15th Greater Poland Light Artillery Regiment was a unit of light artillery in the and the Polish Armed Forces during the Second Polish Republic.
Formation and battles The first subunits of the future regiment were formed on 30 December 1918 at the White Barracks on Magazynowa Street in Poznań. From there, they departed to the front, where they were organized into batteries and squadrons. On 19 January 1919, the Polish Armed Forces Command in the former Prussian partition ordered Lieutenant Colonel Anatol Kędzierski to begin organizing the 1st Greater Poland Light Artillery Regiment. On 6 March 1919, these artillery subunits formed the regiment. On 21 September 1919, the unit was renamed to the 1st Greater Poland Field Artillery Regiment. During the conquest of Pomerania, the regiment was renamed the 15th Greater Poland Field Artillery Regiment. In September 1920, the regiment was equipped with German 77 mm field guns and 105 mm howitzers. Personnel composition between 1919 and 1920Commander of 1st squadronMajor (until 8 October 1919)Lieutenant (from 8 October 1919)Commander of 1st batterySecond Lieutenant Commander of 2nd batteryCaptain Stanisław Adam KamińskiLieutenant Commander of 3rd batterySecond Lieutenant Marian BrelińskiCommander of 2nd squadronMajor BrzeskiMajor DębskiCommander of 4th batteryLieutenant Michał ChłapowskiSecond Lieutenant Stefan Tadeusz WypijewskiCommander of platoon (called "Kujawianka")Gunner/Second Lieutenant Stefan Tadeusz WypijewskiCommander of 5th batteryLieutenant Suzin (1919)Lieutenant (1920)Machine gun crewCorporal Biskup (Cross of Valour)Battery officerSecond Lieutenant Józef Lorek †26 July 1920, OstrówCommander of 6th batterySecond Lieutenant JasińskiCommander of 3rd squadronLieutenant Colonel WięckowskiCommander of 7th batterySecond Lieutenant/Lieutenant (until 8 October 1919)Commander of 7th batteryCaptain Leon BogusławskiBattery officerLieutenant Ludwik NiewodniczańskiCommander of 8th batteryLieutenant RaszewskiCadet Żółtowski (Cross of Valour)Commander of 9th batterySecond Lieutenant Marian KaźmierczakBattery officerSecond Lieutenant Marian Bieniak (Cross of Valour)Sergeant Rozmiarek (Cross of Valour)Sergeant Dirska (Cross of Valour)Corporal Spychaj (Cross of Valour)Machine gun aimerBombardier Bachorski (Cross of Valour)Conductor of the orchestraMilitary official Mackiewicz
Recipients of the Virtuti Militari Soldiers of the regiment awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War OrderBombardier Marian BergerCaptain Leon BogusławskiSecond Lieutenant Marian BrelińskiCorporal Major (No. 1434)Second Lieutenant Michał DrozdowiczSergeant Franciszek Duszyński (No. 4668)Captain Władysław DzieżgowskiLieutenant Lieutenant Marian Kaźmierczak (No. 4328)Second Lieutenant Adolf KarłowskiSecond Lieutenant Józef LorekBombardier Stanisław MichalakLieutenant (No. 939)Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Ludwik NiewodniczańskiLieutenant Captain Wiktor RossaPlatoon Leader Corporal Antoni SawińskiBombardier Jan SpychajBombardier Ludwik WośCorporal Tadeusz ŻakCaptain
Regiment in peacetime
On 2 December 1920, the regiment arrived in the , where it remained stationed until 1939.
On 31 December 1931, based on the order of the Minister of Military Affairs, Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the 15th Artillery Regiment was renamed to the 15th Light Artillery Regiment.
On Sunday, 26 August 1938, two ceremonies were held in Bydgoszcz. In the Old Market Square, the ceremony for the welcome of the 15th Artillery Regiment and the standards took place. The ceremony began at 9:30 AM with the performance of a generals' march to welcome Brigadier General Stanisław Grzmot-Skotnicki. Then, a field mass was held in the courtyard of the Bartosz Głowacki Barracks. After the mass, the commanders of both units swore their soldiers on the standards. Later, Colonel Wojciech Stachowicz performed the act of awarding the regiment's commemorative badge to the city of Bydgoszcz. The badge was received by Mayor , who then presented the regiment with the city's coat of arms. After the decoration, a young Poleshuk, Tomasz Hryciuk, who had arrived at the regiment's invitation with Maria Hryciuk from Zamroczyn, in the Stolin district, gave a heartfelt thank-you speech to the soldiers and officers for their care. The regiment had supported the school in that village. The ceremony concluded with a parade. Personal composition and organizational structure in March 1939Regiment commanderColonel Wojciech StachowiczFirst deputy commanderLieutenant Colonel Jerzy Jan LeonhardAdjutantCaptain Bogdan Roman SzczerkowskiMedical doctorSecond Lieutenant Bolesław JanuszewskiVeterinary doctorSecond Lieutenant Romuald HayderReconnaissance officerCaptain Wacław KosmowskiSecond deputy commander (quartermaster)Major Leon August Jan RzepeckiMobilization officerCaptain Stefan DumałoDeputy mobilization officerCaptain Zdzisław Michał DmowskiAdministrative and material officerCaptain Stanisław SidorenkoEconomic officerSecond Lieutenant Michał PrackiFood officerSergeant Ignacy FrąckowiakPlatoon commander (communications)Captain Czesław BerezowskiPlatoon officerSecond Lieutenant Józef SiwekNon-commissioned officer school commanderSecond Lieutenant Zygmunt ZublewiczPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Mieczysław SilkowskiPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Stefan LuśniakPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Jerzy Kazimierz MakowskiFirst squadron commanderMajor Wiktor WątorskiFirst battery commanderCaptain Jerzy BugajskiPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Ksawery DokurnoSecond battery commanderCaptain Stefan Józef DębskiPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Jan Władysław KrajewskiSecond squadron commanderMajor Zygmunt WituńskiFifth battery commanderCaptain Stefan Marian ŚwierczyńskiPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Kazimierz Marian Adam ZimnalSixth battery commanderActing Second Lieutenant Platoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Wiesław Adam AnnusewiczThird squadron commanderMajor Walery KrzyżyńskiSeventh battery commanderCaptain Andrzej SzwejkowskiEighth battery commanderCaptain Stanisław TaczanowskiPlatoon commanderSecond Lieutenant Aleksander KułakowskiAssignedSecond Lieutenant Stefan BancerIn trainingCaptain Aleksander Kostrowicki
15th Light Artillery Regiment in the September Campaign
Mobilization The 15th Light Artillery Regiment, during the alarm mobilization in the blue group, mobilized its organic subunits on wartime staffing in Bydgoszcz on August 24 from 08:00 AM, within the time frame from A+24 to A+54, as a mobilizing unit. Additionally, according to the , it formed subunits for its parent division in the blue group from A+54 to A+60:
Horse-drawn transport column No. 812 Horse-drawn transport workshop No. 809 Weapon park platoon No. 802
During the requisition of horses, wagons, harnesses, and transport equipment, sabotage was encountered in the areas of Nakło, Mrocza, and Prędocin, primarily from the German-descended population. In the 2nd Squadron, mobilization proceeded without major issues. However, there were shortages of uniforms for some reservists due to delays caused by overloads in the supply depots in Bydgoszcz.
On August 25, the squadrons were dispersed from Bydgoszcz; the 2nd Squadron to Osielsko and Niemcz, the 1st Squadron to Osowa Góra and Czyżkówko. The regrouping of the entire regiment was completed by August 27. The 15th Artillery Regiment headquarters was located in Morzewiec, the 1st Squadron in Jachcice, the 2nd Squadron in the Janowo farm, Smukła Seminary, and the carbide factory, and the 3rd Squadron in Samociążek. Training and team integration of the horses was initiated. On the evening of August 27, the 3rd Squadron was moved to the Luchowo Forestry Lodge, where it arrived on the morning of August 28. By August 30, the 3rd Squadron command had recognized the area of Trzemiętowo as the future operational zone for the squadron. On August 30, an alarm was declared, and the regiment took up combat positions. The 3rd Battery of the 15th Artillery Regiment positioned near Witoldowo, the 2nd Battery near Wojnowo, and the 1st Battery near Osowa Góra. The 3rd Battery of the 16th Artillery Regiment secured an advanced position, providing support to a company outpost from the 61st Infantry Regiment in the village of Nowa Dąbrówka. Observation points were established: the main one in Kruszyn and the forward one in Nowa Dąbrówka. The 2nd Squadron advanced the 4th Battery to the Chmielów area. The 3rd Squadron advanced the 9th Battery to the Wierzchucice and Wierzchucinek area.
Combat operations
Defense of the Bydgoszcz bridgehead On September 1, the 15th Regiment carried out artillery fire on the border region where units of the German 50th Infantry Division had infiltrated, in the area of Wiktorówko, Badecz, Wysoka, Łobżenica, and Wyrzysk. The 2nd Squadron of the 15th Regiment fired on the German "Netze" Infantry Brigade near Nakło, halting their movement.
On the morning of September 2, due to lingering fog, the regiment did not fire on German troops but was instead shelled by German artillery at the observation point of the 9/15 Squadron, resulting in some casualties. After the fog lifted, the 3rd Squadron of howitzers shelled two German batteries in the area of Teresin farm and Gliszcz village, forcing them to cease fire and possibly destroying two guns. The 8/15 Squadron shelled two advancing columns of German infantry observed from Trzemiętowo. Around 2:00 PM, the 9/15 Squadron came under inaccurate German artillery fire but managed to return fire with approximately 260 shells before retreating to the main defensive positions. In the evening, the observation post of the 3/15 Squadron was shelled, and at 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM, the 15th Regiment shelled German positions at hill 120.
During the night of September 2–3, the 15th Regiment, excluding the 3rd Squadron, regrouped from Mochle and Morzewiec to positions west of Bydgoszcz to support the 61st and 62nd Infantry Regiments. The 3rd Squadron crossed the bridge at Smuka on the Brda river and provided support to the 59th Infantry Regiment on the northern section from Borówno Lake to Gądecz village. After some adjustments, the 3rd Squadron was reassigned to support the 62nd Infantry Regiment in the Szczutki area, near Łącznica Manor. The 2nd Squadron took up firing positions near Osowa Góra.
On September 3, starting at 07:00 AM, the German 50th Infantry Division attacked the Bydgoszcz bridgehead three times in the Tryszczyn and Szutki area. The 3rd Squadron of the 15th Regiment effectively shelled German infantry in the Mochle and Wojnowo areas. On the Tryszczyn-Wojnowo road, concentrated fire from the 3rd and 1st Squadrons destroyed many German trucks transporting infantry and supplies. The 1st Squadron shelled the Nakło-Bydgoszcz road, while the 2nd Squadron fired towards Wtelno and Koronowo. In the morning, German artillery heavily shelled the infantry's defensive positions. The 8/15 Squadron destroyed a German observation post and vehicles carrying infantry. In the afternoon, the 2nd Squadron's positions were detected by a German reconnaissance aircraft and shelled by German artillery, while the observation post of the 1st Squadron and its ammunition column were bombed. The 1st Squadron lost several gunners and horses.