41st Infantry Division ( Poland ) The 41st ( Reserve ) Infantry Division ( ) was a tactical unit of the Polish Army during the early stages of World War II . During peace time the unit existed only on paper , as part of the mobilisation scheme accompanying the Plan West . The division ' s sub - units were to be created by other peace - time regiments in case of general mobilisation . Most infantry battalions were created by the NCO School of Ostrów Mazowiecka ( 114th and 116th Infantry Regiment ) and Infantry Reserves Training Facility at Różan ( most of 115th Infantry Regiment ) . Additional infantry and artillery battalions , as well as services were formed by 13th , 33rd and 71st Infantry Regiment , as well as the 9th Light Artillery Regiment . The division was finally created on 24 August 1939 as part of the secret mobilisation preceding the outbreak of World War II . It became part of the Commander - in - Chief ' s strategic reserve as part of the Corps - sized Wyszków Operational Group , along the elite 1st Legions Infantry Division and reserve 35th Infantry Division . The core of the division was formed by seven battalion s of infantry and one battalion of artillery . The remaining units ( two battalions of infantry , two of artillery and services ) were formed a week later , during the general mobilisation . Despite difficulties , the division was battle - ready by 7 September 1939 . By orders of the C - i - C the staff of the 41st Division was formed by Brigadier General Wacław Piekarski ( until then the Chief of Infantry at the Ministry of Military Affairs ) , with Col . Marian Raganowicz as his deputy ( until then the commanding officer of Infantry NCO School ) and Col . Adam Sawczyński as the artillery CO . Although not yet fully formed , the fast pace of German advance during the invasion of Poland meant that the division was dispatched to the front already on 4 September 1939 and took over the task of screening the area around Różan , along the Narew river . Already on 5 September 1939 the German " Wodrig " Corps ( 1st and 12th Infantry Divisions ) , having broken through Polish positions in the Battle of Mława , assaulted Różan directly . Despite numerical and technical superiority , the German attacks across Narew were bloodily repelled . However , the following day the situation changed dramatically . The Commander - in - Chief ordered the division to be withdrawn towards Wyszków and attached to the Independent Operational Group Narew . Later that day the orders were reversed and the 41st was ordered to retake the town of Różan , which it abandoned only a couple of hours before . Despite repeated attempts in the following two days , the division suffered heavy losses and was forced to withdraw . In addition , overnight of 6 – 7 September 1939 the retreating 41st Division met the 33rd Infantry Division . In a pitched and chaotic friendly fire that erupted , the 41st lost further two infantry battalions and one light artillery battalion . In effect , both divisions had to be withdrawn further away , towards Bug River crossing at Brok , and any hope to stabilise the front at the Narew river was lost . As the bridge at Brok had been demolished by Polish sappers prematurely , the disorganised regiments of the 41st Division had to continue the withdrawal west towards Wyszków , losing many more men in the process . By the evening of 7 September only 7 battalions reached the destination , with roughly 35 percent of their original strength . The following day the division was attached to the Modlin Army and overnight it regrouped near Łazy , Strachów and Gwizdały . After a brief respite , the division moved to a position between Liwiec and Brok . On 10 September , while en route , the division was attacked by Panzer Division Kempf . While the German unit was severely understrength , the pitched battle in open terrain resulted in heavy losses for the Polish unit . The defeated sub - units of the division retreated in disarray towards Włodawa and on 14 September arrived near Chełm . The unit numbered by then only about 5000 men at arms . Following reorganisation , the division was directly attached to Gen . Stefan Dąb - Biernacki ' s Northern Front . On 19 September 1939 it took part in the battle of Włodawa against the German 3rd Panzer Division . It then took part in the second battle of Tomaszów Lubelski fighting near Aleksandrów and Tereszpol . Encircled by the 8th Infantry Division from the South , the VII Army Corps from the West and North , and by the advancing Red Army from the East , the division held on to its ' lines until 26 September 1939 , when it finally capitulated .