Battle of Lovech

Battle of Lovech

Part of: Russo-Ottoman War (1877–1878)

Avenue of Bulgarian-Russian Friendship, Lovetsch

date	September 1, 1877 to September 3, 1877
place	Lovech , Ottoman Empire , today Bulgaria
output	Russian Army Victory
consequences	Blocking of the Ottoman supplies to Pleven

Parties to the conflict
Russia	Ottoman Empire
Commander
Alexander Konstantinowitsch Imeretinski Michail Dmitrijewitsch Skobelew Vladimir Dobrowolski	Osman Nuri Pasha Rifa'at Pasha
Troop strength
total of 27,000 men, infantry 14 Cossack brigades 98 cannons	6 battalions infantry 8,000 1 battery (6 pounders) 100 Başı Bozuk cavalry
losses
371 dead, 1,145 wounded	2,200 dead, 2,000 prisoners

The Battle of Lovech ( Bulgarian Битка при Ловеч ) was a battle of the Russo-Ottoman War 1877–1878. It took place during the great siege of Pleven . Russian units were able to successfully capture the fortress of Lovech and thus interrupt the most important Ottoman supply and reporting route to Pleven.

In July 1877, shortly after the siege of Pleven began , the Ottoman commander Osman Pasha received 15 battalions from Sofia . He used these troops to expand the fortifications of Lovech, which lies on the way between Orchanie and Pleven.

After two unsuccessful assaults on Pleven, the Russian army command changed their tactics and began to siege the city. The siege army consisted of about 100,000 soldiers. In order to prevent the Ottoman supply, the Russian General Imeretinski was sent to Lovech with 25 battalions of infantry, 15 Cossack squadrons and 98 cannons, a total of around 22,000 men.

On September 1, 1877, the Russian generals Alexander Imerentinsky, Skobelew and Vladimir Dobrowolski met with around 27,000 soldiers in front of Lovech to attack. The attack was prepared by firing 4,883 shells. Osman Pasha moved out of Pleven with 20 battalions on September 3rd to support his troops in Lovech. However, he only reached the city after it fell to the Russians. He was only able to intercept the troops fleeing the city and so increase his own forces by three battalions. Osman Pasha thus reached 30,000 men, the highest strength he ever had at his disposal. The Russians improved their siege ring around Pleven and without supplies the fate of the Ottoman occupation was sealed. But it should still be three months before she gave up. The battle of Gorni-Dubnik followed .

See also

• Battles of the Russo-Ottoman War (1877–1878)

literature

• Бръняков Б .: Действията около град Ловеч през Освободителната война 1877–1878 г., Печатница "Светливач", Лечетлитела "

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Бръняков Б., Действията около град Ловеч през Освободителната война 1877-1878 г., Печатница "Светлина" Ловеч 1928 г.
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Ian Drury: The Russo-Turkish War 1877. Osprey, London 2012, ISBN 9781782002369 , p. 9.
3. ^ David Eggenberger: An encyclopedia of battles: accounts of over 1,560 battles from 1479 BC to the present. 1985, p. 338.