41st Suwałki Infantry Regiment, cavalry group of Major Gluchowski. The battle On April 16, 1919, at 5 a.m., Polish forces attacked the town from three sides – north, west and south. At the same time, Polish cavalry headed eastwards, to cut rail connection between Lida and Maladzyechna. Bolshevik forces in the town, supported by the Jewish residents, put up a strong resistance. Since the battle ensued for much longer that Józef Piłsudski had predicted, additional Polish forces were sent by trains: 2nd Battalion of 5th Legions Infantry Regiment (Captain Bernard Mond), and 1st Battalion of 6th Legions Infantry Regiment (Major Stefan Dąb-Biernacki). Heavy fighting lasted for the whole night of April 16/17, with several soldiers killed and wounded on both sides. The Bolsheviks called an armoured train, which managed to halt Polish advance for some time. Polish soldiers finally managed to cross the railroad track, and entered the suburbs of Lida. During a bloody street fighting, Poles had to capture one house at a time, but after reinforcements had been brought in, they destroyed railroad track with hand grenades. On April 17, at 4 in the morning, general Polish assault began, with main forces concentrated in the direction of the rail station. After one hour of heavy fighting, Lida was captured. The Poles captured a Bolshevik armoured train, weapons, ammunition and 350 prisoners of war. The Bolsheviks retreated eastwards, chased by Polish cavalry of the 7th Lublin Uhlan Regiment under Major Janusz Głuchowski. Polish engineers immediately began working on the destroyed rail track, to enable troop transports to Vilnius. At noon on April 17, Józef Piłsudski came to Lida. The Battle of Lida was commemorated on Warsaw Tomb of Unknown Soldier, with the inscription "LIDA 16 IV 1918 – 28 IX 1920". References Mieczyslaw Wrzosek: Wojny o granice Polski Odrodzonej 1918–1921. Warszawa: Wiedza Powszechna, 1992. . Lech Wyszczelski: Wojna polsko-rosyjska 1919–1920. T. 1. Warszawa: Bellona, 2010, s. 696. . Lida 1919 in Belarus Military history of Belarus April 1919 events Western Belorussia (1918–1939)