Polish 5th Infantry Division
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5th Lwow Infantry Division (Polish: 5 Lwowska Dywizja Piechoty) was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, with headquarters stationed in Lwow. It was created on May 20, 1919, during the Polish-Ukrainian War in Eastern Galicia. Originally, it consisted of three infantry regiments, but later it was strenghtened with additional two. During Polish September Campaign it was commanded by General Juliusz Zulauf. The Division consisted of these regiments:
- 19th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Lwow and Brzezany,
- 26th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Grodek Jagiellonski,
- 38th Lwow Rifles Infantry Regiment, stationed in Przemysl,
- 39th Lwow Rifles Infantry Regiment, stationed in Jaroslaw,
- 40th Children of Lwow Infantry Regiment, stationed in Lwow.
[edit] Polish September Campaign
The division, without the 19th Infantry Regiment (which had been transferred to the Pomorze Army), was in early September of 1939 transported to the area of the fortress of Modlin. This part of Poland was regarded as crucial in Polish defensive plans, because of the Wehrmacht’s advance towards Warsaw from Eastern Prussia. The Division was ordered to hold such locations as Zegrze, suburbs of Modlin and the line of the Narew river.
First contact with the enemy took place in the night of September 11-12, when the Germans began crossing the Narew between Zegrze and Serock. Polish troops were trying to halt the Wehrmacht, but without success. On September 13, the enemy crossed the Narew near the village of Debe and quickly advanced towards Warsaw. Soon afterwards, the Division was destroyed and its remnants withdrew to the Polish capital.
[edit] Operation Tempest
In the first half of 1944 the 5th I.D. was recreated as the 5th “Children of Lwow” Infantry Division of the Home Army. Commanded by Colonel Stefan Czerwinski, it took part in the Operation Tempest in the area of Lwow. Together with the 14th Uhlan Regiment of the Home Army, the Division (numbered at around 3000) engaged in street fighting in Lwow (July 23-26, 1944).
