Battle of Kostiuchnówka
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| Battle of Kostiuchnówka | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Brusilov Offensive of the (First World War) | |||||||
| Image:Polish Legionists at Kostiuchnowka (1916).jpg Polish Legionnaires at Kostiuchnowka | |||||||
| |||||||
| Combatants | |||||||
| Image:Austria-Hungary flag 1869-1918.svg Austria-Hungary | Image:Flag of Russia.svg Russian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Józef Piłsudski | ? | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5,500[1]-7,300[2] | 13,000[1] or more[2] | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 2,000[3] | ? | ||||||
The Battle of Kostiuchnówka took place from July 4 to 6, 1916, near Kostiuchnówka (Kostyukhnivka) village and the Styr River, in the Volhynia region (modern Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire). It was a major clash between the Russian Army and the Polish Legions (part of the Austro-Hungarian Army) in the opening phase of the Brusilov Offensive.
Polish forces, numbering about 5,500-7,300, faced Russian forces numbering over half of the XVLI Corps of 26,000. The Polish forces were eventually forced to retreat, but delayed the Russians long enough for the Austro-Hungarian Army units in the area to retreat in an organized manner. Polish casualties were approximately 2,000 fatalities and wounded.
The battle is considered the largest and most vicious of those involving the Polish Legions in World War I.
Contents |
[edit] Background
In World War One the partitioners of Poland fought each other, with the German Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire aligned against the Russian Empire. Polish Legions in Austro-Hungary were created by Józef Piłsudski in order to exploit these divisions, serving as one of his primary tools for restoring Polish independence.
The Polish Legions first arrived in the vicinity of Kostiuchnówka in during the advance of the Central Powers in the summer/autumn of 1915, taking Kostiuchnówka on 27 September 1915.[4] Autumn saw heavy fighting, with each side trying to take control of the region; Polish forces held Kostiuchnówka and due to their successes in defending their positions, several landmarks in the Kostiuchnówka region became known as "Polish" (called such by Polish as well as by allied German-speaking troops): a key hill overlooking the area became the Polish Hill (Polish: Polska Góra), a nearby forest - the Polish Forest (Polski Lasek), a nearby bridge over the Garbach - the Polish Bridge (Polski Mostek), and the key fortified trench line - Piłsudski's Redoubt (Reduta Piłsudskiego).[4] Late autumn, winter and spring saw no major moves by either sides, but this would change drastically with the launching of the Brusilov Offensive in June 1916.[4]
[edit] Opposing forces
With Russian major offensive, II Brigade of the Polish Legions was deployed away from Kostiuchnówka, at Gruziatyn and Hołzula.[2] The I Brigade held the lines from the Polish Hill, Kostiuchnówka village, the III Brigade, to its left, held the lines near the Optowa village; the Piłsudski's Redoubt was the most advanced Polish position, just about 50 meters from the most advanced Russian redoubt, called the "Eagle's Nest".[2] To Poles right flank was the Hungarian 128st Honvédség Brigade, which took positions on the Polish hill and further down right flank; on the Poles left flank was the Hungarian 11th Cavalry Division.[2] Beyond the first line of defense were two fall-back ones; one through the Polish Forest and the Engineer's Forest, and the second, through villages of Nowe Kukle, Nowy Jastków, Legionowo (where Polish HQ was located) and Nowa Rarańcza. The Polish Legions at Kostiuchnówka numbered from 5,500[1] to 7,300 (6,500 infantry and 800 cavalry), with 49 machine guns, 15 mortars and 26 artillery pieces.[2] The Russian forces, composed of most of the XLVI Corps (primarily the 110th and 77nd Infantry Division), numbered 23,000 infantry, 3,000 calvary and were backed by a large artillery force of 120 pieces.[2]
[edit] The battle
Starting on 6 June, a major Russian push was directed on Kostiuchnówka, with the aim of taking the position and advancing towards Kovel.[2] With Polish legionnaires staying put and holding the area, more Russian reinforcements were thrown in, with the battle of Kostiuchnówka becoming one of the major struggles of those days.[2] Polish forces launched a counterattack, pushing the Russians - not expecting such a bold move - back on the night of 8 and 9 June.[2]
The major Russian push came on 4 July, after a major artillery preparation.[5] The advancing Russian infantry, numbering around 10,000, faced about 1,000 Polish troops in the front lines (the rest were held in reserve), but the Russians were stopped by heavy machine gun fire and forced to retreat.[5] However the Hungarian forces at Polish Hill were pushed back, and Russians advanced on the Poles' right flank, threatening to take the high ground of the area.[6] A counterattack by Poles was not successful; as the Hungarian units were retreating, the Polish forces sustained very heavy losses and had to fall back either to the remaining part of the first defense line or, in the area of Polish Hill, to the second line.[6] Another Polish counterattack, launched during the night of 4 to 5 July, was also beaten back.[6] Throughout the day the Russian offensive managed to further push the Polish forces back; although the Poles managed to temporarily retake Polish Hill, lack of support from the Hungarian forces once again tipped the battle towards the Russians, and even German reinforcements - sent after Piłsudski sent a report to the army's headquarters about the possibility of a Russian breakthrough - failed to turn the tide.[7] Eventually, on 6 July, the Russian offensive forced the Central Power's armies to retreat along the entire frontline; Polish forces were among the last to retreat.[7]
[edit] Aftermath
The battle is considered the largest and most vicious of those involving the Polish Legions in World War I. Brusilov's offensive would be stopped only in August 1916, with reinforcements from the Western Front. Despite being forced to retreat, the excellent performance of the Polish forces impressed Austro-Hungarian and German commanders, and contributed to their decision to recreate some form of Polish statehood in order to boost the recruitment of Polish troops.[3] However, their limited concessions did not satisfy Piłsudski; in the aftermath of the Oath Crisis he would be arrested and the Legions disbanded.[3]
Józef Piłsudski, leader of the Legions and future dictator of Poland, took part in the battle, and his participation was a theme of a painting by Leopold Gottlieb, then also a soldier of the Legions, as well as a painting by Stefan Gerwatowski. During the Second Polish Republic, several monuments and a mound were raised nearby to commemorate the battle. A 16 m mound with a stone obelisk and a museum with two additional obelisks were raised during the years 1928-1933[8]; a military cemetery was also built.[7] They fell into disrepair during the rule of the Soviet Union (which often purposefully tried to erase traces of Polish history - the mound was for example lowered by 10m). In recent years restoration work has taken place through various Polish-Ukranian projects.[7][8]
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- (Polish) Bitwa pod Kostiuchnówką, Zwycięstwa Oręża Polskiego Nr 16. Rzeczpospolita and Mówią Wieki. Various authors and editors. 17 June 2006
- (Polish) 90. rocznica bitwy pod Kostiuchnówką 90th anniversary of the battle on the pages of Polish Ministry of Defence
- (Polish) Jerzy Sobczak, Kopce na ziemiach kresowych, Magazyn Wileński 2003/3
[edit] Further reading
- Stanisław Czerep, Kostiuchnówka 1916, Bellona, Warszawa, 1994, ISBN 8311082979pl:Bitwa pod Kostiuchnówką
