Battle of the Niemen River
Encyclopedia
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
. It took place near the middle Neman River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
between the cities of Suwałki, Grodno and Białystok. After having suffered almost complete defeat in the Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw (1920)
The Battle of Warsaw sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, was the decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War. That war began soon after the end of World War I in 1918 and lasted until the Treaty of Riga resulted in the end of the hostilities between Poland and Russia in 1921.The...
(August 1920), Mikhail Tukhachevski's Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
forces tried to establish a defensive line, against Józef Piłsudski's counter-attacking Polish Army, running northward from the Polish-Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n border to Polesie, and centering on Grodno. Between September 15 and September 25, 1920, the Poles outflanked the Soviets, once again defeating them. After the mid-October Battle of the Szczara River, the Polish Army had reached the Tarnopol-Dubno-Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
-Drisa line.
Although this part of the conflict is usually referred to as a battle both in Polish and Russian historiography, some historians argue that it was more of a military operation
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
with a series of battles fought often several hundred kilometres apart.
Prelude
Following the Battle of WarsawBattle of Warsaw (1920)
The Battle of Warsaw sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, was the decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War. That war began soon after the end of World War I in 1918 and lasted until the Treaty of Riga resulted in the end of the hostilities between Poland and Russia in 1921.The...
in mid-August, the armies in the centre of the Russian front fell into chaos. Mikhail Tukhachevsky
Mikhail Tukhachevsky
Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky was a Marshal of the Soviet Union, commander in chief of the Red Army , and one of the most prominent victims of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge.-Early life:...
ordered a general retreat toward the Bug River
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
, but by then he had lost contact with most of his forces near Warsaw, and all the Bolshevist plans had been thrown into disarray by communication failures. Russian armies retreated in a disorganised fashion, with entire divisions panicking and disintegrating. The Red Army's defeat was so great and unexpected that, at the instigation of Piłsudski's detractors, the Battle of Warsaw is often referred to in Poland as the "Miracle at the Vistula". Previously unknown documents from Polish Central Military Archive found in 2004 proved that the successful breaking of Red Army radio communications cipher
Cipher
In cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption — a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment. In non-technical usage, a “cipher” is the same thing as a “code”; however, the concepts...
s by Polish cryptographers played a great role in the victory.
Although successful, the Polish counter-attack in the battle of Warsaw created an awkward situation for Polish commander in chief Józef Piłsudski. Most of his forces were facing north while Russian heartland was located east of the front rather than north. Because of that, the Polish Army needed some time to reorganise and regroup before a new offensive could be mounted. The Russian commanding officer Mikhail Tukhachevsky took this as an opportunity to establish a new defensive line along the Niemen River, initially safe from Polish forces. The new Soviet line ran from the Russian-Lithuanian demarcation line in the north, to the dense forests and swamps of Polesie, with the city of Grodno (modern Hrodna, Belarus) as a pivot.
Opposing forces
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
suffered heavy casualties in the course of war, and especially during the Russian summer offensive of 1920. Moreover, both opposing armies were still in the phase of organisation. By August, the Poles mobilised almost 1 million men, which allowed them to reinforce most front-line units to approximately 50-60% of their nominal strength. Out of that number almost 350 000 were in active service on the eastern front, while the rest served in other units or were still training. The Polish brigades and divisions were usually ill-equipped, but were commanded by experienced officers, veterans of the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the subsequent Polish-Ukrainian War
Polish-Ukrainian War
The Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.-Background:...
. Moreover, with fresh forces arriving to the front almost every week the reserves of the Polish C-i-C were sufficient for waging an offensive war.
The Red Army suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Warsaw in August and lacked organisation. Although the reserves of fresh, untrained recruits were almost unlimited, the Russian units lacked experienced officers. Also, in the course of the war the Soviet forces lost large parts of their artillery, which was usually used on the battlefield as a last stand against the assaulting enemy. This tactic allowed the Poles to outgun their enemies. Also, the Russian air forces were almost non-existent while the Polish Army could use its few aeroplanes to successfully disrupt enemy moves and conduct intelligence operations.
The Red Army was organised in several fronts. The Western Front facing the Poles had more than 700,000 soldiers in August. However, large part of its forces were either taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
by the Poles, interned in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
or routed. After the arrival of 68,000 reinforcements in August and additional 20,500 in September, the forces of Tukhachevski reached approximately 20 to 40% of their nominal strength. However, both the morale and the reinforcement abilities of the Russian troops were seriously harassed.
Polish Army
The order of battleOrder of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
of the Polish Army as after the reorganisation of September 11. The position of units as of September 15, 1920. The armies and divisions are listed north to south.
| Polish Army | Army | Operational Group | Unit | Remarks | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Józef Piłsudski HQ in Białystok |
2nd Army Edward Rydz |
Shielding group Left flank, facing Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... |
Siberian Brigade Rumsza |
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| 17th Greater Polish Division Polish 17th Infantry Division 17 Greater Poland Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. It was garrisoned in Gniezno and neighboring towns, such as Pleszew and Września. The unit was formed on June 9, 1919, as 3rd Division of Greater Poland Rifles... Osiński |
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| Wing Group / Assault Group west of Grodno and in Suwałki area |
1st Polish Legions Infantry Division Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.As one of the most... Dąb-Biernacki Stefan Dab-Biernacki Stefan Dąb-Biernacki was a Polish general.Members of the Polish Legions in World War I, fought in the Polish-Soviet War commanding regiments and later 1DPLeg... |
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| 1st Lithuanian-Belarusian Division Rządkowski Jan Rzadkowski Jan Rządkowski was a Polish military officer and a General of the Polish Army. He is best known as the commanding officer of the 1st Lithuanian-Belarusian Division during the Polish-Bolshevik War and then the commander of the armed forces of the Republic of Central Lithuania.Jan Piotr Rządkowski... |
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| II Cavalry Brigade |
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| IV Cavalry Brigade Polish IV Cavalry Brigade The IV Cavalry Brigade was a unit of the Polish Army during the Polish-Bolshevik War and later in the inter-war period... Nieniewski Adam Nieniewski Colonel Adam Nieniewski was a Polish military commander, an officer of the Polish Army and a veteran of World War I, Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.- Biography :... |
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| Front Group west of Grodno, ordered to hold out the enemy |
22nd Volunteer Infantry Division Koc Adam Koc Adam Ignacy Koc was a Polish politician, soldier and journalist.-Honours and awards:... |
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| 21st Mountain Infantry Division Polish 21st Mountain Infantry Division The 21st Mountain Infantry Division was a pre-war unit of the Polish Army. It was one of two mountain infantry divisions of Poland to take part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. Currently its traditions are continued by Polish 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade. Until 1939 the unit was commanded by... Galica |
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| Right Flank Niemen river crossing in Mosty Zaniemeńskie |
3rd Polish Legions Infantry Division Polish 3rd Legions Infantry Division Polish 3rd Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed in 1919, as a third unit composed significantly of veterans of the Polish Legions in World War I , the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and... Berbecki Leon Berbecki Leon Berbecki was a Polish army officer, who fought in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I with the Imperial Russian Army. Following the foundation of the Second Polish Republic, Berbecki served in the Polish Army.- Early life :Peter Leon Berbecki, born on a farm in Kalinowszczyzna in what is... |
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| 4th Army Leonard Skierski Leonard Skierski Leonard Skierski was a Polish military officer and a general of the Imperial Russian Army and then the Polish Army. A veteran of World War I and the Polish-Bolshevik War, he was one of fourteen Polish generals to be murdered by the NKVD in the Katyn massacre of 1940.-Biography:Leonard Skierski was... |
Main Forces | 15th Greater Polish Division Polish 15th Infantry Division Polish 15th Infantry Division can refer to:*Polish 15th "Greater Poland" Infantry Division , Wielkopolska*Polish 15th Infantry Division, formed in 1945, in 1955 transformed into Polish 15th Mechanized Division... Jung |
Upper Rosia Rosia Rosia may refer to:*Rosia, the Greek name for Rus' *Roşia , villages in Romania*Roşia Montană, a commune in Romania*Roşia River , in Romania*Roşia River , in Romania*Roşia River , in Romania... river |
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| 14th Greater Polish Division Konarzewski |
to the NE of Prużana | ||||||||||||
| 11th Infantry Division Polish 11th Infantry Division 11th Carpathian Infantry Division , was a tactical unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which resisted the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Its headquarters were located in Stanisławów, with some regiments stationed in nearby locations, such as Stryi and Kolomyia... Małachowski |
to the NE of Kobryń Kobryn Kobryn or Kobrin is a city in the Brest voblast of Belarus and the center of the Kobryn Raion. The city is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus where the Mukhavets River and Dnepr-Bug Canal meet. The city lies about 52 km east of the city of Brest. Kobryn is located at Latitude... |
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| 16th Pomeranian Division Polish 16th Infantry Division The 16th Pomeranian Infantry Division was a military unit of the Polish Army. It was first raised on 16 August 1919 during the Polish uprising, before going on to serve during the subsequent war with the Bolsheviks... Ładoś |
Kobryń-Pińsk Pinsk Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000... railroad and highway |
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| Garrison of Brześć Fortress | "Brześć" Fortified Area ? |
ca. 1200 men | |||||||||||
| 3rd Army Władysław Sikorski |
Left wing Wołyń Volhynia Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come... area |
Bułak-Bałachowicz's Group Bułak-Bałachowicz |
ca. 1500 men, formed of deserters from the Red Army and other Russian and Belarusian volunteers | ||||||||||
| 18th Infantry Division 18th Infantry Division (Poland) The 18th Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army during the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign... Krajowski Franciszek Krajowski Franciszek Krajowski was a Czech-Poles military officer and a General of the Polish Army.He started his career in the Austro-Hungarian Army.... |
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| Main forces between Wołyń Volhynia Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come... and Lwów |
2nd Polish Legions Division Polish 2nd Legions Infantry Division Polish 2nd Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on Febryary 21, 1919 in the town of Zegrze, as a second unit, composed mostly of veterans of the Polish Legions in World War I, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War... Żymierski |
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| 7th Infantry Division Polish 7th Infantry Division The 7th Infantry Division was the name of several units of the Polish Army.The original division was formed in 1918 and took part in shielding the Polish borders during the Polish-Ukrainian War. During the Polish-Bolshevik War it was commanded by Col. Szubert and reinforced to three brigades... Szubert |
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| 9th Infantry Division Narbut-Łuczyński |
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| 10th Infantry Division Żeligowski Lucjan Zeligowski Lucjan Żeligowski , was a Polish general, and veteran of World War I, the Polish-Soviet War and World War II. He is mostly remembered for his role in Żeligowski's Mutiny and as head of a short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania.-Biography:... |
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| Dreszer's Cavalry group Dreszer |
3rd and 9th cavalry brigades, later renamed to 2nd Cavalry Division | ||||||||||||
| Haller's Operational Group Operational Group Operational Group was the highest level of tactical division of the Polish Army before and during World War II and the Invasion of Poland. It was corps-sized, although various Operational Groups varied in size.... Haller von Hallenburg |
1st Cavalry Division Rómmel Juliusz Rómmel Juliusz Karol Wilhelm Józef Rómmel was a Polish military commander and a general of the Polish Army. During the Polish-Bolshevik War, he gained great fame for achieving a decisive victory in the Battle of Komarów, the largest cavalry engagement of the 20th century... |
temporarily attached | |||||||||||
| 13th Infantry Division Polish 13th Infantry Division 13th Kresy Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. Its origins go back to the World War I, when in June 1918 the 1st Division Division of Polish Rifles was formed in the French town of Villeres-Marmery... Haller de Hallenburg Józef Haller de Hallenburg Józef Haller de Hallenburg was a Lieutenant General of the Polish Army, legionary in Polish Legions, harcmistrz , the President of The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association , political and social activist, Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg's cousin.Haller was born in Jurczyce... |
temporarily attached | ||||||||||||
| Allied troops |
Don Cossacks Don Cossacks Don Cossacks were Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don.- Etymology and origins :The Don Cossack Host was a frontier military organization from the end of the 16th until the early 20th century.... ' Brigade col. Salnikov |
Only 251 soldiers and officers | |||||||||||
| Kuban Cossacks Kuban Cossacks Kuban Cossacks or Kubanians are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. Most of the Kuban Cossacks are of descendants of two major groups who were re-settled in the Western Northern Caucasus during the Caucasus War in the late 18th century... ' Brigade mjr. Yakovlev |
Only 614 soldiers and officers | ||||||||||||
| Garrison of Zamość Zamosc Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine... |
6th Ukrainian Division Bezruchko |
token forces left in the city after the Battle of Komarów Battle of Komarów The Battle of Komarów was one of the most important battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War. It took place on August 31, 1920, near the village of Komarowo near Zamość... |
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| 6th Army Wacław Iwaszkiewicz |
Januszajtis' Group Operational Group Operational Group was the highest level of tactical division of the Polish Army before and during World War II and the Invasion of Poland. It was corps-sized, although various Operational Groups varied in size.... towards Płoskirów |
12th Infantry Division Polish 12th Infantry Division Polish 12th Kresy Infantry Division , was a tactical unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which was stationed in Tarnopol... Żegota-Januszajtis |
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| Latinik's Group around Lwów |
5th Infantry Division Polish 5th Infantry Division 5th Lwów Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, with headquarters stationed in Lwów. It was created on May 20, 1919, during the Polish-Ukrainian War in Eastern Galicia. Originally, it consisted of three infantry regiments, but later it was strengthened with... Szymański? |
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| 8th Infantry Division Polish 8th Infantry Division The 8th Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army. It was active in the Polish-Bolshevik War, as well as during the Invasion of Poland in 1939... Burhardt-Bukacki |
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| I Cavalry Brigade | Narajówka river, Złota Lipa - east of Lwów | ||||||||||||
| Jędrzejowski's Group around Lwów |
7th Infantry Division Polish 7th Infantry Division The 7th Infantry Division was the name of several units of the Polish Army.The original division was formed in 1918 and took part in shielding the Polish borders during the Polish-Ukrainian War. During the Polish-Bolshevik War it was commanded by Col. Szubert and reinforced to three brigades... K. Szubert? |
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| 13th Infantry Division Polish 13th Infantry Division 13th Kresy Infantry Division was a unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period. Its origins go back to the World War I, when in June 1918 the 1st Division Division of Polish Rifles was formed in the French town of Villeres-Marmery... Pawlik |
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| Organic cavalry |
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| Ukrainian Army Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko , December 8, 1878 - May 29, 1952, was the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Galician Army and of the Army of the Ukrainian National Republic... |
1st to 5th Infantry Divisions and 1st Cavalry |
Only nominally, en cadre En cadre En cadre or cadre is a French expression originally denoting either the complement of commissioned officers of a regiment or the permanent skeleton establishment of a unit, around which the unit could be built if needed... and had 8189 officers and 8202 soldiers (mostly cavalrymen). Reserve of the 6th Army south of Lwów. |
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Plans of both sides
Russian headquarters seriously overestimated its' own forces. Sergey Kamenev ordered Tukhachevski to mount an all-out counter-offensive as soon as the reorganisation of Russian forces was complete. By August 26 the Russians manned the NemanNeman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
-Shchara
Shchara River
Shchara River is a river in Belarus, a left tributary of the Neman River. It is 325 km in length.Shchara flows through Slonim.- Main tributaries :Right: Lipnyanka, Myshanka, Lakhazva, Usa, Padyavarka. Left: Vedma, Grivda, Lukonitsa, Sipa....
-Svislach
Svislach
Svislach is a town in the South-West of Hrodna voblast, Belarus, an administrative center of the Svislach district.It is connected with Vaŭkavysk by a railroad branch and with Hrodna by a highway...
line with rump forces to escape the disaster at Warsaw. However, fresh reinforcements from mainland Russia were arriving on a daily basis and by mid-September Tukhachevski managed to recreate most divisions lost in mid-August. His forces quickly rose to over 73.000 soldiers and 220 pieces of artillery.
Following Kamenev's orders, Tukhachevski planned an offensive of three armies: the 3rd (six divisions under Vladimir Lazarevich), 15th (four divisions under Avgust Ivanovich Kork) and 16th (four divisions under Nikolai Sollogub
Nikolai Sollogub
Nikolai Sollogub was a Russian and later Soviet military officer. A Komandarm 2nd class, he served during the Russian Civil War and the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920...
). The Russian forces were to sweep southwards, retaking the Brest Fortress
Brest Fortress
Brest Fortress , formerly known as Brest-Litovsk Fortress , is a 19th century Russian fortress in Brest, Belarus. It is one of the most important Soviet World War II war monuments commemorating the Soviet resistance against the German invasion on June 22, 1941...
and Białystok, with the final objective being the city of Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
. There the Russians could expect reinforcements from other Russian units operating south of the Pinsk Marshes
Pinsk Marshes
The Pinsk Marshes or Pripyat Marshes are a vast territory of wetlands along the Pripyat River and its tributaries from Brest, Belarus to Mogilev and Kiev ....
in the Ukraine, as well as experienced troops that could be pulled back from other fronts of the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
At the same time Józef Piłsudski's main objective was to reorganise his forces and break through the enemy lines along the Neman before Russian defences stiffen, thus disrupting any attempts at enemy counter-attack. On September 10, during a staff meeting with his generals, Piłsudski proposed a plan of a major operation near Neman and Shchara rivers. Two Polish armies (2nd under Gen. Edward Rydz and 4th under Gen. Leonard Skierski
Leonard Skierski
Leonard Skierski was a Polish military officer and a general of the Imperial Russian Army and then the Polish Army. A veteran of World War I and the Polish-Bolshevik War, he was one of fourteen Polish generals to be murdered by the NKVD in the Katyn massacre of 1940.-Biography:Leonard Skierski was...
) were to tie down main Russian forces by a frontal attack aimed at Grodno and Wołkowysk (modern Vaŭkavysk, Belarus). Simultaneously, a strong force detached from the 2nd Army was to outflank the Russians from the north, through a strip of land between Sejny
Sejny
Sejny is a town in north-eastern Poland, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area , on the Marycha river, being a tributary of Czarna Hańcza...
and Druskienniki (modern Druskininkai) occupied by Lithuanian forces and attack the Russian army from behind, in the vicinity of Lida
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
. In the south, the 4th Army was to assault Wołkowysk and prepare to close the encirclement.