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Polish general
Stefan D?b-Biernacki
(7 January 1890 ? 9 February 1959) was a
general
of the army during the
Second Polish Republic
. He served as a major general in the
Polish Army
in overall command of
strategic reserve Army "Prusy"
during the 1939 German
Invasion of Poland
.
[1]
Early career
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He was a member of the
Polish Legions in World War I
, and he later fought in the
Polish-Soviet War
commanding various regiments and the
1st Legions Infantry Division
. He became distinguished during the retreat from Ukraine during the
Polish?Ukrainian War
, and in 1920 during
Battle of Warsaw
and
Battle of the Niemen River
, after which he received the
Virtuti Militari
medal.
He served as commander of
1st Legions Infantry Division
until 1926, and worked with
GISZ
until 1930, thereafter serving as an
Inspector general
.
World War II
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During the
invasion of Poland
in 1939, General Biernacki commanded the
Army "Prusy"
, which was supposed to be the strategic reserve that would be used to launch a concentrated counter-attack as the enemy approached
Warsaw
. However, Army "Prusy" was far from concentrated or ready for action on 1 September.
[1]
He was actually commanded a part of the army consisted of 3 infantry divisions (19, 29, 13) and one cavalry brigade (
Wile?ska Cavalry Brigade
). He made an attempt to stop the German
XVI Army Corps
who had broken through the front near
Cz?stochowa
and pushed towards Warsaw. After
Battle of Piotrkow
and
Battle of Tomaszow Mazowiecki
his forces were broken and scattered, and he gave the orders to retreat to the right bank of the
Vistula
river. On 10 September he become commander of
Northern Front
, consisted of remaining fragments of Polish Army. After his defeat at
Battle of Tomaszow Lubelski
, he managed to evacuate to
France
through
Hungary
, where he was immediately arrested by order of the
Commander-in-Chief
General
Wladyslaw Sikorski
for political reasons. In October 1940 he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and demotion to the rank of private for "breaking military discipline and attempting to cause ferment in the ranks of soldiers". In November 1940 he was discharged from the army. When General
Kazimierz Sosnkowski
took over the position of Commander-in-Chief in 1943, D?b-Biernacki was released from prison and went to
Ireland
, where he was engaged in beekeeping.
Honours and awards
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References
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- Janusz Odziemkowski,
Leksykon Wojny Polsko-Rosyjskiej 1919-1920
, Oficyna Wydawnica RYTM, 2004,
ISBN
83-7399-096-8
, p. 220