Battle of Oposhnya
Battle of Oposhnya | |||||||
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Part of the Swedish invasion of Russia | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Swedish Empire | Tsardom of Russia | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Charles XII of Sweden | Otto Rudolf von der Schaumburg [ru] Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov Karl Evald von Rönne | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2,000–2,500 men[1] | 6,000 men[1] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
19[1] | 450[1] |
- v
- t
- e
- Denmark and Holstein-Gottorp (1700)
- 1st Tönning
- Reinbek
- Humlebæk
- Swedish Baltic dominions
- 1st Riga
- Varja
- 1st Narva
- Düna
- Rauge
- Erastfer
- Hummelshof
- Nöteborg
- Systerbäck
- Wesenberg
- 2nd Narva
- Neva
- Koporye
- Kolkanpää
- 2nd Riga
- Courland and Western Lithuania
- Tryškiai
- Darsūniškis
- Vilnius
- Saločiai
- Jakobstadt
- Palanga
- Gemauerthof
- 1st Grodno
- Valkininkai
- Kletsk
- 2nd Grodno
- Poland and Saxony
- Kliszów
- Pułtusk
- Thorn
- Poznań
- Lemberg
- Poniec
- Warsaw
- Praga
- Fraustadt
- Rosenhain
- Frauenwald
- Kalisz
- Koniecpol
- Russia and Eastern Lithuania
- Petschora
- Holowczyn
- Malatitze
- Rajovka
- Lesnaya
- Desna
- Baturyn
- Veprik
- Oposhnya
- Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye
- Sokolki
- Poltava
- Perevolochna
- Sweden proper (including Finland)
- Helsingborg
- (2nd Viborg
- Helsinki
- Pälkäne
- Napue)
- Gothenburg
- Göta Älv
- Strömstad
- Marstrand
- Stäket
- Moldavia
- Swedish German dominions
- Mecklenburg and Holstein-Gottorp
- Naval battles
- Køge Bay
- Fladstrand
- Hogland
- Gangut
- Fehmarn
- Rügen
- Ösel
- Grengam
- Treaties
The Battle of Oposhnya took place on February 8, 1709 during the Swedish invasion of Russia in the Great Northern War.
Prelude
After the costly siege of Veprik the Swedes under Charles XII of Sweden started an offensive against the Russian army in the area. The intention of this offensive was not clear to the Russians, as they subsequently had to spread their main forces out to cover possible attack directions. One of these were the troops under Otto Rudolf von der Schaumburg [ru] positioned at Oposhnya (Opishnia) on the river Vorskla to block any attempt by the Swedes to cross the river.
Battle
Charles intended to surprise Schaumburg and his 6,000 cavalry and force them off the location. He led 2,000–2,500 cavalry for this task and managed to catch the Russians completely off guard while they were having dinner. Charles immediately charged with his men and swept the Russian forces out of the town followed by a hot pursuit on step. During the battle, Russian generals Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov and Karl Evald von Rönne also showed up.
Aftermath
In this action the Russians lost more than 450 men, the Swedes only 19. Perhaps more importantly however, the Swedes could now cross the river Vorskla. The offensive continued for a while and Charles reached Krasnokutsk where he forced another Russian army on the run.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Dorrell, Nicholas. The Dawn of the Tsarist Empire: Poltava & the Russian Campaigns of 1708—1709, Partizan Press (2009). pp 155