Polish 22nd Mountain Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 22nd Mountain Infantry Division was a pre-war unit of the Polish Army. It was one of two mountain infantry divisions of Poland to take part in the Polish Defensive War
of 1939. Currently its traditions are continued by the 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade. Until 1939 the unit was commanded by Col. Leopold Engel-Ragis and was stationed in and around the towns of Sanok
, Przemyśl
and Sambor
.
Along with 11th Infantry
and 21st Mountain Infantry Divisions
, the 22nd was notable for its distinctive uniforms, based on folk attire of the Górale
(Polish highlanders) rather than standard uniforms of the Polish Army. During the Polish Defensive War, the division was attached to the Prusy Army
. Overrun by the Germans, the Regiments fought separately in the ranks of other units.
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939. Currently its traditions are continued by the 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade. Until 1939 the unit was commanded by Col. Leopold Engel-Ragis and was stationed in and around the towns of Sanok
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
, Przemyśl
Przemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
and Sambor
Sambor
Sambor - is a Slavic name, consists of words: "sam" - alone, and "bor" - war, fight, warrior, and may refer to:-People:* Sambor, a prince of Rugia * Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania * Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania -Places:...
.
Along with 11th Infantry
Polish 11th Infantry Division
11th Carpathian Infantry Division , was a tactical unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which resisted the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Its headquarters were located in Stanisławów, with some regiments stationed in nearby locations, such as Stryi and Kolomyia...
and 21st Mountain Infantry Divisions
Polish 21st Mountain Infantry Division
The 21st Mountain Infantry Division was a pre-war unit of the Polish Army. It was one of two mountain infantry divisions of Poland to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. Currently its traditions are continued by Polish 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade. Until 1939 the unit was commanded by...
, the 22nd was notable for its distinctive uniforms, based on folk attire of the Górale
Górale
Górale may refer to:*Gorals, a group of people indigenous to Polish, Czech and Slovak mountain areas*Górale, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Górale, Łódź Voivodeship...
(Polish highlanders) rather than standard uniforms of the Polish Army. During the Polish Defensive War, the division was attached to the Prusy Army
Prusy Army
The Prusy Army was one of the Polish armies to fight during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Created in the summer of 1939 as the main reserve of the Commander in Chief, it was commanded by Gen. Stefan Dąb-Biernacki. One of the meanings of Prusy in Polish is Prussia, but this name only served as a...
. Overrun by the Germans, the Regiments fought separately in the ranks of other units.
OOB
Regiment | Sub-unit | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
22nd Mountain Infantry Division Engel-Ragis |
||||
2nd Podhale Rifles Regiment Szlaszewski Stefan Szlaszewski Stefan Szlaszewski was a Polish military officer and a notable commander of mountain troops of the Polish Army in the period preceding the World War II. Serving in the rank of Colonel, among other posts, he was the commanding officer of the Polish 2nd Podhale Rifles Regiment in Sanok, a... |
Sanok Sanok Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province... |
|||
5th Podhale Rifles Regiment Żółkiewski |
Przemyśl Przemysl Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship.... |
|||
6th Podhale Rifles Regiment Dobrzański |
Sambor Sambor Sambor - is a Slavic name, consists of words: "sam" - alone, and "bor" - war, fight, warrior, and may refer to:-People:* Sambor, a prince of Rugia * Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania * Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania -Places:... |
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22nd Light Artillery Regiment Surman |
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22nd Battalion of Heavy Artillery Krzyżyński |
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22nd Battalion of Engineers Morek |
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22nd Motorized AA Artillery Battery Makarczyk |
4 x 40 mm wz.37 Bofors Bofors 40 mm gun The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence... AA guns |
|||
squadron of organic Organic (military) In military terminology, organic refers to a military unit that is a permanent part of a larger unit and provides some specialized capability to that parent unit... cavalry Polish cavalry The Polish cavalry can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted knights. Poland had always been a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment... Jakóbiak |
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Smaller units | Staff company, taczanka HMG company, signals company, bicycle company |
See also
- Podhale riflesPodhale riflesPodhale Rifles is the traditional name of the mountain infantry units of the Polish Army. Formed in 1918 out of volunteers of the region of Podhale, in 1919 the smaller detachments of Podhale Rifles were pressed into two mountain infantry divisions, the 21st Mountain Infantry and 22nd Mountain...
- Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz
- Polish army order of battle in 1939Polish army order of battle in 1939Polish OOB during the Invasion of Poland. In the late thirties Polish headquarters prepared "Plan Zachód" , a plan of mobilization of Polish Army in case of war with Germany...
- Polish contribution to WWII