The 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade (Polish: ''1 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna'') is a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
B ...
of the
Polish Armed Forces, based 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 ...
.
History
Polish 1st Armoured Brigade "
defenders of Westerplatte" ( pl, 1 Brygada Pancerna im. Bohaterów Westerplatte) or Polish 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade (Polish: ''1 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna'') was a military unit in the
Ludowe Wojsko Polskie
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 ...
. It was formed on August 19, 1943, from a regiment (pułk) of the same name.
The unit fought at the
Battle of Lenino
The Battle of Lenino was a tactical World War II engagement that took place on 12 and 13 October 1943, north of the village of Lenino in the Mogilev region of Byelorussia. The battle itself was a part of a larger Soviet Spas-Demensk offensi ...
(September 1943) and at the
Battle of Studzianki during the
Lublin-Brest Offensive (
Magnuszew bridgeheads in August 1944).
[''The Polish Army 1939-45'' By Steven J. Zaloga, Richard Hook, Osprey Publishingbr>]
/ref> From mid-August it was subordinate to the First Polish Army (1944-1945), Polish First Army. Later the unit fought in the East Pomeranian Offensive.
In January 1945 it received another honorary name, ''Warszawska'' (of Warsaw). In July and August 1945 fought against Polish anti-Communist guerrilla. In January 1946 it was downsized to regiment (becoming 1st Warsaw Tank Regiment), and from June it was stationed in the Modlin area.
The modern version of the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade was formed in 1994 and was subordinated to the 16th Pomeranian Mechanised Division. On August 29, 2019, the brigade was transferred under the command of the newly formed 18th "Żelazna" Mechanised Division, which is intended to help safeguard Poland's eastern border.
Structure
* The 1st ''Warsaw'' Armoured Brigade ''" Tadeusz Kościuszko"'' is headquartered in Wesoła and structured as follows:
** Command Battalion in Wesoła
** Tank Battalion in Wesoła with Leopard 2A5 main battle tank
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...
s
** 1st Mechanised Battalion in Chełm
Chełm (; uk, Холм, Kholm; german: Cholm; yi, כעלם, Khelm) is a city in southeastern Poland with 60,231 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is located to the south-east of Lublin, north of Zamość and south of Biała Podlaska, some ...
with BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles
** 3rd Mechanised Battalion in Zamość
Zamość (; yi, זאמאשטש, Zamoshtsh; la, Zamoscia) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021.
...
with BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles
** Self-propelled Artillery Group in Chełm with 2S1 Gvozdika
The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (russian: link=no, 2С1 «Гвоздика», " Carnation") is a Soviet self-propelled howitzer based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mounting a 122 mm 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative ...
122mm self-propelled howitzers
** Anti-aircraft Group in Siedlce with ZUR-23-2 kg "Jodek-G" anti-aircraft systems and Grom
Grom may refer to:
Military
* JW GROM, a Polish special forces unit
* ORP ''Grom'', several ships of the Polish Navy
* Grom (missile), a Polish anti-aircraft missile
* A Yugoslav/Serbian version of the Kh-23 (AS-9 'Kyle') air-to-surface missi ...
surface-to-air missiles
** Reconnaissance Company in Siedlce with BRDM-2
The BRDM-2 (''Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina'', Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle") is an amphibious armoured scout car used by states that we ...
vehicles
** Engineer Company in Siedlce
** Logistic Battalion in Wesoła
Popular culture
The Polish TV series Czterej pancerni i pies (Four tank men and a dog) featured the adventures of a tank crew from this brigade.
References
External link
{{Authority control
Armoured brigades of Poland
Military units and formations established in 1943
Military units and formations of Poland in World War II