The Battle of Komarów, or the Zamość Ring, was one of the most important battles of the Polish-Soviet War. It took place between 30 August and 2 September 1920, near the village of Komarowo (now Komarów) near Zamość. It was the last large battle in which cavalry was used as such and not as mounted infantry. The battle ended in a disaster for the Soviet 1st Cavalry Army, which sustained heavy casualties and barely avoided being surrounded and destroyed. After the battle, the morale of the 1st Cavalry Army collapsed, and it no longer remained an effective fighting force. Eve of the battle After the Battle of Zadwórze, the forces of the Bolshevik 1st Cavalry Army under Semyon Budyonny were halted for over a day. By this time the Russian cavalry units had lost much of their initiative and had not managed to reach or intervene in the Battle of Warsaw. After the Bolsheviks lost the struggle for the capital of Poland and started their retreat eastwards, the forces of Budyonny were ordered by Mikhail Tukhachevsky to march northwards to attack the right flank of Józef Piłsudski's advancing forces in order to draw Polish forces away from the north and relieve pressure on the routed Western Army. Tukhachevsky believed that if Polish forces were required to turn south, he could reverse the disaster unfolding in the north and resume his westward offensive to capture Warsaw. However, heavy fighting in the area of Lwów and the upper Bug River postponed the march. By the time the 1st Cavalry Army reached the area of Zamość on 30 August 1920, the Polish forces had already managed to redirect much of their troops to the area and organize a line of defense. Initial clashes On 29 August, the 1st Cavalry Army fought the first battle with units of the Polish 1st Cavalry Division. A small "Special Battalion" led by Major Stanisław Maczek fought a successful delaying action near the village of Waręż. Later that day, the Polish 1st Krechowce Uhlan Regiment chanced upon several unprepared Bolshevik units and took 150 POWs, three pieces of artillery and seven machine guns in the villages of Łykoszyn and Tyszowce. The following day, the Soviet units continued their advance towards Zamość, but found the Polish mobile defence difficult to break. The garrison of the fortress was composed of a number of units commanded by Captain Mikołaj Bołtuć. Among