| 27th Infantry Division 27 Dywizja Piechoty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1920–1939 |
| Country | Poland |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Part of | Pomeranian Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Kowel |
| Engagements | Polish September Campaign |
The27 Infantry Division (Polish:27 Dywizja Piechoty), was a unit of thePolish Army in theinter-war period. It was created on 18 October 1920, as a result of reorganization of the Army, from units of the 2nd I.D., 3rd I.D., and 13th I.D. Its headquarters were located inKowel, with units stationed in otherVolhynian towns, such asLutsk,Sarny andWlodzimierz Wolynski. The Division's first commandant was General Gustaw Kuchinka.
The Division, under GeneralJuliusz Drapella, was mobilized between 14 and 16 August 1939. In the following days it was transported by rail to the area ofBydgoszcz andInowrocław, and finally, by 27 August, it was placed southwest ofStarogard Gdański, as part of thePomorze Army.[1]
On 1 September 1939 (see:Polish September Campaign) the Division was ordered to march towardsToruń. The next day it engaged in heavy fights with the advancingWehrmacht. On the third day of the war, it was cut off from the Pomorze Army after bloody fights aroundTerespol Pomorski andŚwiecie. The Germans managed to destroy the bulk of the unit in a battle waged in forests aroundWierzchucin. Remaining parts of the Division managed to reach Bydgoszcz and later Toruń. There, the Division was moved to the rear to reorganize and recuperate.[citation needed]
On 6 September, the Division, renamed intoOperational Group of General Drapella and strengthened by reserve units including the 208th Infantry Regiment from Inowrocław and National Defence BattalionStarogard, was ordered to defend Toruń from west. The next day, it began a retreat towardsWarsaw, covering the main forces of the Pomorze Army. During the following days, it helped Polish units fighting in theBattle of the Bzura, engaging the Wehrmacht aroundSolec Kujawski (7–8 September),Włocławek andBrześć Kujawski (9–12 September). Withdrawing towards southeast, it attacked a German outpost nearPłock, but without success.[citation needed]
On 16 September, the Group was ordered to march towardsGąbin, but was attacked by theLuftwaffe and German ground forces and destroyed. Separate smaller groups of soldiers managed to break to the besiegedfortress of Modlin. Other survivors made it to Warsaw.[citation needed]
Around 19 September, a member of the Division wrapped and buried the Division's flag to prevent its capture by German forces. The flag was discovered in September 1959 and was put on display in thePolish Army Museum.[citation needed]
In early 1944, the Division was recreated asPolish 27th Home Army Infantry Division and it was the biggest partisan unit in Central Europe with 7,300 soldiers.[citation needed]