The 30th Polesie Infantry Division (30. Poleska Dywizja Piechoty), was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. It was stationed in Kobryn

Kobryn

Kobryn or Kobrin is a city in the Brest voblast of Belarus and the center of the Kobryn Raion. The city is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus where the Mukhavets River and Dnepr-Bug Canal meet. The city lies about 52 km east of the city of Brest. Kobryn is located at Latitude...

, as well as other towns of the Polesie Voivodeship

Polesie Voivodeship

Polesie Voivodeship was an administrative unit of interwar Poland . It ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland .-Population:...

 - Brzesc nad Bugiem and Pinsk

Pinsk

Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...

. In the Polish September Campaign the Division, under General Leopold Cehak, was part of the Operational Group "Piotrkow" of the Łódź Army.

The 30th was the only Division of the Polish Army, which took its defensive positions near pre-1939 Polish-German border as early as in March 1939. It was carried by trains and placed southwest of Piotrków Trybunalski

Piotrków Trybunalski

Piotrków Trybunalski is a city in central Poland with 80,738 inhabitants . It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , and previously was the capital of Piotrków Voivodeship...

 along the Warta river. Soon before German attack on Poland, it was reinforced with the 41st Company of Tanks. Also, a few hours before the war, the Division was reinforced again, this time by two armored trains - nr. 52 "Baszta" and nr. 53 "Smialy".

Facing the Poles were two German divisions - 18th I.D. and 19th I.D. On September 2, 1939, the Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

 broke through Polish lines and crossed the Warta near Działoszyn, street fights took place in the very town. On the same day in the evening, the Germans organized a general attack, forcing the Poles to withdraw towards its main defence line, along the Widawka

Widawka

Widawka is a river, located in central Poland , a tributary of the Warta. Its length is 95.8 kilometers and its basin's area is 2385 km2....

 river. On September 4 and 5, 30th I.D. repelled attacks of the German XI Corps near Szczerców

Szczerców

Szczerców is a village in Bełchatów County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Szczerców. It lies approximately west of Bełchatów and south-west of the regional capital Łódź....

. However, facing encirclement, it had to withdraw, fighting near Slupia

Slupia

Słupia is a river in north-western Poland, a tributary of the Baltic Sea, with a length of 138 kilometres and the basin area of 1,623 km².Towns:* Słupsk* UstkaSee also: Rivers of Poland, List of rivers of Europe....

. Ordered to get to Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

, it set off on September 10, but despite initial successes, the plan failed. On September 13, remains of the Division entered the fortress of Modlin

Modlin Fortress

Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...

, fighting there until capitulation on September 29.