Jabłonków incident: Difference between revisions

The Jabłonków Pass, which separates mountain ranges of [[Moravian-Silesian Beskids]] and the [[Silesian Beskids]], is one of the most important transport routes in the [[Western Carpathians]]. In October 1938 together with the territory of [[Zaolzie]], it was annexed by the [[Second Polish Republic]]; therefore, Poland controlled a key railroad connection, the [[Košice-Bohumín Railway|Košice-Bohumín railway line]]. The rail tunnel and the station at Jabłonków are part of the line. The Germans knew that failure to capture the line and the tunnel would seriously affect [[Wehrmacht]] moves in southern Poland.<ref name="crowe2"/>

 

 

The task of the [[Abwehr]] detachment under Lieutenant Hans Albrecht Herzner of Abwehrstelle [[Breslau]] was to capture both the rail station at Mosty and the strategic tunnel to prevent it from destruction by Polish forces. The Abwehr detachment was given the task of occupying the Jabłonków Pass before the actual hostilities. The German agents were ordered to disable demolition systems and make way for the 7th Infantry Division from [[Munich]], stationed nearby.<ref name="kurowski3"/> The German agents included mostly volunteers, members of the German minority of [[Zaolzie]], some of whom belonged to the Kampf-Organisation in [[Jablunkov|Jabłonków]].{{citation needed|date=November 2012}}