Kraków Army

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Kraków Army (Polish: Armia Kraków) was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. It was officially created on March 23, 1939 as the main pivot of Polish defence. It was commanded by Gen. Antoni Szylling.

1 Tasks
2 Operational history
3 Organization
4 References
5 Further reading
6 See also

[edit] Tasks

Forces as of 31 August and German plan of attack.

Forces as of 14 September with troop movements up to this date.

Forces after 14 September with troop movements after this date

Its main task was to delay advancing German troops and withdraw eastwards along the northern line of the Carpathians and defend the heavily industrialized Upper Silesia region.

[edit] Operational history

During the war it was forced to retreat when German push penetrated Polish defences to the north and flanked it. It tried to organize lines of defense on the rivers of Nida, Dunajec and later, San. Later in the course of war it joined the Armia Karpaty, forming the Małopolska Army. Together they fought at the first battle of Tomaszów Lubelski (September 17-20), capitulating afterwards.

[edit] Organization

The Army was commanded by general Antoni Szylling; his chief of staff was colonel S. Wiloch.

It consisted of five infantry divisions, one mountain brigade, one motorized cavalry brigade, one mountain brigade and one cavalry brigade.

Kraków Army	Unit	Polish name	Commander	Remarks
Army units - gen. Antoni Szylling
	6th Infantry Division	6 Dywizja Piechoty	Bernard Mond
	7th Infantry Division	7 Dywizja Piechoty	gen. bryg. Janusz Gąsiorowski
	Krakowska Cavalry Brigade	Krakowska Brygada Kawalerii	gen.bryg. Zygmunt Piasecki
	10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade	10 Brygada Kawalerii Zmotoryzowanej	płk. Stanisław Maczek
	22th Mountain Infantry Division	22. Dywizja Piechoty Górskiej	col. Leopold Engel-Ragis	in theory reserve of Łódź Army, in practice delays made it unavailable on that part of the front (part of Karpaty Army till 2 September, Kraków Army afterwards
Śląsk Operational Group - gen. Jan Jagmin-Sadowski
	23rd Infantry Division	23 Dywizja Piechoty	płk. Władysław Powierza	Upper Silesian
	55th Infantry Division	55 Dywizja Piechoty	płk. Stanisław Kalabiński	reserve
Bielsko Operational Group - gen. Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz
	21st Mountain Infantry Division	21 Dywizja Piechoty Górskiej	gen. Józef Kustroń
	1st Mountain Brigade	1 Brygada Górska	płk Janusz Gaładyk	mostly elite KOP troops

[edit] References

(Polish) Armie i samodzielne grupy operacyjne Wojska Polskiego 1939 WIEM Encyklopedia

[edit] Further reading

(Polish) Władysław Steblik; Eugeniusz Kozłowski. Armia "Kraków" 1939. Warsaw: Wojskowy Instytut Historyczny, Ministry of National Defence Press, 775. ISBN 8311074348.

[edit] See also

v • d • e Polish Armies and notable Operational Groups in Polish Defensive War 1939

Armies: Karpaty Army • Kraków Army • Lublin Army • Łódź Army • Modlin Army • Pomorze Army • Poznań Army • Prusy Army • Warszawa Army • Małopolska Army (formed from Karpaty and Kraków armies) Other units: Independent Operational Group Narew • Independent Operational Group Polesie