Polish 'Kubus', Warsaw Uprising 1944
Polish 'Kubus' improvised armoured car during the Warsaw Uprising, 1944.
The improvised armored car "Kubus" was build by Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa - AK) "Krybar" unit from the Powisle district of Warsaw. Its main role was to be used as an improvised infantry personnel carrier for assaults on German strongpoints in the city. It was build by "Krybar" with help of workers of the city's main powerplant and the inhabitants of the Powisle district. The entire conversion of the original civilian 3 ton Chevrolet 157 truck with a Chevrolet 3.6l / 6-cylinder / 78hp engine took only 13 days to complete during the Warsaw Uprising and was done under extremely rushed conditions by commander Cyprian Odorkiewicz "Crybar" and engineers Edmund Frydrych "Kaczka", Walerian Bielecki "Jan" and Jozef Fernik "Globus", starting on August 10th of 1944.
The chassis was fitted with steel plates for protection of the crew, which were bolted to a steel frame and then welded together, while the vehicle was armed with a DP-27 machinegun and an improvised flamethrower as well as firing ports for other weapons carried by passengers all around the sides and rear, of which it held 8-12 troops inside. The conversion itself took place in "Stach" (Stanislaw Kwiatkowski) workshop on the corner of Tamka and Topiel Streets, Warsaw. The armour plates used were taken from safes cut up by Home Army forces as well as scavenged armour from a destroyed German armoured car, with the same day the armour was being welded to the vehicle, April 15th, Jozef Fernik's wife "Kubus" was killed when rescuing their son from a house fire- the son survived, but Fernik's wife did not, so the vehicle was named after her.
Due to the poor bullet resistance of the safe metal, it was double layers and angled with 2 6MM plates to provide complete protection against rifle, hand grenades and machinegun fire at extreme close range (30-40 centimetres) To improve the armour further the entrances were in a 50 degree sloped armoured rear door of the vehicle or a floor escape hatch. Even more armour was bolted over the wheels to prevent them from being shot out. (1)
The decision to build "Kubus" was made by commanders of "Krybar" unit as well as defenders of the powerplant. The main reason was that powerplant as well as the nearby Powisle district was under constant German fire coming and being directed from the Warsaw University complex. This caused heavy casualties and severed the communication with the Srodmiescie city center district. The main objective of "Kubus" was to take part in the capture of the Warsaw University complex.
The vehicle was commanded by Andrzej Dewicz "Szary Wilk" and driven by Sergeant Fijalkowski "Anastazja" directly out of the workshop and into combat at 0400 of August 23rd of 1944, the day of the attack on the University complex alongside a captured German Sd.Kfz.251. The university door was damaged with improvised explosive bombs and then rammed by the Sd.Kfz and both vehicles were heavily engaged against German infantry and a bunker inside the university.
Commander Andrzej Dewicz was killed inside "Kubus" when a round went through a vision slot, causing both vehicles to attempt to retreat before the Germans brought up an Anti-tank gun from behind the bunker, but "Kubus's" engine failed to start while crewman Krzysztof Boruń found it extremely hard to evacuate the using the escape hatch in the floor and transferred them to the Sd.Kfz. The engine was started again but on the way back "Kubus" hit a streetlight, while going full speed bending the plate protecting the tire and causing it to cut the tire open and deflate it- Now leaning heavily to the left "Kubus" managed to return to safety.
The captured Sd.Kfz.251 was renamed "Szary Wilk" in the memory of a fallen commander. Despite not capturing the university the attack proved to be a success, having an effect on both Polish and German morale. It also forced the Germans to believe that Polish units in the Powisle district were much stronger and better equipped than they actually were.
After it's first combat action "Kubus" was modified with a wider driver's visor port and included 8cm thick armor glass taken from "Szary Wilk". Additional armour was also added around the main DP-28 turret for better protection.
The second combat action involving the vehicle was on September 2nd, 1944, where "Kubus" took part in a third attempt to capture the Warsaw University complex. It was to support soldiers from "Krybar" during their attack on the side gate while "Szary Wilk" assaulted with another infantry group on the front gate. "Kubus" entered action at 4:00pm/1600, providing fire support to the attacking unit. German defenders were numerous and their fire forced the assaulting Polish infantry to take cover. "Kubus" attempted to ram the gate and barbwire obstacles, but German fire and grenade shrapnel punctured its tires, causing it to retreat. Lacking manoeuvrability and leaning to the right, "Kubus" retreated driving in reverse.
The entire action involving both "Kubus" and "Szary Wilk" was considered to be a failure in face of a stubborn German defense. Following the defeat, "Krybar" began to be overcome by the superior German forces and planned to retreat into Srodmiescie district.
It was proposed to move "Kubus" to Srodmiescie, but it proved to be risky due to the fact that two street barricades had to be taken apart. Waclaw Jastrzebowski "Aspira", who was in charge of the platoon and training of vehicle crews decided that "Kubus" should not fall into German hands and that it was to be burned.
On September 6th of 1944, the day when "Krybar" evacuated Powisle, "Kubus" was immobilized by removing the starter and alternator and left parked in the Conservatory Garden on Okólnik Street in Powisle.
After the "liberation" of Warsaw by the Red Army and Polish People's Army on January 17th of 1945, "Kubus" was found parked where it was left on the 6th September, 1944. It was then moved to the Muzeum Wojska Polskiego (Museum of the Polish Army) in Warsaw, where after few years it was renovated by "Globus" himself, who survived the war.
The original remains and is on display near the entrance to the museum and a running replica was built in mid 2004 by Juliusz Siudziński and put on display at the Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego (The Warsaw Uprising Museum) in Warsaw. Since then, it has also been used in some war remembrance celebrations in Warsaw. Below is Szary Wilk, a captured German Sd.Kfz 251 armoured personnel carrier during the Warsaw Uprising, August 1944. (2)
1- Achtung Panzer! - Polish Armor 1939 (archive.org)
2- Kubus Armoured Car by Piotr Mikołajski