Not to be confused with 5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Poland)

5th Kresowa Infantry Division (Poland)

The Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division was an Polish Armed Forces in the West unit fighting during World War II in the Italian Front. It was formed in March 1943...

.

5th Lwów Infantry Division (Polish: 5 Lwowska Dywizja Piechoty) was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, with headquarters stationed in Lwów. It was created on May 20, 1919, during the Polish-Ukrainian War

Polish-Ukrainian War

The Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.-Background:...

 in Eastern Galicia. Originally, it consisted of three infantry regiments, but later it was strengthened with additional two. During Polish September Campaign it was commanded by General Juliusz Zulauf

Juliusz Zulauf

Juliusz Zulauf was a Polish Army major general . A recipient of the Virtuti Militari, he fought with distinction during World War I, the Polish-Ukrainian War, the Polish-Soviet War, and the 1939 invasion of Poland.Juliusz Zulauf was born in Lwów, then the capital of Austro-Hungarian Galicia...

. The Division consisted of these regiments:

• 19th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Lwów and Brzeżany
• 26th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Grodek Jagiellonski
• 38th Lwów Rifles Infantry Regiment, stationed in Przemyśl
  Przemysl
  Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
  
  
• 39th Lwów Rifles Infantry Regiment, stationed in Jarosław
• 40th Children of Lwów Infantry Regiment, stationed in Lwów

Polish September Campaign

The division, without the 19th Infantry Regiment (which had been transferred to the Pomorze Army

Pomorze Army

The Pomeranian Army was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. It was officially created on March 23, 1939. Led by Gen.dyw...

), was in early September 1939 transported to the area of the fortress of Modlin

Modlin Fortress

Modlin Fortress is one of the biggest 19th century fortresses in Poland. It is located the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, some 50 kilometres north of Warsaw...

. This part of Poland was regarded as crucial in Polish defensive plans, because of the Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

's advance towards Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

 from Eastern Prussia. The Division was ordered to hold such locations as Zegrze

Zegrze

Zegrze is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Serock, within Legionowo County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Serock, north-east of Legionowo, and north of Warsaw....

, suburbs of Modlin and the line of the Narew

Narew

The Narew River , in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a left tributary of the Vistula river...

 river.

First contact with the enemy took place in the night of September 11-12, when the Germans began crossing the Narew between Zegrze and Serock

Serock

Serock is a town at the north bank of the Zegrze lake in the Legionowo County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,616 inhabitants ....

. Polish troops were trying to halt the Wehrmacht, but without success. On September 13, the enemy crossed the Narew near the village of Debe and quickly advanced towards Warsaw. Soon afterwards, the Division was destroyed and its remnants withdrew to the Polish capital.

Operation Tempest

In the first half of 1944 the 5th I.D. was recreated as the 5th "Children of Lwów" Infantry Division of the Home Army. Commanded by Colonel Stefan Czerwinski, it took part in the Operation Tempest

Operation Tempest

Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....

in the area of Lwów. Together with the 14th Uhlan Regiment of the Home Army, the Division (numbered at around 3000) engaged in street fighting in Lwów (July 23-26, 1944).