20. Field of the battle fought on 24 February 1831 in Nieporęt
Place of the skirmish between the 3rd Mounted
Rifle Regiment of Colonel Jankowski with
the Russian troops on 24 February 1831.
The skirmish was part of a larger battle
fought in Bialoleka to defend Warsaw during
the November Uprising, on the eve of the famous
battle of Olszynka Grochowska.
The situation was as follows: The Poles won the battles of Stoczek, Dobre and Wawer, but the Russians commanded by the field marshal Dybicz, outnumbering the Polish troops by at least 2 to 1 or more, continued their march towards Warsaw district of Praga. And from the north, stretching from Nieporęt to Bialoleka, the Russian corps of General Szachowski marched ahead. The commander of Polish forces, General Józef Chłopicki ordered General Kazimierz Małachowski stationed in the village of Bialoleka to carry out reconnaissance mission and identify the corps. Colonel Antoni Jankowski having at his disposal a dozen squadrons of mounted riflemen, a battalion of line infantry and two horse artillery guns was sent out to reconnoitre the enemy. Early in the morning of February 24, Jankowski attacked the village of Nieporęt from the east, where the enemy with the unknown forces had its headquarters. He was probably counting on the fact that this is only an advance guard of the enemy corps. Unfortunately, he encountered the main Russian forces commanded by Szachowski. In response to the fire opened by the Polish troops, the Russians retaliated with a much fiercer attack, with strong cavalry units attacking from behind the buildings. The situation was redeemed by the commander of the grenadier company of the 6th Line Infantry Regiment, Captain Dobrzycki who stopped the Russian attack with a gun salvo, so that the Polish guns could be withdrawn into the woods. In this way he saved them from destruction. Jankowski, having seen the overwhelming forces of the enemy, ordered his troops to retreat.
This skirmish was the beginning of a fierce, all-day-long battle for Bialoleka. In the end General Małachowski ordered the withdrawal of his troops in the direction of Bródno, but he managed to effectively disorganize Russians’ battle plan of Praga district. Thanks to that he contributed to curtailing the Russian offensive at Olszynka Grochowska.
The situation was as follows: The Poles won the battles of Stoczek, Dobre and Wawer, but the Russians commanded by the field marshal Dybicz, outnumbering the Polish troops by at least 2 to 1 or more, continued their march towards Warsaw district of Praga. And from the north, stretching from Nieporęt to Bialoleka, the Russian corps of General Szachowski marched ahead. The commander of Polish forces, General Józef Chłopicki ordered General Kazimierz Małachowski stationed in the village of Bialoleka to carry out reconnaissance mission and identify the corps. Colonel Antoni Jankowski having at his disposal a dozen squadrons of mounted riflemen, a battalion of line infantry and two horse artillery guns was sent out to reconnoitre the enemy. Early in the morning of February 24, Jankowski attacked the village of Nieporęt from the east, where the enemy with the unknown forces had its headquarters. He was probably counting on the fact that this is only an advance guard of the enemy corps. Unfortunately, he encountered the main Russian forces commanded by Szachowski. In response to the fire opened by the Polish troops, the Russians retaliated with a much fiercer attack, with strong cavalry units attacking from behind the buildings. The situation was redeemed by the commander of the grenadier company of the 6th Line Infantry Regiment, Captain Dobrzycki who stopped the Russian attack with a gun salvo, so that the Polish guns could be withdrawn into the woods. In this way he saved them from destruction. Jankowski, having seen the overwhelming forces of the enemy, ordered his troops to retreat.
This skirmish was the beginning of a fierce, all-day-long battle for Bialoleka. In the end General Małachowski ordered the withdrawal of his troops in the direction of Bródno, but he managed to effectively disorganize Russians’ battle plan of Praga district. Thanks to that he contributed to curtailing the Russian offensive at Olszynka Grochowska.