Contents

Battle of Byteń

Battle part of the Polish-Soviet War

Battle of Byteń
Part of Polish-Soviet War
Date 23rd February-1st March 1919 Location Byteń, modern day Belarus Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
Poland	Russian SFSR
Commanders and leaders
gen. Antoni Listowski mjr. Władysław Dąbrowski por. Edward Kaczkowski kpt. Piotr Mieniecki	Roman Łągwa
Units involved
mjr. Władysław Dąbrowski's branch 1st Wilno Batallion 2nd Lida Batallion Armored train "Kaniów"	52nd Rifle Division Revolutionary Red Warsaw Regiment 6th Grodno Revolutionary Regiment
Strength
750 soldiers	Unknown
Casualties and losses
10 dead, many POWs	Unknown

Battle of Byteń - fights between General Antoni Listowski with the western Red Army during the initial period of the Polish–Soviet War.

Origin[edit]

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[edit]

On the 23rd of February 1919 gen. Antoni Listowski ordered Władysław Dąbrowski's branch to attack Byteń.^[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", on the first day of the fight had already captured Zarzecze, after which intensifying the attack with the Lida batallion, he attacked the town. The cavalry went around from the north to prevent the 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 Revolutionary Red Warsaw Regiment and a batallion of the 6th Grodno Revolutionary Regiment composed mostly of Polish communists attacked Byteń. Meanwhile, the Polish crew of Byteń which was a unit of the Vilnius Rifle Regiment including about 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.^[5][7] The next day the Poles responded with a counterattack, but were repelled, suffering heavy losses.^[8] Byteń was recaptured only in April during the Polish offensive in Belarus.^[5]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Janusz Cisek, Konrad Paduszek, Tadeusz Rawski: Polish-Soviet War 1919-1921. Warsaw, Military Centre for Civic Education, 2010.
• Janusz Odziemkowski: Lexicon of the Polish-Russian War 1919-1920. Warsaw: "Rytm" Publishing House, 2004. ISBN 83-7399-096-8.
• Adam Przybylski: Polish War 1918-1921. Warsaw: Military Scientific and Educational Institute, 1930.
• Bolesław Waligóra, The history of the 85th Vilnius Rifle Regiment, Warsaw: Military Scientific and Educational Institute, 1928.
• Bolesław Waligóra, An outline of the war history of the 85th Vilnius Rifle Regiment, Warsaw: Graphic Works "Poland United", 1928. (An outline of the military history of Polish regiments 1918–1920).
• Lech Wyszczelski: The war for the Polish borders 1918-1921. Warsaw: Bellona Publishing House SA, 2011. ISBN 978-83-11-12866-8.
• An outline of the war history of the 76th Lida Infantry Regiment. Warsaw: Military Historical Office, 1930, series: An outline of the military history of Polish regiments 1918–1920.