Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade The Volhynian Cavalry Brigade ( ) was a Polish cavalry brigade , which saw action against the invading Germans during the Invasion of Poland , a part of World War II . Raised from recruits in the area of Wołyń , the division was posted to the Łódź Army . During several desperate counter - attacks , the brigade suffered heavy casualties near Łódź . It was commanded by Colonel Julian Filipowicz . Most notably , the unit took part in one of the first battles of the German invasion of Poland ( and thus , World War II ) , the battle of Mokra . History . The Vohlynian Cavalry Brigade was formed on April 1 , 1937 , out of sub - units of the Równe Cavalry Brigade , and several smaller detachments . Formed out of recruits from the region of Volhynia , the brigade was decentralized and its units stationed in several towns from the region , including Równe , Dubno , Białokrynica and Ostróg by the Horyń . As part of the first wave of the Polish Army , the brigade was fully mobilized prior to the outbreak of World War II , and transported to the area of Łódź . In accordance with the Polish mobilization scheme , the brigade was attached to Wiktor Thommée s , " Piotrków Operational Group , " of the Łódź Army . The brigade was to form that unit ' s mobile reserve and cover the planned retreat of the 7th Infantry Division . After the beginning of the Invasion of Poland on September 1 , 1939 , the unit took part in the battle of Mokra , where it held its ground although with heavy losses . The brigade withdrew towards the east , and the following day defended the second line of defense near Ostrowy , where it suffered further casualties . On September 3 , it reached the main line of defense of the Army along the Warta - Widawka line ( Łękińsko - Łękawa - Janów ) . With its flanks covered from both sides , the 2nd Mounted Rifles Regiment made a successful sortie towards the village of Kamieńsk , on September 4 , where it surprised the German 4th Panzer Division , and destroyed several of its tanks and a dozen of its fuel tanks , killing approximately 100 enemy soldiers . The following day , the entire brigade took part in a sortie towards the village of Wola Krzysztoporska and Jeżów , but were forced back after a German counter - attack . On September 7 , 1939 , the German forces finally managed to break through the lines of the Łódź Army and the brigade was forced to retreat after a skirmish against the German 18th Infantry Division near the villages of Zamość and Żeromin , both near the town of Tuszyn . Withdrawing towards Andrespol , on September 8 , the unit entered the battle of Wola Cyrusowa , where it covered the western and northern flanks of the entire army , withdrawing eastwards . The result of the day - long battle against the German 10th Infantry Division , was that the Volhynian Brigade suffered significant losses . As the sun set , the Poles withdrew to the other side of the Mroga river and then towards Chlebów , where it spent the several hours to reorganize . Due to the fast pace of German armoured assault , the brigade had to retreat further eastwards and on September 10 , it reached the Kampinos Forest through Miedniewice , Szymanów and Kampinos . The brigade spent the following two days in the forests halfway between Warsaw and Modlin . It was joined by the retreating Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade , and received some reinforcements , although it was already in bad shape . By September 13 , both units started a counter - assault in the direction of the town of Mińsk Mazowiecki . By now the brigade , was reduced to less than 50 % of its original strength , but managed to retake the village of Cyganka , and continue its counter offensive towards Choszczówka , but a German counter - attack broke its momentum and forced them to retreat . After the battle , the brigade ceased to exist as an organized force . The 21st Uhlan Regiment and the remnants of the 12th withdrew to Warsaw , where they fought in the defense of Warsaw until September 28 , in the ranks of Roman Abraham ' s Combined Cavalry Brigade . The remaining forces of the brigade joined the forces of General Stefan Dąb - Biernacki ' s Northern Front and withdrew further eastwards , towards the Bug River . On September 22 , near Sokółka they took part in the battle of Suchowola against the German 68th Infantry Division , and then in the battles of Krasnobród and Huta Różaniecka .