Formation The Polish 16th Infantry Division was created on August 16, 1919, during the
Greater Poland Uprising under the name of
4th Pomeranian Rifle Division (). After the uprising it was officially accepted into the Polish Army and took part in the
Polish-Bolshevik War. Commanded by
gen.dyw. Kazimierz Ładoś, the division never reached its planned strength and was dispatched to the front without some of its forces. It was then composed of: • 31st Infantry Brigade (under Col. Mischke) • 32nd Infantry Brigade (65th Infantry Regiment without 1,5 battalion; under Krauss) • 16th Artillery Brigade (understrength) As part of the Polish 4th Army the division took part in the
Kiev offensive. Withdrawn to the area of
Wieprz, it was attached to
Piłsudski's army group to commence the Polish counter-assault during the
battle of Warsaw of 1920. It continued its front-line service during the
battle of the Niemen River, where it advanced along the
Kobryń-
Pińsk railway and highway, and on to the signing of the
Treaty of Riga. Partially demobilized, it retained its geographical description as an unofficial nickname (thus the division is often referred to as
16. Pomorska Dywizja Piechoty).
Inter War Years After the war the division was stationed in its home region of Pomerania. Its regiments were stationed in
Starogard and
Gniew (65th),
Toruń (63rd),
Grudziądz (64th and 16th artillery),
Kościerzyna,
Kartuzy and
Chełmno (66th). During the
May Coup d'État of 1926 the division remained loyal to the government. Prior to the outbreak of
World War II, in June 1939, the division was partially mobilized and, under command of
Col. Stanisław Świtalski, attached to Gen.
Bołtuć's
Operational Group East of the Polish
Pomorze Army. It was then dispatched to the area of
Grudziądz, where it was to shield the approaches towards
Toruń.
World War II After the outbreak of the
Polish Defensive War the division entered in contact with the enemy on the first hours of the conflict. Attacked by the German XXI Corps of the 3rd Army, the division was pushed back to the other side of the Osa river. Suffering from a nervous breakdown, the commanding officer ordered his forces to retreat, but was soon replaced with Col.
Zygmunt Szyszko-Bohusz, until then the deputy commander of the division. The latter prepared the plan of a counter-attack on the flank of the advancing Germans, but the fast pace of their advance cut out the Pomorze Army in two and the attack was called off. After a successful withdrawal through
Włocławek (September 7) and
Toruń, the division took part in the
battle of Bzura. It successfully assaulted the German positions and liberated
Łowicz, the main pivot of the German defences in the area. However, in the effect of conflicting orders from Gen.
Władysław Bortnowski, the division was then withdrawn back to its initial positions on the northern bank of the
Bzura river, and was then ordered to recapture the town again. The task was accomplished, but this time with much higher casualties. After heavy street-to-street fighting, the town was almost completely razed to the ground and the division was reduced to merely a third of its initial strength and had to be withdrawn from combat. The remnants of the division broke through from the battle, but were then surrounded and destroyed in the
battle of the Kampinos Forest of September 19. During
World War II, the traditions of the
16th Pomeranian were inherited by the
Polish 16th Pomeranian Infantry Brigade fighting as part of Gen.
Władysław Anders'
Polish II Corps. After the Soviet take-over of Poland, the division was recreated in
Gdańsk in 1945. It was formed too late to take part in
World War II and instead it served in a variety of roles in the rear.
Post World War II Renamed to 16th
Kashubian Infantry Division, in 1949 it was reformed into an Armoured Division and then The division was re-formed as part of the
People's Army of Poland in July 1945 on the basis of four reserve infantry regiments. Divisional headquarters was established at
Gdansk-Wrzeszcz. Initially, its task was primarily reconstruction in the city and protecting property from theft. In the summer of 1945 the division consisted of headquarters in Gdańsk, the 51st Infantry Regiment at
Malbork, the 55th Infantry Regiment at
Elbląg, the 60th Infantry Regiment at
Gdańsk, the 41st Light Artillery Regiment at Gdańsk, the 20 Independent Motorized Division Artillery, which moved twice before being established at Elbląg, the 47th Sapper Battalion at Gdansk-Wrzeszcz, the 12 Independent Communications Battalion in Gdansk-Wrzeszcz, and several smaller units. Since 1945 the division went through various reorganisations and changes of station. In 1947, it was given its distinctive name "Kashubian". In 1949, 16th Kashubian Infantry Division was reorganised as the 16th Kashubian Tank Division and moved to Elbląg and
Braniewo,
Malbork, and
Tczew, part of the
Pomeranian Military District. In 1952 it was reorganised as the 16th Mechanised Division. In 1955 it became a tank division again and in this form served until 1989, when it was reorganised as a mechanised division once more. From January 11, 2007 to December 31, 2010, the
14th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Poland) was within the structures of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division "King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk". == Organization ==