Battle of Komarów was one of the most important battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War. It took place on August 31, 1920, near the village of Komarowo (now Komarów) near Zamość. It was the biggest cavalry battle in the history of war since 1813 and the last great battle in which cavalry was used as such and not as mounted infantry. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Wojciech Kossak, self-portrait. ... Polish-Bolshevik War Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 1919–1921 Place Central and Eastern Europe Result Polish victory The Polish-Soviet War (also known as the Polish-Bolshevik War or the Polish-Russian War) was the war (February 1919 – March 1921) that determined the borders between the Russian Soviet Federated... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Bolshevist Russia is a common term that refers to the Red side in the Russian government between the Bolsheviks October Revolution (November 7, 1917) and the constitution of the Soviet Union (December 30, 1922). ... Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (also spelled Budennii, Budenny, Budyenny etc, Russian: Семён Михайлович Будённый) (April 25, 1883 - October 26, 1973), Soviet military commander, was a favourite of Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin, a fact which led to one of modern historys greatest military catastrophes. ... KIA is a three-letter acronym (TLA) for killed in action. ... Target Vistula Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date November 18, 1918 to March, 1919 Place Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine Result Unconcluded The Russian Westward offensive of 1918 — 1919 it was part of general move of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic into the areas occupied by Germany after its retreat... Kiev Offensive (1920) Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date April-June, 1920 Place Ukraine Result unconcluded The Kiev Offensive (or Kiev Operation) was an important military operation, carried out by Polish Army and allied Ukrainian forces during the Polish-Bolshevik War, from April 1920 to June same year. ... Battle of Warsaw Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 13 to August 25, 1920 Place near Warsaw, Poland Result Decisive Polish victory The Battle of Warsaw (sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, Polish Cud nad Wisłą) was the decisive battle of the Polish-Bolshevik War (also known as... Battle of Raszyn (1920) Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date August, 1920 Place near Raszyn, Poland Result ? Battle of Raszyn) was a battle of the Polish_Soviet War that took place in (August 1920) between the Polish Army and the Red Army near the village of Raszyn. ... See also the town of Battle, East Sussex, England Generally, a battle is an instance of combat between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... Polish-Bolshevik War Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 1919–1921 Place Central and Eastern Europe Result Polish victory The Polish-Soviet War (also known as the Polish-Bolshevik War or the Polish-Russian War) was the war (February 1919 – March 1921) that determined the borders between the Russian Soviet Federated... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mounted Infantry were a soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot with muskets or rifles. ...

The Battle of Komarów was a complete disaster for the Russian 1st Cavalry Army which sustained heavy casualties and barely avoided being totally surrounded. After that battle, the 1st Cavalry Army morale has collapsed and the army which was one the most feared of the Soviet troops was no longer considered an effective fighting force.

History

Eve of the Battle

After the Battle of Zadwórze, the forces of Bolshevist 1st Cavalry Army under Semion Budionnyi were halted for more than one day. Although still in almost perfect shape, the Russian cavalry units lost much of their impetus and did not make it to the Battle of Warsaw. After the Reds lost the struggle for the capital of Poland and started their retreat eastwards, the forces of Budionnyi started their march northwards to attack the right flank of forces of Józef Piłsudski. Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (also spelled Budennii, Budenny, Budyenny etc, Russian: Семён Михайлович Будённый) (April 25, 1883 - October 26, 1973), Soviet military commander, was a favourite of Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin, a fact which led to one of modern historys greatest military catastrophes. ... Battle of Warsaw Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 13 to August 25, 1920 Place near Warsaw, Poland Result Decisive Polish victory The Battle of Warsaw (sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, Polish Cud nad Wisłą) was the decisive battle of the Polish-Bolshevik War (also known as... Term of Office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman and military commander Political Party none, see Sanacja for details First Lady Maria Piłsudska Date of Birth December 5, 1867 Place of Birth Zułów, in todays Lithuania Date of Death May 12, 1935 Place of Death...

However, heavy fights in the area of Lwów and upper Bug River postponed the march. When the 1st Cavalry Army reached the area of Zamość on August 30, 1920, the Poles managed to redirect much of their troops to the area and organise a line of defence. Lviv coat of arms Motto: Semper fidelis Municipal government City council (Львівська міська рада) Mayor City chairman Lyubomyr Bunyak Area 171,01 km² Population    total 2000    density 808,900 4786/km² Founded city rights 13th century 1353 Area code + 0322 Latitude Longitude 49°51′ N 24°01′ E Twin towns... Bug at Wlodawa One of the two rivers called Bug (pronounced Boog), the Western Bug, or Buh (Belarusian: Захо́дні Буг; Russian: За́падный Буг; Ukrainian: Західний Буг, Zakhidnyi Buh), flows from central Ukraine to the west, forming part of the boundary between that nation and Poland, passes along the Polish-Belarusian... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

Initial clashes

On August 29 the 1st Cavalry Army fought the first battle with units of Polish 1st Cavalry Division. A small "Special Battalion" led by major (later general) Stanisław Maczek fought a successful delaying battle near the village of Waręż. Later that day Polish 1st Uhlans Regiment found several Bolshevik units undefended and took 150 POWs, 3 pieces of artillery and 7 machine guns in the villages of Łykoszyn and Tyszowce. August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... Gen. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

The following day the Bolshevik units continued their advance towards Zamość, but found the Polish mobile defence difficult to break. The garrison of the fortress was composed of a number of units commanded by captain (later general) Mikołaj Bołtuć. Among them were the remnants of Ukrainian 6th Infantry Division under colonel Marko Bezruchko, one regiment and two battalions of Polish infantry, three armoured trains and a number of smaller units, some 700 bayonettes and 150 sabres altogether. At the same time the Polish 1st Cavalry Division was moved to the villages of Wolica Brzozowa and Komarów, to the west of the city. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Armoured train is a train protected with armour. ...

A Polish cavalry charge. (Painting by Mikołaj Wisznicki.)

On his arrival to Zamość area, Budionnyi was left with three choices: he could have assaulted the heavily-defended city, try to break through the trenches of Polish 13th Infantry Division in the forests west of it or try to attack unknown number of Polish cavalry units some 20 kilometres to the west. Despite little knowledge on the opposing forces, Budionnyi did not expect significant opposition just yet and ordered his troops to bypass the city from the west. Szarża pod Wołodarką, painting by Mikołaj Wisznicki, 1935 uploaded from www. ... Szarża pod Wołodarką, painting by Mikołaj Wisznicki, 1935 uploaded from www. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Charge is a word with many different meanings. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

Phase One

In the early morning of August 31 a Bolshevik cavalry brigade crossed the belt of swamps to the north of Polish positions. At the same time the 11th Cavalry Division was engaged by Polish infantry in the village of Łubianki while 6th Cavalry Division was cut out overnight by Polish infantry to the west of Zamość. August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ...

At 6 o'clock in the morning 200 men strong Polish 2nd "Rokitna" Cavalry Regiment was ordered to capture the "Hill 255" to the north of the main lines of Polish cavalry. The hill was captured with no opposition. Soon afterwards a large Russian tabor was spotted, disorganised and mixed with a much larger unit of Bolshevik cavalry. With no time to hesitate, the Poles charged the enemy inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy rear units. Soon afterwards the Poles were successfully counter-attacked by Russian troops and forced to abandon the hill and retreat into the nearby village of Wolica Śniatycka. There the Russian advance was stopped by Polish heavy machine gun and at 10 o'clock Polish 9th "Lesser Poland" Uhlans Regiment under mjr. Dembiński charged on Russian positions and managed to recapture the "255 Hill". The hill was attacked several times, but to no effect. This is an article on the city of Tabor in the Czech Republic. ...

Meanwhile, the village of Wolica Śniatyńska, lost to the Bolshevik cavalry, was charged by Polish 8th "Prince Józef Poniatowski" Uhlans Regiment. After a short fight the disorganised Bolshevik forces were forced to retreat, leaving behind large part of their heavy equipment and Budyonny's staff car. The Russian commander himself evaded being captured. The Bolshevik 4th Cavalry Division was routed. Noble Family Poniatowski Coat of Arms Ciołek Parents Andrzej Poniatowski Maria Teresa Kinsky Consorts Zelia Sitańska Zofia Potocka Children with Zelia Sitańska Józef Szczęsny Poniatowski with Zofia Potocka Karol Józef Poniatowski Date of Birth May 7, 1763 Place of Birth Vienna Date of Death October 19, 1813 Place of Death... Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (also spelled Budennii, Budenny, Budyenny etc, Russian: Семён Михайлович Будённый) (April 25, 1883 - October 26, 1973), Soviet military commander, was a favourite of Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin, a fact which led to one of modern historys greatest military catastrophes. ...

At 12 o'clock the Polish 9th regiment started another charge down the hill on Russian 11th Cavalry Division that replaced the withdrawing 4th Division. The assault was repelled with heavy casualties on both sides. After approximately 30 minutes the Russian forces were forced to retreat, however the forces of Polish VII Cavalry Brigade were seriously depleted. Also, the 9th regiment suffered serious casualties from friendly artillery fire. Friendly fire (non-hostile fire) is United States military parlance for fire from friendly forces as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces known as enemy fire. A friendly fire incident refers to a military situation where forces or material assets of one side are attacked and damaged in error...

Polish VI Cavalry Brigade, until then kept as a reserve, started a pursuit down the hill. After a cavalry charge on the left flank of the withdrawing Bolshevik cavalry, the latter started a disorganised retreat towards Zamość. The pursuit was carried over by Polish 12th "Podolian" Uhlan Regiment under captain (later general) Tadeusz Komorowski. During the retreat the Poles inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. After the pursuit ended, the fights were halted until 5 o'clock in the evening. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... The region of Podolia (Polish Podole, Ukrainian Podillya) lies in the west-central and south-west portions of present-day Ukraine. ... Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski General Count Tadeusz Komorowski ( June 1, 1895 - August 24, 1966), better known by the name Bór-Komorowski (after one of his wartime code-names: Bór) was a Polish military leader. ...

Phase Two

At approximately 5 o'clock the 8th Regiment near the village of Wolica Śniatycka was yet again assaulted by Bolshevik cavalry. To counter the threat, the colonel Rómmel ordered whole VI Cavalry Brigade (1st, 12th and 14th Uhlan Regiments) to charge on enemy flank. After a huge clash the Russian forces in the area fell back northwards.

After a short rest, the whole Russian 6th Cavalry Division, the strongest unit in the area, managed to finally break through Polish infantry encirclement and arrived to the battlefield. Polish VI Brigade was resting in and around the village of Niewirków, where it retreated after the successful pursuit several hours before. The VII brigade started its march north-eastwards to join with the forces of VI Brigade near Niewirków. Halfway it spotted a huge Russian line emerging from the forests around Wolica Śniatycka.

The 6 regiments strong Russian 6th Division formed a line, but did not start the assault just yet. Juliusz Rómmel ordered all his available units to an all-out assault before the Russians start their attack. 8th and 9th regiments started a frontal charge, while 1st Uhlans Regiment was ordered to attack the left flank of the enemy. Soon it was joined by the remaining elements of the 12th Regiment from Niewirków, charging the enemy positions from the rear. After a 30 minutes long clash, Budionnyi ordered his division to retreat.

The only available way lead eastwards, through the positions of dug-in 2nd Legions Infantry Division under colonel Michał Łyżwiński. The retreating Reds managed to break through, but suffered heavy casualties. By the end of the day the battle was over. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

Results and casualties

The Polish 1st Cavalry Division started a pursuit after the fleeing enemy. The forces of Budennyi managed to break through Polish lines, but the Poles did not leave them enough time to rest and reorganise. On September 2, the Polish VI Cavalry Brigade reached Łaszczów, where it successfully outflanked the Russian 44th Infantry Division and annihilated one of its regiments (only 100 POWs survived the battle). The 1st Cavalry Army itself was not surrounded and managed to evade destruction, but it did not pose a threat to the advancing Poles any more. Unable to regroup, on September 5, 1920 it lost the town of Hrubieszów, and Włodzimierz Wołyński the following day. September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Volodymyr-Volynsky (Володимир-Волинський; Polish: Włodzimierz Wołyński, Russian: Vladimir Volynski) is a city in Volyn region, northwestern Ukraine, with a population of 38,000 (2004). ...

On September 12, 1920, Polish forces withdrawn from the Battle of the Niemen under general Władysław Sikorski started a successful offensive on Bolshevik-held Volhynia. Pressed from all directions, the 1st Cavalry Army lost Równe on September 18 and was forced to retreat further eastwards. By the end of September, the Polish forces reached the line of Słucza River, near the lines held by the Reds before their offensive towards Warsaw started. Soon afterwards Budionnyi's Army had to be withdrawn from the front, not to return until the cease fire was signed in October. September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Władysław Sikorski during World War II. Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski ( May 20, 1881 – July 4, 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. ... Volhynia (Wołyń in Polish; Волинь, Volyn’ in Ukrainian; also called Volynia, Volyň in Czech) comprises the historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Pripyat and Western Bug. ... Rivne (Ukrainian Рівне , Polish Równe) - city in Ukraine, capital of Rivnenska oblast, with 249,900 inhabitants (2004). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (also spelled Budennii, Budenny, Budyenny etc, Russian: Семён Михайлович Будённый) (April 25, 1883 - October 26, 1973), Soviet military commander, was a favourite of Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin, a fact which led to one of modern historys greatest military catastrophes. ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ...

The Battle of Komarów was a complete disaster for the Russian 1st Cavalry Army. Numerically and technically superior, it did not manage to concentrate and act as an organised unit, which resulted in several consecutive waves of attacks, each of them repelled by the Poles. Lack of means of communication and complete disregard for the intelligence reports resulted in heavy losses on Russian side.

The Polish Army lost approximately 500 KIA and 700 horses. No Poles were taken POW by the Red Army. The exact losses of the latter are unknown and were never made public. It is assumed that the 1st Cavalry Army lost at least 3,000 men during the battle and immediately afterwards. Polish Army (Polish Wojsko Polskie) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. ... KIA is a three-letter acronym (TLA) for killed in action. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Red Army flag The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya in Russian), the armed forces organised by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ...

Because of the numbers of forces involved, the Battle of Komarów is considered the greatest cavalry battle of the 20th century. Also it was the last battle fought mostly by cavalry units, in which traditional cavalry tactics were used and sabers and lances played a vital role. It is sometimes referred to as "the greatest cavalry battle after 1813." (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... For other uses, see Sabre (disambiguation). ... The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different pole weapons based on the spear. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Opposing forces

Red Army flag The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya in Russian), the armed forces organised by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (also spelled Budennii, Budenny, Budyenny etc, Russian: Семён Михайлович Будённый) (April 25, 1883 - October 26, 1973), Soviet military commander, was a favourite of Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin, a fact which led to one of modern historys greatest military catastrophes. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Armoured train is a train protected with armour. ... This article refers to the tool of travel. ... Polish Army (Polish Wojsko Polskie) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

See also

• cavalry
• Polish-Bolshevik War
• Polish cavalry

An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... Polish-Bolshevik War Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 1919–1921 Place Central and Eastern Europe Result Polish victory The Polish-Soviet War (also known as the Polish-Bolshevik War or the Polish-Russian War) was the war (February 1919 – March 1921) that determined the borders between the Russian Soviet Federated... This article needs cleanup. ...

External link:

• Present-day map of the battleground (http://www.pilot.pl/big_pilot.php3?z_city_id=8147&katalog=n13_&max_katalog=n14_&x_obr=294&y_obr=353&x_15=112903&y_15=67721&form_t=0&tool=1&info=len&lang=en)