The 25th Infantry Division (Polish: ''25 Dywizja Piechoty'') was a unit of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

in the

interbellum period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

, created in 1921 with headquarters in

Kalisz Kalisz () is a city in central Poland, and the second-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 97,905 residents (December 2021). It is the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of Gr ...

. It consisted of the following regiments: * 29th Infantry Regiment, stationed in

, * 56th Infantry Regiment, stationed in

Krotoszyn Krotoszyn (, ''Krotoshin'') is a town in west-central Poland with 29,485 inhabitants . It is the seat of Krotoszyn County in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Founded in the late medieval period, Krotoszyn prospered as a regional center of tra ...

, * 60th Infantry Regiment, stationed in

Ostrów Wielkopolski Ostrów Wielkopolski () (often abbreviated ''Ostrów Wlkp.'', formerly called simply ''Ostrów'', , Latin: ''Ostrovia'') is a city in west-central Poland with 70,982 inhabitants (2021), situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostr ...

During the

Polish September Campaign The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet ...

the Division, under General

Franciszek Alter Franciszek Alter (22 November 1889 in Lviv – 23 January 1945 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen) was a Polish general. Career Franciszek Alter began his career as an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army, reaching the rank of captain. He fought in the ...

, was part of the

Poznań Army Army Poznań (), led by Major General Tadeusz Kutrzeba, was one of the Polish Armies during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Tasks Flanked by Armia Pomorze to the north and Łódź Army to the south, the Army was to provide flanking operat ...

. It took part in the border battle, defending Krotoszyn on 1 September 1939. However, parts of the 56th Infantry Regiment were defeated near

Rawicz Rawicz (; ) is a town in west-central Poland with 21,398 inhabitants as of 2004. It is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it was in Leszno Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Rawicz County. History The ...

. For the next days, the Division was in retreat, together with the whole Army. On 8 September it was positioned near

Koło Koło () is a town on the Warta River in central Poland with 23,101 inhabitants (2006). It is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodship and it is the capital of Koło County. History Koło is one of the oldest towns in Poland. It was granted ...

, then it took part in the

Battle of the Bzura The Battle of the Bzura (or the Battle of Kutno) was both the largest battle and Polish counter-attack of the German invasion of Poland and was fought from 9 to 19 September.''The Second World War: An Illustrated History '', Putnam, 1975, Goog ...

, attacking the Germans at

Ozorków Ozorków () is a town on the Bzura River in central Poland, with 19,128 inhabitants (2020). It has been situated in the Łódź Voivodeship (Lodz Province) since 1919. History The city's history dates back to the fifteenth century. In 1415 a sma ...

and

Łęczyca Łęczyca (; in full the Royal Town of Łęczyca, ; ; ) is a town of inhabitants in central Poland. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the county seat of the Łęczyca County. Łęczyca is a capital of the historical Łęczyca Land. Or ...

. In the evening of 9 September the division managed to recapture Łęczyca, but a few days later it was ordered to retreat. On 17 September the unit forced its way into the Kampinos Wilderness, where it soon afterwards engaged in bloody skirmishes. After 20 September the remnants of the Division reached Warsaw, taking part in the defence of the city.

References

{{Authority control 25th 25th

See also

References