1919 On February 17, the
Red Army clashed with Poles near
Antopal, which was the first battle of the
Polish–Soviet War. On February 28, the infantry units of General Listowski advanced east towards
Pinsk. Divided into three groups, the Poles captured
Drahichyn and
Janów Poleski, and then advanced along the rail line from Brześć to Pinsk. Finally, on March 5, the Poles seized Pinsk and then headed towards
Luniniec, but failed to capture this important rail junction. On July 1, 1919, divisions of the Polish Lithuanian-Belarusian Front began an offensive to capture
Minsk and to reach the line of the
Berezina river. The 9th Division protected the right flank of the Polish front, seizing the important rail junction of
Luniniec on July 10. The Soviets several times tried to recapture the town, but their attacks failed. Finally, in August 1919, the division captured
Sluck, reaching the line of the
Sluch river. It spent the winter of 1919/1920 keeping the positions along the Sluch.
1920 In March 1920, the 9th Division was ordered to attack and capture another important rail junction at
Mazyr. The offensive began on the night of March 4, and by the afternoon of March 5, after crossing 70 kilometres, Mozyr was in Polish hands. The division then took defensive positions, repelling several Soviet raids. On April 25, 1920, the
Kiev offensive began. During the fighting in the
Kyiv area, the
Polesie Group of the Polish Army (General
Władysław Sikorski) was ordered to attack and reach the line of the
Dnieper near its confluence with the
Prypec. On April 26, the 9th Division seized
Czernobyl, and on May 9, it captured
Recyca. Six days later, Polish units reached the Dnieper. In early June 1920, the
Soviet 12th Army crossed the Dnieper, threatening Polish forces in Kyiv with encirclement. On June 17, the Polish front was broken, and a general retreat was ordered. On July 4, the armies of
Mikhail Tukhachevsky and
Semyon Budyonny initiated a general offensive. The 9th Division withdrew to the
Styr line, but the Soviets crossed it on July 21. In late July, two regiments of the division were transported to the area of
Grodno, fighting the Cavalry Army of
Hayk Bzhishkyan. There, the Polish retreat continued. Near Jablonka, the 34th Infantry Regiment was almost destroyed by the enemy, with losses reaching up to 75%. In early August, the division regrouped in the area of
Modlin, with the 41st Infantry Regiment attached to it, to replace the destroyed 34th Infantry Regiment. As part of the Fifth Army, it was tasked with protecting the left wing of the Polish Northern Front until the planned
Wieprz river offensive. On August 14, the division began offensive from its positions along the
Wkra river. By August 16, it captured
Nasielsk and advanced towards
Ciechanów. On August 30, the division was transported by rail from Ciechanów to
Chełm, where it joined the Third Army. On September 3, Marshal
Józef Piłsudski decorated many of its soldiers with medals and awards. After a parade, the division was ordered to capture
Hrubieszów. The assault began on September 5, and on the next day, the town was seized. The division remained in the south until September 19, capturing
Lutsk and
Dubno. In late September 1920, the division was transported northwards to guard the Polish–Lithuanian demarcation line. It was stationed near
Wolkowysk, and two of its regiments were incorporated into the
armed forces of the Republic of Central Lithuania. == Second Polish Republic ==