Battle of Cześniki

Battle of Cześniki

Part of the Invasion of Poland

Date	September 21-22, 1939
Location	Cześniki, Poland
Result	Indecisive; German retreat

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

Friedrich Bergmann

Stefan Dąb-Biernacki

Strength

27th Infantry Division
4th Light Division

39th Infantry Division

Casualties and losses

~200 killed
~600 wounded
100 captured
150 vehicles captured

~200 killed
600 wounded

Invasion of Poland

Battle of the Border
- Chojnice
- Krojanty
- Lasy Królewskie
- Mokra
- Pszczyna
- Grudziądz
- Mława
- Jordanów
- Fraustadt
- Węgierska Górka
- Tuchola Forest
- Częstochowa
- Mikołów
- Bukowiec
- Slovak invasion

Baltic coast
- Westerplatte
- Danzig
- Danzig Bay
- Gdynia
- Hel
- Kępa Oksywska

4-10 September
- Tomaszów Mazowiecki
- Wizna
- Łódź
- Borowa Góra
- Piotrków
- Różan
- Pułtusk
- Radom
- Łomża
- Barak
- Wola Cyrusowa

Northern Front
- Siege of Warsaw
- Bzura
- Kałuszyn
- Węgrów
- Wilno
- Modlin
- Kobryń
- Brześć
- 2nd Tomaszów Lubelski
- Wólka Węglowa
- Kampinos Forest
- Krasnystaw
- Łomianki
- Krasnobród
- Kock

Southern Front
- Przemyśl
- Jarosław
- 1st Tomaszów Lubelski
- Jaworów
- Janów Forest
- Cześniki
- Lwów

Soviet invasion of Poland
- Sarny
- Wilno
- Husynne
- Grodno
- Władypol
- Szack
- Wytyczno
- Parczew, Jabłoń and Milanów

The Battle of Cześniki took place on 21 and 22 September 1939 during the German and Soviet invasion of Poland near the village of Cześniki near Zamość. It was an armed engagement between the Polish reserve 39th Infantry Division and a large German detachment of the 14th Army, comprising the 27th Infantry Division and 4th Light Division.

The result of the battle was inconclusive though the Polish units successfully forced the Germans to retreat and broke through on their way from Zamość towards the Hungarian border. However, instead of breaking through towards Hungary, the division was ordered to attack towards the besieged city of Lwów. The 39th Division reached Tomaszów Lubelski, but was destroyed in the Second Battle of Tomaszów several days later.

Both sides suffered similar losses: approximately 200 killed and 600 wounded. The Poles took some 100 Germans prisoner and captured about 150 motor vehicles and motorcycles.