Battle of Rajowka
| date | September 20, 1708 |
|---|---|
| place | Rajowka , Mogilev Governorate , present-day Belarus |
| output | no winner |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 2,400 men | 8,000 men (12 dragoon regiments were divided into three brigades ), including Kalmyks and Cossacks |
| losses | |
|
almost the entire Eastern Gothic cavalry regiment |
several hundred riders |
1st phase: Swedish dominance (1700–1709)
Riga I • Jungfernhof • Varja • Pühhajoggi • Narva • Pechora • Düna • Rauge • Erastfer • Hummelshof • Embach • Tartu • Narva II • Wesenberg I • Wesenberg II
Arkhangelsk • Lake Ladoga • Nöteborg • Nyenschanz • Neva • Systerbäck • Petersburg • Vyborg I • Porvoo • Neva II • Koporje II • Kolkanpää
Vilnius • Salads • Jacobstadt • Walled Courtyard • Mitau • Grodno I • Olkieniki • Nyaswisch • Klezk • Ljachavichy
Klissow • Pułtusk • Thorn • Lemberg • Warsaw • Posen • Punitz • Tillendorf • Rakowitz • Praga • Fraustadt • Kalisch
Grodno II • Golovchin • Moljatitschi • Rajowka • Lesnaja • Desna • Baturyn • Koniecpol • Weprik • Opischnja • Krasnokutsk • Sokolki • Poltava I • Poltava II
2nd phase: Sweden on the defensive (1710–1721)
Riga II • Vyborg II • Pernau • Kexholm • Reval • Hogland • Pälkäne • Storkyro • Nyslott • Hanko
Helsingborg • Køge Bay • Gulf of Bothnia • Frederikshald I • Dynekilen Fjord • Gothenburg I • Strömstad • Trondheim • Frederikshald II • Marstrand • Ösel • Gothenburg II • Södra Stäket • Grönham • Sundsvall
Elbing • Wismar I • Lübow • Stralsund I • Greifswalder Bodden I • Stade • Rügen • Gadebusch • Altona • Tönning II • Stettin • Fehmarn • Wismar II • Stralsund II • Jasmund • Peenemünde • Greifswalder Bodden II • Stresow
The Battle of Rajowka was a small skirmish of the Russian campaign of Charles XII. in the Great Northern War . It happened on September 20, 1708 near the small town of Rajowka. This battle ended with a victory for the Swedish army. King Charles XII. was slightly wounded in the battle. His adjutant general Rosenstjerna was killed.
In advance
 
| |
At the beginning of September 1708 the Swedish army, which was advancing to Moscow , lost the battle of Moljatitschi and withdrew. Due to the swampy terrain, the Russian army under the command of Major General Mikhail Golitsyn was unable to pursue the Swedes. Despite the victory, the Russians withdrew to Smolensk . Charles XII. recognized from the previous course of the Russian campaign that the Russian army had become more powerful in the last eight years of war. The Russian army was no longer a "wild bunch" of soldiers, but a serious opponent for the Swedes, who had been used to victory up to now.
After a day of rest, the Swedish king also marched towards Smolensk to provide the Russian army corps there. The Tsar and his troops had set up camp in Dobry and left it after learning of the advance of the Swedes. During the advance the Swedes were repeatedly attacked in the flanks by several thousand mounted Cossacks. These smaller skirmishes were all won by the Swedes, but this war of attrition was problematic for the Swedes in the long run, because for every Swedish soldier the Tsar had ten Russian or allied soldiers available and so the losses for the army of Charles XII. far from one's own supply routes, more difficult.
Despite the constant attacks by the riders, the Swedes continued to advance. On this march there was a battle near the small town of Rajowka. At first the king thought it was just a small squadron of Kalmuck horsemen and sent a small patrol to meet the Russian horsemen. But they soon came back and reported to the king that there were a large number of regular Russian cavalry.
Charles XII. was ready to fight with the Russian cavalrymen and sent Field Marshal Rehnskiöld back to the main body of the army in order to bring in further reinforcements. But he himself did not wait for this reinforcement, but rode directly towards the Russians at the head of the East Gothic cavalry regiment. The Prince of Württemberg rode at the king's side.
The battle
The unexpected advance of the Swedish cavalry broke the order of the Russian cavalry. Only through the fortunate circumstance of numerical superiority could these collect again. After just a few minutes, the Swedish riders were surrounded by the Russians and Karl XII. separated from the Prince of Württemberg. The king's squadron was almost entirely killed in the fighting that followed. Only the simple uniform, the personal bravery in close combat and his courage saved Charles XII. The life. The king's horse was shot away during the battle, so that he had to continue fighting on foot. Adjutant General Ture Hard died at his side on his horse after several sabers pierced him. The King of Sweden then swung himself onto the dead adjutant's horse and continued the fight on horseback. Adjutant General Carl Gustaf Rosenstjerna was from Karl XII. sent to the main army to request reinforcements. But he was pursued by several Russian horsemen. They shot him from his horse and fought him, seriously injuring him and dying after several days.
Like Karl, the Prince of Württemberg lost almost all of his men. Due to the poor visibility, he was able to mingle with the Russian riders undetected and join his again in the supposed attack on the Swedes. The prince also wore a simple equestrian uniform.
In the meantime the body satellites and the Småland dragoons had arrived under the command of Colonel Dahldorff and attacked the onrushing Russian horsemen. They immediately withdrew when they saw the reinforcement. This ended the useless and mutually lossy battle.
The consequences
Charles XII. let his troops rest for several days. The losses in the battles of Moljatitschi and Rajowka were enormous and the morale of the Swedish troops was subdued, which was negative for the further campaign plans of the king.
A few weeks later, a Swedish relief army was defeated in the battle of Lesnaya and the King of Sweden had to break off the campaign to Moscow.
literature
- Lundblad, Knut: History of Karl the Twelfth, King of Sweden Volume 2, Hamburg 1835.
- Not so Fryxell: Life story of Charles the Twelfth, King of Sweden. Volume 2, Friedrich Vieweg and Son, Braunschweig 1861.