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   The huge army of Poles and Lithuanians left Dabrowno before dark on 15 July, and by sunrise they had reached Lake Lubien. This time the Grand Master found the army of Jahaila(Yagailla) and Vitaut, and for second time planned to oppose the enemy, on Tuesday 15 July, at the villages of Grunwald, Stebark and Lodwigowo near Lake Lubien. The land around here was heavily forested with wood suitable for concealing the Polish-Lithuanian army.

When the sun rose on that fateful day, 15 July, the Teutons positioned their headquarters near the little village of Grunwald, while some three miles distant, the Polish and Lithuanian Commanders had their headquarters between small villages of Stebark (Tannenberg) and Ulnowo...

In subsequent history the Poles would call this the Battle of Grunwald, the Germans and other western allies, the Battle of Tannenberg, Belarusians - Battle near Dabrowno(-closest town) and the Lietuanians - the Battle of Zalgiris.

     Although outnumbered in bodies, (more than 50.000 from the Polish Kingdom and Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Allies to 32.000 Teutons- mostly Germans), the Teutons(Krzyzacy) were vastly superior in armour, horses, and experience and in battlefield leadership. This was going to be one of the most decisive battles of the world, and of all times - an immense clash of arms which would determine the history of Eastern Europe and the destiny of the two emerging nations, Lithuania and Poland.

   By 5 o' clock in the morning of 15 July, massed Teutons with flags and huge horses dressed in white could be seen waiting on the horizon, but no Poles and Lithuanians appeared to oppose them.
   At 6 o'clock the sun rose. Three Polish Champions went to meet the King and requested permission to lead the army in an attack against the Teutons.

"No!" Was the answer of the King, and then he revealed his strategy:    "Let them wait there in the hot sun. Let them wait all morning while we stay here among the cool trees. When they are exhausted by the heat and lack of water, only then do we engage them in battle"

   The three Polish Champions, including the formidable knight Zawisza Czarny (Black Zawisza), known on many battlefields as the premier knight of the east, were impatient, and did not like their King's strategy. But when the sun became hotter and hotter, they understood their King's wisdom in staying in the forest, while the Teutons in full armour were "burned" by the hot sun. In the meantime Vitaut the Great was checking the regiments/flags of Lithuanians, Poles, Bohemians, etc and with his strong voice, gave morale to the soldiers. Vitaut would participate in the battle as one of the Allied commanders, but actually he would be the Leader of the army.

   Vitaut did not like to wait, since the Teutons, according to spies, had marched more than 25 km in heavy rain the previous day, to reach and block the enemy at Grunwald. The Teutons would be tired, and one attack in the early hours of the morning could have crushed the exhausted Teutons, but Yagailla considered that making them wait in the heat of the day would make the Teutons nervous, and irritable. It was known that Teutons in the past on many battlefields of Europe, won battles because of their psychology and clear mind. Unlike Vitaut' participation in the battle,Yagailla would be placed on the hill to watch the battle and see how he could use the army to the best tactical advantage.

   At 8.30, the two knights reached about twenty yards from the Poles, one of them cried in a loud voice:
   "Lithuanian and Poles, Dukes Vitaut and Yagailla, if you are afraid to come out and fight, our Grand Master sends you these additional weapons"

   On the left side, there were Poles, Bohemians, Moravians and Moldavians.
On the right side Vitaut the Great had a Tartar platoon and his Lithuanian knights. The foot soldiers, along with the Poles, were hidden in the trees. The Teutons were conventionally opposed to the Polish-Lithuanians. They just had a line of cannon and infantry at the front of their lines.Yagailla suddenly gave the signal to attack The Teutons' cannon only managed to fire twice against the mainly light, and of course quick, cavalry. Soon Vitaut's knights reached the line with very few casualties, since they were cleverly spaced so as not to be too close to each other, and brought chaos to the Teutons' infantry.

Von Jungingen, seeing the failure of his cannons and infantrymen to stop the Lithuanians, immediately ordered some of his cavalry to be sent to engage the Lithuanians.
   From behind, the Lithuanians and Tartars were chasing them, and as they ran back towards their own rear lines, the mounted Teutons (Krzyzacy) were coming directly at them. Soon most of the infantrymen were trampled to death by the horses. Some who were more afraid of the cavalry, turned back and found death from the Lithuanians. The first line of the Teutons' infantry was almost wiped out.

   It was a clever manoeuvre by Jahaila and Vitaut the Great, to throw only their mainly light cavalry against the cannons, to eliminate them, and prevent them causing problems for the heavy Polish cavalry. It also forced the Teutons to commit their heavy cavalrymen so soon to the battle.

   But now things have changed. When the Tartars looked up the hill and saw giant horses and equally giant Teutons(Krzyzacy) coming towards them, they fled, leaving the Lithuanians and Russians alone. It was a chaotic and undisciplined retreat, and some Teutons followed them, cheering and shouting battle cries. After a chase of four miles, when more than 50 Tartars had been killed, the Teutons returned to their fellows who were fighting with the Lithuanians, but they were engaged in an entirely different kind of battle.

   Soon the Grand Master sent a large force of Teutons to the battle, to engage the Polish knights who were waiting on the other side.

   The Grand Master seeing that the Lithuanian army was less numerous than the Poles, and less well armed, diverted some Teutons who were engaged in fighting the Poles, to crush the dangerous Lithuanians of Vitaut the Great, who was the Allied Commander in the battle. Indeed Teutons started to press the Lithuanians. Vitaut the Great realised his men were under pressure, and ordered a tactical retreat, to bring the Teutons to the forests. A big force of Lithuanians started to withdraw, and the Teutons happily started to chase them. Only a small force, mainly of banner from Smolensk's land and some Lithuanians who were very close to the Polish knights, stayed to fight. One Smolensk regiment was smashed completely by the Teutons, but the rest were fighting desperately against the better-armed Teutons.

   But not many Teutons chased the Lithuanians. Some of them were afraid of the sight of the forests, suspicious that this may be a trap. Indeed it was, because when the Lithuanians went into the Zevaldas forest across the narrow river Morence, a reserve force of fresh Polish knights suddenly came out of the trees like lions and started to kill the surprised Teutons without mercy. The retreating Lithuanians made an immediate about-turn, and assisted the Poles.

   But the Lithuanians' tactical withdrawal was dangerous for the Polish lines, as it left them with an exposed left flank. Nine Crusader regiments were able to attack the Polish knights from that side, and some succeeded in getting behind the Polish front. A complete surrounding of the Poles was prevented by three regiments from Smolensk, and some Lithuanians who had not retreated.

   It was now that Teutons(Krzyzacy) would gain some successes and even they were close to the end of this battle. In the Teutons' favour, Marcin from Wrocimowic, the Chamberlain of Krakow had been awarded the honour of bearing aloft at the heart of the battle, a big Polish flag marked with the sign of a white Eagle. When the Teutons saw this, they supposed that King Jahaila must be nearby, fighting at the head of his troops in the European fashion. They did not realise that Jahaila(Yagailla) had stationed himself atop a small hill to watch the battle, as the Grand Master did - a tactic that was followed by Genghis Khan and his successors.

Vitaut in the first line immediately killed two Teutons with his sword. The voices of returning Lithuanians were heard by the Poles and Bohemians, boosting their morale. It was now two in the afternoon, the hottest time of that long brutal day and Jahaila(Yagailla)'s and his cousin's strategy, started showing results. The German and other knights, among the bravest men in the world, had been sweating in the saddle since dawn and some were beginning to tire, especially those who had chased the Tartars.

   When Jahaila(Yagailla) saw his cousin coming back to the battle, he released a contingent of his knights who had not yet seen battle, and when these fresh warriors joined the battle, the line of Teutons was slowly driven back.

   But the Grand Master saw this, and threw a reserve of his own in to help his men in the battle. The fight was now a general melee, with individual swordsmen fighting each other, and one horseman galloping after another and cutting him down from the rear. The battle was so formidable with the advantage swinging from one side to the other and back again.

   A worried German commander reported to his Grand Master, "I have ridden everywhere, Sire, and I assure you the Polish and Lithuanian foot soldiers have not been involved yet. They must be hiding in these damn dark forests. We have to eliminate them".
   "Don't worry, we are winning. I feel that, and soon we will join in the battle to crush them. The foot soldiers will not join, they are afraid of us".

   It was almost 6 o'clock and Jahaila(Yagailla) moved to another position on the hill near Lodwigowo, closer to the battlefield, to give orders. Suddenly the Polish King gave a signal, and from the dark woods the Polish and Lithuanian peasants began to emerge, walking gingerly at first, then half-running with their pitiful wooden weapons in the air, and finally surging forward with cries they might have used in hunting bear. On and on they came closer, the cries growing louder and more shrill, scaring the Teutons who this time could not see could not see white horses and white dressed Knights, but many foot soldiers advancing on the Teutons like a mass of irresistible ants. The Teutons(Krzyzacy) killed many of them, but the vast army of foot soldiers never stopped advancing.

   Now the Teutons had to face knights and foot soldiers. Blood and bodies were everywhere, hampering the movements of the knights. Desperate voices of those dying in agony could be heard everywhere. The Poles and their allies were gaining ground. The stubborn foot soldiers made the Crusaders nervous, and they did not know whom to fight first.
The Teutons' infantry had been crushed early, because of the bad tactic of von Jungingen. A desperate screaming could be heard to the Teutons. "God who guides us", shouted Kuno von Lichtenstein, "free me of these damned flies!"
   Von Jungingen's face was ashen and his throat suddenly parched, realising that this was going to be a battle to the death and that his knights might lose. The allies were winning and the Teutons were being driven back everywhere. Many of them had lost their nerve, and the allies killed more and more Teutons.
   "Now comes the time when we defend the cause of Jesus Christ with our own lives! After me!"
Without hesitation, he spurred his horse to the battle and 16 German regiments/flags followed him.

   This raid was dangerous for Jahaila(Yagailla) as it was close to him, and the White Eagle flag could betray him as the King. There were fewer knights near him than those the Grand Master had desperately thrown into the battle. The Teutons(Krzyzacy) may have noticed the flag, but they hurried to follow their commander to help their embattled fellows. But one knight, von Kokeritz , broke away from his fellows to make a lone attack on Jahaila(Yagailla), probably noticing the flag.
   Perhaps von Kokeritz recognised Yagailla's face, or possibly his uniform, and rode to attack him. The King was prepared to defend himself, but the King's secretary, Zbigniew of Olesnicy, who was unarmed, managed, with his horse, to trip the German's horse and threw him down. Other knights killed the German before he could rise from the ground and shout to his fellows that the Polish King was there.

   In the meantime the 16 regiments of Teutons reached the battle to help their pressed fellows against the enemy.
The pressed Teutons(Krzyzacy) were retreating to join their Grand Master, but Vitaut the Great immediately ordered his troops to weaken the centre and strengthen the sides, so as to surround the Teutons who were speeding towards the centre of the allied line. Many Polish regiments fell to the Teutons now, and the final stages of the deadly battle began. Slowly, like the remorseless tentacles of a giant octopus, the various bands - Lithuanian (Belarusan), Polish, Bohemian, Tartar, Moravian, Moldavian - closed in upon the Teutons. When the circle was complete, the slaughter began. Lances, daggers, pikes, scythes, poignards, the hoofbeat of horses, the strangling force of maddened hands, all combined to crush the German power which only the day before had seemed so impregnable.

   Foot soldiers, mainly villagers, were fighting fanatically, full of hate and revenge, as they had seen  their villages destroyed by raiding Teutons, and many of their friends had been killed by these People of God.

   The encirclement was complete now. Even the 16 new regiments could not help the situation for the Teutons(Krzyzacy). Vitaut the Great was dealing out death to every Crusader who opposed to him. He was shouting and giving more encouragement to the allies, who, like bees, were pressing the unfortunate Teutons more and more. But the battle was still deadly. The Teutons with their long swords killed many lightly-armed soldiers, but most of the Teutons were confused now, their white clothes turned to red, because of the amount of blood that was on the ground, and on the horses. Those Teutons who wanted to see better threw away their heavy restricting helmets, only to have their heads crushed by the Poles' numerous weapons.

   The Lithuanians were on the left wing attacking the Teutons, and Poles on the right. The circle was so strong that no one could escape from it. The Teutons were fighting bravely and very stubbornly, refusing to accept defeat, and continuing the desperate battle. The Grand Master, aided by Von Wallenrode and six of his bravest knights, tried to hold back the peasants and determined knights. But there were too many of them and he was overcome. The masses fell with extreme force on the German leader, hitting him from all directions.In the meantime a brave Pole grabbed the Teutonic Order flag from the hands of Von Wallenrode.

   At twenty past seven, when half an hour of daylight still remained, the last phase of the battle ended with the complete crushing of these 16 regiments, and those who were connected with them. Now the hunt started for those few who had survived and sought help at the Teutons' base of tents, where some infantry and a few knights were preparing to help their fellows.

   The army of Poles and Lithuanians very quickly overran the Teutons' base. The Teutons did not expect the tired enemy would be able to reach their base so soon, but Jahaila(Yagailla) had more fresh reinforcements to throw into the battle, even at this late stage. Again a new slaughter began, and those who were unarmed and begging for their lives were taken  prisoner. Some Teutons, alone or in small groups, tried to escape through the woods, but they lost their way and were captured or killed by the allies.    Only around 1400 Teutons(Krzyzacy) managed to leave the battlefield and reach Malbork.

   In the base, there was lots of wine, and many handcuffs which had been brought to take the defeated Pagans like dogs back to Malbork, so sure had the Teutons been of victory. Vitaut ordered everything belonging to the Teutons to be burned, and that the handcuffs should be put on the few prisoners. "Put them on so that they know how it feels to be chained like a dog, to see how poor and useless our countrymen felt, when they were caught as prisoners in their raids on our villages, and taken to these terrible prisons of Malbork", shouted Vitaut the Great. Jahaila(Yagailla) ordered the wine to be poured on to the ground, because he did not want his men drunk, but to have power for the next day, when the flags of the Teutons(Krzyzacy) would fall on the earth, at the feet of the victors.

Over whole landscape thousands of bodies could be seen lying on the ground, and Priests praying for their souls. It was a sad view for all.

   The next day was a big one for the victors. First the King went to see injured men, from both sides.  The enemies were no longer handcuffed, because to the victors, these people were human beings and not animals, no matter how they hated them. The knight spirit was full among the brave Lithuanians and Poles. ... Finish of the battle

   Soon the two great leaders Vitaut the Great and Jahaila(Yagailla), surrounded by their splendid captains, moved to the battlefield and saw one enemy flag after another fall to the ground. 39 flags would be taken by the Poles, and 10 by the Lithuanians. The lucky 1400 Teutons who escaped only managed to take 7 flags with them, and for them it was a success taking at least these flags.

   The Tartars, who were relatively few in number, became a scandal, because priest Anton Grabener of Lubeck, who did not participate in the fighting, sent a report to all the capitals of Europe, informing the courts that the Teutonic Knights were defeated only because the pagan Jahaila(Yagailla) and his heathen cousin Vitaut, had imported 100.000 Tartars who overwhelmed the defenders of Christianity. This was completely untrue - there had only been les than 1500 Tartars present

Despite this staggering defeat, the Teutonic Order showed an incredible resilience, falling back on the impregnable fortifications of the Marienburg (Malbork) in the north.