Tadeusz Kossakowski

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Tadeusz Kossakowski

Tadeusz Kossakowski (born January 27, 1888 in Chișinău , † November 24, 1965 in Warsaw ) was a Polish engineer, member of the elite unit Cichociemni and general of the Polish armed forces .

Childhood and youth

Kossakowski graduated from high school in Kherson . He then moved with the family to Lviv , where he completed a degree in mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Lviv . It was at the university that he first came into contact with the Polish independence movement.

In 1909 he joined the Związek Walki Czynnej military network , and in the following year he became involved in the Strzelec shooting association . During this period he used the pseudonym Kirgiz to avoid prosecution by the Austrian occupiers. He also completed an officer training course and was awarded the umbrella officer's emblem by Józef Piłsudski .

First World War

As a Russian subordinate, he was drafted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1914. There he was transferred to the infantry school in Tschuhujiw and promoted to the rank of standard bearer on September 1, 1915. Shortly afterwards he was posted to the front. In the course of the war he commanded a company and later an infantry battalion. In February 1917 he - meanwhile promoted to lieutenant colonel - was transferred to the pioneers.

After the October Revolution in Russia in 1917 he went over to the Polish units and served in the 2nd Telegraph Company of the 1st Polish Corps in Russia under General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki . There he was tasked with disarming the units by the German troops.

Interwar period

After Poland declared independence in November 1918, he joined the newly created Polish Army , initially in the 1st Telecommunications Brigade . From March 1919 he served again with the pioneers. During the Polish-Soviet War between April and October 1919 he was the commander of a pioneer company in the 2nd Infantry Division . He was then commander of the 2nd Engineer Battalion until 1921. In 1923 he was sent to allied France for further training.

On April 27, 1927, Kossakowski was drafted into a high administrative post in the Ministry of Defense . On January 1, 1928 he was promoted to colonel and became one of the highest ranking officers in the engineering and pioneer troops.

From September 23, 1930, he was given the additional command of the then relatively young Polish tank weapon. From then on, Kossakowski pioneered the development of Polish armored forces and promoted automobile development in the army. Under his direction the light armored vehicles TK-3 and TKS were produced in large series and tanks were bought from allied countries. Examples are the English Vickers E and the 7TP developed with the help of England .

On March 26, 1936, Kossakowski resigned from the leadership post of the tank weapon. The reason for this were differences of opinion between him and the Polish arms industry. He believed that military production should take precedence over civil production. He then became the commander of all the pioneer associations in the Polish army. In 1939 he was promoted to brigadier general.

Second World War

In September 1939, Kossakowski took part in the preparations for the defense of Warsaw . He then came to Paris via Romania . Between September 1940 and October 1941 he was deputy commander of the 1st Rifle Brigade and advisor on motorization issues. In 1941 he took courses for senior officers at the British Military College at Cumberly. Between October 1941 and September 1942 he was in command of the Pioneer Units of the 1st Polish Corps in Scotland. Subsequently, he served as the deputy commander in the 2nd tank brigade as well as the commander of the tank and electromechanical units of the Polish armed forces in the west . For a short time (until October 1942) he was the first in command of the 2nd tank brigade in the Middle East, which was newly formed in the second half of 1942. The units in which Kossakowski served between 1940 and 1943 did not take part in the war during this time.

From December 1943 he was under the disposition of the High Command of the Polish Armed Forces. After being transferred to Italy , Kossakowski was deposed over occupied Poland on May 30, 1944 as part of the Most II (Bridge II) air operation . He was the oldest member of the Cichociemni , he was 56 years old at the time of the operation. He took the code name Krystek and was promoted to general on May 30, 1944.

In the organizational structure of the Polish Armia Krajowa Kossakowski III. Subordinate to the operational department of the high command. He was also appointed in charge of Armia Krajowa's weapons production facilities. In the first days of the Warsaw Uprising , General Tadeusz Kossakowski only fought as a simple shooter in an assault detachment, later he was transferred to the replenishment department. In September 1944 he also became the commander of a group of Polish officers. After the surrender of Warsaw, he was taken prisoner by the Germans and was imprisoned in an oflag .

post war period

After the liberation he reported to the Polish armed forces in the west and returned to London . In December 1945, however, Kossakowski returned to his native Poland. Subsequently he worked in project offices of the newly created communist administration. Tadeusz Kossakowski died on November 24, 1965. His grave is in the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.

Awards

literature

  • Marian Żebrowski: Zarys historii polskiej broni pancernej 1918-1947 , London 1971.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dziennik Personalny MSVojsk. No. 6 on March 23, 1932 r., P. 259.
personal data
SURNAME Kossakowski, Tadeusz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Polish engineer and general
DATE OF BIRTH January 27, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Chișinău
DATE OF DEATH November 24, 1965
Place of death Warsaw