Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski


caption=
partof=Invasion of Poland
date=September 17 – September 26, 1939
place=Near Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland
result=German victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=Unknown
strength1=Armies "Kraków" and "Lublin"
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=Unknown|

Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski took place from 17 September to 26 September 1939 near the town of Tomaszów Lubelski. It was the second largest battle [http://derela.republika.pl/vickers.htm The Vickers Mk. E light tank in the Polish service] . Private Land Army Research Institute. Last accessed on 11 March 2007] of the Invasion of Poland (Battle of Bzura was the largest) and also the largest tank battle of the campaignSteven J. Zaloga, "The Polish Army, 1939-45", Osprey Publishing, 1982, ISBN 0850454174, [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0850454174&id=AAdYFeW2fnoC&pg=RA1-PA11&lpg=RA1-PA11&dq=battle+tomaszow+second&sig=qmEepLSY_ckr9yA02kuCIHJ37Nk Google Print, p.11] ] . It resulted in the destruction of the Polish forces.

The battle can be divided into two phases - from 17 to 20 September and from 21 to 26 September. In the first phase (also known as the "First Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski"), Polish forces were composed of Army Lublin and Army Kraków under general Tadeusz Piskor attempted to break through the German positions around Tomaszów towards the Romanian Bridgehead area. The Polish forces included one of the largest Polish armored units of that time, the Warsaw Armoured Motorized Brigade. This phase ended with the capitulation of the Army Lublin on 20 September.

The second phase (also known as the "Second Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski") involved Polish units from the so-called "Northern Front" - remaining elements of Army Lublin, Army Modlin and Operational Groups Wyszków, Narew and Anders Cavalry under generals Emil Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski and Stefan Dąb-Biernacki. Similarly, those Polish units attempted to break through the German positions towards the south. Only the cavalry group under general Władysław Anders was successful; most of the remaining Polish forces failed to break through and capitulated around 26 September.

References