Defense of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka

The Defense of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka (Polish: Obrona Huty Stepańskiej i Wyrki, Ukrainian: Оборона Гути Степанської і Вирки; 16–19 July 1943) was fought between the 1st Operational Group “Zahrava” in the Northern Operational Group and 6th Operational Group “Syan” in the Western Operational Group of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Kusch Units of the Ukrainian Self–Defense under the command of Ivan Lytvynchuk, Dmytro Voytseshko, Vasyl Pavlonyuk, Dmytro Korinets, Dmytro Kalynyuk, and Makar Melnyk against the Polish Self–Defense, Home Army and Soviet partisans under the command of Jan Szabelski, Władysław Kochański and Józef Sobiesiak in the outskirts of the villages of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka in the Kostopol County of the Wołyń Voivodeship. The tasks of the Northern Operational Group and Western Operational Group were eliminating and destroying the strongholds of the armed formations of the Polish Self–Defense in the villages of Huta Stepańska, Wyrka, Borek, Lady, Omelianki, Romaszkowe, Ciemne, Łomy, Mielniki, Huta Mydzka, Podselecze, Poliali, Hołyń, Kamenianka, Mielnicy, Hały, Wyróbki, Ostrówki, Osówicze, Szymonisko, Tur, Użane, Iwancze, Perespa, Berezówka, Kamenia, Siedliska and Żywka, from which Polish punitive attacks on the Ukrainian civilian population were carried out. During the battle was killed approximately 500–600 people of the Polish nationality by the Ukrainian armed units.

Forming of the Polish Self–Defense
In 1942 and early 1943, the Polish inhabitants of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka were terrorized by Ukrainian nationalists. The Ukrainian auxiliary police carried out searches in search of Jews, and property was also requisitioned. February 9, 1943 After the crime in Buteyki, a meeting was held in Huta Stepańska, during which the village self-defense was established. Sentinels armed with pikes were to guard the roads leading to the village. The next night, a group of Ukrainians broke into Huta and kidnapped and murdered four men, including two guards. one of the dead guards before death managed to kill one of the attackers and severely wound the other in self-defense.

After this incident, the self-defense was strengthened. Władysław Kurkowski "Duch" became the chairman of the Self-Defense Committee. The defenders were divided into teams and platoons. The construction of defensive fortifications and shooting positions began around the village. The enemy's movements were observed from the church tower. At the same time, a similar self-defense organization was established in Wyrka, 6 km away. Its commander was 2nd Lieutenant. Jan Skiba. Both self-defense forces cooperated with each other, covering, in addition to Huta Stepańska and Wyrka, the following towns: Borek, Mielnica, Temne, Kamionka, Lady, Omelanka, Romaszkowo, Siedlisko, Ostrówek, Perespa, Ziwka, Hały, Szymonisko, Brzezina, Użanie, Soszniki, Tur and Wyrobki.

From April 13, 1943, the commander of the self-defense of Huta Stepańska was Sergeant Jan Szabelski. In May 1943, Lieutenant came to Wyrka. Władysław Kochański "Bomba", silent and dark, with the task of rebuilding the underground network of the Home Army in the Kostopol district, destroyed as a result of German arrests. "Bomba" joined the construction of self-defense and became its leader.

As the extermination of Poles intensified during the Volhynian genocide the number of refugees gathered in the self-defense center increased. At the beginning of July 1943, in Huta Stepańska, there were approximately 3 thousand people, and in Wyrka approximately 2 thousand. Ukrainian nationalists tried to identify self-defense forces, using village head Jakub Kryczylski as their agent and organizing mill expeditions and patrols. This was prevented by changing the village headman to a Pole, Stanisław Drozdowski, and banning Ukrainians from entering the village.

Collaboration with communist partisans and offensive actions
The Huta Stepańska-Wyrka self-defense center provided assistance to Soviet and Polish communist partisans, as well as the unit named after Tadeusz Kościuszko or the unit of Józef Sobiesiak "Maks". After some time, the belief began to grow among the defenders of the village that the communist partisans treated cooperation with self-defense as an opportunity to recruit volunteers.

At the end of March 1943, a self-defense group from Huta Stepańska together with several Soviet partisans attacked Mielnica Mała, where they defeated the UPA militia, killing a dozen or so Ukrainians. A similar action took place on April 7, 1943, upon learning of the gathering of UPA forces in Buteyki. The self-defense group together with Soviet partisans dispersed the UPA members, but suffered significant losses of 18 killed.

At the beginning of May 1943, the self-defense group provided assistance to the Wilcze colony in Łuck County defending itself against the UPA. After the UPA attack was repelled, the besieged were evacuated to Huta Stepańska and Wyrka. Similar aid was provided in June to the attacked Polish villages of Ziwka Stara, Brzezina, and Soszniki in Sarny County.

Battle
UPA forces supported by Ukrainian peasants from SKW launched a massive attack on the self-defense center on the evening of July 16, 1943. The smaller self-defense points could not withstand the attack and retreated towards Huta Stepańska. The murdered civilian population also fled. At that time, UPA envoys arrived at Huta Stepanska from the direction of Buteyki, demanding the surrender of Huta under the threat of its complete destruction. There was no time to respond because the emissaries left. On the night of July 16–17, the self-defense forces of Wyrka and Siedliska, along with the civilian population, withdrew to Huta Stepańska. However, a group of "Maks" partisans left the village, taking with them 17 armed defenders of Huta, which significantly weakened its defensive potential. Only Huta Stepańska remained in Polish hands, surrounded by burning Polish villages. Czesław Piotrowski estimated that as a result of the first UPA attack, about 300 people died, mainly from Perespa, Wyrka, Hały, Soszniki, Tur and Użań, as well as about 50 people in Omelana.

On the morning of July 17, 1943, the UPA launched a major attack on Huta Stepańska. Waves of attacks by the UPA and armed peasants, numbering several thousand, were with great difficulty repelled. Hand-to-hand fighting broke out many times. The attackers were driven out from the very center of the village three times. At that time, civilians at risk of being murdered took shelter near the church, school and post office building. The defense was effectively commanded by Lt. Kochański "Bomba", wounded in the left hand. It is estimated that approximately 50-100 defenders and civilians died during the attack on July 17. The Ukrainian losses were even bigger, according to Józef Turowski. In the evening, the UPA attacks stopped, but the last attack on the village took place at 1 am.

Evacuation
When, due to lack of ammunition, the decision was made to leave Huta Stepańska on July 18, 1943, several hundred carts filled with people were standing in front of the church and a column was being formed to march. The earlier morning, arbitrary and panic escape of about 1,000 people towards Rafałówka ended tragically on the bridge beyond Wyrka. The command took decisive measures to successfully remove the population. Several wagons were placed next to each other and armed defense was set up, ready to repel a possible attack. They were waiting for the marching order. At 1 p.m., the noise stopped, the gathered people began to kneel like a wave, and the frightened people turned to the church. The priest entered the cart. Bronisław Drzepecki, gave general absolution (in articulo mortis) to everyone, ending with the words: "May Almighty God the Father, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit bless you." The gathered people believed in a lucky rescue, and the unfurled and raised holy banners showed the way.

At this time, another attack occurred from the direction of Slony Blota, the self-defence supported by about 500 Kosminers repulsed the assault. The Banderites and peasants threw themselves into retreat, and the defenders joined the outgoing column. At the same time, a thunderstorm broke loose and progressed behind those leaving Huta, as if protecting their rear.

The next day after Huta Stepańska was captured, the UPA burned the church.

The Fate of the Poles after the evacuation
Part of the population was loaded onto railway wagons by the Germans after travelling about 20 km and reaching the railway stations on the Kowel-Sarny line, and taken to work in the Reich. The rest reached Wydymer near Włodzimierz, from where they were dispersed to Antonówka, Kowel, Sarny and Przebraże. The armed defenders of Huta Stepańska, consisting of sworn Home Army soldiers, found shelter in Perespa near Antonovka, and then in Karachun. At the beginning of August 1943, as a partisan unit of the Home Army under the command of "Bomba", in company strength they joined the self-defense in Huta Stara. After the UPA attack on April 13/14, 1943, she was saved, among others. the family of the local teacher Czesław Gawęda. A descendant of one of the saved families is Janusz Horoszkiewicz, guardian of Polish memorial sites in Volhynia, investigator of the OUN - UPA crimes, winner of the Custodian of National Remembrance award.

Aftermath
The liquidation of the Huta Stepańska-Wyrka self-defense center was led by Iwan Łytwyńczuk "Dubowyj". He gave him the task of destroying Huta "Korban" and "Borysten" of Wyrki. The action was insured by the "Czyhana" unit and part of the "Jarema" unit. According to Polish estimates, as a result of UPA attacks on towns located in the Huta Stepańska-Wyrka self-defense center on July 16–18, 1943. approximately 600 Poles died. UPA report of July 27, 1943 he spoke of over 500 Poles killed and an unspecified number of wounded. He estimated his own losses at 18 killed and 17 wounded. The Poles rate the UPA losses as unknown. Though the self-defense base was liquidated, they quickly joined with other self-defense units, including the Huta Stara self-defense, which would go on and stage a victorious defenses from August 1943 to January 1944.

Commemoration
In today's Huta Stepańska there exists several monuments commemorating the dead Poles. Like a cross of the then Catholic church with the inscription "Jezu Ratuj Nas" and a description in both Polish and Ukrainian. In 2017, Huta Stepańska was added to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw.