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• The sharp deterioration in the situation on the Northern Front (...)
• Both groups left for their respective areas (...)
• The battle for Łabiszyn was an interesting example (...)
• Taking into account the strong resistance of the Germans (...)
• The second group did not take part in the direct attack. (...)

Taking into account the strong resistance of the Germans, attempts were made to prepare the attack carefully; as heavy losses were expected, care was taken to organise the medical-sanitary aid. Both strike groups had their own first aid stations: group one in the Lachowice forest lodge and group two in the Pińsko manor farm. At each of these locations, a physician was available. The severely wounded insurgents were to be evacuated to the hospital in Kcynia by Lieutenant Doctor Drecki.

The German forces consisted of 400 soldiers. The commander of the Szubin defence was Second Lieutenant Dost. The forces were composed of:

– an infantry subunit (about 400 soldiers),

– a German Civic Guard unit (commanders: Second Lieutenants Arno Mantey and Kisser),

– a machine gun unit (8 hmg and 9 lmg, commander: Second Lieutenant Härzer),

– a battery of field artillery (commander: Second Lieutenant Falkenhayn),

– a mariners unit (commander: Sergeant Göritz).

The Poles had no idea how these forces were deployed.

The commander of the action was Lieutenant Colonel Kazimierz Grudzielski, who was stationed together with his staff in Kcynia. The action was to be coordinated from Pińsko by head of staff of the Northern Front, Second Lieutenant Mieczysław Paluch.

On 11 January 1919, at 1.00 p.m. the howitzers of Jan Chylewski opened fire. This was the signal for the main first strike group to attack. During the fighting, cooperation between the infantry and machine gun units was skilfully used; the forces moved forward systematically, step by step, seizing the locations in the town which had been reinforced by the Germans: the windmill, the brickyard, the Catholic cemetery and the educational institution. Finally, the unit commanded by Zdzisław Beutler seized the building of the railway station - this was the last resistance point of the Germans in Szubin.

In general, the other groups also completed the tasks assigned to them, although, the cavalry unit commanded by K. Ciążyński did not break the railway tracks running in the direction of Bydgoszcz, which they were supposed do in accordance with their orders. However, the unit did manage to force an armoured train, coming from Bydgoszcz with reinforcements for the Germans, to get involved in the fighting. Finally, these forces were stopped at the station in Szubin. However, at the request of the commander of the front, the tracks were broken near Kołaczkowo to avoid any effective sorties of the enemy.

The unit commanded by Second Lieutenant Kittel which was covering Śliwiński’s group, after a skirmish with the Germans occupied Samoklęski Małe.