16th Infantry Division ( Poland ) The 16th Pomeranian Infantry Division ( ) was a military unit of the Polish Army . It was first raised on 16 August 1919 during the Polish uprising , before going on to serve during the subsequent war with the Bolsheviks . At the start of World War II the division fought briefly against the advancing German Army before being destroyed on 19 September 1939 after being surrounded in the Kampinos Forest . The Division was raised once more in 1945 following the Soviet take over of Poland , however , it did not see further action during the war . Afterwards it continued to serve , undergoing a number of changes in name and role . Today , it exists as the 16th Mechanised Division . History . Formation . The Polish 16th Infantry Division was created on August 16 , 1919 during the Greater Poland Uprising under the name of " Pomeranian Rifle Division " ( ) . After the uprising it was officially accepted into the Polish Army and took part in the Polish - Bolshevik War . Commanded by gen . dyw . Kazimierz Ładoś , the division never reached its planned strength and was dispatched to the front without some of its forces . It was then composed of : As part of the Polish 4th Army the division took part in the Kiev Offensive . Withdrawn to the area of Wieprz , it was attached to Piłsudski ' s army group to commence the Polish counter - assault during the battle of Warsaw of 1920 . It continued its front - line service during the battle of the Niemen River , where it advanced along the Kobryń - Pińsk railway and highway , and on to the signing of the Treaty of Riga . Partially demobilized , it retained its geographical description as an unofficial nickname ( thus the division is often referred to as " 16 . Pomorska Dywizja Piechoty " ) . Inter War Years . After the war the division was stationed in its home region of Pomerania . Its regiments were stationed in Starogard and Gniew ( 65th ) , Toruń ( 63rd ) , Grudziądz ( 64th and 16th artillery ) , Kościerzyna , Kartuzy and Chełmno ( 66th ) . During the May Coup d ' État of 1926 the division remained loyal to the government . Prior to the outbreak of World War II , in June 1939 , the division was partially mobilized and , under command of Col . Stanisław Świtalski , attached to Gen . Bołtuć ' s Operational Group East of the Polish Pomorze Army . It was then dispatched to the area of Grudziądz , where it was to shield the approaches towards Toruń . World War II . After the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War the division entered in contact with the enemy on the first hours of the conflict . Attacked by the German XXI Corps of the 3rd Army , the division was pushed back to the other side of the Osa river . Suffering from a nervous breakdown , the commanding officer ordered his forces to retreat , but was soon replaced with Col . Zygmunt Szyszko - Bohusz , until then the deputy commander of the division . The latter prepared the plan of a counter - attack on the flank of the advancing Germans , but the fast pace of their advance cut out the Pomorze Army in two and the attack was called off . After a successful withdrawal through Włocławek ( September 7 ) and Toruń , the division took part in the battle of Bzura . It successfully assaulted the German positions and liberated Łowicz , the main pivot of the German defences in the area . However , in the effect of conflicting orders from Gen . Władysław Bortnowski , the division was then withdrawn back to its initial positions on the northern bank of the Bzura river , and was then ordered to recapture the town again . The task was accomplished , but this time with much higher casualties . After heavy street - to - street fighting , the town was almost completely razed to the ground and the division was reduced to merely a third of its initial strength and had to be withdrawn from combat . The remnants of the division broke through from the battle , but were then surrounded and destroyed in the battle of the Kampinos Forest of September 19 . During World War II , the traditions of the " 16th Pomeranian " were inherited by the " Polish 16th Pomeranian Infantry Brigade " fighting as part of Gen . Władysław Anders ' Polish II Corps . After the Soviet take - over of Poland , the division was recreated in Gdańsk in 1945 . It was formed too late to take part in World War II and instead it served in a variety of roles in the rear . Post World War II . Renamed to 16th Kashubia n Infantry Division , in 1949 it was reformed into an Armoured Division and then The division was re - formed as part of the People ' s Army of Poland in July 1945 on the basis of four reserve infantry regiments . Divisional headquarters was established at Gdansk - Wrzeszcz . Initially , its task was primarily reconstruction in the city and protecting property from theft . In the summer of 1945 the division consisted of headquarters in Gdańsk , the 51st Infantry Regiment at Malbork , the 55th Infantry Regiment at Elblag , the 60th Infantry Regiment at Gdańsk , the 41st Light Artillery Regiment at Gdańsk , the 20 Independent Motorized Division Artillery , which moved twice before being established at Elblag , the 47th Sapper Battalion at Gdansk - Wrzeszcz , the 12 Independent Communications Battalion in Gdansk - Wrzeszcz , and several smaller units . Since 1945 the division went through various reorganisations and changes of station . In 1947 , it was given its distinctive name " Kashubian " . In 1949 , 16th Kashubian Infantry Division was reorganised as the 16th Kashubian Tank Division and moved to Elblag and Braniewo , Malbork , and Tczew , part of the Pomeranian Military District . In 1952 it was reorganised as the 16th Mechanised Division . In 1955 it became a tank division again and in this form served until 1989 , when it was reorganised as a mechanised division once more .