39th Lviv Rifle Regiment

39th Lviv Rifle Regiment was a Polish infantry unit of the Polish Armed Forces. It was formed from the defenders of Lviv in November 1918.

The regiment participated in the fights for the borders in 1919 and in the Polish–Soviet War of 1920. During the interwar period, it was part of the 24th Infantry Division. It was stationed in the Jarosław garrison, with the 1st Battalion located in Lubaczów.

In the September Campaign, it followed a combat route starting from Wojnicz, fighting in Zgłobice, Zbylitowska Góra, Jawornik Ruski, Boguszówka, Boratycze, Husaków, Mużyłowice Kolonia, Rzęsna Ruska, and Holosko, eventually breaking through to the besieged Lviv, where it was severely depleted on 20 September 1939.

Formation and organizational changes The 39th Lviv Rifle Regiment was formed from units defending Lviv against Ukrainian forces, who, on 1 November 1918, after the collapse of Austria-Hungary, seized Eastern Lesser Poland, including Lviv. Spontaneously, Polish combat groups began to form and fight in the city. Street battles lasted for three weeks. On 20 November 1918, reinforcements arrived, including the 4th and 5th Legions' Infantry Regiments. By 22 November, Lviv was recaptured by the Poles.

On 25 November 1918, three Lviv infantry regiments were organized. One of these was the 2nd Lviv Rifle Regiment, formed by the Lviv Command from various units. The First Battalion was composed of personnel from the Podzamcze–Rzęsna Polska sector, while the Second Battalion was formed from defenders of the main railway station. On 20 December, the 3rd Lviv Rifle Regiment was integrated into the unit as the Third Battalion.

On 25 January 1919, the regiment's reserve battalion was relocated to Jarosław.

By the General Staff Order No. 98 of 8 March 1919, the unit was renamed the 39th Infantry Regiment.

On 4 April 1919, the Minister of Military Affairs, Lieutenant General , awarded the regiment the honorary name "Lviv Rifle Regiment".

In December 1919, the regiment's reserve battalion was stationed in Jarosław.

Personnel of the regiment in 1920 PositionRank, nameRegiment CommanderLieutenant Colonel Stanisław Sobolewski (until 15 June)Lieutenant Colonel Franciszek GolińskiMajor Bolesław Pytel (from 27 August)AdjutantSecond Lieutenant Stanisław LuzińskiDoctorLieutenant Herman BryzmanChaplainFather Jan ŁętekWeapons and Gas OfficerSecond Lieutenant Eustachy KamieńskiTelephone Platoon CommanderSecond Lieutenant Adam SzeferCommander of the First BattalionCaptain Stanisław Szyłejko (until 15 July)Major Zbigniew Michalewski (wounded 9 September)Lieutenant Mieczysław ZielińskiMajor Antoni Lisowski (from 21 September)AdjutantSecond Lieutenant Władysław HellerProvisions OfficerSecond Lieutenant Stanisław KargolDoctorSecond Lieutenant Emil SkulskiSecond Lieutenant Józef ZeigerCommander of the 1st CompanyLieutenant Stefan SozańskiCommander of the 2nd CompanySecond Lieutenant Władysław OdlanickiCommander of the 3rd CompanySecond Lieutenant Tytus RotterCommander of the 4th CompanySecond Lieutenant Emil KikinissCommander of the 1st MG CompanySecond Lieutenant Stanisław StańkowskiCommander of the Second BattalionCaptain Edmund Jaworski (April–1 September)Lieutenant Jan Janiszewski (September)Major Józef Nawrocki (from 17 September)DoctorSecond Lieutenant Jerzy DziopińskiProvisions OfficerLieutenant Tadeusz StawskiCashierSecond Lieutenant Edward ŁozińskiCommander of the 5th CompanySecond Lieutenant Aleksander PołubakCommander of the 6th CompanySecond Lieutenant Mikołaj PasiukCommander of the 7th CompanySecond Lieutenant Bolesław SzczuckiCommander of the 8th CompanySecond Lieutenant Adolf WielkiewiczCommander of the 2nd MG CompanySecond Lieutenant Bogusław MatouszCommander of the Third BattalionCaptain Ferdynand Andrusiewicz (May)Lieutenant Władysław SawickiAdjutantSecond Lieutenant Franciszek GórskiDoctorSecond Lieutenant Juliusz ZieglerSecond Lieutenant Józef MokrzyckiProvisions OfficerSecond Lieutenant Mieszko KretowiczCashierLieutenant Stanisław SmerekaCommander of the 9th CompanySecond Lieutenant Feliks SerbeńskiCommander of the 10th CompanySecond Lieutenant Kazimierz LipertCommander of the 11th CompanySecond Lieutenant Bożymir StałaCommander of the 12th CompanyLieutenant Wacław Kruszewski († 31 August)Commander of the 3rd MG CompanyN.N.Battalion OfficerSecond Lieutenant Stefan NyczayCommander of the Technical CompanyLieutenant Karol MarksPlatoon CommanderSecond Lieutenant Józef HuppenthalRegimental OfficerLieutenant Eugeniusz OkołowiczLieutenant Wincenty Szlakiewicz (wounded 9 September)Second Lieutenant Marian Horak († 31 August)Second Lieutenant Mateusz Kopeć (wounded 9 September)Second Lieutenant Tadeusz Podowski († 31 August)Second Lieutenant Ludwik RotterSecond Lieutenant Edmund SawińskiCadet Bartłomiej Józef Dobosz

In the Polish–Soviet War

In February 1920, the regiment captured Nowokonstantynów after four days of fighting. On 14 April 1920, along with the 38th Infantry Regiment, it advanced on Vovkovyntsi, where several Soviet infantry and cavalry regiments were defeated. On 13 April, General Władysław Jędrzejewski decided to organize another raid on Vovkovyntsi with the task of breaking enemy forces, cutting the railway line near Vovkovyntsi, and partially destroying the railway station. This time, a much larger force was used. The assault force included seven companies from the 38th Infantry Regiment, five companies from the 19th Infantry Regiment, the entire 39th Infantry Regiment, the III/4th Cavalry Regiment, a platoon from the 3rd Battery of the 12th Field Artillery Regiment, and the armored trains Pionier and Gen. Iwaszkiewicz. During the night from 13 to 14 April, the group began its march to Vovkovyntsi and struck at dawn. The surprised enemy put up little resistance and retreated in disorder. The enemy's swift retreat resulted in the capture of only about 150 prisoners, but the regiment seized four guns, 26 machine guns, the office of the 399th Rifle Regiment, and large supplies of ammunition and food.

On 4 July 1920, the forces of the Western Front, led by Mikhail Tukhachevsky, launched an attack. The 39th Infantry Regiment, as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade of General Władysław Jędrzejewski's group, defended positions along the Avuta river on the left wing of the brigade. In the first hours of the enemy's offensive, a crisis developed on the Polish defensive line. The 39th Infantry Regiment was pushed back to the second line of trenches. Fighting Soviet forces from the 4th Rifle Division and a combined cavalry brigade, its positions changed hands multiple times. The regiment lost approximately 50% of its rank-and-file soldiers and 40% of its officers. In the evening, the regiment retreated behind the Mniuta river and began defending the Zadoroże bridgehead. On 5 July, the enemy broke through the Polish front both to the north and south of the bridgehead, with cavalry threatening to outflank the defending units. At 2:00 PM, the regiment received orders to abandon the bridgehead. Only one battalion could be formed from the surviving soldiers, under the command of Captain Stanisław Szyłejka. In the evening, the combined battalion took positions near Zaborze on both sides of the road from Zadoroże to Hlybokaye. However, Soviet cavalry performed deep flanking maneuvers, preventing the maintenance of defensive positions. During the retreat, only part of the battalion managed to break through to Hlybokaye. Captain Szyłejka and his group were surrounded by cavalry and taken prisoner. In Hlybokaye, the remnants of the regiment were reinforced by soldiers from various First Polish Army units and formed into a battalion to defend the Olszanka line.

In the following days, the regiment suffered such heavy losses that it was no longer possible to form a larger unit from its remnants. It was withdrawn from the front and sent to Jarosław for replenishment and reorganization. At the end of August, the regiment returned to the front lines and participated in battles near Kutkorz and Milatyn, where it lost over 300 men, either killed or wounded. The regiment's last battles took place while crossing the Southern Bug river and capturing Nowokonstantynów.

During both wars, 25 officers and cadets, as well as 361 non-commissioned officers and soldiers, of the regiment were killed or died from wounds.

Recipients of the Virtuti Militari Soldiers of the regiment awarded the Silver Cross of the War Order Virtuti Militari for the 1918–1920 warSenior Private Julian KartasińskiCorporal Franciszek FilipPlatoon Sergeant Stanisław BarylskiSergeant Jan CzerebaSergeant Józef EliaszówCadet Jan GorzkoCadet Rudolf GötzCadet Władysław KolbuszowskiSecond Lieutenant Franciszek GórskiSecond Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Bożymir StalaSecond Lieutenant Stefan SozańskiLieutenant Stanisław KruszyńskiLieutenant Tytus RotterLieutenant Władysław SawickiLieutenant Lieutenant Wacław KruszewskiCaptain Ludwik Wiktor KopećCaptain Stanisław SzyłejkoCaptain Doctor Stanisław OstrowskiMajor Colonel Additionally, 59 officers, 12 cadets, 36 non-commissioned officers, and 64 enlisted men were awarded the Cross of Valour, including 7 soldiers with one clasp, 6 with two clasps, and 4 with three clasps.

Regiment during peacetime

In January 1921, the regiment's staff was relocated to Jarosław. The 1st Battalion was stationed in Stanyslaviv, while the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were in Kolomyia. By July 1921, the entire regiment was moved to Jarosław, with its headquarters at the barracks on Kościuszko Street. In 1922, the 1st and 3rd Battalions were transferred to Lubaczów, stationed at the barracks named after General Józef Zajączek. The 1st Battalion remained in Lubaczów until September 1939. Meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion was downsized in 1930 and returned to Jarosław. The reserve battalion staff was based in Jarosław.

Organizationally, from 1921, the regiment was part of the 24th Infantry Division. It comprised the headquarters, a staff battalion, three infantry battalions, and a reserve battalion staff. In 1924, the staff battalion and reserve battalion staff were dissolved and replaced by a regimental command team and two specialized platoons: pioneers and communications.

On 19 May 1927, Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski, Minister of Military Affairs, designated 29 April as the regiment's holiday. This date commemorated the victorious battles at Brzuchowice and Zboiska fought in 1919.

Based on the 1930 implementation order from the Ministry of Military Affairs for peacetime infantry organization (PS 10-50), the Polish Armed Forces categorized infantry regiments into three types. The 39th Infantry Regiment was classified as a Type I ("normal") regiment, annually receiving about 610 recruits. The regiment's personnel consisted of 56 officers and 1,500 non-commissioned officers and soldiers. During winter, the regiment included a senior-year battalion, a training battalion, and a downsized battalion. In summer, it fielded a senior-year battalion and two conscript battalions. The regiment trained recruits for the Border Protection Corps. The 1930 reorganization introduced the following structure:

Command and Quartermaster Department with an administrative company; Three infantry battalions (each with three rifle companies and one heavy machine gun company); Specialized units, including communications, pioneers, infantry artillery, and mounted reconnaissance.

In 1937, an anti-tank company was formed within the regiment. By 1938, this company had seven Bofors 37 mm anti-tank guns. Additionally, a reconnaissance unit was established in 1938, comprising a cyclist platoon and a mounted reconnaissance platoon.

Personnel and organizational structure in March 1939