Battle of Koziatyn
Part of Polish-Soviet War
Date April 1920 Location Koziatyn, Volhynia Result Polish victory
Combatants
Poland	Bolshevist Russia
Commanders
Jan Romer
Strength
1 cavalry division	2 infantry divisions
Casualties
2 officers and 7 soldiers killed, 33 men wounded	unknown, roughly 8000 taken prisoner of war

Battle of Koziatyn (also known as the Raid on Koziatyn and Koziatyn Envelopment) of April 25th-April 27th, 1920, was one of the most spectacular raids of the Polish cavalry during the Polish-Soviet War. In the effect of a pincer maneuver some 160 kilometres behind the front line, the Polish Army was able to seize the strategically important town of Korosten. The town, a major railway hub and a supply depot of the Red Army, was captured with negligible losses on Polish side. Volunteer Representative Squadron of City of Poznań in uniforms of 15th Poznań Uhlans Regiment Polish Cavalry (Polish: ) can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted knights. ... Combatants Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic Second Polish Republic Commanders Mikhail Tukhachevsky Semyon Budyonny Joseph Stalin Józef Piłsudski Edward Rydz-Śmigły Strength 950,000 including reserves 5 million 360,000 including reserves 738,000 Casualties Unknown, dead estimated at 100,000 - 150,000 Unknown, dead estimated at... Polish Army (Polish Wojsko Polskie) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. ... Korosten is a city in northern Ukraine. ...

The battle, along with a similar Raid on Korosten, resulted in a complete disruption of the Soviet 12th and 14th Armies of the South-Western Front^[1]. The Soviets lost approximately two divisions, roughly 8000 prisoners of war and a large amount of war materiel^[2]. This allowed the Polish forces to capture Kiev soon afterwards. The maneuver is in modern times taught in many military colleges around the world as an example of blitzkrieg-like offensive executed in the times before the advent of tank warfare^[3][4]. The defining characteristic of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is that it is a highly mobile form of mechanized warfare. ... It has been suggested that Mechanized warfare be merged into this article or section. ...

Before the battle

In the early months of 1920 the Polish headquarters realized that it had insufficient forces to wage a full-scale war against the Soviets on all fronts of the Polish-Soviet War. To counter the threat of a large all-scale offensive by the Red Army, the Polish HQ prepared a plan of a preemptive strike in the south, towards Kiev. That maneuver was to create a large operational space in the southern section of the front and allow the Poles to move parts of their forces northwards, to Belarus, while leaving the southern flank secured by Petlura's forces nominally of the defunct Ukrainian People's Republic, allied to Poland at that time. In order to neutralize the Soviet supremacy in number of men at arms, the Poles decided to create a large, all-cavalry unit that was to strike a wedge between the Soviet 12th Army and the Soviet 14th Army, thus disrupting their defenses and encircling a large number of enemy troops between the front line and a large pocket of resistance created far behind it. Combatants Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic Second Polish Republic Commanders Mikhail Tukhachevsky Semyon Budyonny Joseph Stalin Józef Piłsudski Edward Rydz-Śmigły Strength 950,000 including reserves 5 million 360,000 including reserves 738,000 Casualties Unknown, dead estimated at 100,000 - 150,000 Unknown, dead estimated at... The Workers and Peasants Red Army (Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия, Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya; RKKA or usually simply the Red Army) were the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918 and that in 1922 became the army of the Soviet Union. ... Location Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted. ... Ukrainian Peoples Republic (Ukrainian: ), also sometimes translated as Ukrainian National Republic, abbreviated UNR (УНР), was a republic in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura. ...

The unit, named the Cavalry Division was created out of already-existent units withdrawn from various fronts. Commanded by Gen. Jan Romer, it started to be formed in early April, some two weeks prior to the planned offensive. The first unit to be transferred to the southern front was the 5th Cavalry Brigade, moved to the area on April 12. The 4th Cavalry Brigade arrived soon afterwards. Although both brigades were seriously undermanned and under-equipped, they formed a considerable force by contemporary standards. However, all sub-units until then fought separately and did not have enough time to train cooperation. Finally, the commander of the new division was a skilled staff officer, but had no cavalry experience. Jan Romer (1869 - 1934) was an Austrian and Polish general. ... The IV Cavalry Brigade (Polish IV Brygada Kawalerii) was a unit of the Polish Army during the Polish-Bolshevik War and later in the inter-war period. ...

Opposing forces

The Polish units consisted of an entire Cavalry Division, as well as several smaller detachments. The division was composed of 192 officers and 6260 privates and NCOs, as well as 5881 horses. It was equipped with only 8 Russian 3-inch guns and 8 Italian 75 mm guns, as well as 69 machine guns of various calibers. The rear of the division was to be guarded by the Polish 15th Infantry Division that was to follow the assaulting cavalry and replace it as soon as the town was taken and secured.

The Russian defenders consisted of the 44th and 58th Rifle Divisions, as well as various smaller elements of both the 12th and 14th Red Armies.

The Raid

Opening moves

The assault started on April 25, 1920, at 4 AM local time. The 9th Uhlan Regiment aided by elements of the 14th Uhlan Regiment and 4th Mounted Artillery Battalion crossed the Sluch river and formed the spearhead of the offensive. The front guard was followed by the remainder of the 14th Regiment, the 8th, 1st and 16th Uhlan Regiments, as well as the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment and the 4th and 5th Mounted Artillery Regiments. Initially there was no contact with the enemy as the route lead through dense forests and the cavalry advanced in a fast pace, with the artillery much to the rear. The Sluch (Ukrainian: ) is a river, a right tributary of the Horyn River, which flows through Ukraine. ...

First clashes occurred at 8 AM: the 9th Regiment reached the village of Prutivka (now Zhytomyr Oblast), from where it was attacked by the machine guns of a brigade of the Soviet 17th Cavalry Division (composed of the 94th and 100th Regiments, with 800 men at arms altogether). The commander of the 9th Regiment, Rotmistrz (Captain) Józef Dunin-Borkowski ordered his unit to assault the village. The 2nd squadron assaulted the village on foot, while the 1st squadron outflanked it from the south and was to attack from the rear. However, the Polish assault resulted in a failure and the Russians counter-attacked the left wing of the Polish forces with a cavalry charge. However, two waves of Russian cavalry were repelled with Polish MG fire. The resulting situation was a stalemate, with none of the sides able to defeat the enemy. In order not to loose the momentum, General Romer ordered the artillery to shell the village and the 14th Regiment to aid in the assault. This finally broke the Soviet defenses and allowed the Poles to continue the assault. The Soviet forces withdrew to the south-east, where they were intercepted by the 1st squadron of the 9th Regiment and forced to retreat eastwards. Flag of Zhytomyr Oblast Coat of Arms of Zhyomyr Oblast Zhytomyr Oblast (Житомирська область, Zhytomyrs’ka oblast’ or Житомирщина, Zhytomyrshchyna in Ukrainian) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. ... Rotmistrz of an armoured regiment. ...

After half an hour of rest, the march was resumed. In the village of Tartak Cudnowski a company of Soviet engineers was caught by surprise during construction works and was forced to surrender almost without a shot fired. From there a patrol of 14th Regiment with an artillery platoon was dispatched southwards to secure the southern flank of the Polish forces along the Teterev river and a ford in the village of Nova Rudnya (now in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine). After yet another rest, at 5.30 PM the assault was resumed. Soon before midnight the Division reached the village of Rudnya^{[citation needed]} and remained there for the rest of the night. Since the enemy was expected to occupy the nearby village of Troyanivka (now Khmelnytskyi Oblast), the units were ordered to remain completely silent. Altogether, during the first day of the offensive the Polish units reached some 80 kilometers behind the enemy lines without notifying the enemy. Flag of Zhytomyr Oblast Coat of Arms of Zhyomyr Oblast Zhytomyr Oblast (Житомирська область, Zhytomyrs’ka oblast’ or Житомирщина, Zhytomyrshchyna in Ukrainian) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. ...

Day 2

By the end of the following day the Polish forces were to reach the outskirts of the town of Koziatyn and advance through the villages of Gwozdkowo, Siemiaki, Skakówka, Krasivka and the town of Białopol. The vanguard for the second day was formed by the 1st Uhlan Regiment and a battery of the 5th Mounted Artillery Battalion. The main force consisting of the remainder of the 5th and 4th Brigades was to follow, while the rear guard was to be formed by the 9th Uhlan Regiment shielding the tabor of the division. In addition, as the element of surprise lost much of its meaning, the Polish command dispatched numerous patrols to find the enemy and link up with the 15th Infantry Division slowly following the spearhead. This is an article on the military formation called tabor. ...

The division resumed its advance at 4 AM. After crossing the Gniłopłat river, the spearhead reached a relatively good road which allowed the Polish forces to advance quickly. General Romer ordered the cavalry to advance two thirds of the road at a trot (10 minutes at a trot, then 5 minutes in step). Already at 7.30 AM the spearhead reached the train stations of Reja and Siemianki, located on the rail road linking Koziatyn with Zhytomyr. The stations, the telegraphic line and the rails were destroyed. That way the Poles wanted to prevent the Russians from recapturing Koziatyn with an armoured train. The Poles then proceeded further into the Russian-held territory, where they were to organize a 1 hour rest. The trot is a gait of the horse where the diagonal pairs of legs move forwards at the same time. ... Zhytomyr (Ukrainian, Russian Житомир, Polish: Å»ytomierz) is the capital of the Zhytomyrska oblast in Ukraine. ... An armoured train is a train protected with armour. ...

As time showed, the expectations about a possible arrival of Russian armoured trains proved true. Around 12 o'clock the tabors, while crossing the rail road near Siemianki, were attacked by an armoured train. The carts were withdrawn beyond the range of Russian artillery and the crew of the train left it to observe the effects of their fire. However, by that time the 9th Uhlan Regiment managed to turn back and assault the train from the other side of the tracks. The train retreated, thus allowing the Poles to resume their advance. Although the skirmish was fierce and artillery fire was used on both sides, the Polish casualties were negligible: one NCO and several horses were killed and several cart drivers were wounded.

Accidentally, during the skirmish a Polish fighter plane appeared over the battlefield. Seeing the Polish carts withdrawing, he returned to his base and reported that the Poles were in retreat and severely defeated. Meanwhile the Polish advance was resumed. General Romer ordered a platoon of the 1st Uhlan Regiment to leave the main route and follow the tracks leading towards Zhytomyr. The unit reached a wooden railway bridge and took its crew by surprise. The bridge was destroyed without casualties and the unit returned to the main forces. Zhytomyr (Ukrainian, Russian Житомир, Polish: Żytomierz) is the capital of the Zhytomyrska oblast in Ukraine. ...

Assault on Koziatyn

The charge

By 1 PM the front guard reached the village of Białopole, where the headquarters of the division was to prepare an assault on the nearby town of Koziatyn. Because of the skirmish with the armoured train, the last elements of the Polish division arrived there only at 3 PM. General Romer decided to move his troops through the dense forest north of Koziatyn, seize the village of Jankowce and then order a cavalry charge in the open terrain between the town and the forest. Then the Polish cavalrymen were to dismount and assault both railway stations - the passenger station and the cargo depot - on foot, using standard infantry tactics.

The cavalry charge was to be started before dusk, in a loose formation that was to minimize losses from enemy MG and artillery fire. Then the cargo depot was to be assaulted by the 14th Regiment (Eastern part), 1st Regiment (Central area) and the 16th Regiment (Western part), while the passenger station was to be attacked by the entire 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment. All regiments were reinforced with platoons of mounted infantry, while the 8th and 9th Cavalry Regiments were to form the reserve.

The first to leave Białopole was the 4th Brigade aided by the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment. The remainder of the division rested in the village of Wernyhorodek and waited for the 4th Brigade to arrive to the edge of the forest. However, the commander of the 4th Brigade, Maj. Tadeusz Sulimirski, ignored the orders of Gen. Romer and ordered his men to dismount and prepare an infantry assault across more than a kilometre of open terrain. Romer managed to reach the 4th Brigade and force Sulimirski to obey his orders, but precious time was lost and the soldiers were ready only by half past eight. In the coming night a loose formation would probably disrupt the Polish units and Romer had to change his plans. Soon afterwards the charge started and the Poles rushed towards the city in a column. Tadeusz Sulimirski (1898–1983) was a Polish-born historian and archaeologist, who emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1939. ...

It turned out that the city's outskirts were completely undefended and not a single fire was shot at the charging Poles. However, heavy city fights for various pockets of resistance started as soon as they reached the town's centre. The 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment dismounted and assaulted the passenger railway station. Heavily defended by Russian infantry and an armoured train, the depot was a difficult target. After the initial failure to take the station by surprise, regiment's commanding officer, por. Karski, ordered his men to withdraw and requested artillery support. Following a short barrage the Russian defenders started to waver and the Poles managed to capture several buildings, several supply trains and a hospital train. However, in the complete darkness that covered the battlefield, Karski ordered his men to retreat and resume the assault in the morning. During the entire struggle the 2nd Regiment lost 1 officer and a dozen-or-so killed and wounded soldiers. Porucznik is a rank of the Polish Army, roughly equivalent to the military rank of the First Lieutenant in the armed forces of other countries. ...

Located to the north-east was the large railway cargo depot, covering roughly 2 kilometres of area along two railway lines. At half past 9 the 16th Uhlans Regiment started the assault on the right flank and managed to cross the fence. In heavy MG fire the Polish soldiers managed to reach the first buildings and neutralize the enemy machine guns on the platform with hand grenades. This allowed the 16th Regiment to seize the main station and reach a bridge leading to the passenger station. There the assault was also halted and it was decided to resume it in the morning. Soon the 2nd Light and 1st Uhlan Regiment joined the 16th and the Polish front-line was established along a 400 metre long track from Koziatyn to Kiev. The 14th Regiment soon joined the rest of the Polish forces and strengthened the far left wing of the Polish lines. For the alcoholic beverage sold in New Orleans, see hand grenade (drink). ...

At midnight a squadron of the 14th Regiment, aided by a single heavy machine gun, started a sortie towards the roundhouse. The assault succeeded and at half past two the building lay in Polish hands. However, already an hour later the Russians counter-attacked and by half past 5 in the morning the Poles were repelled back to their lines, with losses on both sides. Roundhouse in 1909, turntable in the front Steam locomotives sit in the Chicago and Northwestern roundhouse at the Chicago, Illinois freight yards, December 1942. ...

Mopping-up

As the Cavalry Division was unable to seize the town's train stations overnight, at 6 AM a general all-out assault was ordered. The entire 14th Regiment assaulted the roundhouse, aided by a battery of the 4th Mounted Artillery Battalion. The 14th Regiment was followed by the tired soldiers of the 16th and 1st Uhlan Regiment, who spent the best part of the night fighting with the Russian armoured train. As the station was filled with wagons, cars and all sorts of packages and pieces of military equipment, the units of both sides got separated into tiny groups fighting for each railway car and for each entrevoie. In the meantime the roundhouse was finally secured and the 1st Regiment seized the southern part of the station, thus pushing elements of enemy forces into the forest. This ended the fight for the cargo station as the tiny groups of enemy soldiers were surrounded and in large part surrendered quickly.

Simultaneously the Poles resumed their attack on the passenger station. The main building, manned by some 2000 Red Army soldiers, was a strong position. However, this time the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment was reinforced with the 9th Uhlan Regiment and the 7th Mounted Artillery Battalion. Following a short shrapnel barrage placed on the courtyard, the Poles managed to reach the building and pound it with hand grenades. This forced the Russians to surrender. The tired 2nd Regiment secured it, while the 9th Regiment continued the assault and engaged in a skirmish with a Russian armoured train. However, as only metres separated Poles from the Russians, none of the sides was able to use their artillery and the Russian train was finally forced to retreat by Polish MG fire from a close distance.

Soon the Polish units fighting for the station were also strengthened by the arrival of the 14th Uhlan Regiment, until then fighting for the cargo depot. The regiment assaulted the Russians from the east, which finally forced them to surrender. By 7:45 in the morning the town and the stations of Koziatyn lay in Polish hands. By the end of the day the first elements of the 15th Infantry Division started to arrive to the battlefield to relieve the tired uhlans. By April 30th the entire division had been withdrawn from the front. Until then the 8th Uhlan and 2nd Light Cavalry Regiments were busy catching the marauders of the routed 44th and 58th Rifle Divisions.

Outcome

The raid proved to be a complete success of the Poles. The Cavalry Division managed to strike a wedge behind the rear of the Soviet 12th Army, disrupt its southern wing and cut it off from the Soviet 14th Army. In addition, the Russians lost the entire 44th Rifle Division and the 1st Rifle Brigade of the Soviet 58th Rifle Division.

By capturing Koziatyn, the Polish forces seized one of the most important railway hubs in the area and the supply depot of the entire army. In addition to roughly 8000 soldiers taken prisoner of war, the Polish Army seized 500 horses, 200 carts, 120 railway engines (25% of them usage-ready), over 3000 railway cars, 30 pieces of artillery, an armoured train and 7 complete hospital trains. Besides that, the prize included also 170 machine guns, several dozen cars and large amounts of war materiel and supplies. Among the most bizarre cargo kept in the depot was a camel captured by the 14th Uhlan Regiment. The soldiers of the regiment initially wanted to take the animal with them as a mascot, but finally decided to give it to the Warsaw Zoo as a gift. 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. ... The Warsaw Zoological Garden, known simply as the Warsaw Zoo (Polish: ) is a scientific zoo in Warsaw, Poland. ...

Notes and references