Slovak Forces Begin Attack on Poland in Concert with Nazi Invasion

The attack started on September 1, 1939 at 05:00.

The 1st division occupied the village Javorina, town Zakopane and continued toward Nowy Targ protecting the German 2nd mountain division from the left. During September 4-5 it engaged in fighting with regular Polish army units. On September 7 the division stopped, 30 km inside Polish territory. Later, the division was pulled back with one battalion remaining until September 29 to occupy Zakopane, Jurgów and Javorina.

The 2nd division was kept in reserve and participated only in mopping up operations. In this it was supported by the Kalinčiak group.

The 3rd division had to protect 170 km of border, from Stará Ľubovňa to the border with Hungary. It fought minor skirmishes and after several days moved into the Polish territory, stopping on September 11.

Two or three Slovak air squadrons (the group was codenamed "Ľalia", Lily) were used for reconnaissance, bombing and as the close support for German fighters. Two planes were lost (one to anti-aircraft fire, one crashed), one enemy plane was shot down.

Total infantry losses were 18 dead, 46 wounded and 11 missing.

The Invasion of Poland, 1939 (in Poland also "the September Campaign," "Kampania wrześniowa," and "the 1939 Defensive War," "Wojna obronna 1939 roku"; in Germany, "the Poland Campaign," "Polenfeldzug," codenamed "Fall Weiss," "Case White," by the German General Staff, and sometimes called "the Polish-German War of 1939"), which precipitated World War II, was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and a small German-allied Slovak contingent.