Karpaty Army
Encyclopedia
Karpaty Army formed on 11 July 1939 under Major General Kazimierz Fabrycy
, was created after Germany
annexed Czechoslovakia
and created a puppet state
of Slovakia
.
The main aim of the army was to secure mountain passes in the Carpathians
from Czorsztyn
to Polish-Romanian border and to protect the Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy industrial region.
From 11 September commanded by general Kazimierz Sosnkowski
(after general Fabrycy was reassigned to command the Polish Southern Front).
The Army took heavy casualties retreating through the San river
and was destroyed during the battle of Lwów
on September 20.
. His chief of staff was colonel Witold Dzierżykraj-Morawski
.
Additionally, mobilisation plans called for creation of the Tarnow Group consisting of:
On 4 September the Army was strengthened by reserve units:
Kazimierz Fabrycy
Kazimierz Fabrycy was a Polish general. Fabrycy was a member of the Polish Legions in World War I, and fought in the Polish Soviet War. He was the Viceminister of military affairs from 1926 to 1934, and commander of several infantry divisions during the interwar period in the Second Polish Republic...
, was created after Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
annexed Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and created a puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
Tasks
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
from Czorsztyn
Czorsztyn
Czorsztyn is a village in Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Nowy Targ County. The village lies in Pieniny, is located in the mountain range on the current Polish-Slovakian border...
to Polish-Romanian border and to protect the Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy industrial region.
Operational history
Initially the army consisted of 2 improvised mountain brigades and a number of smaller units, but later in the course of war (on September 6) was joined by forces of the withdrawing Armia Kraków, and renamed Armia Małopolska.From 11 September commanded by general Kazimierz Sosnkowski
Kazimierz Sosnkowski
Kazimierz Sosnkowski was a Polish independence fighter, politician and Polish Army general.-Life:Sosnkowski served successively as founder and first commander of Związek Walki Czynnej , chief of staff of the 1st Brigade of the Polish Legions, Polish minister of military affairs, vice-president of...
(after general Fabrycy was reassigned to command the Polish Southern Front).
The Army took heavy casualties retreating through the San river
San River
The San is a river in southeastern Poland and western Ukraine, a tributary of the Vistula River, with a length of 433 km and a basin area of 16,861 km2...
and was destroyed during the battle of Lwów
Battle of Lwów (1939)
The Battle of Lwów was a battle for the control over the Polish city of Lwów between the Polish Army and the invading Wehrmacht and the Red Army...
on September 20.
Organization
The Army was commanded by general Kazimierz FabrycyKazimierz Fabrycy
Kazimierz Fabrycy was a Polish general. Fabrycy was a member of the Polish Legions in World War I, and fought in the Polish Soviet War. He was the Viceminister of military affairs from 1926 to 1934, and commander of several infantry divisions during the interwar period in the Second Polish Republic...
. His chief of staff was colonel Witold Dzierżykraj-Morawski
Witold Dzierzykraj-Morawski
Witold Dzierżykraj-Morawski was a Polish military commander, diplomat and a Colonel of the Polish Army.Witold Dzierżykraj-Morawski was born in 1895 in his family's manor in Oporów near Krummensee, Province of Posen, German Empire. At the age of 15 he inherited the manor and the surrounding village...
.
- 2nd Mountain Brigade (2 Brygada Górska)Polish 2nd Mountain Brigade2nd Mountain Brigade was a unit of the Polish Army, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. Commanded by Colonel Aleksander Stawarz, it was part of Operational Group "Jasło" of Army Karpaty. Its purpose was to defend a 80-kilometer section of Polish-Slovakian border, from Czorsztyn to...
- 3rd Mountain Brigade (3 Brygada Górska)Polish 3rd Mountain Brigade3rd Mountain Brigade was a unit of the Polish Army, which took part in the Polish September Campaign in 1939. Commanded by Colonel Jan Stefan Kotowicz, it was part of Operational Group “Slovakia” of Armia Karpaty...
- Carpathian Half-Brigade of National DefenceCarpathian Half-Brigade of National DefenceCarpathian Half-Brigade of National Defence was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period that took part in the Polish September Campaign. It was formed in July of 1937 in Stanisławów. Originally, it consisted of two battalions, but in May of 1939 it was expanded to four battalions. In...
(Karpacka Półbrygada ON) - 1st Regiment of the Border Defence Corps
- 1st Motorized Artillery Regiment
- 9th Heavy Artillery Regiment
Additionally, mobilisation plans called for creation of the Tarnow Group consisting of:
- 22nd Infantry Division
- 38th Infantry DivisionPolish 38th Infantry DivisionThe 38th Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period . It was created by merging several units of the Border Defence Corps, and its purpose was to support activities of Army Kraków and Army Karpaty, which guarded southern border of Poland...
On 4 September the Army was strengthened by reserve units:
- 11th Infantry DivisionPolish 11th Infantry Division11th Carpathian Infantry Division , was a tactical unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which resisted the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Its headquarters were located in Stanisławów, with some regiments stationed in nearby locations, such as Stryi and Kolomyia...
- 24th Infantry Division
- 38th Infantry DivisionPolish 38th Infantry DivisionThe 38th Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period . It was created by merging several units of the Border Defence Corps, and its purpose was to support activities of Army Kraków and Army Karpaty, which guarded southern border of Poland...