Other famous Polish battles

I searched the forum for Battles in the title and the only battles we discussed are:
Grunwald 1410
Vienna 1683
Warsaw 1920
Wizna 1939

plus Britain 1940 and Arnhem 1944 with Polish participation

What about dozens of others, equally famous or at least important or interesting?

A few battles are called Polish Thermopylae, due to a huge disproportion between the fighting armies.

One of them took place in Hodów in 1694 where the attackers were thousands Tatar warriors while the village was defended by 400 dismounted heavy cavalry.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hod%C3%B3w

Curious fact: Even after the Polish ran out of bullets, they continued to fire at the enemy, using Tatar arrowheads as improvised ammunition for their guns.

Their defence was so incredible that King Sobieski immediately ordered to erect a monument which survived till today.

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I think I will recall those battles directed by curious facts I remember about them..

The Battle of Westerplatte in 1939 lasted for one week. Polish defenders were also outnumbered and constantly shelled by Germans from the air, land and sea. Yet, only 15 Polish soldiers were killed in action. The poet who suggested in his famous patriotic poem that : they went to Heaven in rows of four. obviously got carried away with that vision or simply needed it for the rhyme.

Another curious fact - the main commander broke down after 1 day and wanted to surrender but lower -rank officers protested and took real command from him.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Westerplatte

Two films were made - in 1960s and 2015.

Older one - documentary version with comments

youtu.be/VX9JjSmynoA

Battle of Ossów in 1920 during the Polish Bolshevik War.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Oss%C3%B3w

Curious fact: priest Skorupka (Little Shell) who joined the army as a volunteer chaplain was killed in it. The legends says he was leading the soldiers to attack, lifting a crucifix in his hand. But it is only a legend - in fact, he was shot while blessing a fatally wounded soldier.

See the legendary version of the event: starts at 20:42

youtu.be/aN73N9EjoM4

And what about Lenino. Desaster or victory or both.

There was of course the Battle of Kock.


That depends which side you're on. Unless you or a loved one died in it, in which case it was a disaster regardless of the result.

A partial victory with heavy losses coz Poles fought like lions, attacking German fortifications through the swamp . The result was carnage and the withdrawal of the Polish division to the rear for a few months.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lenino

In communist times I remember watching a series about the Polish Army under Soviet auspices - the last episode shows the Battle of Lenino and most characters are wounded or killed.

This video with Sabaton`s music features scenes from the episode

youtu.be/YxYwpxLDar8

Pure heavy metal; music and film.

Wow, today you are offering us very witty comments. The first one was about pawJan... :):):)

I do my best.

The last major battle of the 1939 Campaign. Its substantial part concerned fighting Soviets who had invaded on 17 September. One can guess that communist rulers of Poland didn`t boast of this fact. So, yes, the battle was a legal topic during communist times but the Soviet participation in it was no longer.

I hadn't heard about the Battle of Łomianki until very recently. From the look of the map, one of the two sides pretty well came down my street. There are still one or two damaged and uninhabitable buildings here which may be because of that.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Łomianki

A reenactment of part of it here:

I hope that the Polish cavalry did not attack the German tanks with their sabers?

They were fighting agains German infantry divisions according to the linked article.

This is a kind of myth diffused by Nazi prpaganda.

And originating with a Pathé newsreel filmed in Poland in the late 30s, showing probably the last ever example of a cavalry charge.

I'm not sure if this is the same film clip, however it is worth watching.

Battle rule Number 1: Count the bullets - theirs and yours - before you fire the first one.
But math was never a strong subject among Poles. It was poetry.
Google Warsaw Uprising to see how it works out.

Battle of Raszyn in 1809 - Poles against Austrians during Napoleonic Wars. It was a tactical draw.

A scene from the series Ashes by renowned director Wajda from 1960s.

The guy with a pipe who leads his soldiers is general and then marshall Józef Poniatowski, a warrior prince, the chief commander of all Polish troops allied with France. Died at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813.

There is another famous battle shown in the series. Namely, the battle at Saragossa in Spain when Napoleon ordered his Polish uhlans charge Spanish rebels` artillery positions after French soldiers insisted it was a death mission impossible.

Poles won against all odds and the battle was analysed and discussed by historians and at military academies for decades. Only pity those Spaniards fought for their independence and Polish troops were used by Napoleon to subjugate them.

Amazing scene at 3:10 when horses are still galloping at full speed but without their riders....

Today, a symbolic date. On 25 Feb, 1831, during the November Uprising against the Russian occupation of Poland, 40.000 Polish soldiers fought hard against the 60.000 enemy at Olszynka Grochowska near Warsaw. Russians were sure to capture Warsaw in stride but Polish heroic resistance prevented it.

Today Ukrainians are fighting like Poles against Russo-Asian barbarians. Outnumbered, but of superior morale. Glory to the defenders of motherland and Europe.

Famous painting by Kossak:

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Thank you Pawian for reminding us about this.

We Serbs and Poles shouldn`t be there at Orsha against Russians in 1514. Better that we focused on west, north and south. God forgive us

Of course. The same applies to Poles in all wars or risings. Not all fought - only some. I am really surprised you bring up such obvious banalities, darling. :):)


None, silly, coz in 1831 there were no females in any European army. War was a male business. That was your war. We, women, don`t know wars. Do you know where this quote comes from?? hahahaha


My darling Boozobiusz, it is so because Polish feminists believe everybody has the right to choose his or her own life path. If Ukrainian women decide to fight, they will do it on their own, not under pressure.


I don`t care about Serbs but Poles had to be there to repel Moscovites` aggression. If they hadn`t been there, Moscow would have gained control of this part of Europe 200 years earlier which would be a disaster to its development.

80 years ago, in Nazi occupied Warsaw, the combat scouts from underground Assault Groups of the Grey Ranks unit attacked a German lorry transporting political prisoners and freed all of them. The event went down in history as the Action at the Arsenal.

Today the book which describes those heroic people and their incredible deeds is on the book reading list for Polish class in primary school.

This is one of the most important military actions of the Gray Ranks Assault Groups in occupied Poland. As part of a daring operation near the Arsenal building, 80 years ago, scoutmaster "Rudy" and 20 other political prisoners who were transported from the Gestapo headquarters at Aleja Szucha to Pawiak prison were freed. Its heroes - "Alek", "Zośka", "Anoda" - became legends, which was also due to their immortalization in the book "Kamienie na Szaniec".

Assault Groups is a unique organization in the history of World War II. It united scouts over the age of 18 who participated in many combat and sabotage operations, but also within its framework, for example, non-commissioned officers were trained. It was subordinated to Kedyw, i.e. the Home Army's Subversion Directorate. They were assigned to the most important actions against the German occupiers.

Scouts from these groups took part in, among others, in the actions of blowing up bridges, German trains, rescuing prisoners, such as high-profile actions near the Arsenal or Celestynów, or attacks on the officers of the German terror apparatus. Among them was a successful assassination attempt on the commander of the Warsaw police and the SS, Franz Kutschera, after which the Germans stopped executions that had previously been carried out in public on the streets of the city.

The most courageous of the brave, ready to sacrifice their lives for Poland, belonged to the Assault Groups .The operation was one of the most famous in occupied Poland and greatly contributed to building the myth of the Gray Ranks.



youtube.com/watch?v=ZYYnWf9r-PQ

Rokitna Battle took place in 1915 during WW1. Seventy Polish uhlans charged Russian lines, the result was the pyrrhic victory.

From the film Legions, with subtitles: Excellently filmed: