Battle of Kałuszyn

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Battle of Kałuszyn
Part of Invasion of Poland
Date September 11 - September 12, 1939 Location Kałuszyn, Poland Result Polish victory
Combatants
Poland	Nazi Germany
Commanders
Andrzej Żyliński	Maj. Krawutschke
Strength
6th Legions' Infantry Regiment 11th Uhlans Regiment	44th Infantry Regiment
Casualties
At least 33 dead	Almost entire regiment lost

Invasion of Poland

Westerplatte – Danzig – The Border - Krojanty – Lasy Królewskie – Mokra – Gdańsk Bay – Pszczyna – Mława – Tuchola Forest – Jordanów – Borowa Góra – Mikołów – Węgierska Górka – Tomaszów Mazowiecki – Wizna – Łódź – Przemyśl – Piotrków – Różan – Radom – Łomża – Wola Cyrusowa – Warsaw – Gdynia – Hel – Bzura – Jarosław – Kałuszyn – Węgrów – Wilno – Lwów – Modlin – Kobryń – Brześć – Kępa Oksywska – Tomaszów Lubelski – Wólka Węglowa – Kampinos Forest – Janów, Wereszyca, and Hołosko – Krasnystaw – Grodno – Cześniki – Krasnobród – Władypol – Szack – Wytyczno – Parczew – Kock

The Battle of Kałuszyn, took place between September 11 and September 12, 1939, in the fields before the town of Kałuszyn near Mińsk Mazowiecki.

[edit] Prelude

Following the battle for the borders, the forces of Gen. Wincenty Kowalski started a steady withdrawal and delaying actions in the area to the north-east of Warsaw. Following the battles of Pułtusk and Różan, the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division reinforced by the units of the Wyszków Operational Group arrived to the area of Mińsk Mazowiecki. However, they were overrun by the German forces of the German 11th Infantry Division, who managed to take the town and surround the Polish forces.

[edit] The battle

The Polish aim was to retake the town and break through the German encirclement before the German panzer reinforcements arrived and the enemy resistance stiffened. After a short preparation, the battle started overnight with a Polish assault on the villages surrounding the town. The Polish forces managed to break through the positions of the enemy 44th Infantry Regiment, which was disorganized and underestimated the Polish forces still present in the area. At one point the commander of the Polish 6th Legions' Infantry Regiment ordered the 4th squadron of the Polish 11th Uhlans Regiment to advance towards the town itself. The order was mistakenly understood as an order of a cavalry charge and the squadron, numbering 85 men at arms and commanded by Lt. Andrzej Żyliński, rushed towards the enemy positions with their sabres and rifles[1]. In the effect of the accidental charge the Poles broke through to the town, despite suffering significant casualties (33 dead out of 85 Uhlans to take part in the charge)[2]. The Polish infantry followed into the breach in the German defences and by the early morning the town was liberated and the German division brought to retreat.

[edit] Aftermath

Losses on both sides were significant, but the German 44th Regiment almost ceased to exist. Its commanding officer, Maj. Krawutschke, committed suicide. In the course of the heavy fighting, the town was almost completely destroyed[3]. After the end of World War II, the battle of Kałuszyn was one of 24 battles of the Polish Defensive War to be featured at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Warsaw.