Operational Group (
Polish: Grupa Operacyjna, abbreviated GO) was the highest level of tactical division of the
Polish Army before and during
World War II and the
invasion of Poland. It was
corps-sized, although various Operational Groups varied in size. Operational groups first appeared in 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.
Prior to World War II, the operational groups were recreated. Initially, in March 1939, they consisted only of staffs formed around existing
corps commands. According to the Polish mobilization scheme, they were to become mobile reserves of the
Polish armies and other major strategic-scale units. One of such groups, the
Kutno Operational Group, was planned but never created. Also, in the autumn of 1938, the
Independent Operational Group Silesia was created with the purpose of capturing
Trans-Olza from
Czechoslovakia.
Some groups were formed during the final mobilization of late August 1939, others were formed during the war as strategic considerations necessitated. Most were attached to armies, several however were independent.
Operational Group "
Wyszków" (Grupa Operacyjna Wyszków) under gen.
Wincenty Kowalski. Created on September 1.
Operational Group "
Grodno" (Grupa Operacyjna Grodno) under gen.
Józef Olszyna-Wilczyński. Created in early September; disbanded on September 10 before the
battle of Grodno begun; most units moved towards Lwów.
Cavalry Operational Group (or Operational Group of Cavalry)
Cavalry Operational Group Abraham (Grupa Operacyjna Kawalerii Abraham) under
Roman Abraham
Cavalry Operational Group Anders (Grupa Operacyjna Kawalerii Anders) under gen.
Władysław Anders
Cavalry Operational Group No.1 (Grupa Operacyjna Kawalerii Nr 1)
Cavalry Operational Group No.2 (Grupa Operacyjna Kawalerii Nr 2)
Operational Group "
Koło" (Grupa Operacyjna Koło) under gen.
Edmund Knoll-Kownacki (on September 6 renamed to Operational Group "Knoll-Kownacki") (Grupa Operacyjna Knoll-Kownacki)
Operational Group "
Piotrków" (Grupa Operacyjna Piotrków) under gen.
Wiktor Thommée (on September 6 renamed to Operational Group "Thommée") (Grupa Operacyjna Thommée)
Southern Operational Group (Południowa Grupa Operacyjna) under gen.
Stanisław Skwarczyński
Northern Operational Group (Pólnocna Grupa Operacyjna) under gen.
Jan Kruszewski
Operational Group "
Śląsk" (Samodzielna Grupa Operacyjna Śląsk) under gen.
Jan Jagmin-Sadowski (on September 3 renamed to Operational Group "Jagmin" (Grupa Operacyjna Jagmin))
Eastern Operational Group (Wschodnia Grupa Operacyjna) under gen.
Mikołaj Bołtuć (on September 9 renamed to Operational Group "Bołtuć") (Grupa Operacyjna Bołtuć)
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:
Operational Group Dreszer (Grupa Operacyjna Dreszer) under
Rudolf Dreszer
Operational Group Orlik-Łukoski (Grupa Operacyjn Orlik-Łukoski) under
Kazimierz Orlik-Łukoski