The World War II Battle of Krasnobród took place on 23 September 1939 near the town of

Krasnobród Krasnobród (; uk, Краснобруд, Krasnobrud) is a small town in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. It is located near the Roztocze National Park and Krasnobród Landscape Park. The Wieprz River flows through the town. Points of interest includ ...

. It was fought between the forces of the Polish Army and the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

during the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

. It was one of the last battles in European warfare in which

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

was used on both sides.

Battle

At approximately 7am a group of Polish cavalry of the Nowogródek Cavalry Brigade left the forests halfway between Zamość and

Tomaszów Lubelski Tomaszów Lubelski is a town in south-eastern Poland with 19,365 inhabitants (2017). Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship, near Roztocze National Park, it is the capital of Tomaszów Lubelski County. History The town was founded at the end of the ...

. The

25th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment 25th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment (Polish: 25 Pułk Ułanów Wielkopolskich, 25 puł) was a Polish cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the Second Polish Republic. Formed in 1920, it fought both in the Polish–Soviet War and the 1939 Invasion of Po ...

under Col. formed the front guard of the formation and was entrusted with recapturing the pivotal town of Krasnobród. The German 8th Infantry Division fortified the town located on a hill with two lines of trenches. In order to minimize the effect of enemy numerical superiority, the Polish commander split his forces in two and ordered a cavalry charge, with each of the squadrons charging separately at a different sector of the front. The German forces were caught completely by surprise and the first squadron successfully broke through their positions, while the German infantry started a chaotic retreat towards the centre of the town, followed by the Polish cavalry using sabres and lances. The second squadron under Lt. Tadeusz Gerlecki joined the charge towards the hill. A unit of

organic cavalry An organic unit is a military unit that is a permanent part of a larger unit and (usually) provides some specialized capability to that parent unit. For instance, the US Marine Corps incorporates its own aviation units (distinct from the US Air F ...

from the German 8th Infantry Division counter-charged from the hill, but was repelled. The Polish units started a pursuit after the fleeing enemy and entered the city. Although the Poles suffered heavy losses due to machine gun fire (with Gerlecki's squadron losing all but 30 men), the town was retaken and the Poles took the headquarters of the division, together with about 100 German soldiers. Forty Polish combatants previously taken prisoner by the Germans were freed.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Krasnobrod Battles of the Invasion of Poland Lublin Voivodeship (1919–1939) September 1939 events

Battle

See also

References