Poland is Still Free
A Guide to the Polish Army
1940-1945

Eastern Front 1944-45

by Greg Novak

As the Soviet Army rolled across Poland, the liberated Poles found themselves serving in the reformed Polish Army. Organization and equipment was per the Soviet model, though Polish Divisions had a much higher strength than their Soviet counterparts. The following listing is not complete, but is intended to show some of the Polish formations that served in 1944-45. If the organization is not given, use that for a Soviet unit of the same type.

1st Army


All units Regular, Morale: 8 unless otherwise noted

1st (Kosciuszko) Infantry Division


Veteran, Morale: 9

Divisional Headquarters Troops, with:

    Divisional Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 car
      1 command infantry stand
      1 light truck

    Headquarters Company, with:

      1 Quad AAMG truck
      1 recon cavalry SMG stand
      1 light truck with towed field kitchen
      1 support stand

    Military Police Platoon, with: 2 motorcycle MP stands

    Signal Company, with:

      1 staff radio truck
      1 command stand
      1 car
      1 medium repair truck with trailer
      1 support stand
      2 lineman patrols
      1 telephone repair wagon
      1 support stand

Divisional Maintenance Company, with:

    1 command stand
    1 car
    1 medium parts truck with trailer
    1 support stand
    1 wrecker
    1 light truck

Divisional Supply Company, with:

    1 mounted command stand
    2 support stands
    6 supply wagons
    3 medium supply trucks with trailers

Divisional Recon Company, with: 3 recon cavalry SMG stands

Divisional Engineer Battalion, with:

    Headquarters and Service Company, with:
      1 command engineer stand
      1 engineer supply wagon
      1 baggage wagon

    3 Line Companies, each with: 3 engineer stands

3 Rifle Regiments, each with: (1st, 2nd, 3rd Infantry Regiment)

    Regimental Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 command infantry stand
      1 engineer stand
      1 recon cavalry SMG stand
      1 baggage wagon
      1 horse-drawn field kitchen

    Supply Company, with:

      1 ammo supply wagon
      1 support stand
      1 general supply wagon

    Regimental Gun Company, with:

      1 gun crew (ds)
      1 76L16 infantry gun
      1 limber

    Antitank Gun Company, with:

      1 gun crew
      1 45L46 AT gun
      1 limber

    Regimental Mortar Company, with:

      1 gun crew (ds)
      1 120mm mortar
      1 medium truck

    Regimental Antitank Rifle Company, with: 3 PTRD AT rifle stands

    Regimental SMG Company, with: 3 SMG stands

    3 Infantry Battalions, each with:

      Battalion Headquarters, with:
        1 command stand
        1 command infantry stand
        1 PTRD AT rifle stand
        1 HMG stand (ds)
        1 gun crew stand
        145L46 AT gun 1 limber

      3 Infantry Companies, each with: 3 infantry stands

      >Machinegun Company, with: 3 MMG stands

      Mortar Company, with: 1 82mm mortar stand (ds)

1st Light Artillery Regiment, with:

    Regimental Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 car

    3 Field Artillery Battalions, each with:

      Headquarters, with:
        1 command/FO stand
        1 staff telephone wagon
        1 support stand
        1 baggage wagon
        1 horse-drawn field kitchen

      Supply Column, with:

        2 ammo wagons
        1 mounted command stand
        1 support stand
        1 general supply wagon

      3 Gun Batteries, each with:

        1 gun crew (ds)
        1 76L39 field gun
        1 limber
        1 support stand

Divisional AT Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 car
      1 light ammo truck
      1 medium baggage truck 1 support stand

    3 Batteries, each with:

      1 gun crew
      1 457L73 AT gun
      1 light truck

    Antitank Rifle Company, with:

      2 PTRD AT rifle stands
      1 medium truck

The following formations use the same TO&E listed above:

2nd Infantry Division
4th Infantry Regiment
5th Infantry Regiment
6th Infantry Regiment
2nd Light Artillery Regiment

3rd Infantry Division
7th Infantry Regiment
8th Infantry Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
3rd Light Artillery Regiment

4th Infantry Division
10th Infantry Regiment
11th Infantry Regiment
12th Infantry Regiment
4th Light Artillery Regiment

6th Infantry Division
16th Infantry Regiment
17th Infantry Regiment
18th Infantry Regiment
6th Light Artillery Regiment

1st (Heroes of Westerplatte) Armored Brigade
Veteran, Morale: 9

    Brigade Headquarters, with:
      1 command BA-64 armored car
      1 recon motorcycle stand
      1 staff radio halftrack
      1 engineer stand
      1 halftrack
      1 medium baggage truck with field kitchen
      1 support stand

    Technical Supply Company, with:

      1 medium ammo truck with trailer
      1 heavy recovery tractor
      1 medium fuel truck with trailer
      1 support stand
      1 medium general supply truck with trailer

    Brigade AAA Battery, with:

      2 AAMG stands 2 light trucks

    Brigade Antitank Battery, with:

      1 gun crew (ds)
      1 76L9 field gun
      1 heavy tractor

    3 Tank Battalions, with:

      1 command T-34/43 tank
      3 T-34/43 tanks

    Motorized Rifle Battalion, with:

      Battalion Headquarters, with:
        1 command infantry stand
        1 light truck
        1 recon BA-32 armored car

      2 Rifle Companies, each with:

        2 infantry stands
        1 medium truck

      Antitank Company, with:

        2 PTRS ATR stands
        1 medium truck

      Tank Desant Company, with: 2 SMG stands

      Mortar Company, with:

        1 82mm mortar stand (ds)
        1 medium truck

Army Troops

13th Tank Destroyer Regiment (Su-85s)

4th Heavy Tank Regiment (IS-2m)

13th Armored Artillery Regiment (SU-76s)

2nd Howitzer Brigade

1st Mortar Brigade

    5th Mortar Regiment 8th Mortar Regiment 11th Mortar Regiment

25th SP Artillery Regiment (ISU-152s)

1st Independent Cavalry Brigade

    Brigade Headquarters, with:
      1 mounted command stand 1 command cavalry SMG stand 1 staff telephone wagon 1 recon SMG cavalry stand 1 mounted engineer stand 1 baggage wagon 1 horse-drawn field kitchen

    Supply Company, with:

      1 ammo supply wagon 1 mounted support stand 1 general supply wagon

    Brigade Gun Battery, with:

      1 gun crew (ds) 1 76L16 infantry gun 1 limber

    Antitank Battery, with:

      1 gun crew 145L46 AT gun 1 limber 2 mounted PTRD AT rifle stands

    Antiaircraft Battery, with: 1 HMG stand (ds) 1 wagon

    Mortar Battery, with:

      2 82m mortar stands (ds) 2 wagons

    3 Cavalry Regiments, each with:

      Regimental Headquarters, with: 1 command cavalry SMG stand
      Machinegun Squadron, with: 1 MMG cart
      3 Squadrons, each with: 2 cavalry SMG stands

2nd Army


All units Regular, Morale: 8 unless otherwise noted TO&E as above

5th Infantry Division

    13rd Infantry Regiment
    14th Infantry Regiment
    15th Infantry Regiment
    5th Light Artillery Regiment

7th Infantry Division

    19th Infantry Regiment
    20th Infantry Regiment
    21st Infantry Regiment
    7th Light Artillery Regiment

8th Infantry Division

    22nd Infantry Regiment
    23rd Infantry Regiment
    24th Infantry Regiment
    8th Light Artillery Regiment

9th Infantry Division

    25th Infantry Regiment
    26th Infantry Regiment
    27th Infantry Regiment
    9th Light Artillery Regiment

10th Infantry Division

    28th Infantry Regiment
    29th Infantry Regiment
    30th Infantry Regiment
    10th Light Artillery Regiment

1st Armored Corps

    16th Armored Brigade as 1st Armored Brigade

24th AT Regiment (Su-85)

26th AA Regiment (37mm AA)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Poles in the Battle of Narvik, Wltod Bleganski, Interpress Publishers, Warsaw, 1969.
Poles in the Battle of Western Europe, Wltod Bleganski, Interpress Publishers, Warsaw, 1969.
Poles in the Battle of Berlin, Stanislaw Komornicki, Military Historical Institute, Warsaw.
Poles in the Italian Campaign, Olglerd Terlecki, Interpress Publishers, Warsaw, 1972.
Six Armies In Normandy, John Keegan. Polish Armour, 1939-1945, Vanguard #30.
The Polish Army 1939-1945, Osprey #117.
Les Grandes Unites Francaises, Volume 3. Historoques Succincts.

Poland is Still Free A Guide to the Polish Army 1940-1945

Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly # 6
To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1994 by Greg Novak.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com