Battle of Byteń explained

Conflict:Battle of Byteń
Place:Byteń, modern day Belarus
Date:23rd February-1st March 1919
Partof:Polish-Soviet War
Result:Soviet victory
Commander1:gen. Antoni Listowski
mjr. Władysław Dąbrowski
por. Edward Kaczkowski
kpt. Piotr Mieniecki
Commander2:Roman Łągwa
Width:315px
Units1:mjr. Władysław Dąbrowski's branch
1st Wilno Batallion
2nd Lida Batallion
Armored train "Kaniów"
Units2:52nd Rifle Division
Revolutionary Red Warsaw Regiment
6th Grodno Revolutionary Regiment
Strength1:750 soldiers
Strength2:Unknown
Casualties1:10 dead, many POWs
Casualties2:Unknown

The Battle of Byteń was a battle between the Second Polish Republic against the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the initial period of the Polish–Soviet War. It ended in a Soviet victory.

Origin

In the last months of 1918 and in the first months of 1919, on the eastern borders of the new Second Polish Republic were stationed German Ober Ost troops. Their evacuation caused that the areas they left from the east were occupied by the Red Army. At the same time, units of the new Polish Armed Forces[1] were approaching from the west. In February 1919, Polish divisions came into combat contact with Red Army units. The unexpected Polish–Soviet War begun.[2] During this period, Polish troops conducted limited offensive operations.[3]

Battles

On the 23rd of February 1919 gen. Antoni Listowski ordered mjr. 's branch to attack .[4] Numbering about 750 soldiers, composed out of the 1st Wilno Batallion, 2nd Lida Batallion and the cavalry division, supported by the armored train "Kaniów" had already captured Zarzecze on the first day of the fight, after which they intensified their attack with the Lida batallion, attacking the town. The cavalry went around from the north to prevent the enemy army from escaping. From the south the attack was supported by the armored train.[5] After taking over Byteń on the 24th of February, both batallions went to Pruzhany.[6]

On the 1st of March Soviet troops of the and a batallion of the composed mostly of Polish communists attacked . Meanwhile, the Polish crew of (which was a unit of the consisting of around 120 soldiers) was stationed there. The first attack was repelled, but when one of the machine guns was damaged, the enemy broke into the town. Ten Polish soldiers died and many were taken prisoner. The next day the Poles responded with a counterattack, but were repelled, suffering heavy losses.[7] was recaptured in April during the Polish offensive in Belarus.link=https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:A.Przybylski_-_szkic_nr_4.jpg|thumb|301x301px|Adam Przybylski,Polish War 1918–1921

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Cisek, Paduszek, Rawski . Polish-Soviet War 1919-1921. . Military Centre for Civic Education . 2010 . Warsaw . 9.
  2. Book: Wyszczelski, Lech . Wojna o polskie Kresy 1918-1921: walki z czerwoną Rosją, Ukraińcami i Litwinami . 2013 . Bellona . 978-83-11-12866-8 . Historia . Warszawa . 146.
  3. Book: Cisek, Paduszek, Rawski . Polish-Soviet War 1919-1921 . Military Centre for Civic Education . 2010 . Warsaw . 2010 . 11.
  4. 1930 . Zarys historji wojennej 76-go lidzkiego pułku piechoty . PAN Biblioteka Kórnicka . 14.
  5. Book: Odziemkowski, Janusz . Leksykon wojny polsko-rosyjskiej 1919-1920 . 2004 . Oficyna Wydawnicza "Rytm" . 978-83-7399-096-8 . Wyd. 1 . Warszawa . 72.
  6. 1930 . Zarys historji wojennej 76-go lidzkiego pułku piechoty . PAN Biblioteka Kórnicka . 15.
  7. Book: Waligóra, Bolesław . The history of the 85th Vilnius Rifle Regiment . Military Scientific and Publishing Institute . 1928 . Warsaw . 1928 . 72.