11th Armoured Cavalry Division

History

The 11th Armoured Cavalry Division draws its history in a straight line from the formation in March and April 1945, in the region of Łódź of the 11th Infantry Division.

In March 1949, on the basis of the 11th Infantry Division, the 6th Tank Regiment, and the 25th Armored Artillery Regiment, the 11th Motorised Infantry Division was formed. The division became a part of the 2nd Armoured Corps. The 11th Motorised Infantry Division was authorized 10,028 soldiers, 76 medium tanks, 21 assault guns, 5 armoured cars, 73 76-mm artillery pieces, 26 122-mm howitzers, 90 82-mm mortars, and 60 120-mm mortars. This unit was structured and quartered as:

• 29th Motorised Infantry Regiment - Jelenia Góra
• 40th Motorised Infantry Regiment - Bolesławiec
• 42nd Motorised Infantry Regiment - Żary
• 8th Medium Tank Regiment - Żagań
• 33rd Light Artillery Regiment - Żary
• 92nd Antitank Artillery Regiment - Bolesławiec
• 17th Mortar Regiment - Żagań
• 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion - Żagań
• 9th Reconnaissance Battalion - Żagań
• 16th Sapper Battalion - Żary
• 34th Signal Battalion - Żary
• 44th Motor Transport Company - Żary
• Vehicle repair workshops 10, 11, and 12 - Żary|}}

In 1950 the division was reorganized as the 11th "Dresden" Mechanised Division, and authorized 7,636 soldiers, 138 medium tanks, 19 assault guns, 15 armoured cars, 26 122-mm howitzers, 40 76-mm artillery pieces, nine 57-mm antitank guns, 21 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, 40 82-mm mortars, and 54 120-mm mortars. On September 4, 1956, the 2nd Armoured Corps headquarters stood down and the 11th Division was subordinated to the command of the Silesian Military District. This iteration was structured and quartered as:

• 29th Mechanised Infantry Regiment - Żagań
• 42nd Mechanised Infantry Regiment - Żary
• 67th Mechanised Infantry Regiment - Opole
• 8th "Dresden" Medium Tank Regiment - Żagań
• 33rd Light Artillery Regiment - Żary
• 92nd Antitank Artillery Regiment - Bolesławiec
• 17th Mortar Regiment - Żagań
• 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion - Żagań
• 9th Reconnaissance Battalion - Żagań
• 16th Sapper Battalion - Żary
• 34th Signal Battalion - Żagań
• 44th Motor Transport Company - Żagań
• Vehicle repair workshop 10 - Żagań
• Vehicle repair workshops 11 and 12 - Żary|}}

In summer 1957 the reorganization of the division was carried out, and in April 1963 it reorganized as the 11th Armoured Division. In August and September 1968, the 11th Armoured Division was one of the Polish units that took part in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. The 11th Armoured Division was structured and quartered as:

• 3rd Medium Tank Regiment - Żagań
• 8th Medium Tank Regiment - Żagań
• 29th "Dresden" Medium Tank Regiment - Żagań
• 42nd Mechanised Infantry Regiment - Żary
• 33rd Light Artillery Regiment - Żary
• 66th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment - Bolesławiec
• 10th Tactical Rocket Artillery Battalion - Żary (9K52 ŁUNA-M rockets)
• 43rd Rocket Artillery Battalion - Żary (BM-21 Grad rockets)
• 9th Reconnaissance Battalion - Żagań
• 16th Sapper Battalion - Żary
• 11th Supply Battalion - Żagań
• 11th Maintenance Battalion - Żagań
• 34th Signal Battalion - Żagań
• 60th Medical Battalion - Żagań
• 17th Chemical Company - Żagań
• Military Police Company - Żagań|}}

In 1990 the division was reorganized as the 11th Mechanised Division. In September 1991 the division lost the distinguished name "Dresden". In July 1992, the type-designation "armoured cavalry" was granted, although the division was eventually restructured as a regular armoured division. The new type designation recalled the service of pre-war and Second World War Western Front Polish armoured units. The designation "armoured cavalry" and unit badge depicting a black hussar wing and helmet reference the historical winged hussars, the Polish heavy shock cavalry from the 16th to 18th centuries. The badge is an updated version of the badge of the Polish 1st Armored Division (1942-1947). The Division's patron Jan III Sobieski personally led the winged hussars at the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and the Division inherited the battle honour Vienna 1683, inscribed on the unit's commemorative badge, in 1989.

Structure

Main article: Operational Structure of the Polish Land Forces

As of 2020, the division is organised in this manner:

• [[File:Stemma della 11 Lubuska Dywizja Kawalerii Pancernej (Polonia).svg|23px]] 11th Armoured Cavalry Division
  • [[File:Stemma del 11 Batalion Dowodzenia (Polonia).svg|23px]] Divisional Headquarters and 11th Headquarters Battalion in Żagań
  • [[File:Stemma della 10 Brygada Kawalerii Pancernej (Polonia).svg|23px]]10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Świętoszów
  • [[File:Stemma della 17 Wielkopolska Brygada Zmechanizowana (Polonia).svg|23px]] 17th Mechanized Brigade in Międzyrzecz
  • [[File:Stemma della 34 Brygada Kawalerii Pancernej (Polonia).svg|23px]] 34th Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Żagań
  • [[File:Stemma del 4 Zielonogórski Pułk Przeciwlotniczy (Polonia).svg|23px]] 4th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Czerwieńsk
  • [[File:Stemma del 23 Śląski Pułk Artylerii (Polonia).svg|25px]] 23rd Artillery Regiment in Bolesławiec
  • 11th Logistic Regiment in Żagań

Notes

Bibliography

• Wiesław Chłopek, 11 Lubuska Dywizja Kawalerii Pancernej im. Króla Jana III Sobieskiego. Zarys dziejów, Wydawnictwo "Chroma", Żary 2005, wyd. I,
• Zdzisław Sawicki, Mundur i odznaki Wojska Polskiego. Czas przemian, Warszawa: Bellona, 1997

References

1. "11th Lubuska Armored Cavalry Division: Colours and symbols". Wojsko Polskie.