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Czech and Slovak legion (1939-1942)
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| From-To: |
03.09.1939 [1] - 12.02.1942 [2] |
| Commander: |
army general Prchala Lev [3]
09/1939 - lieutenant colonel Svoboda Ludvík |
| Number: |
about 900 persons [4] |
| National composition: |
the major part were Czechs |
| Composition: |
[wba] |
| Under command: |
unrecognized, legion was inspected by Polish officers [5]
14.09. - Tarnopol's command |
| Movement: |
Krakow [PL] - Bronowice Małe (06.07.39) - rw Przemyśl - rw Lwów - rw Krasne - rw Dubno - rw Zdołbunów - rw Sarny - rw Leśna (01.-12.09.) - rw Sarny - rw Zdołbunów - rw Krasne - rw Zborów - rw Hluboczek Wielki (13.-17.09.) + Tarnopol [6] - Horodyszcze (17.09.) - Rakówiec [7] (18.09.1939) * |
| Main combats: |
anti-aircraft defense of Tarnopol (15.-17.09.1939) |
Armaments & accouterments
All members of Czechoslovak legion wore civil clothes. Thousand Polish uniforms (only different from Polish soldiers should be cap with tricolour) ordered by Czechoslovak command were not in the end delivered becouse of war and general chaos. Same situation turned up with weapons.
| 08/1939 [9] | 09/1939 [10] |
| Gas-mask | | 100 |
| Rifle | 10 | 50 |
| Heavy machine gun | | 12 |
Czechoslovak military group's vow (1939)
* On 18.09.1939 Czechoslovak legion was enveloped and taken [11] at Rakówiec by the Red Army, which assaulted Poland from the East. Legion was several times moved to different internment camps. In regard to poor living conditions in camps, bad treatment from side of Soviet jailers and "hunger for" fight against Germans, major part of legionaries during 1940-1941 left USSR and went to France and Middle East. Only small group stayed in USSR and on February 1942 established 1st Czechoslovak independent filed battalion in the Ural's city of Buzuluk.
| Number: |
674 persons (04.01.1940)
615 persons (25.12.1940)
157 persons (15.04.1941)
88 persons (02/1942)
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| National composition: |
Czechs 507, Slovaks 63, Jews 104 (04.01.1940)
Czechs 502, Slovaks 75, Jews 34 (25.12.1940)
Czechs 128, Slovaks 28, Jews 1 (15.04.1941)
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| Composition: |
137 officers, 141 non-commissioned officers, 17 technical-sergeants, 663 soldiers, 25 pointers, the rest 17 (04.01.1940) |
| Involuntary movement: |
Rakówiec [PL] [7] (18.09.39) - Husiatyn (21.09.) [USSR] - Kamenec Podolsky (23.09.) - Olkhovec [8] (17.10.) - rw Jarmolincy [8] (06.11.) - rw Shepetovka - rw Oranki [8] (03.04.40) - Suzdal [8] (20.06.40) - Oranki [8] (21.10.41) - Buzuluk (05.02.42) |
| Internment camps: |
Jarmolincy (06.11.1939-23.03.1940)
Oranki (03.04.1940-18.06.1940)
Suzdal (20.06.1940-10/1941)
Oranki (21.10.1941-01/1942)
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[1] - first group abroad called Czechoslovak military group was found already on 30.04. in Krakow and became a basement for further Czech and Slovak legion.
[2] - foundation of the 1st Czechoslovak independent field battalion was officialy declared.
[3] - cowardly planted unit on 03.09. and finaly on 16.09.
[4] - 01.09.1939. According other source legion had on 12.09.1939 850 members.
[5] - colonel Karol Zborowski and major Henryk Smrotecki.
[6] - group of 24 members taken from legion strengthened anti-aircraft defense in Tarnapol between 15-17.09.1939.
[7] - according Soviet sources village Raków.
[8] - Soviet internment camps.
[9] - source [Kulka E. - Jews in Czechoslovak Svoboda's army].
[10] - source [http://www.volny.cz/ipro/stripky/clanky/polsko39.htm]. According Kulka E. legion had
in September 4 heavy machine guns, 9 light machine guns, 5400 amo, 500 gas-masks, 100 small shovels.
[11] - except group which defended Tarnopol.
abreviations:
[wba] = will be added, rw = railway, [PL] = Poland, [USSR] = Soviet Union
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