Operational Group (Poland)


Operational Group was the highest level type of tactical division of the Polish Army at various points in the 20th century, mainly during the Second World War.

Polish-Bolshevik War (1919-1921)

Operational groups first appeared in the Polish tactical scheme during the Polish-Bolshevik War, most probably under the influence of French Military Mission to Poland. After the war they were dissolved.

Annexation of Trans-Olza (1938)

In the autumn of 1938, the Independent Operational Group Silesia was created with the purpose of capturing Trans-Olza from Czechoslovakia.

World War II (1939-1945)

Prior to World War II, operational groups were recreated on a larger scale. Initially, in March 1939, Operational Groups consisted only of staffs formed around existing corps commands. Some groups were formed during the final mobilization of late August 1939, while others were formed during the war as strategic considerations necessitated. Most were attached to armies, several however were independent. According to the Polish mobilization scheme, they were to become mobile reserves of the Polish armies and other major strategic-scale units. One such group, the Kutno Operational Group, was planned but never created
Independent Operational Groups:
Cavalry Operational Groups:
  • Cavalry Operational Group Abraham under Roman Abraham
  • Cavalry Operational Group Anders under gen. Władysław Anders
  • Cavalry Operational Group No.1
  • Cavalry Operational Group No.2
Operational Groups formed as parts of armies:
In addition, during the invasion of Poland in 1939, several other corps-sized units were formed or improvised. All of them were named after their commanding officers:
  1. Operational Group Dreszer under Rudolf Dreszer
  2. Operational Group Orlik-Łukoski under Kazimierz Orlik-Łukoski
  3. Operational Group Grzmot-Skotnicki under Stanisław Grzmot-Skotnicki
  4. Operational Group Kareszewicz-Tokarzewski under Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski
  5. Operational Group Zaulauf under Juliusz Zulauf

Post-World War II (1946-1947)

There were also several operational groups created by the Polish People's Army after the war in the years 1946-1947.