej Tchaikovsky "Chwalibóg", an outstanding figure of the NSZ who combined military experience with a strong ideological spine. He was liable for unification of AS activities at national level, training and staff verification. His command kind was based on absolute discipline, but besides a large trust to subordinate field officers. AS management was an highly secretive structure – members did not know each other, they were only communicating with codes and reports determined in advance.

Regional and regional cells were operating under the management, most frequently in provincial cities (Warsaw, Lublin, Częstochowa, Kielce, Radom), liable for:

• organisation of branches of PAS (Special Action Ambulance),
• conducting local diagnosis,
• recruiting people with full confidence,
• the implementation of decommissioning and expropriation orders.

On this level, the alleged PAS officers functioned, and there were frequently non-commissioned officers and officers of the Polish Army or the Military Organization of the Lizard Union, having experience from the front or conspiracy. Their task was to train assault groups, to control the performance of tasks and to keep in contact with AS headquarters. They had large operational freedom, but at the same time they were entirely liable for the results of the action.

The AS primary executive unit was the PAS troops — small, usually 4–8 assault groups, operating in a circumstantial area. Their members:

• were recruited exclusively on a advice basis,
• have received training in hand-to-hand combat, sabotage, diversion, encryption and field movement,
• have permanent aliases and false documents,
• They only knew 1 superior and 1 liaison.

PAS troops were kept on full alert – each action was preceded by reconnaissance, logistical preparation and effort to safe evacuation. It was besides highly crucial to have alleged contact points (houses, warehouses, retention lockers) – strictly secretive places where weapons, ammunition, papers were stored or where soldiers were hidden after action. The tasks performed by AS came from central orders, but any activities were of a local initiative — but were always notified for approval to the superiors. Thanks to this, ideological and organizational unity was maintained, and same - action was countered.

In addition to the combat line, AS besides had an organizational and investigative unit liable for:

• obtaining information on persons to be liquidated,
• analysis of agent networks,
• development of stock plans and logistical security.

Highly educated people, frequently with experience in administrative or judicial work, acted in this structure. Their reports and analyses were the basis for the AS Management Decision. It is worth noting that the AS structure was not detached from the remainder of the NSZ. It was closely embedded in the overall plan of the national conspiracy, co-operated with the B (interview), the C (contra-intelligence), Division VI (connection) and press-propagand cells.

The full organization was characterized by maximum conspiracy, precise division of roles and unique loyalty of members. The ideological consciousness was powerfully shaped on each level. The training of the AS soldier did not end in learning to fight – it besides included patriotic education, cognition of the past of Poland, the state structures of the II Republic and threats from German and russian totalitarianisms. With this organization, the NSZ peculiar Action could run dozens of successful liquidation, expropriation and protective actions without major own losses. It is no coincidence that this structure was virtually impossible to break by Germans and for many months besides by communist UB.

Examples of successes and continuation of activities of peculiar Action NSZ

The activities of the peculiar Action of the National Armed Forces have brought a number of concrete, documented successes that attest to the effectiveness of this formation under German business and subsequent communist dominance. Her actions were not only dissuasive to the enemies of Polish independence, but besides building for underground structures – they proved that the NSZ can respond decisively, rapidly and effectively.

Among the best known AS operations are the actions in Czestochowa, where PAS troops were straight subject to the headquarters' orders. Their task was to destruct the German agentry and counter the expansion of communist influences. An example is the elimination of 3 Gestapo seizures operating among railway workers – the operation was carried out rapidly, with full conspiracy, and the consequence allowed to avoid wave of arrests among local NSZ members. likewise in Lublin and Kielce, AS troops operating under PAS effectively neutralized respective networks of informers working for the German safety apparatus. The characteristic feature of these operations was precise reconnaissance and careful preparation – first surveillance was carried out and intelligence was confirmed, then eradication orders were issued. In many cases, executions were carried out without publicity, avoiding repression against the civilian population. This shows advanced work and ethos of AS action.

AS troops besides intercepted arms and cash shipments which Germany carried between administrative units. With these measures, it was possible to assemble another NSZ structures and to assist families of soldiers who were killed or arrested. Expropriation cells, mainly operating in the General Government, played a peculiarly crucial role. These operations required a perfect combination: stopping the car, securing the material, evacuation — all in seconds.

Later, erstwhile part of the NSZ structures underwent reorganization and cooperated with the National Army (NSZ-AK), AS continued its activities, although frequently under a changed name. The best example of this was the activity of erstwhile AS soldiers within the National Military Union (NZW) after 1944, erstwhile national formations reorganized in the face of a fresh occupation. It was they who formed the foundations of the alleged second conspiracy, aimed at a fresh communist repression apparatus. In many cases, they were the same groups that even a year earlier had eliminated German collaborators, and now they were fighting UB, MO and russian agent.

The reports of communist safety authorities from 1945 to 1946 are an highly valuable origin of information on AS effectiveness. They frequently mention "especially dangerous NSZ gangs" that were well organized, mobile and irrevocably pacified. In fact, these were the remains of the peculiar Action – troops inactive faithful to the thought of independence, which did not lay down their weapons despite the end of the war.

It is worth noting that AS's successes were not an accident but a consequence of carefully planned strategy and deep ideological rooting. AS soldiers were not guided by ad hoc revenge or the desire for individual benefit – their actions were intended solely to defend the underground structures and defend the nation. Many eyewitness accounts emphasize their discipline, loyalty to superiors, and strong conviction of the rightness of their actions.

Special action NSZ against another underground structures

The largest mention point for AS analysis is the activity of Kediv of the Home Army – peculiar branch of the AK, liable for the liquidation of collaborators, sabotage and diversion. Although the objectives of both structures were similar, the differences between them were significant. Kedyw acted as part of a broader ZWZ-AK strategy, frequently coordinating its activities with the Allies and the London Government. The peculiar Action of the NSZ, on the another hand, operated more independently and with a clearly defined ide-national profile. Its actions were not consulted with Western forces, but came from the interior conviction that the nation had to be protected from all forms of slavery — German and Soviet.

Unlike Kediv, peculiar Action was not limited to fighting the German occupier. Her actions besides included the elimination of communist agents and groups threatening national order. In this sense AS had a broader horizon, including the future of Poland after the war. Many NSZ members predicted in 1943 that ending the war would not automatically bring independence, but possibly a fresh model of enslavement – this time from Moscow.

The command structure was besides an crucial difference. Kedyw AK functioned as part of a strictly hierarchized army subordinate to the government of Poland in exile. AS, on the another hand, was a highly flexible and fast consequence formation, oriented towards direct execution without excessive bureaucracy. The AS management, and in peculiar the character of Andrzej Tchaikovsky ps. “Chwalibóg”, sought maximum operationality while maintaining full conspiracy and strict supervision of each action.

On the local level, cooperation between AS and the AK troops frequently occurred, especially in the face of a common threat from the Germans. In many towns, soldiers of both formations exchanged information, carried out actions together or utilized the same logistical sources. Nevertheless, full integration of the NSZ with the AK occurred only partially, and part of AS continued to operate as part of the alleged NSZ-ZJ (Jarat Union).

It is besides worth noting that AS structures functioned against the background of another national organizations, specified as NOW (National Military Organisation) or insignificant organizations. While the fresh was initially more moderate, AS – from ONR ellipse – represented a line of extremist patriotism, based on the rule that "The Homeland is above all." Therefore, AS's actions were more decisive and sometimes even risky, but always subject to a higher objective. In terms of effectiveness, the peculiar Action of the NSZ enjoyed the opinion of 1 of the best functioning liquidation and combat structures. German police reports and subsequent UB papers point to its exceptional mobility, infiltration difficulty and advanced level of training. In the opinion of many NSZ field commanders, AS was an indispensable tool for fighting for the safety of conspiracy and social order.

Although after the war it was attempted to combine AS's activities with formations of "self-contained bands", historical documentation clearly shows that it was a structure based on orders, interviews, analysis and deep sense of work for the underground state. In this sense, the peculiar Action was a natural complement to the thought of national self-defense and, unlike many another structures, acted not by coercion but by choice. Thanks to its ideality, advanced effectiveness and consequences of action, the NSZ peculiar Action occupies a unique place in the past of the Polish underground, alongside specified structures as Kedyw, the Union of Revenge and guerrilla troops. She was an elite in the service of the Nation – and as specified deserves a permanent place in the national historical memory.

Activities of peculiar Action NSZ after 1944

1944 was a breakthrough for the Polish armed underground. Although ending the German business meant ending 1 form of slavery, a fresh 1 came to its place – this time in the form of a communist strategy imposed on Poland by the russian Union. In this context, the peculiar Action of the NSZ did not end its activities but evolved and continued to fight in a new, even more hard reality.

Part of AS troops were incorporated into the NSZ formation of the National Army (the alleged NSZ-AK). Despite the ideological differences, many commanders understood that the upcoming Red Army offensive requires operational unity. However, a large part of AS soldiers, faithful to national ideals, refused to enter the structure of the AK command, predicting that real independency would not be restored to Poland. They have just become the backbone of post-war anti-communist resistance, continuing to operate in the structures of the National Military Unity (NZW)

After July 1945, NSZ command formally dissolved the structure of the peculiar Action, however, most troops ignored the order to demobilize. AS cells, previously operating in Częstochowa, Lublin, Kielce or Warsaw, continued their conspiracy activity — now aimed not at the German occupier, but at the safety apparatus of the PRL. Their activities included:

• the removal of safety officers,
• neutralising local PPR activists and informants,
• the reflection of arrested soldiers and underground families,
• protecting the agrarian population from robberies and repression.

Former AS soldiers created the backbone of the best organized structures of post-war resistance. In many UB reports from 1945 to 1947, AS was described as “a peculiarly dangerous organization”, “fully enthroned” and “capable of large-scale military action”. However, these actions were not accidental — they were a continuation of the same mission AS had carried out since 1942: defending the nation from slavery. Importantly, the erstwhile members of the peculiar Action did not abandon their moral code. Many liquidation actions were preceding investigations, collecting evidence, issuing judgement by conspiracy courts. As in the German occupation, AS acted with a sense of work for her actions and loyalty to the nation.

It is worth noting that the activity of AS after the war was not just defensive. The troops organized training, conducted intelligence activities, and even issued their own flyers and underground writings. In any regions (e.g. Podlasie or Lublin), AS played the function of local underground power, protecting the population against the panic of UB and economical repression of the fresh system. Only mass arrests from 1946–1947 and amnesty of 1947 led to a weakening of the peculiar Action force. Many AS soldiers were sentenced to death or long-term prison. Others had to flee the country. However, the memory of their activities, determination and faithfulness to national ideals survived in relations, papers and historical consciousness.

The peculiar Action of the NSZ after 1944 proved that the fight for Poland did not end with the surrender of Germany. On the contrary – for many NSZ soldiers the real fight was just beginning.

David Solski