6th Infantry Division ( Poland ) Polish 6th Infantry Division ( ) was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period , which took part in the Polish September Campaign . The Division was created on May 9 , 1919 in the area around Krakow , its first commandant was Colonel Ignacy Pick . Between 1919 and 1920 , the unit fought Ukrainian troops in eastern part of Austrian former province of Galicia . Then , it participated in the Polish - Soviet War , halting the advance of Soviet First Mounted Army led by General Semyon Budyonny . Several soldiers were after the conflict awarded with various orders , including the Virtuti Militari . In 1921 , when hostilities ended , the Division returned to its bases - headquarters and most regiments were stationed in Krakow , some other regiments were garrisoned in Tarnów and Wadowice . In the summer of 1939 , according to the Polish defensive Plan Zachód , 6 I . D . , under General Bernard Mond became part of Operational Group Bielsko of the Army Kraków , which guarded southwest Poland . The Division was placed around Upper Silesian town of Pszczyna , and its forward units were attacked by the Germans in the morning of September 1 . Reserves stayed behind in the area of Zator . On September 2 , German 5th Panzer Division attacked again , this time around 200 tanks managed to break through Polish lines . Polish troops , in a desperate attack tried to stop the tanks in the open space around the village of Ćwiklice , but were repulsed . On September 4 the Division was ordered to retreat towards Tarnów and the Dunajec river . After reaching the defence line along the Dunajec , the Division was caught up in chaos , which was the result of destruction of the neighboring 21st Mountain Infantry Division . Soldiers of both units , mixed together , managed to break across German lines and retreat east , towards the San river . In mid - September the Division took part in the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski , during which Polish troops were trying to break to Lwów . After successful skirmishes , the Poles were finally surrounded around Rawa Ruska . On September 20 , General Mond decided to surrender . 6th Infantry Division of the People ' s Army of Poland . The 6 Pomeranian Infantry Division ( 6 DP ) was an infantry division of the Polish People ' s Army . The formation of the division began on July 5 , 1944 in the region of Zhytomyr and the Ukraine . In summer 1944 it was moved to the vicinity of ? . It eventually became a part of First Polish Army . On January 17 , 1945 the division forced the Vistula River and went to Warsaw . In February , it struggled to break Pomeranian , then the Kolobrzeg . On 16 April forced the Oder in the region of Siekierki and fought the fight for the shaft of the Old Oder . As the first major unit of the Polish Army reached 3 May to Elbe , and its soldiers met with troops of the U . S . Ninth Army . After the war the division was part of the occupying troops . From June 19 , 1945 to November 3 , it served on the border . In accordance with an order of the Supreme Commander of the CM No . 0305 / Org . of November 10 , 1945 , the division assumed a peace - time status . Its staff stationed since January 1946 in Cracow . In accordance with 0048 / Org No . MON command . of June 15 , 1957 the division reorganized and changed its name to 6 Pomeranian Airborne Landing Division .