27th Infantry Division (Poland)

27 Infantry Division (Polish: "27 Dywizja Piechoty"), was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. It was created on October 18, 1920, as a result of reorganization of the Army, from units of the 2nd I.D., 3rd I.D., and 13th I.D. Its headquarters were located in Kowel, with units stationed in other Volhynian towns, such as Lutsk, Sarny and Wlodzimierz Wolynski. Division's first commandant was General Gustaw Kuchinka.

Participation in Polish September Campaign

The Division, under General Juliusz Drapella, was mobilized between 14 and 16 August 1939. In the following days it was transported by rail to the area of Bydgoszcz and Inowrocław, and finally, by August 27, it was placed southwest of Starogard Gdański, as part of the Pomorze Army.

On September 1, 1939 (see: Polish September Campaign) the Division was ordered to march towards Toruń. Next day it engaged in heavy fights with the advancing Wehrmacht. On the third day of the war it was cut off from the Pomorze Army, after bloody fights around Terespol Pomorski and Świecie. The Germans managed to destroy the bulk of the unit, in a battle waged in forests around Wierzchucin. Remaining parts of the Division managed to reach Bydgoszcz and later Toruń. There, it was moved to the rear to reorganize and recuperate.

On September 6, the Division, renamed into Operational Group of General Drapella, and strengthened by reserve units such as 208 Infantry Regiment from Inowrocław and National Defence Battalion Starogard, was ordered to defend Toruń from west. On next day, it began retreat towards Warsaw, covering main forces of the Pomorze Army. On the following days, it helped Polish units fighting in the Battle of the Bzura, engaging the Wehrmacht around Solec Kujawski (September 7-8), Włocławek and Brześć Kujawski (September 9-12). Then, withdrawing towards southeast, it attacked a German outpost near Płock, but without success.

On September 16, the Group was ordered to march towards Gąbin, but attacked by the Luftwaffe and German ground forces, it was destroyed. Separate groups of soldiers managed to break to the besieged fortress of Modlin, some others got to Warsaw.

Recreation in 1944

In early 1944, the Division was recreated as Polish 27th Home Army Infantry Division and it was the biggest partisan unit in Central Europe with 7300 soldiers.

ee also

* Polish army order of battle in 1939
* Polish contribution to World War II