Charge at Krojanty 1939
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 1 September 1939 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1939 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | World War II era (1939–1945) | derived from year |
| Location | Poland | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Battle of the Border | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | 18th Pomeranian Uhlan Regiment | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 53.7256, 17.6319 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The charge at Krojanty, battle of Krojanty, the riding of Krojanty or skirmish of Krojanty was a Polish cavalry charge on the evening of 1 September 1939, the first day of the Second World War, near the Pomeranian village of Krojanty. It occurred at the start of the invasion of Poland and was part of the larger Battle of Tuchola Forest. Polish soldiers advanced east along the railway to a railroad crossroads 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the town of Chojnice, where elements of the Polish cavalry charged and dispersed a German infantry battalion. Machine gun fire from German armoured cars that appeared from a nearby forest forced the Poles to retreat. However, the attack delayed the German advance, allowing the Polish 1st Rifle Battalion and Czersk Operational Group to withdraw safely.
The incident prompted false reports of Polish cavalry attacking German tanks, after journalists saw the bodies of horses and cavalrymen. Nazi propaganda took advantage to suggest that the Poles attacked intentionally since they had believed the Germans still had the dummy tanks permitted by the Versailles Treaty's restrictions. The scene of the Polish cavalry charging panzers with lances remains a common myth.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Charge at Krojanty (revision 1371163495), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Chojnice (1454) 1454 · 5 km
- Battle of Chojnice (1656) 1656 · 5 km
- Battle of Chojnice (1939) 1939 · 5 km
- Battle of Tuchola Forest 1939 · 28 km
- Battle of Koronowo 1410 · 43 km
- Battle of Czarne 1627 · 46 km
Other battles of the Battle of the Border
- Battle of Chojnice (1939) 1939
- Battle of Grudziądz 1939
- Battle of Jordanów 1939
- Battle of Mikołów 1939
- Battle of Mokra 1939
- Battle of Mława 1939
- Battle of Pszczyna 1939
- Battle of Tuchola Forest 1939
- Battle of Węgierska Górka 1939
All 10 battles of the Battle of the Border →
Browse more: battles in Poland · Europe · World War II era battles