Michelle Emmons
INDUSTRIAL_DESIGN
INDUSTRIAL_DESIGN_270_BLOG
Operation Kutschera was the code name for the Polish resistance's lawful execution of
Austrian Nazi Franz Kutschera, SS and Reich's Police Chief in German-occupied Warsaw,
outside his office on his way to work.After being tried in absentia by the Polish Secret State,
Kutschera was shot dead on 1 February 1944 by the Kedyw special operations unit of the
underground Home Army.It was a part of the larger Operation Heads - the code name of a
series of post-trial executions of Nazi officials by the Polish Resistance.300 randomly-
chosen Polish civilians were murdered in reprisal.== Background ==
SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Polizei, Franz Kutschera, became SS and Police
Leader of the Warsaw District on 25 September 1943.During his earlier posting in the
Mogilev District of the Soviet Union he proved himself as a ruthless officer, prone to brutal
and unscrupulous methods.Soon after his arrival in Warsaw he stepped up terror measures
directed against the civilian population.The number of public executions and łapanka
round-ups were increased, and lists of hostages to be shot in reprisal for civil disobedience
or any attack on a German soldier were published daily.These actions, based on a decree by
Hans Frank, were intended to crush the will to resist among the Polish population.As a
result, the Polish underground leadership included Kutschera in its "Operation Heads"
list.Kutschera's whereabouts in Warsaw were a closely guarded secret but were discovered
by Aleksander Kunicki (code name "Rayski"), head of intelligence of the Agat company,
while he was investigating two other assassination targets: Dr Ludwig Hahn, Chief of the
Sicherheitspolizei and Sicherheitsdienst in occupied Warsaw and SS-Sturmbannführer
Walter Stamm.In the course of his surveillance of the area around the Gestapo HQ on Aleje
Szucha, Rayski one day noticed an Opel Admiral limousine entering the drive of the building
at Aleje Ujazdowskie number 23, which was then the SS headquarters in Warsaw (and now
houses the Hungarian Embassy).The SS-man who emerged from the car wore the insignia of
a general, and Rayski began to monitor his arrivals and departures from the building.The
SS-man was soon identified as Kutschera, who actually lived only 150 metres away, at Aleja
Róż number 2.Rayski also discovered that despite the short distance from his home to the
SS headquarters, Kutschera always used his car to get there.== Preparations ==
Rayski filed a report about Kutschera to Kedyw commander Emil August Fieldorf (code
name "Nil") and several days later Kutschera was sentenced to death by a "Special Court" of
the Polish Underground State.Adam Borys (code name "Pług"), commander of the Parasol
Battalion of the Armia Krajowa, selected Parasol's 1st Platoon to carry out the
execution.Platoon commander Bronisław Pietraszewicz (code name "Lot") was appointed
as leader of the assassination team and planned the operation in close cooperation with
Pług.The first attempt on Kutschera's life was prepared for 28 January 1944 but had to be
aborted after Kutschera failed to leave his home that day.After the execution team broke up,
one member of the platoon, Jan Kordulski (code name "Żbik"), was wounded by a German
patrol.He was replaced in the team by Zbigniew Gęsicki (code name "Juno") and Stanisław
Huskowski (code name "Ali").The second attempt took place on the morning of 1 February
1944.The execution team was in position at 8:50 am and included:
"Lot" (Bronisław Pietraszewicz) – commander and 1st executioner (armed with: MP 40
submachine gun, Vis pistol, Filipinka hand grenade)."Ali" (Stanisław Huskowski) – second-
in-command and security screen (grenades)."Kruszynka" (Zdzisław Poradzki) – 2nd
executioner (Sten submachine gun, grenades)."Miś" (Michał Issajewicz) – 3rd executioner,
driving an Adler Trumpf-Junior and armed with a Parabellum pistol and grenades."Cichy"
(Marian Senger) – cover (Sten submachine gun, Parabellum pistol, grenades)."Olbrzym"
(Henryk Humięcki) – cover (Sten submachine gun, Parabellum pistol, grenades)."Juno"
(Zbigniew Gęsicki) – cover (Sten submachine gun, Vis pistol, hand grenades)."Bruno"
(Bronisław Hellwig) – driving an Opel Kapitän and armed with 2 Parabellums and
grenades."Sokół" (Kazimierz Sott) – driving a Mercedes 170 V and armed with 2
Parabellums and grenades."Kama" (Maria Stypułkowska-Chojecka) – signals."Dewajtis"
(Elżbieta Dziębowska) – signals."Hanka" (Anna Szarzyńska-Rewska) – signals.== The
execution ==
At 9:09 am Kama (who was standing near the entrance to Ujazdowski Park) signalled that
Kutschera was leaving his house at Aleja Róż number 2, in his limousine.As he approached
the gate of the SS HQ, he was blocked by the car driven by Miś.Lot and Kruszynka left the
car, approached the limousine and opened fire on it at close range, killing the driver and
badly wounding Kutschera.Miś then exited the car as well and finished off Kutschera with a
gunshot to the head.They then searched his body for documents.Meanwhile, the two other
getaway vehicles moved into position and German guards stationed nearby opened fire on
the executioners.An intense shootout then erupted between the Germans and the covering
team (Cichy, Olbrzym and Juno).At this critical moment, Ali was unable to open his
briefcase, in which several hand grenades were concealed.Cichy, Lot and Olbrzym were all
wounded in the firefight.
