Armies of the Russo-Polish War 1919–21

Men-at-Arms 497 Author:Nigel ThomasI llustrator:Adam Hook

About this book
In 1917 Poland was recognised as a state by Russia, but the Bolshevik coup threatened this. The Polish leader Marshal Pilsudski hurried to build an army around Polish World War I veterans, and in 1918 war broke out for Poland’s independence, involving the the Poles, the Red and White Russian armies, at least two different Ukrainian forces, and Allied intervention troops. The armies that fought these campaigns were extraordinarily varied in their uniforms and insignia, equipment and weapons, and when peace was signed in 1921, Poland had achieved recognised nationhood for the first time since 1794. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this engaging study explains and illustrates the armies that fought in the epic struggle for the rebirth of the independent Polish nation, in the bitter aftermath of World War I.

Contents

• Introduction: historical background
• Brief history of the Russo-Polish War
• The Polish Army: organization, uniforms and insignia
• The Russian Red Army: organization, uniforms and insignia
• Ukrainian armies: the Ukrainian Red Army; UNR (E. Ukrainian), and Galician (W. Ukrainian) armies; Galician Red Army: organization, uniforms and insignia
• Plate commentaries
• Index

Paperback; November 2014; 48 pages; ISBN: 9781472801067

 

 

 

 

 

A: COMMANDERS

A 1: Pierwsy Marzalek Polski J6zef Pifsudski; Lipsk, September 1920

Here Pilsudski wears the M1915 green-collared, field-grey greatcoat and the tunic of the Austrian-raised Polish Legions, with closely tailored black overall trousers. The maciejowka cap has an M1914 silver uncrowned eagle badge, with pointed wings and the letter 'S' on the shield. Promoted first marshal on 19 Mar 1920, Pilsudski first wore his 'pike-grey' uniform with full insignia on 15 Nov 1920 when he received his marshal's mace.

 A2: Komanduyushchiy frontom Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Red Army; Moscow, April 1920

Despite his defeat at Warsaw this 27-year-old general earned considerable prestige, and Stalin's envy would lead to his execution on 12 June 1937. Here he wears the M1919 uniform, with the second-pattern budenovka and a greatcoat in 'Russian khaki', with dark khaki-green facings at collar, cuffs and waist-pocket flaps. The cap star, piping, and collar and breast tabs are in infantry crimson ('raspberry-red'). He displays the M1919 scarlet rank insignia of a star and four diamonds (one obscured at this angle) on his left sleeve only, and on his breast the M1918 Red Army membership badge on a rosette. His holstered revolver is an M1895 Mosin-Nagant.

A3: Polkovnyk Volodymyr Salskyi, Ukrainian Minister of War, June 1920

Salskyi served as war minister from 5 Nov 1919 to 10 Feb 1921, being promoted major-general on 5 Oct 1920. The cap of his M1919 service uniform has white piping at the crown seam and both edges of the crimson branch-colour band; twisted silver button-colour wire cords; and a gold and blue M 1918 cockade, with a central gold trident. The unpiped tunic bears the collar patches of his rank; and on the left sleeve a large red trident badge as introduced on 30 Mar 1920. His blue officers' breeches have crimson piping.

 

B: FIRST BATTLES, FEBRUARY-MAY 1919

B1: General-porucznik Stanistaw Szeptycki, 1st Lithuanian-Belarusian Division, Polish Army; Grodno, April 1919

Szeptycki wears M1917 PSZ general officers' uniform, displaying his rank by silver braid on dark red collar patches, and two gold stars and a crown on plaited silver-cord trefoil shoulder straps with red-on-white backing. Note too the red piping on the stand-and-fall collar, cuffs, front edge and all four pocket flaps of the tunic, and the seam-piping flanked by double stripes on his breeches. Above the silver braid chinstrap his cap eagle and rosette are non-regulation gold. Again, the sidearm is a Russian M1895 Mosin-Nagant revolver.

 B2: Otdelyonniy komandir, 3rd Siedlec Revolutionary Infantry Regiment, Red Army; Lida, April 1919

This Polish communist in the Western Rifle Div, defeated at Lida during the Polish Vilnius offensive, is wearing the Tsarist M191 0 winter cap with an M1918 variant red star badge, and the brownish-grey enlisted ranks' greatcoat. On the left sleeve is a yellow-on-black MG badge, above the M1919 insignia of his corporal-equivalent rank. His equipment is a waistbelt with a single ammunition pouch for his M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle, and a slung M1909 waterbottle and tin bowl combination.

B3: Kapral, 4th Lancer Regiment, Polish Army; Vilnius, April 1919

Polish forces previously in Russian service provided most of the lancer regiments. This junior NCO in the Belina Cavalry Group wears a greenish-grey peaked cap with M1917 eagle badge and light blue regimental band. His slightly contrasting M1917 PSZ light grey lancer tunic is piped light blue around the collar (note zigzag lace at front and top), cuffs, plastron, pocket flaps and scalloped 'duck's-foot' shoulder straps. The latter show two silver rank bars above a light blue regimental numeral. His dark blue breeches also show double stripes in regimental colour. He carries a Russian M1909 sabre, an M1891 Mosin-Nagant 'dragoon' carbine, and two triple Polish-made German M1909 ammunition pouches.

C: BELARUS, JULY-OCTOBER 1919

C1: Starszy strzelec, 4th Greater Poland Rifle Regiment, Polish Army; Babruysk, August 1919

This lance-corporal from the 1st Greater Poland Div occupying Babruysk wears a rogatywka with dark red piping at the top of the band and vertically up all four seams, meeting in a cross on the crown; it bears the M1919 eagle and, offset left, a greenish-grey braid trefoil with one dark red rank knot. The tunic has dark red piping round the stand-and-fall collar, cuffs, breast pockets and flaps, waist-pocket flaps, and down the front edge. The collar bears stripes in national colours and silver regimental numerals, and his single silver rank chevrons butt down against the cuff piping. He displays the German M1916 machine-gunner's left-sleeve badge, and has a blackened German belt with M191 0 pouches, bayonet, and hooked-on wirecutters. Slung round his body are an M1917 gasmask container, M1908 MG hauling straps, and his M1898 rifle based on the German Mauser Karabiner 98b. He is carrying MG ammunition-belt boxes.

 C2: P/utonowy, 3rd Legion Infantry Regiment, Polish Army; Minsk, August 1919

This section commander is from the 2nd Legion Infantry Div occupying Minsk, the furthest Polish advance in Belarus. He wears the M1917 PSZ uniform, with a maciejowka piped in infantry dark red. The tunic shows single-zigzag collar braid, and three silver rank bars and a red regimental numeral on red-piped, square-cut shoulder straps; note too the three-flamed bomb badge of an assault company on the left sleeve. He has Austro-Hungarian double ammunition pouches; support straps; backpack with rolled greatcoat, messtin, and breadbag; bayonet with knot, and entrenching tool. His weapons are an M1895 Bmm Mannlicher rifle and a German M1916 stick-grenade.

C3: Komandir polka, 20th Artillery Regiment, Red Army; Minsk, August 1919

This regimental commander from 17th Rifle Div wears an M1908 peaked cap with M1918 star; his French shows a Tsarist gold-on-black artillery badge above the M 1919 rank insignia on his left sleeve, the latter in non-standard gold wire on a red cloth patch. The M1918 Red Army badge on his left breast is the commanders' gilded version. He wears sharovari and black riding boots with knee caps. The M1912 waistbelt has Tsarist officers' double braces; it supports his M1895 revolver with leather strap neck lanyard.

D: THE POLISH ADVANCE EASTWARDS, JANUARY-APRIL 1920

D1 : Porucznik, 1st Tank Regiment, Polish Army; Daugavpils, January 1920

The M1918 uniform of Hailer's Army, in French horizon-blue is represented by this lieutenant tank-platoon commander in the unit's 2nd Company. The rogatywka has a gold lace button-colour chinstrap, and red branch-colour piping at the crown, vertical seams and top edge of the band; below the M1918 eagle are two gold rank bars across an oval blue patch. The tunic has red French-type collar patches with two white pipings and gold regimental numerals; the shoulder straps bear a gold eagle badge on a red oval; on the cuffs are two gold rank bars, and on the left sleeve the armoured troops' badge of a gilt metal dragon on a red oval. He has dismounted officers' black laced field boots, a French 8mm M1892 revolver, and an M1915 Adrian dark grey-blue steel helmet with an eagle plate painted non-regulation white.

D2: Starszy szeregowiec, 35th Infantry Regiment, Polish Army; Mazyr, March 1920

This lance-corporal from the 9th Infantry Div wears Polish M1919 khaki ('grey-green-brown') uniform with an M1915 Adrian helmet painted dark khaki. His enlisted ranks' tunic has single-zigzag braid on dark blue infantry collar patches, piped yellow at the scalloped rear edge; a single dark red shoulder-strap rank bar; and on the left sleeve the M1917 silver MG company badge - a clip of five splayed cartridges on a dark blue patch. His brown leather equipment comprises waistbelt and support straps for triple pouches for the Polish Kar 98b, a frogged bayonet and an entrenching tool; strapped to his backpack are the rolled greatcoat and messtin, and slung to his left hip is a grey canvas breadbag.

 D3: Chetar, 1st Regiment, Red Ukrainian Galician Army; Vinnytsia, February 1920

This second lieutenant company commander is wearing the UHA M1919 field uniform in greenish-brown khaki, with brown

leather infantry leggings. On joining the ChUHA he has reluctantly placed a red rosette behind his M1918 trident cap cockade, and removed his collar and cuff rank insignia. His Russian belt supports an Austro-Hungarian M1898 8mm Gasser und Rast revolver and a binocular case.

E: THE KYIV OFFENSIVE, APRIL-MAY 1920

E1: Komandir roty, 54th Rifle Regiment, Red Army; Zhytomyr, April 1920

This ri fle company commander from 25th Rifle Div defending Zhytomyr wears the M1919 service uniform of budenovka,

Tsarist field shirt, and sharovari with marching boots. The crimson branch colour is displayed in the cap-badge backing star and buttons, the collar patches and breast tabs. On the left sleeve only he displays rank insignia, below an M1920 infantry branch badge. He has a Mauser C96 'broomhandle' pistol in a leather holster, and a Tsarist M1889 mapcase.

 E2: Roiovyi, 17th Rifle Brigade, UNA Army; Zhytomyr, April 1920

This corporal section commander from 6th Rifle Div (the 'Sich' title was awarded later) is wearing complete British-supplied M1902 khaki service dress, with M1915 Mk 1 'Brodie' helmet, and Mills M1908 webbing equipment with M1914 lower pouches. His weapon is the British Lee-Enfield .303in SMLE with 18in M1907 bayonet. A black trident badge is painted on his helmet, and he displays the infantry blue left sleeve badge, as introduced from 30 July 1919. His M1920 infantry collar patches are the same colour; enlisted men often omitted these, or wore M1919 patches with rank studs instead of stars.

 E3: Major, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, Polish Army; Kyiv, May 1920

This battalion commander from the 7th Div, entering Kyiv, wears the M1919 uniform. The rather shapeless peakless field cap has the silver metal star and bar identifying his rank, whilst the shoulder straps have a star and two bars. The greatcoat collar has green-and-black field artillery stripes; above it the tunic collar patches, in green with black rear piping, can just be seen. As a mounted officer he wears spurred riding boots; his 'Sam Browne' supports a holstered M1908 Parabellum pistol and an Austro-Hungarian M1917 khaki canvas mapcase, and he has a slung binocular case.

JUNE-AUGUST 1920

F1: Pomoshchnik komandira vzvoda, 55th 'Narva' Cavalry Regiment, Red Army; Grodno, July 1920

This regiment in 1Oth Kuban Cav Div wore light blue Hussar service uniforms, but standard khaki field uniforms. This deputy platoon commander wears a Tsarist peaked cap with a variant badge set on a gold sunburst. His cotton summerweight gymnastiorka has patch breast pockets and (obscured here) slit waist pockets. Above the M1919 sleeve insignia of this  sergeant-equivalent rank is a non-regulation cavalry badge: a gold horsehead in a horseshoe on crossed sabres, above a red star, all on a cavalry-blue backing. He has winterweight wool breeches, and boots with brass Hussar rosettes; an M1909 ammunition pouch and an M1900 chest bandolier; an M1881/1909 officers' sword and an M1891 'dragoon' carbine.

F2: Podporucznik pilot, 15th (4th Greater Poland) Fighter Squadron, Polish Army; Lviv, August 1920

This second lieutenant wears the M1919 officers' khaki uniform with the M1919 dark blue pi/otka cap; this has the usual M1919 eagle badge, but note the cruciform yellow crown piping. The yellow collar patches bear officers' double-zigzag braid, and the shoulder straps his rank star. The M1919 pilots' wings (introduced 4 Mar 1919) hang from a chain beneath the left collar, and a shallow silver gliding-eagle badge on yellow backing is sewn on the left upper sleeve. His sidearm is a Mauser C96 pistol in its wooden holster-stock, and he carries a soft leather flying helmet with goggles.

F3: Starshina, 22nd Reconnaissance Air Detachment, Red Army; Lviv, August 1920

This sergeant-major wears an M1914 rigid leather flying helmet with a Tsarist M1913 grey metal eagle badge, on which the Tsarist cockade has been replaced with an M1918 red star. A dark blue woollen field shirt is worn under an M1914 black leather flying jacket, with the black velvet collar piped red. Rank and branch sleeve insignia were not worn on this jacket, but a Red Air Force badge is pinned to his chest. Dark blue woollen breeches, piped red, are worn with black leather leggings and ankle boots.

G: BATTLE OF WARSAW, AUGUST 1920

G1: Komanduyushchiy armiey Semyon Budyonny, First Cavalry Army; Werba, 12 August

The Konarmiya commander wears a second-pattern budenovka with cavalry-blue star, and an M1919 field shirt with a turn-down collar (note its slanted cut) and branch-colour collar and chest tabs. He displays his M1918 Order of the Red Banner on a red rosette, and on his left sleeve the M1920 gold cavalry badge for Red Banner units (gold horseshoe, around sun and rays above green hill, with crossed sabres and red star), and M1919 rank insignia. His riding boots have knee caps, and his sidearm is an M1 903 Browning pistol.

G2: Kapitan, 1st Battalion, 54th Border Rifles Infantry Regiment, Polish Army; Zadworze, 17 August

At Zadworze this battalion from 12th lnf Div fought to the last man against the Russian Konarmiya . This company commander wears a subaltern's M1919 field uniform; the rogatywka has silver piping and peak edging, the eagle badge with a regimental numeral on the shield, and three silver stars of rank, which are repeated on the tunic shoulder straps. Dark blue infantry collar patches with yellow rear edging bear officers' double-zigzag silver braid. He wears infantry officers' three-buckle leggings and ankle boots, and carries a mapcase, a German M1 908 Parabellum pistol, and a stick-grenade.

G3: Generat-porucznik Frantiszek Latinik, Polish irst Army; Radzymin, 14 August

The dogged defence of Radzymin roused the Poles to victory at Warsaw. Lieutenant-General Latinik wears the M1919 uniform, with triple-zigzag silver braid around the khaki band of his silver-piped rogatywka , below the stars on his shoulder straps, and around his cuffs. His dark blue collar patches with dark red rear piping bear triple-zigzag braid and a silver eagle, and his breeches have dark blue piping between double stripes; he also wears a general officer's silver service-dress aiguillettes. His decorations are the Virtuti Militari Silver Cross for gallant ry, and, pinned to his pocket, the Silesia 1919 campaign cross.

 

H: FINAL BATTLES, AUGUST-OCTOBER 1920

H1: Wachmistrz sztabowy, 8th Lancer Regiment, Polish Army; Komar6w, August

This senior NCO from 1st Cav Div wears the M191 9 enlisted ranks' uniform but with officers' equipment. His plain, unpiped rogatywka has two M1920 dark red rank chevrons on the band below the badge. His tunic has unpiped dark red lancer collar patches with single-zigzag braid; the shoulder straps have dark red braid rank-edging, and his carbine marksman's lanyard is the same colour. He carries an M1917 cavalry officers' sabre with silver-and-red NCOs' fist-strap and knot, and a holstered Austro-Hungarian M1907 8mm Roth-Styr cavalry pistol.

H2: Pomoshchnik komandira eskadrona, 10^th Kuban Cavalry Division, Red Army; River Niemen, September

This deputy squadron commander retreating from Polish forces wears Kuban Cossack field uniform. His cap is the black  kubanka with a 'Kuban' red crown. The red field shirt has senior ranks' silver edging, as has the red bashlyk hood, here thrown back behind and so invisible. The khaki kaftan has a subaltern's two integral sets of 10 cartridge tubes on the chest; left-sleeve rank insignia; and the same M1919 cavalry sleeve badge as F1 , though here the backing is cut square. His decorative Cossack belt supports an M1895 Mosin-Nagant revolver and an M1904 kindzhal dagger, and an M1904 shashka sabre is slung from his shoulder.

 H3: Krasnoarmeyets, 58th Engineer Battalion, Red Army; Minsk, October

This 58th Rifle Div sapper defending Minsk wears the second pattern M1919 budenovka with an Engineer-branch black star edged red. His M1919 field shirt has subdued khaki collar and chest tabs, almost hidden here by his slung coat-roll. Note the Tsarist sapper's sleeve badge of a yellow crossed pick and shovel on black; and the slit waist pocket of the gymnastiorka, for once visible here, as his equipment is limited to a single M1909 belt-pouch and a large canvas satchel. His weapon is a German M1898 Karabiner 98b rifle.