The Battle of Jazłowiec (Ukrainian: Битва під Язловцем) was a battle fought between the

Ukrainian Galician Army The Ukrainian Galician Army ( UGA; ), was the combined military of the West Ukrainian People's Republic during and after the Polish-Ukrainian War. It was called the "Galician army" initially. Dissatisfied with the alliance of Ukraine and Polan ...

commanded by General

Oleksander Hrekov Oleksander Petrovych Hrekov (; 4 December 1875 – 2 December 1958) was a general of the Imperial Russian Army and Ukrainian People's Army. He was a commander-in-chief of the army of the West Ukrainian National Republic during the Polish-Ukrai ...

and Polish forces led by

Konstanty Plisowski Konstanty Plisowski of the Odrowąż coat of arms (8 June 1890 – 1940) was a Polish general and military commander. He was the Commander in the battle of Jazłowiec and the battle of Brześć Litewski. He was murdered in Katyn. Biography ...

during the Polish-Ukrainian War, which took place from July 11 to 13, 1919. The battle ended with the victory of the Polish side and the capture of

Jazłowiec Yazlovets (; ) is a village in Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. It is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage centre of local significance. The village belongs to the Buchach urban hromada. It lies on the Vilchivchik river, a tributary of the Strypa ...

Prelude

Most of the Polish units remained in their positions. Only in a few areas did General Iwaszkiewicz permit greater adjustments to the front line (primarily on the southern flank). The aim of these actions was to seize more advantageous positions in preparation for the resumption of the offensive planned for mid-July. The largest operation was carried out by the 4th Rifle Division. After the soldiers of General Lucjan Żeligowski’s 4th Rifle Division captured bridgeheads on the

Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...

, the front command ordered its spearhead to move eastward. It was to occupy positions between the

and General Franciszek Aleksandrowicz’s 4th Infantry Division. Carrying out this order, most of General Żeligowski’s soldiers crossed to the left bank of the river on July 6 and, after concentrating in the area of Sokołów and Barysz, began a march toward the

Strypa The Strypa (; ) is a river in Ternopil Oblast, Western Ukraine. It is a left-bank tributary of the Dniester that flows southward for 147 km through Ternopil oblast and drains a basin area of (12% territory of Ternopil Oblast). The river is genera ...

. On July 8, the division commander received another order from General Iwaszkiewicz. The front commander instructed him to force a crossing of the

and establish a broad bridgehead in the area of

Battle

Between July 11 and 13, 1919, during the second Polish offensive in

Eastern Galicia Eastern Galicia (; ; ) is a geographical region in Western Ukraine (present day oblasts of Lviv Oblast, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Oblast, Ternopil), having also essential historic importance in Poland. Galicia ( ...

, a battle took place near

. The southern flank of the Polish forces advancing eastward encountered a concentrated Ukrainian brigade. On the first day, after crossing the

Strypa River The Strypa (; ) is a river in Ternopil Oblast, Western Ukraine. It is a left-bank tributary of the Dniester that flows southward for 147 km through Ternopil oblast and drains a basin area of (12% territory of Ternopil Oblast). The river is general ...

without resistance, Polish infantry captured the town, while the

14th Cavalry Regiment The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...

, commanded by Major

, attacked the retreating Ukrainians, cutting off their escape route and crushing their main forces. On the second day, the Ukrainians launched a counterattack from positions east of

, which collapsed in the face of a daring charge by reserve squadrons of Polish cavalry. During these two days of fighting, about 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers were captured by Polish forces. The next day was only a pursuit of the defeated Ukrainians.

Aftermath

In total, in the three-day battle, as many as 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers and a large amount of weapons were added to the Polish captivity. Three days after the Battle of

, the Poles pushed the enemy beyond the

Zbruch River The Zbruch (; ) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

. The charge at

was considered one of the most brilliant victories in the history of Polish cavalry. In its memory, the 14th Uhlan Regiment was given the name of the

Uhlan, and July 11 became a regimental holiday.

References

Bibliography

* * {{coord missing, Ukraine Battles of the Polish–Ukrainian War West Ukrainian People's Republic 1919 in Poland 1919 in Ukraine Battles in 1919