The following is a standard
order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle of an armed force participating in a military operation or campaign shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and equipment of units and formations of the arme ...
of the
Polish cavalry
The Polish cavalry ( pl, jazda, kawaleria, konnica) can trace its origins back to the days of medieval cavalry knights. Poland is mostly a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment. The knights and heav ...
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
B ...
in 1939.
Chain of command
Composition and armament
The following is a list of all equipment, armament, men and means of transport in use by a cavalry regiment and a cavalry brigade of the
Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
, as of 1939. The figures for brigades are based on official Polish Army instructions prepared in late 1930s. The numbers in brackets give the figures for a four-regiment brigade, as opposed to the standard three-regiment one. The figures for the regiments are given after the actual mobilisation report of September 1, 1939, of the
25th Greater Polish Uhlans Regiment
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash th ...
. Note that the numbers for other units may vary, mostly due to different mobilisation schedules and other problems.
{, border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 85%; border: gray solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse; text-align: left;"
, + style="font-weight:bold;" , Polish Cavalry Brigade and Regiment - equipment
! ROWSPAN=1 style="background:#ccc;" ,
! style="background:#ccc;", Regiment
! style="background:#ccc;", Brigade
, -
! colspan="14" style="background: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;" , ''General''
, -
, officers
, 36
, 232 (373)
, -
, privates and NCOs
, 838
, 5 911 (6 911)
, -
, horses
Cavalry horses
Pack horses
Cart-horses
Total
,
616
43
221
920
,
5 194 (6 291)
, -
! colspan="14" style="background: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;" , ''Vehicles''
, -
, cars
, 1
, 65 (66)
, -
, motorcycles
, 1
,
, -
,
field kitchen
A field kitchen is a mobile kitchen, mobile canteens or food truck used primarily by militaries to provide warm food to the troops near the frontline or in temporary encampments.
Description
The first field kitchens were carried in four-wh ...
s
, 6
,
, -
,
tabor
Tabor may refer to:
Places
Czech Republic
* Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region
** Tábor District, the surrounding district
* Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region
Israel
* Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
carts
, 86
,
, -
,
chaplains cart
, 1
, 4
, -
,
taczanka
A tachanka ( ukr, тачанка, rus, тача́нка, pl, taczanka) was a horse-drawn machine gun, usually a cart (such as charabanc) or an open wagon with a heavy machine gun installed in the back. A tachan ...
wz.28 or wz.36
, 13
,
, -
,
bicycles
, 36
,
, -
! colspan="14" style="background: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;" , ''Armament''
, -
,
Vis pistols
, 133
,
, -
,
wz. 34 sabres
, 616
,
, -
,
lance
A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...
s
, 108
,
, -
, rifles
Mannlicher 1888,
Kbk wz. 1929,
Kb wz. 98a,
Mosin wz. 91/98/25,
Kbk wz. 91/98/23 or
Steyr-Mannlicher M1895
, 740
, 5000
, -
, 7,92 mm
karabin ppanc. wz 35 AT rifle
, 12
, 51 (64)
, -
,
rkm Browning wz. 28 LMG
, 18
, 89 (107)
, -
,
Maxim 08/15 and
lkm wz. 08/18 MGs
,
, 10 (12)
, -
,
Ckm wz.30 HMG
, 12
, 52 (64)
, -
! colspan="14" style="background: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;" , ''Organic artillery''
, -
, grenade launchers wz. 1930 and
wz. 1936
,
, 9 (9)
, -
,
81mm mortar wz. 31
,
, 2
, -
, 75 mm
Armata 75 mm wz.02/26 field gun
,
, 12 (16)
, -
, 40 mm
armata plot. wz. 36 AA gun
,
, 2 (2)
, -
, 37 mm
Armata ppanc. wz. 36 AT gun
, 4
, 14 (18)
, -
! colspan="14" style="background: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;" , ''Organic armoured unit''
, -
,
wz. 34 or
wz.29 armoured car
,
, 8
, -
, reconnaissance
tankette
A tankette is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle that resembles a small tank, roughly the size of a car. It is mainly intended for light infantry support and scouting. TKS
The TK (TK-3) and TKS were Polish tankettes developed during the 1930s and used in the Second World War.
Design and development
The TK (also known as the TK-3) tankette was a Polish design produced from 1931 based on the chassis of the British ...
or
TK-3
,
, 13
, -
Polish cavalry brigades in 1939
Cavalry
*
Kraków Cavalry Brigade Kraków Cavalry Brigade (') was a unit of the Polish Army, created on April 1, 1937. Its headquarters were located in Kraków, but some units were stationed in other places:
* 3rd Silesian Uhlan Regiment, in Tarnowskie Góry
* 8th Uhlan Regiment ...
(
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
) - under Brigadier General
Zygmunt Piasecki
*
Kresowa Cavalry Brigade Kresowa Cavalry Brigade (Polish: ') was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. It was organized on April 1, 1937 and was based on the Second Cavalry Brigade. Stationed in the town of Brody, it consisted of several regiments:
* 20th U ...
(
Brody
Brody ( uk, Броди; russian: Броды, Brodï; pl, Brody; german: Brody; yi, בראָד, Brod) is a city in Zolochiv Raion of Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately ...
) - under Colonel
Stefan Hanka-Kulesza
*
Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade ( pl, Mazowiecka Brygada Kawalerii) was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. It was created on April 1, 1937, out of former 1st Cavalry Brigade. It ...
(
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
) under Colonel
Jan Karcz
*
Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade (Polish: ''Nowogródzka Brygada Kawalerii'') was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the Second Polish Republic, interbellum period. It was created on April 1, 1937, out of the Baranowicze Cavalry Brigade. Its headquart ...
(
Baranowicze
Baranavichy ( ; be, Бара́навічы, Łacinka: , ; russian: Бара́новичи; yi, באַראַנאָוויטש; pl, Baranowicze) is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus, with a population (as of 2019) of 179,000. It is no ...
) under Brigadier General
Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyear ...
*
Podlaska Cavalry Brigade The Podlaska Cavalry Brigade (Polish: ''Podlaska Brygada Kawalerii'') was a military unit of the Polish Army, created on April 1, 1937. Its headquarters were in Białystok, and it was based on the ''Cavalry Brigade Białystok'', existing between Feb ...
(
Białystok) under Brigadier General
Ludwik Kmicic-Skrzyński
*
Podolska Cavalry Brigade (
Stanisławów) under Colonel
Leon Strzelecki
*
Pomeranian Cavalry Brigade
Pomeranian Cavalry Brigade (Polish: ''Pomorska Brygada Kawalerii'') was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. It was created on April 1, 1937 out of the Cavalry Brigade "Bydgoszcz". Its headquarters were stationed in Bydgoszc ...
(
Bydgoszcz) under Colonel
Adam Zakrzewski
*
Suwalska Cavalry Brigade Suwalska Cavalry Brigade (Polish: ''Suwalska Brygada Kawalerii'') was a cavalry unit of the Polish Armed Forces of the Second Polish Republic in the interbellum period. It was created on April 1, 1937, out of the 4th Independent Cavalry Brigade. ...
(
Suwałki
Suwałki ( lt, Suvalkai; yi, סואוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Suwałki ...
) under Brigadier General
Zygmunt Podhorski Zygmunt Podhorski ( nom de guerre Zaza; May 25, 1891 – September 12, 1960) was Brigadier General of the Polish Army. Born May 25, 1891, Podhorski fought in World War I (in the Russian Imperial Army), Polish–Soviet War and the Invasion of Poland. ...
*
Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade
Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade (Polish: ''Wielkopolska Brygada Kawalerii'') was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. It was created on April 1, 1937 out of the Cavalry Brigade "Poznań". Its headquarters were stationed in Pozn ...
(
Poznań
Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...
) under Brigadier General
Roman Abraham
*
Wileńska Cavalry Brigade (
Wilno
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
) under Colonel
Konstanty Drucki-Lubecki
*
Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade
The Volhynian Cavalry Brigade ( pl, Wołyńska Brygada Kawalerii) was a Polish cavalry brigade, which saw action against the invading Germans during the Invasion of Poland, a part of World War II. Raised from recruits in the area of Wołyń, the d ...
(
Równe) under Colonel
Julian Filipowicz
Armoured-Motorised Brigades
::''
Different armament and structure''
*
10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade (Poland)
The 10th Cavalry Brigade ( pl, 10. Brygada Kawalerii) was a Polish military unit in World War II. It was the only fully operational Polish motorized infantry unit during the Invasion of Poland, as Warsaw Armoured Motorized Brigade was not complete ...
(
Rzeszów
Rzeszów ( , ; la, Resovia; yi, ריישא ''Raisha'')) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów has been the capital of the Subcarpathian ...
) - dowódca: płk dypl.
Stanisław Maczek
*
Warszawska Brygada Pancerno-Motorowa (
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
) - dowódca: płk dypl.
Stefan Rowecki
See also
*
Polish cavalry
The Polish cavalry ( pl, jazda, kawaleria, konnica) can trace its origins back to the days of medieval cavalry knights. Poland is mostly a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment. The knights and heav ...
*
Polish army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
*
Polish Defensive War of 1939
World War II orders of battle
Tables of Organisation and Equipment
Polish cavalry
Invasion of Poland