The 13th Wilno Uhlan Regiment ( pl, 13 Pułk Ułanów Wileńskich) was a unit of the

Polish army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...

during the interwar period and the Polish Defence War of 1939.

Origins

The ancestral units to the regiment were created mainly as means of defending the Polish interest and the interest of the ethnic Poles living in

Kresy Eastern Borderlands ( pl, Kresy Wschodnie) or simply Borderlands ( pl, Kresy, ) was a term coined for the eastern part of the Second Polish Republic during the History of Poland (1918–1939), interwar period (1918–1939). Largely agricultural ...

at the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Belarusians, and even

Anarchists Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...

competed for the sovereignty over the area.

Formation

The 13th Regiment was formed out of the cavalry units of the Lithuanian and Belarusian Self-Defence on December 27, 1918, on the estate of a Mr. Pośpieszek. On December 28, the regiment was moved to the garrison at

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional u ...

and was stationed in the

barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are ...

in the

Antokol Antakalnis (''literally'' lt, 'the place on hills', adapted in pl, Antokol) is an eldership in the Vilnius city municipality, Lithuania. Antakalnis is one of the oldest, and largest historical suburbs of Vilnius City. It is in the eastern s ...

district. , ''

nom-de-guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

'' Dąb''', lit. 'Oak', was the regiment's first commander. The regiment was the first in newly independent Poland, and was originally called the 1st Regiment of Wilno

Uhlan Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

s. It became officially part of the

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated ''SZ RP''; popularly called ''Wojsko Polskie'' in Poland, abbreviated ''WP''—roughly, the "Polish Military") are the national armed forces of ...

in June 1919, receiving its name and number. The regiment was nationally famous because its commander, Major Władysław Dąbrowski, was a . In the official

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...

documents, the phrase "Wilenskich" ("of Vilnius") was omitted; the official name was the 13th Regiment. In spite of this, the officers, soldiers and public persisted in calling it the "13th Wilno Regiment".

Lipka Tatar Tradition

Since the joining, the regiment had been following dual tradition of the afore-mentioned Lithuanian and Belarusian Self-Defence and of the 7th Lithuanian Tatar Regiment, which used to be stationed in Janów, the same place where over century later, the 13th Regiment fought its very first battle.

Polish-Soviet War

The 13th Regiment participated in the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

of 1919–1920 and became known for many flanking manoeuvres and raids behind Soviet lines. It protected the retreat of General Żeligowski's troops. On 25 February 1920, while it was stationed in Vilnius, the regiment mutinied, because it refused to fight against Lithuanians. On June 29, 1919, in

, General

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941; nom de guerre ''Śmigły, Tarłowski, Adam Zawisza''), also called Edward Śmigły-Rydz, was a Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland ...

handed over the regiment's new banner to a small delegation from a combat area. After a failed attempt at seizing territory in the

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

beyond

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...

, many soldiers from the disbanded

Tatar Uhlan Regiment The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

, (named after Colonel Mustafa Achmatowicz, a renowned eighteenth-century

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Je ...

Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

cavalryman), joined the "Wilno Regiment".

Interwar period

In late 1921, the regiment patrolled the Polish border with Lithuania and was stationed for a brief period in Głębokie, at present

Hlybokaye Hlybokaye or Glubokoye ( be, Глыбокае, translit=Hłybokaje, russian: Глубокое, translit=Glubokoye, pl, Głębokie, lt, Glubokas, yi, גלובאָק, Glubok) is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus, the capital of Hlybokaye Raion ( ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

. The regiment was moved to

Nowa Wilejka Naujoji Vilnia is an eldership in eastern Vilnius, Lithuania situated along the banks of the Vilnia River. According to the 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 31,933. This figure grew to 36,507 in 2021, when the newest census was ...

near Vilnius in 1922, where it stayed until the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week af ...

in 1939. In 1936, a Tatar unit was created within the 13th Regiment of Wilno Uhlans. By the order of the Polish

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

, issued on June 9, a troop within the regiment was renamed the , to which all new recruits of Tatar ethnicity were directed. Captain Michał Bohdanowicz was the original commander. The unit was led for a short time by Captain Bazyli Marcisz and

podpułkownik ''Podpolkovnik'' (russian: подполко́вник, lit=sub –, junior – , or lower regimentary) is a military rank in Slavic and nearby countries which corresponds to the lieutenant colonel in the English-speaking states and military. ...

. Captain Aleksander Jeljaszewicz became its last commander from November 25, 1938. During the Regiment's Holiday on July 25, 1937, the squadron (or mounted infantry battalion) received a buńczuk made according to the old Tatar traditions and funded by the entire Tatar community of Poland. During the symbolic ceremony of the burial of the heart of Marshal

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...

in the

Rasos cemetery Rasos Cemetery ( lt, Rasų kapinės, pl, cmentarz Na Rossie, be, Могілкі Росы) is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the Rasos district where it is located. It is separated i ...

in Vilnius, a detail from the 1st Tatar Squadron fired a

three-volley salute The three-volley salute is a ceremonial act performed at military funerals and sometimes also police funerals. The custom originates from the European dynastic wars, in which the fighting ceased so that the dead and wounded could be removed. Af ...

Banners and markings

The regiment's lances initially bore pennons, but after 1936 these were only issued by personal request, when all cavalry units were transformed into

mounted infantry Mounted infantry were infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infant ...

units and were in the process of becoming fully mechanized divisions. However, progress was slow, only two fully mechanized units fought in the

in 1939 besides armoured units, heavy artillery units, AA artillery units, Polish Air Force's ground units, and most of the tabors. Uniforms were adorned with miniature banners, pink in colour, with a slim cornflower-coloured stripe in the middle. Each trooper's

rogatywka Rogatywka (; sometimes translated as '' peaked cap'') is the Polish generic name for an asymmetrical, peaked, four-pointed cap used by various Polish military formations throughout the ages. It is a distant relative of its 18th-century prede ...

(hat) was adorned with a pink stripe running around the crown. The 1st Tatar Squadron also wore on the small banners, a golden Crescent Moon and star. The regiment's holiday was July 25 (in memory of the Battle of

Janow Neuendorf B is a village and a former municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The municipality consisted of the villages of Janow and Neuendorf B. In south of Janow there are the ruins of Veste ...

in 1920).

The Uhlans in command

* Major Władysław Dąbrowski (ur. 1891) (1918–1920) * Colonel Eugeniusz Ślaski (1920) * Colonel Mścisław Butkiewicz (1920–1922) * Honorary Colonel Terencjusz O'Brien (1922) * Colonel Tomasz Brzozowski (1922–1925) * Colonel Aleksander Kunicki (1925–1927) * Colonel (finished senior officers’ school) Adam Korytowski (XI 1927 – III 1930) * Lieutenant Colonel (finished senior officers’ school) Czesław Chmielewski (1930–1937) * Colonel Kazimierz Żelisławski (1937–1939) * Lieutenant Colonel Józef Szostak (finished senior officers’ school) (1939)

A selection of Uhlan Officers

*Lieutenant Ignacy Cieplak *Lieutenant Jerzy Cydzik

Invasion of Poland

In 1939, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Józef Szostak, the 13th Regiment of Wilno Uhlans fought as a part of the

Wileńska Cavalry Brigade Wilenska Cavalry Brigade ( pl, Wileńska Brygada Kawalerii) was a unit of the Polish Army, created on 1 April 1937 out of the 3rd Independent Cavalry Brigade. Its headquarters were stationed in Wilno (Vilnius), with some regiments garrisoned in the ...

under the command of Colonel

Konstanty Drucki-Lubecki Konstanty may refer to: given name: * Konstanty Adam Czartoryski (1777–1866), Polish prince, Brigadier General * Konstanty Andrzej Kulka (born 1947), Polish violinist, recording artist, and professor * Konstanty Borzęcki (1826–1876), partic ...

. Between September 2 and 5, the brigade took part in heavy fighting near

Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski (; also known by alternative names), often simplified to Piotrków, is a city in central Poland with 71,252 inhabitants (2021). It is the second-largest city situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Previously, it was the capita ...

. On September 9 and 10, the brigade lost many men and much equipment while retreating across the

Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in t ...

river near

Maciejowice Maciejowice is a village in Garwolin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Maciejowice. It lies in northeastern corner of historic Lesser Poland, approximately so ...

. The brigade fought in Lubelszczyzna near the city of

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...

, before being crushed near Tomaszow Lubelski. The largest remnant of the regiment became part of the

Independent Operational Group Polesie Independent Operational Group Polesie (''Samodzielna Grupa Operacyjna Polesie'', SGO Polesie) was one of the Polish Army Corps (Operational Groups) that defended Poland during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. It was created on 11 September 1939 and w ...

under the command of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Franciszek Kleeberg Franciszek Kleeberg (1 February 1888, in Tarnopol – 5 April 1941, near Dresden) was a Polish general. He served in the Austro-Hungarian Army before joining the Polish Legions in World War I and later the Polish Army. During the German Invasion ...

Home Army

Subdivisions of the 13th Regiment of Wilno Uhlans AK were recreated in 1944 in the

Wilno District Wilno District was a district of the Civil Administration of the Eastern Lands from June 1919Dz. Urz. ZCZW z 1919 r. Nr 5, poz. 41 to September 1920, and Provisional Administration of Front-line and Phase Territories from September 1920 to Decem ...

of the

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II, resistance movement in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed i ...

as a

division in , a mounted infantry battalion attached to the , a mounted infantry platoon attached to the and a mounted infantry platoon operating within

Kampinos Forest Kampinos Forest () is a large forest complex located in Masovian Voivodeship, west of Warsaw in Poland. It covers a part of the ancient valley of the Vistula basin, between the Vistula and the Bzura rivers. Once a forest covering 670 km2 of ...

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:13th Regiment Of Wilno Uhlans Cavalry regiments of Poland Wilno Voivodeship (1926–1939) History of Vilnius Polish Land Forces Military units and formations established in 1918 Cavalry regiments of Central Lithuania pl:Pułki kawalerii Wojska Polskiego