1st Polish Armoured Division
| 1st Armoured Division | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the 1st Armoured Division inspired by the helmet and wings of Polish hussars.
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| Active | 1942–1947 |
| Country |
 Poland
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| Branch |
 Polish Land Forces
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| Type | Armoured |
| Size | Division, 16,000 soldiers, 380 tanks, 470 guns |
| Nickname(s) | Black Division Black Devils |
| Engagements |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Stanisław Maczek |
The Polish 1st Armoured Division (Polish 1 Dywizja Pancerna) was an armoured division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Created in February 1942 at Duns in Scotland, it was commanded by Major General Stanisław Maczek and at its peak numbered approximately 16,000 soldiers. The division served in the final phases of the Battle of Normandy in August 1944 during Operation Totalize and the Battle of Chambois and then continued to fight throughout the campaign in Northern Europe, mainly as part of the First Canadian Army.
After the fall of Poland and then France in 1940, the remaining Poles that had fought in both campaigns retreated with the British Army to the United Kingdom.
Stationed in Scotland the Polish 1st Armoured Division was formed as part of the Polish I Corps under Wladyslaw Sikorski, which guarded approximately 200 kilometres of British coast in 1940-1941. The commander of the Division, General Stanislaw Maczek, was Poland’s premier mechanized commander, and many of his subordinate officers from the unit he commanded in 1939, the 10th Mechanized Brigade, had made their way to England with him. They were organized on the British Armoured Division model, equipped with British uniforms, weapons and tanks. They were initially equipped and trained on Crusader tanks but in late 1943 and early 1944 these were replaced with Sherman tanks and Cromwell tanks. They then participated in war games together with the 4th Canadian Armoured Division.
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Wikipedia