Polish 26th Infantry Division
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Polish 26th Infantry Division (Polish: 26 Dywizja Piechoty) was a unit of the Polish Army, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. It was formed as 4th I.D. in southern Poland (former Austrian province of Galicia) in April of 1919. Its regiments originally stationed in such towns as Cieszyn, Jaroslaw and Przemysl.
In 1921, the Division was renamed into 26th I.D. and it was moved north - to Skierniewice and vicinity. It consisted of these regiments:
- 10th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Lowicz,
- 18th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Skierniewice,
- 37th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Kutno,
- 26th Light Artillery Regiment, stationed in Skierniewice.
During the Polish September Campaign, the Division, under Colonel Adam Brzechwa-Ajdukiewicz, was part of Poznan Army, but on the fifth day of the war it was moved to Pomorze Army and, together with the 15th I.D., it created Operational Group of General Zdzislaw Przyjalkowski.
On September 6, 1939, the Division was in the area of Inowroclaw, soon afterwards it was used in the Battle of the Bzura, covering eastern wing of the Pomorze Army. After initial success of Polish offensive, during which the Division recaptured several locations, the Germans organized a counterattack. The 26th I.D. was subsequently destroyed.
