- 14th Infantry Division (Poland)
14 Greater Poland Infantry Division (Polish: "14 Wielkopolska Dywizja Piechoty") was a unit of the
Polish Army in the interbellum period, which took part in thePolish September Campaign .It was created in January
1919 inPoznan , as part of Polish forces fighting in theGreater Poland Uprising (1918–1919) ). Its organizer and first commandant was GeneralFilip Dubiski . In the following months, several regiments creater in theGreater Poland towns joined the unit, and in the summer of1919 , the Division was sent to the east, to fight theRed Army south ofPolotsk . On December 19, 1919, its name was changed from 1st Division of Greater Poland rifles into 14 Greater Poland Infantry Division.The unit fought in the
Polish-Soviet war , and in December1920 , after the truce, it returned to its homeland, to Poznan. According to thePlan Wschod , the Division was supposed to serve as a rear unit, but as in late 1930s German threat became real, onMarch 23 ,1939 , the Division became part of newly createdPoznan Army , under GeneralTadeusz Kutrzeba (see:Plan Zachod ). Mobilization took place between August 24 and 27.As the
Wehrmacht did not cary out attacks on Greater Poland in the first days of thePolish September Campaign , the Division did not engage in combat until Sept. 8. Then, it took part in theBattle of Bzura , fighting near the town ofPiatek and breaking German lines. During the skirmishes, commandant of German 30 I.D, GeneralKurt von Briesen was injured and the Wehrmacht ordered a retreat. However, the Poles, without air and artillery support, did not take advantage of this breakthrough. Soon afterwards, the Germans counterattacked.In mid-September the Division tried to cross the
Bzura and reach theKampinos Forest but without success. Only few soldiers managed to do so and hide in the forest. On September 19, the remaining forces broke into besieged Warsaw. There, they fought until capitulation, on Sept. 28.TO&E
* HQ
* 55th Infantry Regiment
* 57th Infantry Regiment
* 58th Infantry Regiment
* 14th Light Artillery Regiment
* 14th Heavy Artillery Battalion
* 71st AA Artillery Battery
* 14th Telephone Company
* 71st Mobile HMG Company
* Bicycle Infantry Company
* Divisional Cavalryee also
*
Polish army order of battle in 1939
*Polish contribution to WWII *
1939 Infantry Regiment (Poland)
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