– Despite constant supervision and frequent operations to clear the area occupied by the Żagań-Świętoszów Training Centre of the Land Forces, many explosive and dangerous objects still remain at the site. They are remnants of the First and Second World Wars, as well as of the training of mechanized and artillery forces – says the head of the engineering troops of the 10BKPanc, Major Ireneusz Marciniak.
The training ground, covering 34,000 hectares, lies within two voivodeships: Lubusz and Lower Silesian. Its origins date back to the end of the 19th century, when it was used to train infantry, artillery, riflemen and engineers. Before the Second World War, around 8,000 soldiers were stationed in Świętoszów. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, the training ground was expanded to such an extent that during the Second World War it was among the largest in the Third Reich. Between 60,000 and 70,000 soldiers of the Wehrmacht (the land forces and Luftwaffe), Waffen-SS and Abwehr trained there. After the war, the training ground was used by units of the Red Army.
Remnants of more than a century of military presence in the area can still be found in the soil of the Żagań-Świętoszów OSPWL. Annual operations to clear the training ground result in the discovery, destruction or detonation of many shells and other dangerous materials.
– Removing dangerous objects from the training ground is arduous and very time-consuming, but necessary. Soldiers comb the vast area metre by metre so as not to overlook anything. Despite the passage of time, some of the objects we find still pose a serious threat – Major Marciniak points out.
This year's operation produced results on the very first day. After an hour of searching, soldiers of the self-propelled artillery squadron found an 88 mm artillery shell. – We move in a skirmish line, three to five metres apart. When one of the soldiers finds something in the ground, he stops everyone and calls a sapper – Corporal Dawid Madziar reports. – The sappers carefully examine the find and, after determining that the object is dangerous, secure it. And we move on.
The unexploded ordnance and other munitions found will be destroyed after the cleanup by sappers from the sapper patrol of the Dobre nad Kwisą Training Ground Command.
The cleanup of the training ground will continue throughout April. Soldiers of the self-propelled artillery squadron and mechanized battalion will take part, clearing areas around Świętoszów, while soldiers of the 1st Tank Battalion and the command battalion will operate in the Karliki training ground area. In total, more than 50 soldiers from subunits of the 10BKPanc will participate in the forest cleanup operation.
(information: Katarzyna Przepióra, senior private Karolina Tur/ii)