Wincenty Kowalski
Encyclopedia
Wincenty Kowalski was a Polish
military commander and a general of the Polish Army. A veteran of both the World War I
and World War II
, he fought in all the inter-war conflicts of Poland. During the Polish Defensive War
of 1939 he commanded the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
.
, to a family of humble workers. After graduating from a lyceum of Stanisław Konarski, he joined the high school of Hipolit Wawelberg, the only institution of higher education in Warsaw to allow Polish language
(though not openly). Afterwards he moved to Liège in Belgium
, where he graduated from the Machinery Building faculty of the Polytechnical Institute
. During that time he joined the Związek Walki Czynnej
, a secret Polish anti-tsarist organization preparing the cadres for a future anti-Russian uprising aimed at liberation of Poland. He was also a member and a tutor of the Związek Strzelecki
(ZS). Drafted into the Russian Army
, between 1912 and 1913 he studied at the Officers' School of Artillery in Smolensk
. After that he moved to Austro-Hungarian
Galicia, where he settled in Kraków
. There he continued his military training at the NCO and officers' school of the ZS.
After the outbreak of the Great War
, in August 1914 he joined the Polish Legions
. Initially a member of the legendary 1st Cadre Company, with time he became a battalion commander within the 1st Legions Infantry Regiment. After the Oath Crisis
of 1917 he was interned in Beniaminów
, along with most of the Legionaries with official Russian citizenship. In November 1918, after Poland regained her independence, he joined the newly-formed Polish Army and was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant
. As one of the first experienced officers to join the army, he was immediately dispatched to Lwów, where he took part in the battle for that city
and the Polish-Ukrainian War
. He also fought with distinction in the Polish-Bolshevik War, for which he was promoted to the rank of Captain (in 1919) and then Major
(1920).
After the Peace of Riga
he remained in active service. Initially both a tutor and a student at the Centre for Infantry Training in Rembertów
, with time he became one of the professors of the Warsaw
-based Higher War School. After finishing his studies he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
in 1922 and then to Colonel
in 1928. After that he returned to active service in line units and served in a number of detachments based in Wilno and Modlin
, among them the Wilno Fortified Camp (since 1932). Between 1937 and 1938 he served as the commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division
and then the garrison
of the Modlin Fortress
. As one of the more skilled Polish officers of the time, on March 19, 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General
and became the commander of both the prestigious Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
and the Wyszków
Operational Group
formed around it.
After the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War
of 1939, during the opening stages of World War II
, Kowalski proved to be one of the most successful commanding officers in the Polish Army at that time. The units under his command entered in contact with the enemy on September 4, in the forests around Długosiodło to the north of Warsaw. Delaying the German forces in a number of skirmishes and battles along the Narew
and near Różan
, Kowalski's units managed to retain most of their combat readiness. After the battle for Pułtusk, on September 7, the Poles were outnumbered 3:1 and ordered to retreat southwards. On the road Gen. Kowalski managed not only to withdraw most of his forces, but also to rally the defeated forces of Modlin Army
and Independent Operational Group Narew
crowded near the bridge in Wyszków
. Thanks to Kowalski's actions, overnight 2 divisions and (33rd Infantry and 41st Infantry), as well as the Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade
were not only rallied but also safely transported to the other side of the Bug River
.
Kowalski then withdrew with his forces to the area between Wyszków and Kamieńczyk, and organized a successful defence of the line there. After repelling a German assault on Brańszczyk, his forces started to slowly move southwards while performing delaying actions and keeping the combat readiness almost intact. After the German forces seized the town of Kałuszyn thus cutting out Kowalski's men from the safe passage towards the Romanian Bridgehead
, on September 13 the division broke through enemy lines and retook the city in what became known as the battle of Kałuszyn. Despite heavy losses on the Polish side, Wincenty Kowalski managed to yet again rally a large part of his forces and continued his move towards Włodawa, Lublin
and Lwów. Near Chełm, on September 18 and 19th Kowalski's division (then reduced to merely a regiment after two weeks of constant fights against numerically and technically superior enemy) was reorganized and reinforced with an improvised detachment under Stanisław Tatar. From there the division proceeded towards Tomaszów Lubelski
. After a successful break through German panzers on September 21 and the German 8th Infantry Division in the battle of Falków the following day, the division arrived to the battlefield of the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski
. Outnumbered, lacking artillery, supplies, food and reduced to not more than a regiment, the division's assault on Tarnawatka was stopped on September 23 and wounded General Kowalski was taken prisoner of war
by the Germans.
After half a year in a prison hospital, in early 1940 Kowalski was transported to Oflag VII-A Murnau
POW camp, where he spent the entire war. Liberated by the forces of USA on April 30, 1945, Kowalski joined the Polish Army in the West. Demobilized in May 1946, he settled in London
and then moved to New York
. There he took active part in a variety of Polish organizations of the local Polish diaspora
. Among his most notable deeds was organization of a funeral of Jan Lechoń
, one of the most renown Polish poets to die in exile. He was also the head of the Association of Polish Combatants, the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America (http://www.pilsudski.org/) and the head of the Polish Brotherly Help, a non-profit venture aimed at helping the Polish political emigrants living in the United States. He died suddenly on November 29, 1984 in River Forest
. Following his last will
, on September 6, 1986 his ashes were buried at Kałuszyn war cemetery, among the fallen men of his division.
|year=1991 |isbn= |postscript= }}
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
military commander and a general of the Polish Army. A veteran of both the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he fought in all the inter-war conflicts of Poland. During the Polish Defensive War
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939 he commanded the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.As one of the most...
.
Biography
Wincenty Kowalski was born September 11, 1892 in WarsawWarsaw
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...
, to a family of humble workers. After graduating from a lyceum of Stanisław Konarski, he joined the high school of Hipolit Wawelberg, the only institution of higher education in Warsaw to allow Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
(though not openly). Afterwards he moved to Liège in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, where he graduated from the Machinery Building faculty of the Polytechnical Institute
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
. During that time he joined the Związek Walki Czynnej
Zwiazek Walki Czynnej
Związek Walki Czynnej was a Polish secret military organization founded in 1908 by Józef Piłsudski, Marian Kukiel, Kazimierz Sosnkowski and Władysław Sikorski, all members of the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party's Revolutionary...
, a secret Polish anti-tsarist organization preparing the cadres for a future anti-Russian uprising aimed at liberation of Poland. He was also a member and a tutor of the Związek Strzelecki
Zwiazek Strzelecki
Związek Strzelecki "Strzelec" was a Polish paramilitary cultural and educational organization created in 1910 in Lwów as a legal front of Związek Walki Czynnej, and revived in Poland in 1991....
(ZS). Drafted into the Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
, between 1912 and 1913 he studied at the Officers' School of Artillery in Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. After that he moved to Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
Galicia, where he settled in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. There he continued his military training at the NCO and officers' school of the ZS.
After the outbreak of the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, in August 1914 he joined the Polish Legions
Polish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
. Initially a member of the legendary 1st Cadre Company, with time he became a battalion commander within the 1st Legions Infantry Regiment. After the Oath Crisis
Oath crisis
The Oath crisis was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions.Initially supporting the Central Powers against Imperial Russia, Piłsudski wanted to defeat one of the partitioning powers with the hands of the two remaining...
of 1917 he was interned in Beniaminów
Beniaminów
Beniaminów is a village in Poland. It has approximately 190 inhabitants and is located in the Masovian Voivodship, east of Warsaw, between Legionowo and Nieporęt.Within the village are remnants of a 19th-century fort....
, along with most of the Legionaries with official Russian citizenship. In November 1918, after Poland regained her independence, he joined the newly-formed Polish Army and was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
. As one of the first experienced officers to join the army, he was immediately dispatched to Lwów, where he took part in the battle for that city
Battle of Lwów (1918)
Battle of Lviv begun on 1 November 1918 and lasted till May 1919 and was a six months long conflict between the forces of the West Ukrainian People's Republic and local Polish civilian population assisted later by regular Polish Army forces for the control...
and 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:...
. He also fought with distinction in the Polish-Bolshevik War, for which he was promoted to the rank of Captain (in 1919) and then Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(1920).
After the Peace of Riga
Peace of Riga
The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga; was signed in Riga on 18 March 1921, between Poland, Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine. The treaty ended the Polish-Soviet War....
he remained in active service. Initially both a tutor and a student at the Centre for Infantry Training in Rembertów
Rembertów
Rembertów is a district of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Between 1939 and 1957 Rembertów was a separate town, after which it was incorporated as part of the borough of Praga Południe. Between 1994 and 2002 it formed a separate commune of Warszawa-Rembertów...
, with time he became one of the professors of the 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...
-based Higher War School. After finishing his studies he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1922 and then to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1928. After that he returned to active service in line units and served in a number of detachments based in Wilno and 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...
, among them the Wilno Fortified Camp (since 1932). Between 1937 and 1938 he served as the commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division
Polish 8th Infantry Division
The 8th Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army. It was active in the Polish-Bolshevik War, as well as during the Invasion of Poland in 1939...
and then the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
of the Modlin Fortress
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...
. As one of the more skilled Polish officers of the time, on March 19, 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and became the commander of both the prestigious Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.As one of the most...
and the Wyszków
Wyszków
Wyszków is a town in northeastern Poland with 26,500 inhabitants . It is the capital of Wyszków County . Wyszków is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Warsaw Voivodeship and Ostrołęka Voivodeship .-Description:The village of Wyszków was first documented in 1203. The town...
Operational Group
Operational Group
Operational Group was the highest level of tactical division of the Polish Army before and during World War II and the Invasion of Poland. It was corps-sized, although various Operational Groups varied in size....
formed around it.
After the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939, during the opening stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kowalski proved to be one of the most successful commanding officers in the Polish Army at that time. The units under his command entered in contact with the enemy on September 4, in the forests around Długosiodło to the north of Warsaw. Delaying the German forces in a number of skirmishes and battles along the Narew
Narew
The Narew River , in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a left tributary of the Vistula river...
and near Różan
Rózan
Różan is a town in Mazovian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around . Narew River flows through the town....
, Kowalski's units managed to retain most of their combat readiness. After the battle for Pułtusk, on September 7, the Poles were outnumbered 3:1 and ordered to retreat southwards. On the road Gen. Kowalski managed not only to withdraw most of his forces, but also to rally the defeated forces of Modlin Army
Modlin Army
Modlin Army was one of the Polish armies that took part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. After heavy casualties in the battle of Mława , the Army was forced to abandon its positions near Warsaw around September 10; eventually it took part in the battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki and surrendered...
and Independent Operational Group Narew
Independent Operational Group Narew
Independent Operational Group Narew was one of the Polish Army Corps that defended Poland during the Invasion of Poland in 1939...
crowded near the bridge in Wyszków
Wyszków
Wyszków is a town in northeastern Poland with 26,500 inhabitants . It is the capital of Wyszków County . Wyszków is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Warsaw Voivodeship and Ostrołęka Voivodeship .-Description:The village of Wyszków was first documented in 1203. The town...
. Thanks to Kowalski's actions, overnight 2 divisions and (33rd Infantry and 41st Infantry), as well as the Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade
Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade
Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. It was created on April 1, 1937, out of former 1st Cavalry Brigade...
were not only rallied but also safely transported to the other side of the Bug River
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
.
Kowalski then withdrew with his forces to the area between Wyszków and Kamieńczyk, and organized a successful defence of the line there. After repelling a German assault on Brańszczyk, his forces started to slowly move southwards while performing delaying actions and keeping the combat readiness almost intact. After the German forces seized the town of Kałuszyn thus cutting out Kowalski's men from the safe passage towards the Romanian Bridgehead
Romanian Bridgehead
The Romanian Bridgehead was an area in southeastern Poland, now located in Ukraine. During the Polish Defensive War of 1939 , on September 14 the Polish Commander in Chief Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz-Śmigły ordered all Polish troops fighting east of the Vistula to withdraw towards Lwów, and...
, on September 13 the division broke through enemy lines and retook the city in what became known as the battle of Kałuszyn. Despite heavy losses on the Polish side, Wincenty Kowalski managed to yet again rally a large part of his forces and continued his move towards Włodawa, Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
and Lwów. Near Chełm, on September 18 and 19th Kowalski's division (then reduced to merely a regiment after two weeks of constant fights against numerically and technically superior enemy) was reorganized and reinforced with an improvised detachment under Stanisław Tatar. From there the division proceeded towards Tomaszów Lubelski
Tomaszów Lubelski
Tomaszów Lubelski is a town in south-eastern Poland with 20,261 inhabitants . Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship , previously in Zamość Voivodeship . It is the capital of Tomaszów Lubelski County.-History:...
. After a successful break through German panzers on September 21 and the German 8th Infantry Division in the battle of Falków the following day, the division arrived to the battlefield of the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski
Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski
Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 17 September to 26 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. It was the second largest battle of the Invasion of Poland and also the largest tank battle of the campaign. It resulted in the destruction of the Polish forces...
. Outnumbered, lacking artillery, supplies, food and reduced to not more than a regiment, the division's assault on Tarnawatka was stopped on September 23 and wounded General Kowalski was taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
by the Germans.
After half a year in a prison hospital, in early 1940 Kowalski was transported to Oflag VII-A Murnau
Oflag VII-A Murnau
Oflag VII-A Murnau was a German Army POW camp for Polish Army officers and generals during World War II. It was located in the Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee....
POW camp, where he spent the entire war. Liberated by the forces of USA on April 30, 1945, Kowalski joined the Polish Army in the West. Demobilized in May 1946, he settled in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and then moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. There he took active part in a variety of Polish organizations of the local Polish diaspora
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
. Among his most notable deeds was organization of a funeral of Jan Lechoń
Jan Lechon
Leszek Józef Serafinowicz was a Polish poet, literary and theater critic, diplomat, and co-founder of the Skamander literary movement and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America.-Life:Lechoń studied Polish language and literature at Warsaw University, by...
, one of the most renown Polish poets to die in exile. He was also the head of the Association of Polish Combatants, the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America (http://www.pilsudski.org/) and the head of the Polish Brotherly Help, a non-profit venture aimed at helping the Polish political emigrants living in the United States. He died suddenly on November 29, 1984 in River Forest
River Forest
River Forest may refer to the following locations in the United States:* River Forest, Illinois**River Forest , a railroad station* River Forest, Indiana...
. Following his last will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
, on September 6, 1986 his ashes were buried at Kałuszyn war cemetery, among the fallen men of his division.
in Polish
) |last2=Żurakowski |first2=Stanisław |authorlink2=Stanisław_Żurakowski |publisher=Editions Spotkania |location=WarszawaWarsaw
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...
|year=1991 |isbn= |postscript= }}