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
The Polish Armed Forces in the West () refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. Polish forces were also raised within Soviet territories; thes ...
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 ...
. It was commanded by
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyears ...
and fought with distinction in the
Italian Campaign, in particular at the
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
. By the end of 1945, the corps had grown to well over 100,000 soldiers.
History
Victims of Soviet deportations from occupied Poland in 1939–40 had been processed by the NKVD and sent to prison or exile in Siberia. The
Nazi-Soviet pact of August 1939 effectively ended on 22 June 1941 when the German
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
invaded the USSR. The release of many thousands of former citizens of Poland (including Ukrainians and Belorussians) from the 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, following the signing of the
Polish-Russian Military Agreement on 14 August 1941, allowed for the creation of a Polish Army on Soviet soil. Its first commander, General
Michał Tokarzewski Michał () is a Polish and Sorbian form of Michael and may refer to:
* Michał Bajor (born 1957), Polish actor and musician
* Michał Chylinski (born 1986), Polish basketball player
* Michał Drzymała (1857–1937), Polish rebel
* Michał Heller ( ...
, began the task of forming this army in the Soviet town of
Totskoye
Totskoye (russian: То́цкое) is a rural locality (a '' selo'') and the administrative center of Totsky District of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. Population:
During World War I, it was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp that became notorious ...
on 17 August. The commander ultimately chosen by
Władysław Sikorski
Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader.
Prior to the First World War, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause for Polish ...
to lead the new army,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyears ...
, had just been released from the
Lubyanka prison in Moscow, on 4 August, and did not issue his first orders or announce his appointment as commander until 22 August.
This army grew over the following two years and provided the bulk of the units and troops of the Polish II Corps.
The Polish II Corps was created in 1943 from various units fighting alongside the Allies in all theatres of war. The
3rd Carpathian Rifle Division was formed in 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 ...
from smaller Polish units fighting in Egypt and Tobruk, as well as the Polish Army in the East that was evacuated from the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
through the
Persian Corridor
The Persian Corridor was a supply route through Iran into Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Azerbaijan by which British aid and American Lend-Lease supplies were transferred to the Soviet Union during World War II. Of the 17.5 million long tons of U.S. Len ...
. Its creation was based on the British
Allied Forces Act 1940
The Allied Forces Act 1940 (3 & 4 Geo. 6 c. 51) was an act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in late 1940, after the fall of France.
The act gave legal authority for the recognised sovereign governments of Belgium, Cze ...
, which allowed the
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
units of the
exiled government of Poland to be grouped in one theatre of war. However, the British High Command never agreed to incorporate the exiled
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...
into the Corps.
In February 1944, the Polish II Corps was transferred from Egypt to Italy, where it became an independent part of the
British Eighth Army
The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...
, under
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Sir Oliver Leese. During 1944–45, the Corps fought with distinction in the
Italian campaign, during the fourth and final
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
in May 1944, the
Battle of Ancona
The Battle of Ancona was a battle involving forces from Poland serving as part of the British Army against German forces that took place from 16 June–18 July 1944 during the Italian campaign in World War II. The battle was the result of an Alli ...
during ''
Operation Olive
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of t ...
'' (the fighting on the
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...
in September 1944), and the
Battle of Bologna
The Battle of Bologna was fought in Bologna, Italy from 9–21 April 1945 during the Second World War, as part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy. The Allied forces were victorious, with the Polish II Corps and supporting Allied units capturin ...
during the
final offensive in Italy in March 1945.
![The Polish Army in the Italian Campaign, 1943-1945 NA11939](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/The_Polish_Army_in_the_Italian_Campaign%2C_1943-1945_NA11939.jpg)
In 1944, the Polish II Corps numbered about 50,000 soldiers. During three subsequent battles, it suffered heavy losses (in the final stage of the Battle of Monte Cassino, even the support units were mobilised and used in combat) and it was suggested to General Anders that he withdraw his units. However, since the Soviet Union broke off diplomatic relations with the Polish government and no Poles were allowed out of the USSR, Anders believed that the only source of recruits lay ahead – in German
POW
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
camps and concentration camps.
By 1945, new units were added, composed mainly of freed POWs and Poles forcibly conscripted into the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. This increased the Corps' strength to around 75,000 men, approximately 20,000 of whom were transferred to other Polish units fighting in the West. After the war, the divisions of the Corps were used in Italy until 1946, when they were transported to Britain and demobilised. The total establishment of the Polish II Corps in 1946 was 103,000. The majority of soldiers remained in exile and settled in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
. The Corps had a consistently high fighting reputation and was well-regarded by the American and Commonwealth troops with whom they fought.
Those that settled in Britain were transported from many ports, including Toulon, France.
Composition
In May 1945, the Corps consisted of 55,780 men and approximately 1,500 women in auxiliary services. There was also a bear mascot, named
Wojtek
Wojciech () is a Polish name, equivalent to Czech Vojtěch , Slovak Vojtech, and German Woitke. The name is formed from two components in archaic Polish:
* ''wój'' (Slavic: ''voj''), a root pertaining to war. It also forms words like ''wojownik ...
, who was officially entered onto the unit roll as a private soldier, subsequently being promoted to corporal. The majority of the Corps were Polish citizens who had been deported by the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
to the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
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 during the Soviet Union's annexation of Eastern Poland (Kresy Wschodnie) in 1939. Following
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
and the
Sikorski-Mayski Agreement, many of them were released and allowed to join the
Polish Armed Forces 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 Armed Forces, Polish military forces established in the Soviet Union during World War II.
Two armies were formed ...
being formed in Southern Russia and Kazakhstan. For political reasons, the Soviet Union soon withdrew support for the creation of a Polish Army on its territory and reduced the supply rate, which resulted in General
Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyears ...
withdrawing his troops to British-held
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
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. From there, they were moved to British-controlled
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, where they joined forces with the 3rd Carpathian Division, which was composed mainly of Polish soldiers who had managed to escape to French
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
through
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
after the
defeat of Poland in 1939.
The main bulk of the soldiers were from the eastern
voivodeship
A voivodeship is the area administered by a voivode (Governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in western medieval ...
s of pre-war Poland. Although the majority were ethnic Poles, there were also other nationalities, including Jews, Belarusians and Ukrainians. After being relocated to
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, many Jewish soldiers
deserted and fled into the countryside. However,
Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'' (); pl, Menachem Begin (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ''Menakhem Volfovich Begin''; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. B ...
- the future Prime Minister of Israel and at the time a II Corps soldier - though urged by his friends to desert, refused to remove his uniform until he had been officially discharged.
![Polish Bugler Monte Cassino](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Polish_Bugler_Monte_Cassino.jpg)
The armament was as follows:
* 248 pieces of artillery
* 288
anti-tank
Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...
guns
* 234 anti-aircraft guns
* 264 tanks
* 1,241
APCs
* 440
armoured cars
* 12,064 cars,
Bren carrier
The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and British Empire, Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, ...
s and trucks
* 1
Syrian brown bear Wojtek (soldier bear)
Losses
During the
Italian Campaign, the Polish II Corps lost 11,379 men. Among them were 2,301
killed in action, 8,543
wounded in action
Wounded in Action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing ...
and 535
missing in action
Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...
.
Of the 2,301 killed, 1,079 died during the
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
and are interred at the
Monte Cassino Polish war cemetery
The Polish war cemetery at Monte Cassino holds the graves of 1,072 Poles who died storming the bombed-out Benedictine abbey atop the mountain in May 1944, during the Battle of Monte Cassino. The cemetery is maintained by the Council for the Prote ...
, several hundred meters from the rebuilt abbey.
Order of battle
Corps Organisation April 1944
*HQ 2 Polish Corps
*2 Armoured Brigade
*AGPA - Army Group of Polish Artillery
*3 Carpathian Division
**12 Podolski Recce Regt. (Dismounted)
**1 Carpathian Rifle Brigade
***1,2,3 Battalions
**2 Squadron
***7 Armoured Regiment
**2 Carpathian Rifles Brigade
***4,5,6 Battalions
*5 Kresowa Division
**5 Wilenska Infantry Brigade
***13,14,15 and 18 Battalions
**3 Squadron
***4 Armoured Regiment
**HQ6
***Lwowska Infantry Brigade
***15 Poznaski Recce Regiment (Dismounted)
***Capathian Lancers Regiment (Dismounted)
**Division Reserve
***16, 17 Battalion
1946
At the time of its demobilisation in 1946, the 2nd Polish Corps establishment was as follows: (Note that there were some differences between this order of battle and the one at the time of the battle for Monte Cassino in 1944.)
![Oznaka3dsk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Oznaka3dsk.png)
*
Polish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division CO:
Maj. Gen.
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Bronisław Duch Bronisław (feminine: Bronisława) is a Polish name of Slavic origin meaning ''broni'' (to protect, to defend) and ''sława'' (glory, fame). The name may refer to:
People
* Bronislava of Poland, a 13th-century nun who was beatified in 1839
* Bron ...
**1st
Carpathian
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
Rifle Brigade
***1st Carpathian Rifle Battalion
***2nd Carpathian Rifle Battalion
***3rd Carpathian Rifle Battalion
**2nd Carpathian Rifle Brigade
***4th Carpathian Rifle Battalion
***5th Carpathian Rifle Battalion
***6th Carpathian Rifle Battalion
**3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade
***7th Carpathian Rifle Battalion
***8th Carpathian Rifle Battalion
***9th "Boloński" Carpathian Rifle Battalion (Named for liberating Bologna)
**Other Divisional Units
***7th Lubelski
Uhlan
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
Regiment (Divisional
Reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
)
***1st Carpathian Light Artillery Regiment
***2nd Carpathian Light Artillery Regiment
***3rd Carpathian Light Artillery Regiment
***3rd Carpathian Anti-tank Regiment
***3rd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment
***3rd Heavy Machine Gun Battalion
***3rd Carpathian Sapper (Engineer) Battalion
****1st Carpathian Field Engineer Company
****2nd Carpathian Field Engineer Company
****3rd Carpathian Field Engineer Company
****3rd Carpathian Field Park Company
***3rd Carpathian Signals Battalion
![Zubr 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Zubr_2.png)
*
5th Kresowa Infantry Division
The Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division ( pl, 5 Kresowa Dywizja Piechoty) was an infantry division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Formed in March 1943, it fought in the Italian Campaign as part of Lieutenant genera ...
CO:
Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Nikodem Sulik
Nikodem Sulik-Sarnowski (August 15, 1893 – January 14, 1954; noms de guerre Jodko, Jod, Karol, and Sarnowski) was an officer of the Russian Imperial Army, and Generał brygady of the Polish Army.
Biography
Born August 15, 1893 in the village of ...
**4th Wolyńska Infantry Brigade
***10th Wolyńska Rifle Battalion
***11th Wolyńska Rifle Battalion
***12th Wolyńska Rifle Battalion
**5th
Wilno
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
Infantry Brigade
***13th Wilenski Rifle Battalion "Rysiow"
***14th Wilenski Rifle Battalion "Zbikow"
***15th Wilenski Rifle Battalion "Wilkow"
**6th
Lwów
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
Infantry Brigade
***16th Lwowski Rifle Battalion
***17th Lwowski Rifle Battalion
***18th Lwowski Rifle Battalion
**Other divisional unit
***25th Wielkopolski
Uhlan
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
Regiment
***4th Kresowy Light Artillery Regiment
***5th Wileński Light Artillery Regiment
***6th Lwowski Light Artillery Regiment
***5th Kresowy Anti-tank Regiment
***5th Kresowy Light Anti-aircraft Regiment
***5th Kresowy Heavy Machine Gun Battalion
***5th Kresowa Sapper (Engineer) Battalion
****4th Kresowa Field Engineer Company
****5th Kresowa Field Engineer Company
****6th Kresowa Field Engineer Company
****5th Kresowa Field Park Company
***5th Kresowy Signals Battalion
****5th Military Police (Provost) Squadron
![Anders w CWWPanc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Anders_w_CWWPanc.jpg)
*2nd Warsaw Armoured Division. CO: Brig.Gen.
Bronisław Rakowski
**Carpathian
Uhlan
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
/Lancer Regiment (Divisional Reconnaissance)
**
2nd Warsaw Armoured Brigade
***4th ‘Skorpion’ Armoured Regiment
***1st Krechowiecki
Uhlan
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
Regiment
***6th ‘Children of Lwów’ Armoured Regiment
***2nd Motorised Independent Polish
Commando
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
Company
**16th Pomorska Infantry Brigade
***64th Pomorski Infantry Battalion
***66th Pomorski Infantry Battalion
***68th Pomorski Infantry Battalion
****16th Pomorski Support Company
**Other divisional units
***HQ Division Artillery
***7th
Horse Artillery
Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support, especially to cavalry units. Horse artillery units existed in armies in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, from the early 17th to t ...
Regiment
***16th Pomorski Light Artillery Regiment
***2nd Anti-tank Regiment
***2nd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment
***2nd Warszawski Signals Battalion
***2nd Warszawski Engineer Battalion
****9th Forward Tank Replacement Squadron
****9th Supply Company
****19th Supply Company
****28th Supply Company
****9th Workshop Company
****16th Workshop Company
****2nd Armoured Division Military Police (Provost) Company
*****9th Field Court
*****343 Anti-malaria Section
![Pantera 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Pantera_1.png)
*14th WIELKOPOLSKA Armoured Brigade
**
15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious num ...
(Previously part of 5th Kresowa Division)
**3rd Śląsk
Uhlan
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
Regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
**10th Hussar Regiment
***14th Forward Tank Replacement Squadron
***14th Wielkopolska Engineer Company
***14th Wielkopolska Signals Squadron
****14th Workshop Company
****14th Supply Company
***14th Military Police (Provost) Squadron
***16th Field Court
![Odznaka 2 KP PSZ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Odznaka_2_KP_PSZ.jpg)
* Headquarters 2nd Corps
**12th Podolski
Uhlan
Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...
Regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
(Headquarters Recce) (Previously part of 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division)
**
7th Armoured Regiment
**7th Anti-tank Regiment
**7th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment
**8th Medium Anti-aircraft Regiment
**
10th Hussar Regiment
**1st Artillery Survey Regiment
**
663 Polish Air Observation Post Squadron
***2nd Corp General Staff Defence Company
*2nd Corps Artillery Group CO: Brig. Gen. LUDWIG ZABKOWSKI
**9th Heavy Artillery Regiment
**10th Medium Artillery Regiment Unit Code 3501
**11th Medium Artillery Regiment
**12th Medium Artillery Regiment
**13th Medium Artillery Regiment
*Other HQ Units
**10th Engineer Battalion
**1st Railway Engineer Battalion
**10th Bridge Engineer Company
**10th Bomb Disposal Platoon
**301 Engineer Company
**306 Engineer Material Park Platoon
**11th Signals Battalion
***11th Radio Platoon
***12th Information Platoon
***385 Signals Company
***386 Signals Platoon
***387 Signals Platoon
***389 Radio Platoon
***104 Cipher Section
***390 Signals Company
***392 Radio Platoon
***Air Traffic Control Platoon
***21st Transport Company
***22nd Transport Company (Artillery Supply Company)
![Wojtek soldier bear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Wojtek_soldier_bear.svg)
****61 Artillery Supply Platoon
****62 Artillery Supply Platoon
****63 Artillery Supply Platoon
****64 Artillery Supply Platoon
****65 Artillery Supply Platoon
***23rd Transport Company
***29th Ambulance Company
***2nd Traffic Control Squadron
***11th Military Police (Provost) Squadron
***12th Military Police (Provost) Squadron
***460 Military Police (Provost) Squadron
****Investigation Platoon
****Dog Handling Platoon
***12th Field Court
***13th Workshop Company
****30th Independent Workshop Platoon
***35th Workshop Company
***12th Geographic Company
****312 Map Store
***316 Transport Company:
Women's Auxiliary Service (Poland)
***317 Transport Company: Women's Auxiliary Service (Poland)
***318 Mobile Canteen/Mobile Library Company: Women's Auxiliary Service (Poland)
***325 Supply Depot
***326 Supply Depot
***327 Supply Depot
![Szostak gratulacje](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Szostak_gratulacje.jpg)
***328 Supply Depot
***331 Field Bakery
***332 Field Bakery
***333 Field Butchery
***334 Fuel Depot
***335 Fire Fighting Team
***336 Stationery Supplies Depot
***31st Sanitary (Medical) Company
***32nd Field Hygiene Platoon
***34th Anti-malaria Section
***Field Chemical-Bacteriological Section
***344 Medical Supplies Depot
***345 Field Surgery Team
***346 Field Surgery Team
***347 Field Surgery Team
***348 Field Surgery Team
***349 Field Blood Transfusion Team
***350 Field Surgery Team
***351 Field Surgery Team
***352 Field Blood Transfusion Team
***370 Material Salvage Depot
***371 Material Salvage Depot
***372 Material Salvage Depot
***375 Field Bath
***375 Field Bath and Laundry
***40 Material Park: Transport Section
***413 Forward Ammunition Depot
***104 Central Field Post Office
****117 Field Post Office
****127 Field Post Office
***55 Mobile Stores Repair Platoon
*2nd Corps Base CO:Gen
Przewlocki
**Guard Battalion A
**Guard Battalion B
**Guard Battalion C
**Guard Battalion D
**1st Military Hospital
**3rd Military Hospital
**3rd Field Hospital (Former 3rd Casualty Clearing Station)
**5th Field Hospital (Former 5th Casualty Clearing Station)
**14th Field Court
***Officer Topographic School
***Officer Cadet Reserve Artillery School
***Officer Cadet Supply & Transport School
***
Armoured Forces Training Centre CO LtCol
Stanislaw Szostak
***''General W. Anders'' Officer Cadet Armoured Cavalry School
*7th Infantry Division Reserve Unit
**17th Infantry Brigade
***21st Infantry Battalion
***22nd Infantry Battalion
***7th Armoured Regiment
***17th Artillery Regiment
****17th Machine Gun Company
****17th Engineer Company
****17th Signals Company
****17th Workshop Company
****17th Engineer Company
****17th Military Police (Provost) Squadron
Battles / Operations
In Italy
1: Defensive Operations on the Sangro Line (31 January - 15 April 1944) (
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section of ...
/
Gustav Line
The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section of ...
)
2: The Battle of Monte Cassino (
Operation Diadem
Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino or, in Canada, the Battle of the Liri Valley, was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies of World War II (U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army) in May 1944, as p ...
)
* Fourth
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
(24 April - 17 May 1944)
*
Capture of Piedmonte
Capture may refer to:
*Asteroid capture, a phenomenon in which an asteroid enters a stable orbit around another body
*Capture, a software for lighting design, documentation and visualisation
*"Capture" a song by Simon Townshend
*Capture (band), an ...
(20–25 May 1944)
3: Operations in Emilian Apennines - (
Operation Olive
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of t ...
/
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...
)
* First
Battle of Ancona
The Battle of Ancona was a battle involving forces from Poland serving as part of the British Army against German forces that took place from 16 June–18 July 1944 during the Italian campaign in World War II. The battle was the result of an Alli ...
(30 June - 9 July 1944)
* Second
Battle of Ancona
The Battle of Ancona was a battle involving forces from Poland serving as part of the British Army against German forces that took place from 16 June–18 July 1944 during the Italian campaign in World War II. The battle was the result of an Alli ...
(17–19 July 1944)
* The Battle of Cesena-Forli (14 August 1944)
* The Battle of Forli (14 November 1944, 24 November 1944)
* The
Three Battles of Faenza (14 November - 17 December 1944)
4: Defence of Senio River (2 January - 5 April 1945)
5: Lombardy Campaign -
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack into the Lombard Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on 6 ...
/
Operation Grapeshot
The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack into the Lombard Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on 6 ...
-
Operation Buckland Operation Buckland or the Battle of the Argenta Gap (12-19 April 1945) was the Eighth Army’s contribution to the Allied Spring Offensive in Italy, and saw them bypass the last series of river defences facing them and break out into the Po plain ...
* Battles between Senio and Santerno Rivers (9 - 12 April 1945)
* Battle of Argenta Gap / Battle for the Gaiana River (16 - 21 April 1945)
* Capture/
Battle of Bologna
The Battle of Bologna was fought in Bologna, Italy from 9–21 April 1945 during the Second World War, as part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy. The Allied forces were victorious, with the Polish II Corps and supporting Allied units capturin ...
(21 April 1945)
* Last Operations of the Polish Corps - Defeat of German Armies South of the River Po (21 April - 2 May 1945).
See also
*
Anders Army
Anders' Army was the informal yet common name of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the 1941–42 period, in recognition of its commander Władysław Anders. The army was created in the Soviet Union but, in March 1942, based on an understandi ...
*
Polish contribution to World War II
In World War Two, the Polish armed forces were the fourth largest Allied forces in Europe, after those of the Soviet Union, United States, and Britain. Poles made substantial contributions to the Allied effort throughout the war, fighting on lan ...
*
Polish government in exile
The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile ( pl, Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Pola ...
*
Polish I Corps
*
Polish First Army
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
*
Władysław Grydziuszko
*
Western betrayal
Western betrayal is the view that the United Kingdom, France, and sometimes the United States failed to meet their legal, diplomatic, military, and moral obligations with respect to the Czechoslovak and Polish states during the prelude to and af ...
*
Polish British
British Poles, alternatively known as Polish British people or Polish Britons, are ethnic Poles who are citizens of the United Kingdom. The term includes people born in the UK who are of Polish descent and Polish-born people who reside in the UK ...
*
Polish Resettlement Corps
The Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC; pl, Polski Korpus Przysposobienia i Rozmieszczenia) was an organisation formed by the British Government in 1946 as a holding unit for members of the Polish Armed Forces who had been serving with the British Arm ...
Notes
References
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* (Article by former pilot of 663 DSA on the 50th anniversary of the unit and continue the tradition of the British 663 Squadron)
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External links
* An Illustrated History of the Polish II Corps. Mieczyslaw Kuczynski. - http://waldemar.x10host.com/dzieje/
The Polish II Corps at Monte Cassino* https://www.polishexilesofww2.org/
* https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2018/12/10/the-polish-ii-corps-in-italy/
* https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/09/12/surging-toward-the-alps-last-battles-of-the-italian-campaign/
* https://www.polishgreatness.com/creationofsecondpolishcorp.html
* Museum of the Polish Second Corps - https://2korpus.pl/en/monte-cassino-ancona-bologna/
* New Zealands Italian Campaign - http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2Ita.html
* Museum of the 2nd Polish Corps in Józefów - https://2korpus.pl/monte-cassino-ankona-bolonia/
Operation Buckland
*http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_buckland_argenta.html
*https://codenames.info/operation/buckland/
Operation Grapeshot
*http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_grapeshot_spring_offensive.html
*https://codenames.info/operation/grapeshot/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ii Corps (Poland)
2
Military units and formations established in 1943
Military units and formations disestablished in 1947