Karol Piasecki

First World War and Polish–Soviet War

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Piasecki volunteered for the Polish Legions. He was assigned to the 4th Battery of the 1st Artillery Regiment of the Polish Legions, serving on the front lines against the Imperial Russian Army. Following the July 1917 Oath crisis, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army, serving from 20 September 1917 to 30 October 1918.

At the end of October 1918, amid the collapse of Austro-Hungarian rule, Piasecki joined the newly forming Polish forces. From 31 October 1918, he participated in the defense of Lwów during the Polish–Ukrainian War, serving on Sector VI (Subsector Rzęsna Polska) and Sector I (Subsector Cadet School). On 17 November 1918, while commanding an infantry platoon with the rank of artillery sergeant (ogniomistrz), he was wounded in action. From January 1919, he commanded a machine gun platoon ("Ślimak"). He was cited for gallantry in action on 17 February 1919 near Gródek Jagielloński.

On 18 March 1919, Piasecki was commissioned as a second lieutenant of artillery in the 1st Legions Field Artillery Regiment, with seniority effective 1 March 1919. He was cited for gallantry in action on 14 May 1919 near Chyrów.

During the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1920), Piasecki commanded the 3rd Battery of the 1st Legions Field Artillery Regiment. He was commended for battery leadership on 9 July 1920 in the engagement at Aleksandria. On 22 August 1920, during the Battle of Białystok, Piasecki engaged a Soviet armored train in an direct artillery duel, neutralizing its firepower and facilitating its capture by Polish infantry. For his combat actions against Ukrainian and Soviet forces, he was decorated on 1 September 1920 with the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (Fifth Class, cross number 558). On 20 September 1920, his promotion to captain of artillery was confirmed, with seniority effective 1 April 1920.

Silesian Uprisings and covert operations

In late 1920, Piasecki was assigned to covert operations organized by the Polish General Staff in Upper Silesia ahead of the Upper Silesia plebiscite. Adopting the nom de guerre "Koryński", he served as head of the Central Insurgent Treasury (Centralna Kasa Powstańcza) and quartermaster of the Plebiscite Defense Command (Dowództwo Obrony Plebiscytu).

During the Third Silesian Uprising in May 1921, Piasecki was assigned to the Destructive Group of Captain Tadeusz Puszczyński (the Wawelberg Group), a specialized commando unit of the Polish General Staff. He commanded Subgroup "Krapkowice", which executed demolition operations behind German lines, destroying railway bridges across the Oder river during the night of 2/3 May 1921 to sever German rail transport into Upper Silesia. Later in the uprising, he served as staff officer and adjutant to the commander of the 2nd Bytom Infantry Regiment.

Interwar service and military intelligence

Following the conclusion of the Silesian campaign, Piasecki was placed on inactive status. Between 1921 and 1923, he studied law for four semesters at Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

In April 1923, Piasecki returned to active military service with the 1st Legions Field Artillery Regiment in Vilnius (then Wilno). He was promoted to major of artillery on 18 February 1928, with seniority from 1 January 1928 (rank 35). In July 1929, he was transferred to the 1st Heaviest Artillery Regiment in Warsaw as a battalion commander.

On 23 December 1929, Piasecki was admitted to the Higher War School (Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna) in Warsaw as a student of the staff officer course (class of 1929/1931). Upon graduation as a certified General Staff officer (oficer dyplomowany), he was assigned on 1 September 1931 to the Second Department of the General Staff and appointed Chief of Station No. 4 in Katowice. Station No. 4 was responsible for tactical and operational intelligence along the German border, monitoring German military districts in Lower and Upper Silesia, Breslau (Wrocław), and Oppeln (Opole).

On 17 January 1933, Piasecki was promoted to Lieutenant colonel of artillery, with seniority from 1 January 1933 (rank 22). In Katowice, he expanded human reporting networks across the border area and strengthened operational liaison with the Border Guard and State Police counterespionage services.

In May 1935, Piasecki handed over command of Station No. 4 to Major Kazimierz Szpądrowski. On 30 June 1935, he was placed on the retired list due to permanent medical unfitness for active service. In civilian life, he resided in Gdynia, working as director of the trading firm "Progress". On 23 March 1939, during alarm mobilization, Piasecki was temporarily recalled to active duty and assigned to the staff of Army Inspector Major General Juliusz Rómmel as Chief of Section II (Intelligence), serving until 3 June 1939.

Defense of Poland and the Siege of Warsaw

In August 1939, Piasecki was mobilized as Chief of Section II (Intelligence) on the Staff of Łódź Army, commanded by Major General Juliusz Rómmel.

Following the withdrawal of Łódź Army toward central Poland, Piasecki reached Warsaw with the army headquarters staff. On 8 September 1939, Rómmel assumed command of Warszawa Army, with Piasecki continuing as Chief of Section II of the army staff throughout the Siege of Warsaw (1939). For his service during the siege, he was awarded the Cross of Valour twice more by General Rómmel on 29 September 1939, bringing his total to six citations.

Aerial evacuation on the PZL.46 "Sum"

On the morning of 27 September 1939, as Warsaw was entering surrender negotiations, General Rómmel dispatched an aerial courier flight to deliver command reports and military dispatches to Polish Supreme Commander Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły, who was interned in Romania.

At 04:30 AM, the second prototype of the PZL.46/II "Sum" light reconnaissance bomber took off from the damaged runway at Pole Mokotowskie airfield in central Warsaw. Piloted by test pilot Stanisław Riess, with observer Jerzy Fabisiak and flight mechanic Wiktor Szumowski, the aircraft carried Lieutenant Colonel Piasecki as the official courier of the army command.

With southern flight routes blocked by German forces, Riess flew northeast toward neutral Lithuania, landing at Aleksotas aerodrome in Kaunas. Lithuanian military authorities impounded the aircraft and interned Piasecki and the crew.

Internment and German POW captivity

Piasecki was interned in Lithuania through late 1939 and 1940. Following the Soviet annexation of Lithuania in June 1940 and the subsequent German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the region came under German military administration. Piasecki was taken into German custody and held for the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war in an Oflag for Polish officers.