| 1st Legions Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
Symbol of the division in modern NATO code |
|
| Active | 1919-1944 |
| Country | Poland |
| Branch | Land fores |
| Type | Infantry, later partisan infantry |
| Size | ca. 16,000 men |
| Garrison/HQ | Wilno |
| Patron | Józef Piłsudski |
| Engagements | Dyneburg, Kiev Offensive, Battle of Warsaw, |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Edward Rydz-Śmigły, Wincenty Kowalski |
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division (1. Dywizja Piechoty Legionów) was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.
As one of the most experienced and best equipped Polish divisions, it fought in many of the most notable battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1919 and 1920. Among them was the operation of liberation of Wilno and Battle of Dyneburg in Latvia (as part of Rydz-Śmigły's 3rd Army and under his personal command, although the actual commanding officer was Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski). During the Kiev Offensive of spring of 1920, the division formed the core of Rydz-Śmigły Operational Group and took part in the battles of Zhytomir (April 25) and capturing the city of Kiev itself (May 7).
After the Polish withdrawal, the unit took part in heavy retreat battles and shielded the retreat of the rest of the Polish forces. After several battles against the 1st Cavalry Army, the division broke off and reached the area of the Wieprz River, from where it started the counter-offensive during the Battle of Warsaw. On the second day of the Polish offensive, on August 16, the division managed to outflank the Bolshevik Mozyr Group by a forcible march of over 56 kilometres. After that the division, then commanded by Stefan Dąb-Biernacki, was attached to the 2nd Army and took part in the second biggest battle of the war, the Battle of the Niemen River. During the battle, the unit formed core of the Wilno Group and took part in a successful outflanking manoeuvre of the Bolshevik forces centered around the city of Grodno.
After that the division was moved to the rear and took part in shielding the border with Lithuania during Lucjan Żeligowski's forming of the Central Lithuanian Republic. After the war, the division was partially demobilized and stationed in Wilno as an en cadre division core.
Before the outbreak of World War II, the division was partially mobilized in March 1939. As a part of the Wyszków Operational Group it was to shield the northern approaches of Warsaw from the German assault from East Prussia. After the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War, the division became fully mobilized and on September 4, 1939, it made contact with enemy troops in forests around Długosiodło. On September 7 it took part in heavy fights in the area of Pułtusk, but was outnumbered 3:1 and ordered to retreat southwards in order to defend the Bug River river line between Kamieńczyk and Wyszków. Reinforced with 98th Heavy Artillery Detachment and 61st Light Artillery Detachment, the division successfully repelled a German assault near Brańszczyk, after which it started to perform delaying actions on her route towards Kałuszyn. On September 11 it turned out that the town was seized by German units and it had to be retaken by force during heavy night city fights.
From there, general Wincenty Kowalski planned a counter-assault of his division. In what became known as the Battle of Kałuszyn, on September 13, the division started an all-out assault on German positions in villages nearby. After heavy fights the division broke through the third line of German defences in the villages of Lipiny, Debowiec, Wola Wodyńska and Oleśnica. It finally broke through the German lines at Jagodno, but also suffered heavy losses and lost most of its artillery and tabors. Dispersed units crossed the German lines and joined several different Polish units, some of them formed ad hoc. The biggest group was rallied by the division commander, but was composed of only three infantry companies out of initial three regiments. Through the forests near Radzyń Podlaski the unit, only nominally a division, broke through to the units of Gen. Stefan Dąb-Biernacki and on September 22 took part in the successful Battle of Falków against the forces of the German 8th Infantry Division. However, shortly afterwards the division ceased to exist.