Battle of Mokra
Part of Invasion of Poland
Polish cavalry moving through a bombed town
Date September 1, 1939 Location Mokra, Poland Result Polish victory
Combatants
Nazi Germany	Poland
Commanders
Georg-Hans Reinhardt Friedrich Kirchner	Julian Filipowicz
Strength
1st Panzer Division 4th Panzer Division 31st Infantry Division	Volhynian Cavalry Brigade 7th Infantry Division
Casualties
700 KIA, 300 WIA, 160 tanks and AFVs	100 KIA, 300 WIA, five guns, four AA guns, 300 horses

Monument to the Volhynian Cavalry Brigade in Mokra

The Battle of Mokra took place on September 1, 1939 near the village of Mokra, north-west of Częstochowa, Poland. It was one of the first battles of the Invasion of Poland, of the Second World War and one of the few Polish victories of the war. Combatants Poland Germany, Soviet Union, Slovakia Commanders Edward Rydz-ÅšmigÅ‚y Fedor von Bock (Army Group North), Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South), Mikhail Kovalov (Belorussian Front), Semyon Timoshenko (Ukrainian Front), Ferdinand ÄŒatloÅ¡ (Field Army Bernolak) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades, 4,300 guns, 880 tanks, 400 aircraft, Total: 950... Image File history File links Polish cavalry File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Volunteer Representative Squadron of City of PoznaÅ„ in uniforms of 15th PoznaÅ„ Uhlans Regiment Polish Cavalry (Polish: ) can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted knights. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... Mokra is a village in Silesian Voivodship of Poland, in powiat of KÅ‚obuck, located at 50°58 N, 18°55 E. As of 1998 it had 800 inhabitants. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Georg-Hans Reinhardt (March 1st, 1887 to November 23rd, 1963)) was Colonel General of the German Third Reichs Panzer Group 3, 3rd Panzer Army, Army Group Center. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... The WoÅ‚yÅ„ska Brygada Kawalerii was a Polish cavalry brigade which saw action against the invading Germans during the Polish September Campaign of World War II. Raised from recruits in the area of WoÅ‚yÅ„, the division was posted to the Łódź Army. ... Combatants Poland Germany, Soviet Union, Slovakia Commanders Edward Rydz-ÅšmigÅ‚y Fedor von Bock (Army Group North), Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South), Mikhail Kovalov (Belorussian Front), Semyon Timoshenko (Ukrainian Front), Ferdinand ÄŒatloÅ¡ (Field Army Bernolak) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades, 4,300 guns, 880 tanks, 400 aircraft, Total: 950... Westerplatte Conflict Polish Defence War of 1939 Date September 1 to September 7, 1939 Place Westerplatte peninsula in Gdańsk Result ? Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdańsk, at an estuary of the Dead Vistula (one of the Vistula delta estuaries), in the Gdańsk harbour channel. ... The Defense of the Polish Post Office in Danzig (today GdaÅ„sk) was one of the first battles of the Polish September Campaign, and of the World War II in Europe. ... Forces as of 31 August and German plan of attack. ... The Battle of Krojanty was part of the Polish September Campaign of the Second World War. ... Battle of Lasy Królewskie (Polish: Bitwa w Lasach Królewskich, Battle of Royal Forests) refers to the battle on 1 September 1939 near Janowo and KrzynowoÅ‚ga MaÅ‚a during the battle of the border of the Polish September Campaign. ... Battle of the GdaÅ„sk Bay took place on September 1, 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Polish Defensive War. ... Battle of Pszczyna (Polish: Bitwa PszczyÅ„ska) refers to the series of battles on 1 and 2 September 1939 near the town of Pszczyna during the Polish September Campaign. ... The Battle of MÅ‚awa, otherwise known as the Defence of the MÅ‚awa position, took place to the north of the town of MÅ‚awa in northern Poland between September 1 and September 3, 1939. ... The Battle of Bory Tucholskie refers to one of the first battles of the Polish September Campaign, 1939. ... Combatants Poland Germany Commanders StanisÅ‚aw Maczek Ewald von Kleist Strength 1 motorized brigade reinforced with infantry 2 Panzer divisions, 1 infantry division Casualties {{{notes}}} The Battle of Jordanów took place on September 2, 1939, during the Polish Defensive War and the opening stages of World War II. It... Battle of Borowa Góra (Polish: ) refers to the series of battles from 2nd to 5th of September of 1939 that took place near the hills of Góry Borowskie, south west from Piotrków Trybunalski and east of BeÅ‚chatów. ... Combatants Poland Germany Commanders Tadeusz Semik Eugen Ott Strength 1,200 17,000 Casualties between 7 and 20 killed 7 murdered after their capitulation between 50 and 200 killed between 100 and 300 wounded The Battle of WÄ™gierska Górka was a lengthy, two-day-long defence of a... Battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki (Polish: Bitwa pod Tomaszowem Mazowieckim) refers to the battle on 6 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Second Polish Republic, during the Polish September Campaign. ... Battle of Wizna Conflict Polish Defence War of 1939 Date September 7-September 10, 1939 Place Wizna near Poland Result unconcluded Battle of Wizna (sometimes referred to as the Polish Thermopylae) was fought between September 6 and September 10, 1939, between the forces of Poland and Germany during the initial... The Battle of Łódź was fought on September 8, 1939, between Poland and Germany. ... The Battle of Różan, otherwise known as defence of Różan bridgehead, took place between September 4 and September 6, 1939, in the fields before the town of Różan on the Narew River. ... Battle of Radom. ... Combatants Germany Poland The Battle of Wola Cyrusowa took place on September 8, 1939 near the village of Wola Cyrusowa near Stryków in Poland. ... Battle of Warsaw Conflict Polish Defence War of 1939 Date 8 to September 28, 1939 Place Warsaw, Poland Result Polish defeat The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army (Armia Warszawa) garrisoned and entrenched in the capital of Poland (Warsaw) and the German Army. ... German battleship Schleswig-Holstein stationed at Danzig harbor is shelling nearby Polish positions at Gdynia. ... Hel Peninsula as seen from Landsat satellite in 2000 Battle of Hel was one of the longest battles of the Polish Defence War of 1939 in 1939. ... Battle of Bzura (also known as Battle of Kutno) took place during the Second World War, Polish September Campaign between 9 September 1939 and 19 September1, 1939 and was fought between Polish and German Nazi forces. ... The Battle of KaÅ‚uszyn, took place between September 11 and September 12, 1939, in the fields before the town of KaÅ‚uszyn near MiÅ„sk Mazowiecki. ... Combatants Soviet Union Poland Commanders Pyotr Akhlyustin Semyon Zybin JarosÅ‚aw Okulicz-Kozaryn Strength 2 cavalry and 3 armor divisions 10 infantry battalions Casualties according to Soviet sources: 13 killed, 24 wounded, 5 tanks destroyed, several damaged Unknown Battle of Wilno was one of the major battles during the Soviet... Combatants Germany, Soviet Union Poland Commanders Ferdinand Schörner, Filip Golikov WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw Langner, StanisÅ‚aw Sikorski Casualties unknown unknown The Battle of Lwów (sometimes called the Siege of Lwów) was a battle for the control over the Polish city of Lwów between the Polish Army... Battle of Modlin Conflict Polish Defence War of 1939 Date September 13 to September 29, 1939 Place Modlin village, Modlin Fortress Result Polish capitulation During the Polish September Campaign at the beginning of the Second World War, Modlin Fortress was a headquarters of the Modlin Army until it retreated eastwards. ... Battle of KobryÅ„ was one of the battles of the Polish Defence War of 1939. ... Battle of Brześć Litewski (otherwise known as the Siege of Brześć, Battle of Brest-Litovsk or simply Battle of Brześć) was a World War II battle that took place between September 14 and September 17, 1939, near the town of Brześć Litewski (now Brest, Belarus). ... The battle of KÄ™pa Oksywska took place in the Oksywie Heights outside of the city of Gdynia between September 10 and September 19, 1939. ... Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 17th September to 26th September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. ... Battle of Wólka WÄ™glowa (Polish: ) refers to the battle on September 19, 1939, that took place near Wólka WÄ™glowa, during the last stages of the Polish counteroffensive (battle of the Bzura) of the Polish September Campaign. ... The Battle of Kampinos was in fact a series of skirmishes and battles fought in the forests around Kampinos during the Polish Defensive War of 1939, between the Polish Army and the German Wehrmacht. ... The Battle of Grodno took place between September 21 and September 24, 1939, during the Polish Defensive War. ... Combatants Poland Germany Commanders Bohdan Stachlewski† Tadeusz Gerlecki† Rudolf Koch-Erpach Strength Navahrudak Cavarly Brigade 2nd Horse Artillery Division 2nd Horse Rifles Regiment 1st KOP Cavarly Regiment 8th Infrantry Division heavy east-prussian cavarly Casualties heavy heavy The Battle of Krasnobród took place on 23 September 1939 near the... Combatants Soviet Union Poland Commanders Wilhelm Orlik-Rueckemann Strength 52 Rifle Division 4000 strong KOP group including artillery Casualties about 500 KIA 1600 WIA several guns a few AFVs 7 tanks (Soviet counts) up to 40 tanks (Polish counts) about 350 KIA more than 900 WIA a few trucks Battle... The battle of Wytyczno took place on October 1, 1939 near the village of Wytyczno near WÅ‚odawa in Poland. ... The Battle of Kock was the final battle of the Polish September Campaign at the beginning of World War II. It took place from October 2nd through October 5th, 1939, near the town of Kock, Poland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 448 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1712 × 2288 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 448 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1712 × 2288 pixel, file size: 1. ... Mokra is a village in Silesian Voivodship of Poland, in powiat of KÅ‚obuck, located at 50°58 N, 18°55 E. As of 1998 it had 800 inhabitants. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... Mokra is a village in Silesian Voivodship of Poland, in powiat of KÅ‚obuck, located at 50°58 N, 18°55 E. As of 1998 it had 800 inhabitants. ... CzÄ™stochowa ( , German: ) is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 248,894 inhabitants (2004). ... Combatants Poland Germany, Soviet Union, Slovakia Commanders Edward Rydz-ÅšmigÅ‚y Fedor von Bock (Army Group North), Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South), Mikhail Kovalov (Belorussian Front), Semyon Timoshenko (Ukrainian Front), Ferdinand ÄŒatloÅ¡ (Field Army Bernolak) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades, 4,300 guns, 880 tanks, 400 aircraft, Total: 950... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Eve of the Battle

According to the Polish mobilization scheme, the main task of the Łódź Army was to secure the connection between the Kraków Army operating in Silesia and Lesser Poland and the Poznań Army defending Greater Poland. It was also to cover the mobilization of a reserve Prusy Army behind the Polish lines. Because of that, the main purpose of the army was to gain time and offer delaying actions and harsh resistance in order for the mobilization to be accomplished. Monument to Łódź Army in Park Helenów in Łódź Łódź Army (Polish: ) was one of the Polish armies that took part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. ... Kraków Army (Polish: ) was one of the Polish armies to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. ... Silesia (Czech: ; German: ; Latin: ; Polish: ; Silesian: Åšlónsk) is a historical region in central Europe. ... Kraków Katowice WrocÅ‚aw Łódź PoznaÅ„ Bydgoszcz Lublin BiaÅ‚ystok GdaÅ„sk Szczecin Warsaw M A S O V I A S I L E S I A G R E A T E R P O L A N D L E S S E R P O... Voivodship wielkopolskie since 1999 Coat of Arms for voivodship wielkopolskie Greater Poland (also Great Poland; Polish: , German: Großpolen, Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland. ... The Prusy Army was a unit of the Polish Army which fought in World War II. It operated under the Polish High Command and was composed of 7 infantry division, one brigade of cavalry and two battalions of tanks. ...

The Polish Volhynian Cavalry Brigade was located north of the town of Kłobuck, along the railway to Częstochowa. Two regiments (19th and 21st Uhlans, as well as 4th battalion of the 84th Infantry Regiment) were entrenched on both ends of a forest surrounding the village of Mokra, to the west of the north-south rail road line. To the east, Colonel Julian Filipowicz placed the reserves of the brigade: 12th Uhlans Regiment, 2nd Mounted Rifles Regiment and 21st Armoured Battalion. The WoÅ‚yÅ„ska Brygada Kawalerii was a Polish cavalry brigade which saw action against the invading Germans during the Polish September Campaign of World War II. Raised from recruits in the area of WoÅ‚yÅ„, the division was posted to the Łódź Army. ... KÅ‚obuck is a town of 14,000 inhabitants in Poland. ... CzÄ™stochowa ( , German: ) is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 248,894 inhabitants (2004). ...

The main task of the Polish brigade was to keep the connection between the Polish 7th Infantry Division operating to the south and the Polish 30th Infantry Division to the north. The terrain chosen by the Polish commander was ideal for defence: a railroad earthwork and a forest formed the main line while the foreground was hilly, with a large number of ditches, streams and other similar obstacles. The 7th Infantry Division (Polish: , 7 DP) was the name of several units of the Polish Army. ...

Battle

On September 1, at 0500, the German Tenth Army of Army Group South crossed the Polish border and initiated the invasion of Poland. The German 31st Infantry Division, as well as 1st and 4th Panzer Divisions crossed the border in the operational sector of the Polish Volhynian cavalry brigade. After breaking through small detachments of the Border Guard and National Defence, the German units seized the towns of Krzepice and Starokrzepice, right in front of the main Polish positions. After capturing them, the Germans razed both towns and expelled all inhabitants towards the Polish lines. September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The German Tenth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... Army Group South (Heeresgruppe Süd in German) was a German Army Group during World War II. Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South. ... Combatants Poland Germany, Soviet Union, Slovakia Commanders Edward Rydz-Śmigły Fedor von Bock (Army Group North), Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South), Mikhail Kovalov (Belorussian Front), Semyon Timoshenko (Ukrainian Front), Ferdinand Čatloš (Field Army Bernolak) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades, 4,300 guns, 880 tanks, 400 aircraft, Total: 950... The German 1st Panzer Division () was an armored division in the German Army during World War II. Its divisional insignia was a white oakleaf emblem. ... German tank of the 4th Division during the failed assault of Warsaw The German 4th Panzer Division () was established in 1938. ... Border Guard (Polish Straż Graniczna, SG) is a Polish military unit tasked with patrol of the Polish border. ... In military science, defense (or defence) is the art of preventing an enemy from conquering territory; usually via fortifications. ... Church św. ...

The German units were divided into three separate assault groups. The 1st Panzer Division headed directly towards the town of Kłobuck, held by the Polish 7th Infantry Division, while the 4th Panzer Division was split into northern and southern columns, each trying to outflank the Polish positions around Mokra. At the same time, the Luftwaffe started a heavy bombardment of the Polish positions. All together by the end of the day, German air raids arrived 15 times, with between 9 and 26 bombers each. The aeroplanes used were mostly Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. ... A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ...

At 0630 in the morning the motorcycle reconnaissance squads of the 4th Panzer Division made contact with the 12th company of the 84th Infantry Regiment under Stanisław Radajewicz. Soon afterwards the AFVs arrived, supported by infantry and purportedly using civilians as human shields^{[citation needed]}. However, after several shots from the sides, the German tanks lost orientation, which allowed for the civilians to cross the Polish lines with negligible losses. The German assault was renewed shortly afterwards, but was repelled by heavy machine gun fire. Two AFVs retreated, while the majority of the motorcyclists were taken prisoner. Human shield is a military and political term describing the presence of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

The 4th Panzer Division then mounted an assault on the Polish 21st Uhlans Regiment, further northwards. After a short artillery barrage and aerial bombardment, the German tanks took the village of Wilkowieck and headed directly for the village of Mokra. However, although the regiment lost many horses and approximately five ammunition cars, the bombs mostly missed the defensive positions and the advancing tanks were welcomed at 150 metres by well-positioned Polish-made 37mm Bofors antitank guns. After two tanks were destroyed the German tanks withdrew at 400 metres and started shelling the Poles with artillery, but after losing an additional two AFVs (one destroyed and one immobilized), the tanks retreated. At the same time the German infantry was left alone on a flat field, right in front of the Polish positions, without any cover. It was forced to retreat by a Polish attack that caused heavy losses and resulted in a number of prisoners being taken by the Poles. Polish wz. ...

The positions of the 19th Uhlans Regiment were attacked at 0800 by an assault group composed of tanks, AFV's, motorcyclists and infantry. The German group, divided into three columns, was advancing towards the village of Rębielice Szlacheckie in order to outflank the 21st Regiment from the north. However, the Germans were apparently unaware of the 19th Regiment's positions. The westernmost group easily captured the village, while the central group was caught in an ambush by the Poles near the forest and had to flee the battlefield. The third group was advancing along the Polish positions in the forest, completely unaware of the Polish forces several hundred metres away. When the Polish machine guns and anti-tank guns opened fire, the group was almost annihilated before it could respond.

Nevertheless, the Polish northern flank was endangered and the Germans found out its positions. To counter the threat, Col. Filipowicz ordered the 12th Uhlans Regiment under Andrzej Kuczek, until then held in reserve, to strengthen the positions of the 19th Regiment. The newly-arrived units were fresh, yet already battle-hardened in the first skirmishes in the early morning, which seriously helped the Polish morale.

Assault

At 1000 the Germans started an assault of the northern flank, but were repelled from most positions with significant losses on both sides. 15 minutes afterwards the German 4th Panzer Division repeated the attack, this time with artillery support and air cover. The assault was planned in three directions:

1. Towards the positions of the 19th Regiment and to the north, in order to outflank the brigade
2. Towards the village of Mokra itself, with approximately 100 tanks and AFVs
3. Towards the weakened 4th Battalion of the 84th Infantry Regiment

The northern assault was carried out quickly. Under the cover of heavy fire, the German tanks managed to break into the forest and secured a road leading across the railway line to the village of Izbiska Duże, to the north of the Polish headquarters. At 1030 the Polish 4th squadron of the 19th Regiment was attacked from behind and pushed out of the forest. This threatened the Poles with separation of 19th and 21st Regiments. Colonel Filipowicz ordered the 19th Regiment to withdraw to the other side of the railway, but the way was already occupied by German tanks and the unit was effectively surrounded. However, the Polish defence was reinforced by the arrival of the Armoured train No. 53, which arrived to the battlefield in the very moment the German tanks were crossing the railway line. It stopped in the middle of the German column and opened fire from all guns. The German column was dispersed and retreated with heavy losses, while the 19th Regiment crossed the rail road under cover of the armoured train. Although it suffered losses, it managed to regroup on the other side. An armoured train is a train protected with armour. ...

Simultaneously, an attack on the main positions of the 21st Regiment near the village of Mokra was started. German tanks managed to outflank the 4th squadron of the Regiment from the north, at the same time attacking it frontally. In the result, the Polish defenders were pushed out of the forest and heavy fights for the village itself started. The Germans lost four tanks to the Polish 2nd Artillery Battalion firing from across the rail road, but the 4th battalion was in retreat, fighting for almost every house in the village and suffering growing losses. Again the day was saved by Armoured train No. 53. It arrived to the area just on time and opened fire from the distance of almost 2.5 km, which was beyond the effective range of German tank guns of the time. Also, the 12th Uhlans Regiment was moved to the area to reinforce the 21st.

Counter-attack and the "Charge"

The 21st Armoured Battalion under Maj. Stanisław Gliński, equipped mostly with Polish TKS tankettes was ordered to counter-attack the village, along with the cavalry squadron of Captain Jerzy Hollak. In the clouds of smoke of the burning village, the Polish units accidentally drove right in the middle of a German tank column. Although the Polish tankettes were no match for some of the German tanks and the cavalry was very vulnerable to tank fire, the confusion in German ranks prevented the German commander from responding quickly enough. The Polish units managed to break through the German column with negligible losses and seized the forest to the Northwest of Mokra. This manoeuvre is sometimes referred to as a charge of Polish cavalry on German tanks, although no charge was planned nor executed. Nevertheless, the German tanks again lost orientation and the column withdrew from the village, again leaving it in Polish hands. The tanks withdrew to their initial positions in Wilkowiecko, leaving behind the infantry supporting the failed assault. German losses were high and a large number of German troops were taken prisoner. The TK (TK-3) and TKS were the Polish tankettes of the Second World War. ... Polish TK-3 A tankette was a type of small armoured fighting vehicle resembling a tank, intended for infantry support or reconnaissance. ...

At the same time, also at 1000, the positions of the 4th Battalion of the 84th Infantry Regiment were attacked by a detachment of German mechanized infantry. After initial clashes the Polish 11th and 12th Companies withdrew deeper into the forest. Colonel Filipowicz ordered the 2nd Mounted Rifles to counter-attack and strengthen the positions between the 21st and 84th regiments. Also the 10th Company managed to charge the enemy and retake the positions lost only a couple of minutes earlier. By 1200 the fighting in the centre and in the south of the Polish positions was over. The fighting in the forest on the northern flank was ended after the 19th Regiment successfully withdrew.

Final struggles

At 1215 approximately 100 of German tanks returned to the village of Mokra. The main assault broke the lines of the 4th squadron of the 21st Regiment and the tanks managed to charge the AT artillery nests, destroying two of the guns and breaking through to central part of the village. The houses there were set on fire and the 21st Regiment managed to withdraw to the rail road line, under cover of the smoke. Only isolated pockets of resistance were left in the village itself, which caused much confusion to the Germans.

The withdrawal of the 21st Regiment allowed the Germans to attack the 12th Regiment and the 2nd Artillery Battalion directly. The losses of the latter unit were high since most of the 75mm field guns were not the best weapon for antitank fire. The 2nd battery lost all three guns and the HMG, while the 5th battery lost two guns. However, the rest of the artillery positions were covered with smoke from the burning houses the Germans had set afire, and were successfully hidden. When a group of tanks unknowingly approached the 1st battery, the Polish guns opened direct fire to the German tanks, destroying 13 of them in a matter of minutes. This allowed for the Poles to hold their positions. Also, the 12th Regiment under Andrzej Kuczek attacked the German tanks from the back, from the previously-retaken forest to the Northwest of the village. The Germans suffered heavy losses, and were forced to withdraw. After the assault ended, the 2nd Artillery Battalion was withdrawn from the battle due to heavy losses and lack of ammunition.

At 1500, the Germans repeated the frontal assault with heavy artillery fire, tactical air attacks and almost 180 tanks from Wilkowiecko. Simultaneously, side attacks were commenced on the Polish flanks. The frontal assault was directed on the 2nd Squadron of the 12th Regiment (commanded by Stanisław Raczkowski), in the centre of the village. Although the Polish artillery managed to destroy many of them, the German tanks managed to break through again to the village. The 4th squadron under Feliks Pruszyński counter-attacked, but both squadrons were being constantly pressed towards the rail road line. Colonel Filipowicz had no further reserves and the German tanks were nearing the railway crossing, while the Polish cavalry was being pushed back with light casualties. Soon the regiments lost contact with each other. Because of the smoke, the battle broke down to a series of different skirmishes in the forests, the village and along the rails. All batteries but one of the 2nd Battalion were withdrawn from the battle. This made the situation of the 12th Regiment critical.

The 2nd Mounted Rifle Regiment, the only unit that was still intact and in contact with the commander of the brigade, was ordered to assault at all cost and reinforce the 12th Regiment and the gap between the cavalry and the 84th Regiment in the south. This helped the Polish defence, but only for a moment. Colonel Filipowicz ordered the Polish tankettes to charge the German tanks in the village. Although the tankettes were not supplied with antitank ammunition, in chaos of the battle they managed to halt the German advance for a moment. After losing one tankette the Poles withdrew, but managed to gain enough time for the armoured trains to return to the area. To the north, on the positions of the 19th Regiment the tanks also managed to break through and started crossing the rail road near Izbiska. When the German tanks crossed the line, both of the armoured trains arrived and attacked them from behind. While the losses in tanks were moderate, the panic that started in German units resulted in many tanks being abandoned by their crews, who could not drive the tanks directly through the railway tracks (elevated some two metres above the ground) and the crossing was blocked by burning AFVs. Although both trains suffered some losses and were finally forced to retreat, the panic in German ranks was not stopped. In the smoke some of the German tanks started firing at German positions, while others simply retreated towards the initial position, directly through the German infantry.

In the south the Polish infantry was yet again pushed deeper into the forest, but its lines were not broken. At 1700 that day the battle was over.

Aftermath

The German 4th Panzer Division was forced back to its initial positions in Opatów and Wilkowiecko, and only the 12th Schützen Regiment managed to reach the rail road crossing at Izbiska. However, upon learning that the German 1st Panzer Division had managed to take Kłobuck, the Polish forces were withdrawn overnight south-eastwards, to the village of Łobodno located north-east of Kłobuck, and then to the second line of defence, some 12 km to the east. Saint Martins Church in Opatów, a Romanesque church from the second half of the 12th century Opatów is a town in Poland, in ÅšwiÄ™tokrzyskie Voivodship. ... The German 1st Panzer Division () was an armored division in the German Army during World War II. Its divisional insignia was a white oakleaf emblem. ...

Casualties

The losses on both sides were quite high, but far more so on the German side. The Germans lost approximately 1000 men (killed, missing, captured or seriously wounded), and between 140 and 160 AFVs (at least 70 of them tanks). The Polish brigade lost 100 killed and 300 wounded, as well as 300 horses and several guns. The 2nd Mounted Artillery Battalion lost almost 30% of men, the 21st Regiment - almost 25%; the 12th Uhlans Regiment that was used as a reserve lost 5 officers and 116 men, both killed and wounded.

Reference

• Mieczysław Bielski (1991). Grupa Operacyjna "Piotrków". Warsaw: Bellona. ISBN 83-11-07836-X. 

See also

• Polish cavalry

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. ...

External link

• map of the battle