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1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade

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1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade
1 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna
Active1994–present
CountryPoland
BranchPolish Land Forces
TypeArmoured
SizeBrigade
Part of18th "Żelazna" Mechanised Division
Garrison/HQWesoła (Warsaw)
PatronTadeusz Kościuszko
Anniversaries23 September
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander
Brigadier General Artur Kozłowski

The 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade (Polish: 1 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna) is a brigade of the Polish Armed Forces, based in Warsaw.

History

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Polish 1st Armoured Brigade "defenders of Westerplatte" (1 Brygada Pancerna im. Bohaterów Westerplatte) or Polish 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade (Polish: 1 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna) was a military unit in the Ludowe Wojsko Polskie. It was formed on August 19, 1943, from a regiment (pułk) of the same name.

The unit fought at the Battle of Lenino (September 1943) and at the Battle of Studzianki during the Lublin-Brest Offensive (Magnuszew bridgeheads in August 1944).[1] From mid-August it was subordinate to the Polish First Army. Later the unit fought in the East Pomeranian Offensive.

In January 1945 it received another honorary name, Warszawska (of Warsaw). In July and August 1945 fought against Polish anti-Communist guerrilla. In January 1946 it was downsized to regiment (becoming 1st Warsaw Tank Regiment), and from June it was stationed in the Modlin area.

The modern version of the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade was formed in 1994 and was subordinated to the 16th Pomeranian Mechanised Division. On August 29, 2019, the brigade was transferred under the command of the newly formed 18th "Żelazna" Mechanised Division, which is intended to help safeguard Poland's eastern border.[2]

Structure

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The Polish TV series Czterej pancerni i pies (Four tank men and a dog) featured the adventures of a tank crew from this brigade.

References

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  1. ^ The Polish Army 1939-45 By Steven J. Zaloga, Richard Hook, Osprey Publishing [1]
  2. ^ "21 Brygada Strzelców Podhalańskich - 18 Dywizja Zmechanizowana". 21bsp.wp.mil.pl. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
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Media related to 1 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna im. Bohaterów Westerplatte at Wikimedia Commons