The 8th Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...

. It was active in the Polish-Bolshevik War, as well as during the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

in 1939. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the division was reformed twice as part of two distinct armed forces: once as part of the

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...

during the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occ ...

and again as part of the

Polish Army in the East The Polish Armed Forces in the East ( pl, Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Wschodzie), also called Polish Army in the USSR, were the Polish military forces established in the Soviet Union during World War II. Two armies were formed separately and at d ...

History

Polish-Bolshevik War

The division was formed at the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as one of the first large infantry units of the renascent Polish state. It took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. At the end of the war, in September 1920 the division (then composed of four infantry regiments: 13th, 21st, 33rd and 36th) had 6210 men under arms and formed the core of the Reserves of the General Staff, along with the Siberian Brigade and 20th Infantry Division. As part of Gen. Latinik's

Operational Group {{Unreferenced, date=October 2008 Operational Group ( pl, Grupa Operacyjna, abbreviated GO) was the highest level of tactical division of the Polish Army before and during World War II and the invasion of Poland. It was corps-sized, although variou ...

of Gen. Iwaszkiewicz's Polish 6th Army, the division (then commanded by

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Stanisław Burhardt-Bukacki Stanisław Burhardt-Bukacki (1890-1942) was a Polish general. He served in the Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions in World War I, then took part in the Polish-Ukrainian War and Polish-Soviet War. During World War II, following the Germa ...

) took part in the Battle of Lwów and Polish-Ukrainian operations in Bolshevik-held Ukraine. After the

cease-fire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

and the

Treaty of Riga The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga ( pl, Traktat Ryski), was signed in Riga on 18 March 1921, among Poland, Soviet Russia (acting also on behalf of Soviet Belarus) and Soviet Ukraine. The treaty ended the Polish–Soviet War. ...

, the division was partially demobilized and its regiments were stationed in a number of

Mazovia Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...

n towns, including Modlin,

Pułtusk Pułtusk (pronounced ) is a town in northeast Poland, by the river Narew. Located north of Warsaw in the Masovian Voivodeship, it had a population of about 19,000 . Known for its historic architecture and Europe's longest paved marketplace ( in ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

Działdowo Działdowo (german: Soldau) (Old Prussian: Saldawa) is a town in northern Poland with 20,935 inhabitants as of December 2021, the capital of Działdowo County. As part of Masuria, it is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (since 1999), Dz ...

and

Płock Płock (pronounced ) is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by GUS on 31 December 2021, there were 116,962 inhabitants in the city. Its full ceremonial name, according to the ...

Outbreak of World War II

During the Polish mobilization of 1939, prior to the

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, the division was mobilized and dispatched to the area west of

Ciechanów Ciechanów is a city in north-central Poland. From 1975 to 1998, it was the capital of the Ciechanów Voivodeship. Since 1999, it has been situated in the Masovian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 43,495. History The se ...

, where it was to form a strategic reserve of the Polish

Modlin Army Modlin Army ( pl, Armia Modlin) was one of the Polish armies that took part in the Polish world war 2 defence of 1939. After heavy casualties in the battle of Mława (September 1–3), the Army was forced to abandon its positions near Warsaw aroun ...

defending the

Modlin Fortress Modlin Fortress ( pl, Twierdza Modlin) is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was ori ...

and the northern approaches to

. Commanded by

Teodor Wyrwa-Furgalski, the unit was to enter combat should the Germans break through the Polish lines. However, already on September 2, the division was dispatched to the area of

Mława Mława (; yi, מלאווע ''Mlave'') is a town in north-east Poland with 30,403 inhabitants in 2020. It is the capital of Mława County. It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship. During the invasion of Poland in 1939, the battle of Mława wa ...

, where it was to support the Polish units fighting in the

Battle of Mława The Battle of Mława, otherwise known as the Defence of the Mława position, took place to the north of the town of Mława in northern Poland between 1 and 3 September 1939. It was one of the opening battles of the Invasion of Poland (1939), Inva ...

. The 8th Division arrived in the area in the early hours of September 3. As the

Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade ( pl, Mazowiecka Brygada Kawalerii) was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. It was created on April 1, 1937, out of former 1st Cavalry Brigade. Its ...

operating further eastwards was also endangered by German armoured troops, the army commander ordered the division to split its forces and attack in two directions: towards

Grudusk Grudusk is a village in Ciechanów County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Grudusk. It lies approximately north of Ciechanów Ciechanów is a city in north-ce ...

east of Mława and towards

Przasnysz Przasnysz (; yi, פראשניץ, russian: Прасныш) is a town in north-central Poland. Located in the Masovian Voivodship, about 110 km north of Warsaw and about 115 km south of Olsztyn, it is the capital of Przasnysz County. It h ...

. However, conflicting orders and German

saboteurs Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

operating in the rear disrupted both attacks and led to chaos in the Polish ranks. The situation was further complicated by insufficient reconnaissance, which led to several skirmishes between friendly forces. At first, the organic cavalry assaulted the staff company, mistakenly taking it for enemy forces, while later that day the 13th Infantry Regiment assaulted 32nd Infantry Regiment of Lt.Col. Stefan Zając. In the evening, the division was mostly dispersed and only the 21st Infantry Regiment of Colonel (later General)

Stanisław Sosabowski Stanisław Franciszek Sosabowski CBE (; 8 May 1892 – 25 September 1967) was a Polish general in World War II. He fought in the Polish Campaign of 1939 and at the Battle of Arnhem (Netherlands) in 1944 as commander of the Polish 1st Independe ...

managed to withdraw from the fights towards the

. His forces were later joined by elements of the 13th Regiment rallied by its commander, while the remnants of the division, including the major part of the 32nd Regiment, were rallied by the division's commanding officer west of Opinogóra. The latter group started a retreat towards Modlin, where it suffered significant casualties from enemy aerial bombardment. Finally, the division arrived at the

, where it received reinforcements and manned the defences of the area. The 32nd Regiment manned the Forts No. 1 and 2, the organic artillery (including the 8th Heavy Artillery Detachment) manned the line east of Kazuń. Overnight of September 7, the 21st Regiment arrived in the area, but was then dispatched further southwards to take part in the battle of Warsaw, while the 13th Regiment under Lt.Col.

Alojzy Nowak Alojzy Zbigniew Nowak (born 20 March 1956) is a Polish economist. In 2020 he was elected Rector of the University of Warsaw. Life and education In 1984 he graduated with a master's degree from the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. In 1991 he ear ...

manned the line along the

Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...

near Gniewniewice, west of Modlin. Despite being badly shaken in the first days of the war, the division was successfully reorganized and defended its positions until the capitulation of the Modlin Fortress on September 29.

Polish Army in the East

Following the Sikorski-Mayski Agreement, in February 1942, a Polish division started to be formed in Chok-Pak in

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

. The new unit, formed primarily of Polish soldiers previously held in Soviet

Gulag The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...

s, was commanded by

Bronisław Rakowski and received the name of 8th Infantry Division. However, it did not share the traditions of the pre-1939 unit. Following the evacuation of Polish forces to

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and then to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, the division was disbanded and its men were transferred to various other units of the

Polish II Corps The Polish II Corps ( pl, Drugi Korpus Wojska Polskiego), 1943–1947, was a major tactical and operational unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Władysław Anders and fought wit ...

Operation Tempest

In 1944, during

Operation Tempest file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right Operation Tempest ( pl, akcja „Burza”, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home ...

, the command of the

decided to unite various partisan units into regular divisions that would later form the core of the recreated

. The new division scheme was based on the pre-war territorial division of the Polish armed forces and the new units not only shared the traditions of their pre-war counterparts, but also a large number of soldiers and officers who were veterans of the pre-war units, who had returned home after the Polish Defensive War. During the

, all of the forces of the Warsaw Corps of the Home Army were reorganized into three divisions. One of them, composed of partisan units fighting in the borough of

Żoliborz Żoliborz () is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of W ...

and separated forces fighting in

Kampinos Kampinos is a village in Warsaw West County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Kampinos. It lies approximately east of Sochaczew and west of Warsaw. The village l ...

Forest, received the name of 8th ''

Romuald Traugutt Romuald Traugutt (16 January 1826 – 5 August 1864) was a Polish general and war hero best known for commanding the January Uprising of 1863. From October 1863 to August 1864 he was the leader of the insurrection. He headed the Polish national g ...

'' Infantry Division. Commanded by

Lt. Col. Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

Mieczysław Niedzielski (

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

''Żywiciel''), the unit was composed of the recreated 13th Infantry Regiment (Kampinos) and the 21st, 22nd and 32nd Regiments (Żoliborz), as well as an improvised 7th Uhlans Regiment. The division took part in heavy fighting until the end of the Uprising.

Eastern Front

After the Soviet take-over of much of Poland in 1944, the Communist authorities started to form the 8th Division of the

Polish People's Army The Polish People's Army ( pl, Ludowe Wojsko Polskie , LWP) constituted the second formation of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in 1943–1945, and in 1945–1989 the armed forces of the Polish communist state ( from 1952, the Polish Peo ...

in the area of

Siedlce Siedlce [] ( yi, שעדליץ ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,354 inhabitants (). Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship (1975–1998). The city is situated b ...

. The division, as well as its regiments (32nd, 34th and 36th Infantry, and 37th Light Artillery), received the numbers of the pre-war unit, but did not share its traditions. The new unit, formed in accordance with Soviet rules, became operational in early April 1945. On April 15, it was attached to the Polish 2nd Army and the following day it entered combat in the area of the

Lausitzer Neisse The Lusatian Neisse (german: Lausitzer Neiße; pl, Nysa Łużycka; cs, Lužická Nisa; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.Battle of Dresden The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany. With the recent addition of Austria, the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in t ...

. After crossing the river, the division - deprived of artillery and air cover - took part in the heavy fighting for Nieder Neudorf and the village of Biehain. On April 17, aided by the badly beaten Polish 16th Armoured Brigade, the division continued its assault on Ober and Mittel Horka defended by the elite

Brandenburger Regiment The Brandenburgers (german: Brandenburger) were members of the Brandenburg German special forces unit during World War II. Originally, the unit was formed by and operated as an extension of the military's intelligence organ, the '' Abwehr''. ...

. After the initial failure, the division managed to break the German resistance in an all-out assault and reached the Weisser Schops River, which it crossed under heavy enemy fire. Then the unit crossed the Neu Graben Canal and captured the towns of Odernitz (36th Regiment) and

Niesky Niesky ( Sorbian and pl, Niska, cz, Nízké) is a small town in Upper Lusatia in eastern Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 9,200 (2020) and is part of the district of Görlitz. Historically considered part of Upper Lusatia, it was ...

(32nd Regiment). The latter town was captured after two days of heavy struggles. In the following days, the division continued the assault with heavy losses, capturing the towns and villages of

See See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

, Mocholz, Zischelmuhle and Stockteich. After repelling the German counter-attack south of Niessky, on April 20, the division started a pursuit after the fleeing Germans, breaking the resistance at Gebelzig, Gross Saubernitz,

Baruth/Mark Baruth/Mark is a town in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 24 km east of Luckenwalde, and 53 km south of Berlin. Geography Baruth/Mark is structured in the following parts of town,Main constitution of ...

and

Guttau Guttau, in Sorbian Hućina, is a village and a former municipality in the east of Saxony, Germany. It belongs to the district of Bautzen and lies northeast of the eponymous city. Since 1 January 2013, it is part of the municipality Malschwitz. ...

. On April 25, the division reached the line of Strochschutz- Grossbrosern- Colln, after which it was stopped and then withdrawn to the rear for reinforcement.

After the war

The division suffered heavy losses in the poorly planned operation in

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

. Nevertheless, the Communist authorities claimed the operation to be a major success and the division received the name of ''8th ''Dresden'' Infantry Division'' and the new patron in the person of

Bartosz Głowacki Bartosz is a Polish given name and a surname derived from Bartłomiej, the Polish cognate of Bartholomew (name), Bartholomew. People with the given name * Bartosz Beda, Polish contemporary artist * Bartosz Bereszyński (born 1992), Polish footba ...

, a Polish 18th century peasant hero ( pl, 8. Drezdeńska Dywizja Piechoty im. Bartosza Głowackiego). Parts of the division (roughly 2,500 men of the 1st, 8th and 36th Regiments) were then attached to the ''Wisła

'' and took part in the infamous

Operation Vistula Operation Vistula ( pl, Akcja Wisła; uk, Опера́ція «Ві́сла») was a codename for the 1947 forced resettlement of 150,000 Ukrainians (Boykos and Lemkos) from the south-eastern provinces of post-war Poland, to the Recovered Terri ...

against the

Ukrainian Insurgent Army The Ukrainian Insurgent Army ( uk, Українська повстанська армія, УПА, translit=Ukrayins'ka povstans'ka armiia, abbreviated UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary and later partisan formation. During World ...

and the civilian population of the

Eastern Beskids The Eastern Beskids or Eastern Beskyds ( uk, Східні Бескиди; pl, Beskidy Wschodnie; rue, Выходны Бескиды; ro, Beskizii Orientali; russian: Восточные Бескиды) are a geological group of mountain ranges o ...

. The action lasted until July 1947, when the unit was withdrawn and partially demobilized. On March 30, 1949, the unit was transferred to

Western Pomerania Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (german: Vorpommern), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, Weste ...

and reformed into the

Polish 8th Motorized Infantry Division Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

, which became the direct predecessor of the modern 8th Mechanised Division. Both were active within the

Pomeranian Military District The Pomeranian Military District (Polish acronym POW) was a military district of the Polish Armed Forces from 1945 to 2011. Formally it was subordinate to the Minister of National Defence in the operational matters of defense and detached governm ...

Order of battle

1939

Commanders

*Commanding officer Lt.Col.

Teodor Furgalski Teodor is a masculine given name. In English, it is a cognate of Theodore. Notable people with the name include: *Teodor Muzaka III, Albanian nobleman who was born in 1393. * Teodor Andrault de Langeron (19th century), President of Warsaw * Teodo ...

* 1st commander of divisional infantry (deputy commander)

Ludwik de Laveaux * 2nd commander of divisional infantry Lt. Col. Mikołaj Jan Ordyczyński, since September 11 Lt. Col. Jan Domasiewicz * Staff officers:

Capt. Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Wiktor Jachimiuk, Lt. Stanisław Pancerz * chief chaplain Ferdynand Zygmunt Wawro * chief lawyer Maj. Władysław Koreywo * jury of the court martial Lt. Zygmunt Rose, Lt. Juliusz Kohn

Staff

* Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Kazimierz Franciszek Marczewski * Chief of Operations Capt. Adam Szugajew * Chief of Information Zbigniew Garwacki * Quartermaster Capt. Stanisław Jerzy Skierski * Chief of Engineers Maj. Walerian Klimowicz * Chief of Signals Capt. Michał Standziak * Chief Armourer Capt. Stefan Karol Łysakowski * Chief Intendant Capt. Władysław Śniegocki * Chief Medic Maj. Henryk Lenk * Staff Headquarters' Commander Maj. Otto Laskowski * Commanding officer of signals platoon Lt. Czesław Kotyński

Units

* 13th Infantry Regiment (garrisoned in Pultusk) Lt. Col.

* 21st Infantry Regiment (garrisoned in

) Col.

* 32nd Infantry Regiment (garrisoned in Modlin) Lt. Col. Stefan Zając * 8th Regiment of Light Artillery of King Boleslaus the Wrymouth of Poland (garrisoned in Plock) Lt. Col. Jan Damasiewicz * 8th Regiment of Heavy Artillery (garrisoned in Modlin) Maj. Władysław Niewodniczański * 8th motorized battery of AA artillery Capt. Józef Franciszek Płodowski * 89th AA artillery battery (attached) Capt. Janusz Stanisław Klimontowicz * 8th Engineering Battalion (''Tomasz'') Maj. Walerian Klimowicz * 8th Telephone Company Capt. Franciszek Leszczyński * 11th Bicycle Signals Company Lt. Michał Ptasiński * Organic cavalry Maj. Jarosław Ciechanowski Sgt. Jan Lewandowski Capt. Samuz Jackóbslen Lt. Józef Ziminski * 11th independent

taczanka A tachanka ( ukr, тачанка, rus, тача́нка, pl, taczanka) was a horse-drawn machine gun, usually a cart (such as charabanc) or an open wagon with a heavy machine gun installed in the back. A tachanka ...

HMG company Lt. Kazimierz Bruździński

References

# {{cite book , author =Edward Kospath-Pawłowski , author2=Piotr Matusak, author3=Dariusz Radziwiłłowicz , title =8 Dywizja Piechoty w dziejach Oręża Polskiego , year =1995 , publisher =Ajaks , location =Pruszków , isbn =83-85621-71-7, page =235 , language=pl