I thought I'd submit this little gem I found in a Russian-language publication called Zeughaus, a German term which, near as I can make out after consulting a dictionary (German not being one of my languages) means "storeroom", or "junk shop", or "dry goods establishment," take your pick. Anyway, it describes the first day of WWII from the Polish side of things. It was written by one A. Vasiliev and is entitled "Polish Cavalry in WWII: 18th Regiment of Pomorski Lancers in Action 1 September 1939." The following is a' paraphrasing, not a word for word translation. Please make allowance for the fact that I am transliterating Polish words and names, and that they may not all come out spelled perfectly correctly. Actually, Vasiliev says, the Polish cavalry executed at most six mounted charges during the campaign, only two of which were against armored units. His article deals with one of these, that of the 18th Primorski (Coastal) uhlans, near the town of Chojnice on the evening of September 1, 1939. The author begins by pointing out that the film images of Polish uhlans flinging themselves against German panzers in hopeless (and by implication stupid) charges is a product of Nazi propaganda designed to belittle a beaten enemy considered of inferior stock. A dishonorable tactic to be sure but one over which, frankly, the Axis enjoyed no monopoly during that conflict. Actually, Vasiliev says, the Polish cavalry executed at most six mounted charges during the campaign, only two of which were against armored units. His article deals with one of these, that of the 18th Primorski (Coastal) uhlans, near the town of Choinice on the evening of September 1, 1939. The 18th uhlans were formed in 1920 in Poznan during the Russo-Polish War. They were originally the Nadwisland Regiment, but had their name changed to Primorski the following year. In July 1939, with war imminent, the 18th formed part of the Pomorskoi Cavalry Brigade which consisted of the 18th and 16th (Welikopolski) uhlans, the 2nd Rokitnianski Chevaulegers Regiment, the 8th Regiment of Mounted Rifles, the Ilth Horse Artillery Division, the 81st Armored Division (light tanks), the 91st Antiaircraft Battery, a squadron of sappers and communications personnel, and the Ist and 2nd Rifle battalions. Early in August the 18th was ordered to positions around the town of Chojnice west of the Brda River. A glance at the map today will place Chojnice 130 miles inside Poland, but in 1939 it was a border town within the Polish (or Danzig) Corridor separating Germany proper from East Prussia. The 18th was detached from its brigade and set to work preparing defenses near the town as part of the so-called "Gzmot Line" named after General of Brigade Stanislaw Gzmot-Skotnitski, commander of Group Czersk, a screening force which had been created on August 25 at the "Pornoze" Army HQ of General of Division Wladislaw Bortnowski, tasked with defending the Corridor. The Chojnice detachment of the line consisted of the following: the l8th Uhlans, the lst Rifle battalion National Defense or reserve battalions "Czersk" and "Tukhol", the 1st Division of the 9th Regiment of Light Artillery Q batteries), the 2nd Battery, 11th Horse Artillery Division, a platoon of sappers, and two units of border guards. The detachment was under the command of Colonel Tadeusz Maewski. The 18th was led by Colonel Kazimierz Mastalez. His staff included second-in-command Major Stanislaw Malecki, Ist adjutant Rounister Watslaw Godliewski, 2nd adjutant supply officer Podporuczik Tadeusz Milecki, and communications officer Wachmister Jadzinski. The anti-tank platoon was led by Podporuczik Roman Cziszelski. There was a bicycle platoon and pioneer squad, a chaplain, a doctor and veterinarian, an administrative staff under regimental quartermaster Rotmister Wlodzimierz Paczinski, a baggage train, provost guard, and an officer in charge of the field kitchen. The four squadrons of the regiment were commanded by Roonister Eugeniusz Szweszczak, Rotmister Jan Lados, Poruczik Szlosowski, and Poruczik Glyba-Glybowicz. At full strength after mobilization the regiment contained 35 officers, 800 enlisted men, 850 horses, 2 anti-tank guns (37mm), 12 anti-tank cannon, 12 heavy machine guns (4 on pack horses and 8 in carts) under the charge of Rotmister Zygmunt Ertman, 18 submachine guns, 2 motorcycles with sidecars, and 2 radio transmitters. Attached to the regiment was the aforementioned 2nd battery, 11th HA, Captain Jan Pasturczak commanding, of 180 gunners, 248 horses, 4 light guns, and 2 heavy machine guns. The troopers of the 18th wore olive green uniforms in the French style, the Adrian-pattern helmet (no czapkas, SORRY) and carried a carbine and saber (lances had been left in the depot). The 18th occupied a part of the line south of Chojnice from the village of Zamarke in the south to Sheinfeldt on the north. On its right flank was the 1st Rifle Battalion under Lt. Col. Gustaw Zaczni, on its left a company of border guards. Farther south still was the 35th Inf. regiment of LTC. Jan Maliszewski. A line of pickets were posted in front near the border and the 4th squadron of uhlans was held in reserve at Likhnowi, reinforced with one platoon of 3rd Squadron, the heavy machine guns, and the anti-tank weapons. The 2nd Battery, 11 th HA set up their guns close to Ratslawkl behind the northern flank of the regimental sector. Colonel Mastalez established his command post near Likhnowi terrain throughout was mixed fields and woodland. Scouting parties sent out on the 31st brought word back of intense activity on the German side of the frontier: the sound of numerous motors and the sight of large units moving into position testified to the probability of an assault. At 1AM September 1, 1939 came the password "Czersk" over the radio indicating war. At 3 AM Mastalez called an officers' meeting to review the situation. During the conference the sound of explosions was heard to the west. At first some officers thought it might be thunder (the weather had been bone dry, and the entire Polish Army had been praying for rains which would slow down the German armor), but confirmation soon came in that it was artillery. Mastalez adjourned the meeting and all participants returned to their posts. Thick morning fog covered the ground, but the pickets sent back reports of German formations of mixed infantry and armored cars crossing the border. The 18th Uhlans were under attack by the 76th Motorized Inf. Div. of Heinz Guderian's XIX Tank Corps of von Kluge's 4th Army. Their immediate objective was the capture of Chojnice. Farther south the 35th Rifles faced other elements of the 20th NED seeking to break through the front and move on to capture Tukhol. The pickets were thrown back leaving their officers, podporucziks Dembski and Moskowski, dead on the field. German armored cars and infantry streamed forward to be met with intense machine gun and anti-tank fire. At 5:45 a German aircraft (probably a light observation plane) was sighted circling the command post. Captain Pasturczak ordered his machine guns to open fire and bring it down. In the cr-ash the pilot was killed and the observer was seriously wounded. Meanwhile, German pressure continued all along the line. When the left flank of the 18th was threatened Mastalez ordered a withdrawl which was set in motion around 8:00 a.m. - the plan was to form a new front between Pawlowo and Ratslawki. But on the right, 2nd squadron became pinned down by enemy machine gun fire. Mastalez sent a courier to Lados, the squadron's commander to get the map coordinates of his position and report them to Pasturczak. When they were received Pasturczak's gunners laid down covering fire with a barrage of time-fuse shells (die Polish guns were rather ancient Russian 75's reworked back in 1926), allowing Lados' men to extricate themselves. The second squadron was followed in quick succession by the Ist and the 3rd. By this time the fog had begun to lift and German armored cars of the 20th Recon. Div. raced ahead of the infantry to pursue the retreating uhlans. They came under fire from the Poles' anti-tank weapons which destroyed several vehicles, and the other machines fell back. The commander of the anti-tank unit, podporuczik Czizelski, personally destroyed three enemy cars before being mortally wounded. Giving up on frontal assault the Germans now began bombarding the new defensive line of the 18th with artillery. The line held, but the left flank was vulnerable, inviting another envelopment of the position. Around 11:00 Mastalez ordered the horse battery to take up position along the railroad trucks near Ratslawka. With their guns facing southwest, Pasturczak's men fired salvo after salvo at the approaching Welumacht infantry of the 26th Regt. Within 40 minutes half the guns of the battery were out of action with overheated or burst barrels. At 1400 the German motorized infantry managed to push the 1st Rifle battalion out of Chojnice and Mastalez, fearing his right flank would be turned, ordered another withdrawl to the line Nowa Tserkew-Stemowo. With the 4th squadron now taken out of reserve and posted to guard the left flank at Jakubowo. The artillery was placed in some woods near the village of Lotyn. It was 1500 and the battle had reached a critical stage. The rifle battalion retreating from Chojnice to the Brda River was in danger of being cut off by the rapidly advancing enemy infantry sweeping in from the southwest. Col. Maewski sent word to Group "Czersk" command that a counterattack was necessary to take the pressure off. Gzmot-Skotninski agreed. Accordingly, to strengthen the 18th, he sent out from HQ the tanks of the 81st Armored Division (these were outdated Vickers-Carden Lloyd models mounting one 7.92mm machine gun) and a squadron of bicyclists from the Pomorski Cavalry Brigade. Poruczik Gziegow Tsizdak of the 13th Wisland uhlans delivered Mastalez his orders: the 18th was to attack the enemy before dusk with its entire force and then, leaving one squadron as rear guard, fall back to prepared positions along the Brda. According to one version, the "Czersk" commander, who had served with Mastalez under Pilsudski, wrote Mastalez a note which read; "I call on you Kazim, to uphold the honor of the (Polish) Legion, and hold back the German offensive." Mastalez made his preparations: 3rd squadron minus one platoon with two platoons of machine guns were to remain in position at Sternowo to await the arrival of the tanks and bicyclists; 4th squadron minus one platoon and one platoon of machine guns would proceed to Lotyn and secure the edge of the woods to the west of the village of Eziorok on the Chojnice-Rytel highway. All these units and the artillery Mastalez placed under the command of Rotinister Ertman. This left him a strike force consisting of 1st and 2nd squadrons, strengthened by two platoons, commanded by Maj. Malecki. The plan was to execute a turning movement through the villages of Kruszki, Krojanti, and Pawlowa and descend on the rear of the advancing Germans after which the 18th would ride for Granowo before making its escape to Rytel. The attack, Mastalez decided, would be a mounted one. Evidently at this point there was a brief controversy. Tsizdak, the message bearer from HQ, tried to convince Mastalez that an assault on foot would be a wiser alternative to a cavalry charge. Mastalez retorted that it was not for Tsizdak to tell him how to carry out impossible orders. In frustration, Tsizdak went to the phone and rang Group HQ. When Gzmot-Skotninski learned of Mastalez's intentions he got in his staff car and rode for the front hoping to dissuade his old comrade. He arrived at 1730 just after Malecki's column had ridden off. Malecki's column proceeded on its semi-circular route, its flanks protected by the 1st platoon, 4th squadron under Poruczik Uranowicz. The uhlans made a wide 10km circuit, arriving around 1900 at the woods near Kruszki. To the southeast they could see Krojanti and the Germans. Pawlowo, their objective, lay 7km away. Outriders had discovered a battalion of Wehrmacht infantry bivouacked 300-400 m. from the woods in open ground. Malecki quickly made his dispositions: 1st squadron in front in line by platoons and, 200m hehind, the 2nd squadron. The command "szable dion" rang out and two hundred sabers flashed in the light of dusk. As the squadrons debouched from the tree line they were reinforced by one horseman: Mastalez had left his command post to take his place in the ranks of his regiment. The trumpets sounded, and the lines of sabers moved forward. The German were caught completely flat-footed, having taken no security precautions. They scattered for cover as the uhlans over-ran them. Still, many were sabered by the Poles. But the triumph of the 18th was shortlived:. Hidden in the trees nearby were several armored cars whose machine guns opened fire into the flanks of the oncoming cavalry, and they were soon joined by artillery pieces concealed in the tall grass. The results were devastating. Scores of horses went down, including Mastalez and his mount. What was left of Malecki's column galloped for a wooded ridge where they gained some sanctuary from enemy fire, allowing the major to take stock. Besides Mastalez, two officers had been killed and 23 uhlans as well. Fifty more riders were seriously wounded. At this moment the uhlans had an unexpected visitor: Gzmot-Skotnitski drove up in his staff car. To a captain who had accompanied him he said; "I beg you to tell Army HQ what you have seen here. I did not give the order for this cavalry charge and was unable to stop it." Then, directing Malecki to lead the rest of his force to Rytel, he drove off. Farther east the Sternowo detachment held its positions until 2000 when Ertman received orders to pull back to the Brda. This he did in stages, 3rd squadron moving back to the forest near Jakubowo, the tanks leapfrogging to Rytel and the horse artillery moving to the southeast of the village of Mlynki. These movements were covered by the 4th squadron acting as rearguard. At 2100 the German 76th Motorized Inf. began an assault which pushed the 3rd squadron back to the tree-line and off the Chojnice-Rytel highway. The 4th squadron were cut off and destroyed. During the night the 3rd squadron made its escape to Rytel by the highway. By midnight all remnants of the 18th uhlans were assembled on the outskirts of the town where they formed the reserve for what was left of the Chojnice detachment. The regiment had lost 60% of its men and horses, 7 machine guns, two anti-tank weapons and a radio transmitter. Put its costly mounted attack had disrupted the German offensive and allowed the Chojnice detachment to withdraw to more tenable positions. In his memoirs Guderian refers in passing to this skirmish: "The Polish Primorski Cavalry brigade," he wrote, "ignorant of the construction and capabilities of our tanks, attacked them with cold steel and sustained monstrous losses," thus changing three understrength squadrons into a brigade and armored cars into tanks. History is indeed written by the victors, but, in Guderian's defense, he probably got his information third hand from subordinates interested in their own career advancement. Incidentally, as the author Vasiliev mentions in a footnote, the last recorded cavalry charge of WWII was also undertaken by the Poles in the same area. On March 1, 1945 two squadrons of uhlans of the Polish Army from the 2nd and 3rd regiments of the Warsaw Cavalry Brigade took the town of Sheinfeldt from the retreating Wehrmacht. Back to MWAN #102 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com