35200601 ZESTAW POLSKICH ŻOŁNIERZY GEN. MACZKA - 6 SZTUK

Stanisław Maczek was born in March 1892 and died in December 1994. He was an Austro-Hungarian and Polish officer, rising to the rank of Major General and (in 1990) Lieutenant General. During World War I, Stanisław Maczek served in the Austro-Hungarian army, serving primarily on the Italian front. He took part in the battles on the Isonzo River at the turn of 1915-1916. In the course of his service, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and was decorated for his above-average service. After the end of the Great Wars, he served in the resurgent Polish Army, both in the Polish-Ukrainian battles and in the Polish-Bolshevik war of 1919-1921. During the interwar period, he performed numerous command and staff functions in the Polish Army, finally - in 1938 - taking command of the 10th Cavalry Brigade, which was chronologically the first such large motor-armored unit in our armed forces. His great commanding talent and personal courage are evidenced by his achievements during the September campaign of 1939, which earned him the promotion to brigadier general and the Gold Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari. Already in October 1939, Stanisław Maczek made his way to France, where he successfully forms the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade from Polish soldiers, with which he fought against the Germans in May and June 1940. After the defeat of France, he made his way to Great Britain, where he recreated the Armored Cavalry Brigade, which in 1942 was transformed into the 1st Armored Division. This unit is the first armored division in the history of Polish military! General Stanisław Maczek, at the head of the First Panzer, successfully and successfully fought as part of the Allied forces in northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands in the years 1944-1945. The unit made an outstanding contribution, for example, in the Battle of Falaise in August 1944, and was also famous for the liberation of Breda in such a way that this Dutch city did not suffer any serious damage. The Division and General Maczek end their combat trail in Wilhelmshaven in May 1945.The seeds of the Polish armored forces appeared shortly after the end of World War I, and the tanks and armored vehicles were kept in an organized manner during the Polish-Bolshevik war of 1919-1921. In 1930, the Polish Army also established the Armored Weapons Command, which was responsible for tanks, armored cars and armored trains. It is worth noting that in 1937 the cavalry was reorganized, some of its units were motorized and incorporated into Armored Weapons - especially the 10th Cavalry Brigade. Despite attempts to modify Polish armor and introduce into service, for example, the successful 7TP tank, its overall picture just before 1939 left a lot to be desired and was far from what the German or Soviet armed forces represented. It is worth adding that during the September campaign, Polish tanks and tankettes were formed into battalions and companies of light tanks, companies of light slow-moving tanks, armored squadrons or independent companies of reconnaissance tanks. It is also worth mentioning that Polish armored personnel in the interwar period and during the September campaign wore, of course, uniforms, leather jackets, denim overalls and specially designed helmets (with the exception of the 10th Cavalry Brigade).