Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade (Polish Samodzielna Brygada Strzelców Karpackich) was a Polish military unit formed in 1940 in French Syria of the Polish soldiers exiled after the Polish Defence War of 1939. It was commanded by General Stanisław Kopański.
The unit was formed in 1939 under the name of Carpathian Brigade. After the French capitulation in July of 1940 and breaking all pacts France had with Poland and the United Kingdom, the brigade defected to Palestine, where it joined the British forces stationed there. There the brigade received more recruits (mostly Polish veterans of the 1939 war evacuated through Romania and Hungary) and soon reached full strength of over 5 000 men.
In 1941 the brigade was transferred to Egypt and then by sea to Tobruk, where it fought with distinction in the Siege of Tobruk and the Polish soldiers were awarded with a prestigious title of the Tobruk Rats by their Australian comrades in arms. Later the brigade also took part in the Battle of Al-Ghazala, after which it was transferred back to Palestine. There it was joined by the Polish forces of General Władysław Anders evacuated from the USSR and was reformed into the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division.
During the Siege of Tobruk
 Władysław Sikorski visited the Carpathian Brigade in Tobruk (November 12, 1941) |
 The Carpatian Brigade started on offensive activity towards Derna (December 12, 1941) |
 Medauar Hill conquered by the Carpatian Brigade (December 10, 1941) |
 An artilery point of the Carpatian Brigade opposite the Medauar Hill |
During the Battle of Ghazala
 Polish headquaters |
 Before the battle of Ghazala, mass service of Polish soldiers |
 An attack of Ghazala (December 15, 1941) |
